Lethality of Harry Potter Wizards and Witches

[Sheilawisz]

I have read the Harry Potter series and I like it, even though I am not one of those fans that re-read the series twenty times and know all the details of every of the seven books... There are several things that I do not agree with in the HP series, but the most obvious for me is this: I think that the Avada Kedavra curse is irrelevant, something that the characters would not really need because, if you analyze their powers, you can quickly realize that they would have so many ways to kill.

My question is, how lethal do you think that the Wizards and Witches from the Harry Potter world really are??

I think that a quick way to kill with the magic that they have would be to simply transfigure your victim into a glass statue and smash it, or maybe transfigure them into an apple (then eat the apple) a mouse (squeeze the mouse) or just paralyze your victim and then set on fire, so they burn alive and are helpless to do anything about it.

Why not just turn your victim's blood into muriatic acid inside their bodies?? That would cause an instant collapse and a painful death... now, that "invisible, irresistible force" that they can use, why not break your victim's spine or crush the internal organs with a flick of your wand?? Why not slice the throat or even decapitate with a Sectumsempra slash? I can think of so many creative ways to kill with HP magic, and I wonder why the wizards would need that Avada Kedavra thing =P

I have also imagined that those Wizards could attack Muggle cities by turning large parts of the air into some sort of nerve gas or phosgene, and they have that Fiendfyre thing that is basically a sentient napalm that gets out of control and seems to destroy everything... Would the Wizards be capable of actually destroying cities and quickly exterminate the muggles causing millions of casualties??

 

[Benjamin Clayborne]

It's been gone over before that HP's magic system does not really make a lot of sense, and mostly exists as a fungible plot device that Rowling could use for whatever purpose. Which is fine; HP is so strongly about the characters and the choices they make that you have to either swallow the magic whole, without question, or it will drive you batty trying to reconcile it logically (it obviously doesn't mesh with reality, but it's not even internally consistent a lot of the time).

 

[Sheilawisz]

Yeah, it's kind of a mystical magic and I like it, I don't care if Rowling never explained it logically because it's magic and that's exactly what I love about magic... it's alright if some dark wizard invented a green light that takes life away from a target, but why is that considered such a terrible curse when they have bloody Fiendfyre with the potential to destroy entire cities??

 

[Amanita]

Former Harry Potter fan here too. .
I highly doubt that Harry Potter wizards would be aware of the existence of hydrochloric acid or nerve gases. They don’t even know about guns or electricity after all. (If this makes sense is another question.) And potions class only ever deals with substances taken directly from plants or animals. Somehow, this kind of thing and Harry Potter just don’t go together for me.
If I understood the part about Fiendfire correctly, it often kills its user as well, which might keep most people more bright than Crabbe (or was it Goyle) from using it.

And yet you’re right that Harry Potter wizards have plenty of ways to kill (or torture) besides the curses designed specifically for this. Even most of the simple spells could be used for this and some of them are used for something short of torture by James and Sirius.
It would also be quite possible to use the stunning spell and throw the person into the lake while unconcious or to make someone float into the air and let them drop.
The fact that only the curses (and not killing or torturing) where punishable with life sentences does seem a bit strange. I believe it might be due to the fact, that the books have been designed for children after all and Rowling obviously saw some need to keep things clean and simple. (There’s never been a real „war“ either in my opinion.)
That’s why I don’t really buy into the theory that the last books grew darker and „more mature“, there’s still way too much clossing over. On the other hand, the middle books (three, four and five) have some really dark parts which aren’t really suitable for children but she didn’t continue this in her later books.

Yet, to me these books and writing fanfiction about them were quite helpful for dealing with difficult issues in a relatively „safe“ place. I’ve spent plenty of time with it, but trying to take it apart through logic is not very satisfying because many things really don’t make sense under this aspect.

 

[Kelise]

Heaps of pointless things exist in all kinds of ways, whether it be in language or appliances or rules to a job or anything. I basically expect pointless things to exist in the magical world also.

Life doesn't make sense, so a book shouldn't be perfectly ordered either

(Not that I'm a huge fan of the books. I just get amused when people make books perfectly ordered and sensible in every single way.)

 

[Elder the Dwarf]

Let me enjoy HP in peace haha

 

[Sheilawisz]

Sorry, Elder!! You're right, it's better to just read and enjoy the series instead of questioning so many things about it... by the way I never liked Harry as a character very much, and I am crazy about Fleur =) Starconstant, I also expect pointless or incredible things in magical worlds and my stories are full of them!!

Former Harry Potter fan here too. .
I highly doubt that Harry Potter wizards would be aware of the existence of hydrochloric acid or nerve gases. They don’t even know about guns or electricity after all. (If this makes sense is another question.) And potions class only ever deals with substances taken directly from plants or animals. Somehow, this kind of thing and Harry Potter just don’t go together for me.
If I understood the part about Fiendfire correctly, it often kills its user as well, which might keep most people more bright than Crabbe (or was it Goyle) from using it.

And yet you’re right that Harry Potter wizards have plenty of ways to kill (or torture) besides the curses designed specifically for this. Even most of the simple spells could be used for this and some of them are used for something short of torture by James and Sirius.
It would also be quite possible to use the stunning spell and throw the person into the lake while unconcious or to make someone float into the air and let them drop.
The fact that only the curses (and not killing or torturing) where punishable with life sentences does seem a bit strange. I believe it might be due to the fact, that the books have been designed for children after all and Rowling obviously saw some need to keep things clean and simple. (There’s never been a real „war“ either in my opinion.)
That’s why I don’t really buy into the theory that the last books grew darker and „more mature“, there’s still way too much clossing over. On the other hand, the middle books (three, four and five) have some really dark parts which aren’t really suitable for children but she didn’t continue this in her later books.

Yet, to me these books and writing fanfiction about them were quite helpful for dealing with difficult issues in a relatively „safe“ place. I’ve spent plenty of time with it, but trying to take it apart through logic is not very satisfying because many things really don’t make sense under this aspect.

You have a good point about the wizards not knowing what muriatic acid and nerve gases are, but they could think about using harmful substances like those anyway- after all, muriatic acid was discovered by alchemists and the wizards do practice alchemy I think =) I also think that there was never a real war, and I was very disappointed by the lack of large battles in the series...

It was Crabbe who died because of his own Fiendfyre, but it happened only because he knew how to release the thing and not how to control it!! It's likely that a more experienced wizard or witch can control Fiendfyre... just imagine what would happen if they released that thing in a muggle city in many parts at the same time and let it go rampage- I am kind of obsessed with Fiendfyre, I love magical weapons like that =)

I have written HP fanfics too for fun, and they are... twisted!!

 

[Erica]

I'll admit to liking the Harry Potter books in spite of the little inconsistencies and things that didn't make sense about the magic. Seems like most books have plot holes or inconsistencies at some point, especially when the author had to create a whole new world or set of rules.

I wondered how in the heck Peter Pettigrew-a.k.a. Wormtail got into Gryffindor, if the sorting hat always knew what was inside the kids' heads? I mean, the guy was a coward who hid behind his friends even when he was back at school. I know the desire of the student in question counted for something, but his cowardice was so blatant.

The thing that drove me nuts was Harry's mediocrity as a wizard. Snape had a point there. He was always procrastinating on his assignments and getting Hermione to help him at the last minute. He only really applied himself to learning something hard when he suddenly needed it for something. and he never did anything innovative with magic or invented new spells (the way his dad, Snape, possibly Hermione and the twins did).

 

[Elder the Dwarf]

I'll admit to liking the Harry Potter books in spite of the little inconsistencies and things that didn't make sense about the magic. Seems like most books have plot holes or inconsistencies at some point, especially when the author had to create a whole new world or set of rules.

I wondered how in the heck Peter Pettigrew-a.k.a. Wormtail got into Gryffindor, if the sorting hat always knew what was inside the kids' heads? I mean, the guy was a coward who hid behind his friends even when he was back at school. I know the desire of the student in question counted for something, but his cowardice was so blatant.

The thing that drove me nuts was Harry's mediocrity as a wizard. Snape had a point there. He was always procrastinating on his assignments and getting Hermione to help him at the last minute. He only really applied himself to learning something hard when he suddenly needed it for something. and he never did anything innovative with magic or invented new spells (the way his dad, Snape, possibly Hermione and the twins did).

I also like to ignore the inconsistencies, it just makes the books so much better if you try to enjoy them instead of analyzing them. However, I disagree with you about Harry. I think Rowling made him that way for a reason, and I think that is one of the major reasons the book has become so popular. I don't know how old you are, but I am just barely older than Harry would have been in the last book. And you know what? I am a mediocre student. I don't work hard, I procrastinate, and I almost never put in extra effort. Harry resonates with me, as he does with millions of young people, because he succeeds despite being normal in that aspect. Most of us like it that things come naturally to him, and I know that I wouldn't like the character Harry nearly as much if he was a studious prick that didn't really hang out with friends. Snape had a point, just like all the teachers in the real world have a point, and the students just don't give a crap. That's why we like Harry.

 

[Sheilawisz]

I wondered how in the heck Peter Pettigrew-a.k.a. Wormtail got into Gryffindor, if the sorting hat always knew what was inside the kids' heads? I mean, the guy was a coward who hid behind his friends even when he was back at school. I know the desire of the student in question counted for something, but his cowardice was so blatant.

I agree totally with your point, Erica!! Peter Pettigrew should not have been a Gryffindor, I mean like... never!! Gryffindors are supposed to be brave, and Peter was perhaps the greatest coward in the entire Harry Potter series =P Honestly, I think that Rowling is nuts... brilliant, yes, but nuts!!!

Elder: I also agree with you, that's exactly why Harry has become such a popular character and successful series =) I think that he is a great character even though I have never really liked him and his friends... my fav is Fleur, she should have a series of her own...

 

[myrddin173]

I agree totally with your point, Erica!! Peter Pettigrew should not have been a Gryffindor, I mean like... never!! Gryffindors are supposed to be brave, and Peter was perhaps the greatest coward in the entire Harry Potter series =P Honestly, I think that Rowling is nuts... brilliant, yes, but nuts!!!

Elder: I also agree with you, that's exactly why Harry has become such a popular character and successful series =) I think that he is a great character even though I have never really liked him and his friends... my fav is Fleur, she should have a series of her own...

Well the hat is certainly not infallible. Lockhart was a Ravenclaw.

Eh, Phlegm was okay but my favorite is definitely Hermione. It is scary how similar she and I are...

 

[Sheilawisz]

Well the hat is certainly not infallible. Lockhart was a Ravenclaw.

Eh, Phlegm was okay but my favorite is definitely Hermione. It is scary how similar she and I are...

My fav House is Ravenclaw, I would definitely be one of them if I had been a little witch in the HP world =) Very few people like Fleur, I wonder why is that... Hermione was alright, Harry would have been completely lost without her.