A Simpler Scenario

[nkafkafi]

--- In the_old_crowd at yahoogroups.com, "nrenka" <nrenka at y...> wrote:
> >> Pippin:
> >> Why then have such a horror of this one particular spell? 
>  
> > Kneasy: 
> > Because it has only one purpose and it's supposed to be unstoppable.

 
> -Nora
> 
> And that fits in with Rowling's metaphysics, too.  She says that what 
> makes Voldemort so evil is that he kills, and dead is dead is dead in 
> her world.  She's also made comments about how awful it is to take a 
> human life.
> 
> Given the model we've been shown of intention powering the 
> Unforgivable Curses (Crucio clearly, the others more implies), AK is 
> an evil, evil thing precisely for Kneasy's reasons.  It kills people, 
> it can be stopped by inanimate objects (but blasts them apart), but 
> the only person who has ever 'survived' it is Harry, and for specific 
> reasons.
> 
> IMO, it would also really defang the end of the book to then go "But 
> it was a fake AK, and Snape cast this other spell instead, and..."  
> The interest is in *why* Snape did such a horrific thing.
> 

Neri:
Yep, and I have to add that personally I don't believe in the
existence of "fake AK". We have indeed seen a potential for "fake"
Cruciatus, but Cruciatus isn't an all-or-nothing thing, and it doesn't
produce any visible ray of light. AK does. 

That is, I think that if the whole DADA class would point their wands
at Crouch!Moody and say the words, then he might just barely get a
nosebleed, but there wouldn't be any green ray of light. If there
*would* be a green ray it would be because one of the children fully
meant it, and then Crouch!Moody would be dead. It's an all-or-nothing
thing. You're either dead or you ain't.

After all, Crouch!Moody said quite categorically that only Harry ever
survived an AK. If there were many cases of "fake" AK in Wizarding
history then Crouch!Moody wouldn't be able to make such an assertion.
Imagine one Wizard hitting another wizard with a green ray that looks
just like an AK and the other wizard staying alive. How would we ever
know for sure if it was because the first Wizard didn't mean it, or
because it *is* possible to survive an AK? Do we believe the first
Wizard about whether he meant it or not? After all, frequently people
can't even decide for themselves if they meant it or not. Does
righteous anger count? 

Neri