Questions tagged [magical-theory]
Used for questions about the rules of how magic is treated within a specific work or works. Use alongside the relevant work tags. For questions about what a spell does, or magic being a plot element of a work, use [magic] instead.
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Did Professor Severus Snape know how to transfigure into a bat?
First of all, I'm not asking for evidence whether Professor Snape was a vampire, or if he was an Animagus, or if he could fly. I'm curious if he knew how to transfigure into a bat using any magical ...
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Could Madam Pomfrey heal Sectumsempra?
Is Snape the only person who could heal the damage from Sectumsempra, a spell he invented, or could Madame Pomfrey undo the harm if she got there in time?
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What do the original seven main-series books say about how Muggle technology and magic interact?
I'm pretty sure that it's established that the reason why we don't see modern technology being used in the series is because magic and Muggle technology just don't agree somehow. However, I'm ...
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What is advanced magic in the Harry Potter Universe?
What is advanced magic in the Harry Potter Universe and what determines advanced magic?
I could find two spells mentioned as advanced:
The Extension Charm (‘Capacious extremis!’) in
wizardingworld....
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Why can't Beetlejuice say his own name?
Basically what it says in the title:
Why can't Beetlejuice say his own name?
The reason I ask is because it seems to be a running theme throughout the franchise---- from the original 1988 film, to the ...
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Would becoming an animagus help keep a maledictus from becoming their animal forever?
An animagus can turn into an animal at will. There is no such thing as an accidental animagus because of the long process. Becoming a maledictus is strictly through genetics and is a blood curse where ...
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If magic leaves traces, then how can wards hide you from witches and wizards?
Dumbledore had an easy time detecting the leftover magic in the cave near the end of the sixth book. In the seventh, the trio cast a heck of a lot of charms in order to hide their presence. However, ...
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Isn't Merlin in the Harry Potter Universe a half-Muggle? [duplicate]
In the Harry Potter universe, Merlin is well regarded as arguably the Grand-Daddy Poobah of Wizards, having a number of honors named after him, including chocolate frog cards.
There are a lot of ...
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Is there any fantasy or fiction layout with magic and a Modern Age, Contemporanean Age or further developed society? [closed]
Exactly as the title says.
We are very used to fiction or fantasy with a magic system where the plot develops within a Medieval Age society. However it's very difficult (I haven't found any yet, other ...
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In the Harry Potter Universe, do Patronus forms have consciousness?
In the magical world, the Patronus charm is a spell used to ward of Dementors by summing or creating a "Patronus". According to most sources, it is described as such....
[As Professor Lupin ...
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Why was Alice certain her Niffin form would kill the beast
In Season 2 Episode 3, Alice deliberately transformed herself into a Niffin so that it/her would kill The Beast. From what I understand the Niffin's have their own personality and desires. Why was ...
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What Happened to the previous Mrs Claus when Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) took over the role as Santa?
Happy holidays, all. Being that it's the Yule-tide season, and we were re-watching old favorite Christmas films, some things got me thinking....
In the 1994 film, The Santa Clause, Tim Allen plays toy ...
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Can objects be transfigured into live animals?
I can definitely remember the series showing us animals being transfigured into objects, but what about the reverse? Do the books give us any examples?
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Does the Refilling Charm contradict Gamp’s Law of Elemental Transfiguration?
Half-Blood Prince shows us a charm that can refill drinks, neatly called the Refilling Charm. Does this contradict Gamp’s Law of Elemental Transfiguration, which tells us that you can't transfigure ...
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How did Neville break free of the Full-Body Bind curse (Petrificus Totalus) without using the counter-curse?
I'm the biggest fan of the Full-Body Bind and I was shocked to see what happened after the last use of the curse in Deathly Hallows (chapter 36).
Harry pulled the Invisibility Cloak from inside his ...
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Are non-verbal spells in Harry Potter silent or just quiet?
After a few too many cases in the last two books where someone is said to have "muttered" a spell, I've lost track of how non-verbal spells work.
Are they absolutely silent, or just quiet?
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Why does Harry think that he doesn't know how to heal wounds?
In chapter 14 of Half-Blood Prince, Harry casts Episkey:
"I can fix that," said Harry, landing beside the two girls, pointing his wand at Demelza’s mouth, and saying "Episkey."
...
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Why did the protections on The Burrow fail so quickly? How did the guests instantly know that they had?
Chapter 8 of Deathly Hallows ends with the following line:
"The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming."
A few lines in to the next chapter, we're told this:
Guests were ...
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The Full Body-Bind (Petrificus Totalus) curse appears to be strictly better than Stupefy, so why is Stupefy so common?
Spoilers up to and including Half-Blood Prince.
This might seem a bit out there, but I've become convinced that the Full Body-Bind (Petrificus Totalus) is plain and simply better than Stupefy. Let me ...
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Did the behavior of the Summoning Charm change between Goblet of Fire and Half-Blood Prince?
Goblet of Fire, mostly through Hermione, repeatedly tells us that the Summoning Charm requires concentration. The following lines in chapter 20 further imply that you need to concentrate on the object ...
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Why was it assumed that Kreacher follows the same rules as the enchantments on Grimmauld Place?
Chapter 3 of Half-Blood Prince makes it very clear that The Order doesn't quite knows how the enchantments on Grimmauld Place work:
We do not know whether the enchantments we ourselves have placed ...
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Where does the ability to do magic derive from in the Harry Potter universe: the body, soul, or some other entity? [duplicate]
If magic comes from the body, then how does Voldemort retain his magical abilities when he is regenerated? The potion used to regenerate his body involves the bones of his father, the flesh of ...
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Does all childhood magic duplicate actual spells?
On the other hand, he'd gotten into terrible trouble for being found on the roof of the school kitchens. Dudley's gang had been chasing him as usual when, as much to Harry's surprise as anyone else's, ...
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What are the canon superhuman abilities of a Slayer in the Buffyverse? [closed]
Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire slayer started off as a bit of a parody of the Vampire and damsel in distress narratives all the way back with the original movie in 1992. There, the titular heroine's ...
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Is Fraggle Rock a dimensional nexus?
The 1980s Jim Henson show Fraggle Rock introduced us to the titular creatures, Fraggles, and their home, Fraggle Rock, an immense series of underground caves that seem to access our own world at ...
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What, if any, are the limitations on Samantha's powers in Bewitched?
Was watching the 60s series Bewitched, and it brought up some questions.
In the first episode, Samantha herself says she can only do "little things", which seem to consist mostly of making ...
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Isekai anime where the main character becomes a Forger and creates weapons by drawing them
I'm looking for a specific anime. In this anime, the main character is in another world with a girl (for some reason or another it's his wife). They go to some kind of learning institute where you can ...
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Would anything happen if the Resurrection Stone was thrown into The Veil?
I am wondering if anything would happen if someone were to throw the Resurrection Stone through The Veil in the Department of Mysteries.
For example, after throwing the Resurrection Stone into The ...
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When did wizards and witches first learn that a love-sacrifice protects against the Killing Curse?
When Harry Potter was growing up, people did not know why he was the only person to survive the Killing Curse.
“The nature of that prophecy is unknown, although speculation is rife that it concerns ...
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What are the differences in Leetha's powers, and Spawns personal powers?
Al Simmons, aka the most well regarded and arguably powerful Hell Spawn of modern/current Earth, was bonded to the symbiotic suit, K-7 Leetha, back in the very first issue. This entity/suit is a ...
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Would Tonks' metamorphic capabilities make her a "natural" animagus?
Is Tonks ability limited in that she can't transform into a full animal the way other animagi can?
If not, what's the difference?
Further more, considering both his parents' have transformative ...
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Peter Pan & the Pirate: How did Peter become symbiotically linked to Neverland?
In the Peter Pan & the Pirates episode The Neverscroll, it's established that Peter is magically linked to the fate of Neverland.
To quote Tinkerbell:
"Peter Pan is Never Land...and Neverland ...
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Would someone be able to use Felix Felicis to make MORE Felix Felicis?
I was thinking about the Harry Potter-verse and it occurred to me that the luck potion Felix Felicis would have been an OP game changer if used correctly! Other questions have highlighted how it might ...
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How apparent is it when someone is under the Imperius Curse?
How apparent is it when someone is under the Imperius Curse in Harry Potter? Is it supposed to be possible to tell when someone is affected? In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, it is shown that a ...
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Is "burning" metals in the Mistborn series the same as digesting? [duplicate]
I wonder if Sanderson ever answered it on any panels.
Do the metals simply magically disappear after they are burnt or are they in any way excreted from the body?
Do they provide any nutritious value ...
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Can feruchemists store negative attributes?
It's been stated throughout the series that the feruchemy comes from the body of the feruchemist.
For instance; In order to store better sight, you have to first spend some time with worse sight than ...
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How does the Quickening affect Mortals?
The Quickening in the Highlander series and movies is characterize as magical lightning which transfers the knowledge, skill and "power" of a defeated Immortal to the victor.
Generally speaking, this ...
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How is it determined what Allomantic power is taken?
In The Hero of Ages, it is said that
How is it determined which of these is stolen?
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Can burning tin physically damage the senses of Allomancers?
In The Final Empire, burning tin is frequently described as making one’s senses strong enough to make them squint, cover their ears, etc. Can it physically hurt their ears and eyes?
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Would a completely good Muggle be able to use a wand?
I was reading through this question Can a Muggle do anything with a wand? and Valorum’s answer said this:
JKR addressed this point in an interview in 2006;
"I been asked what would happen if a ...
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How is Accio a safe spell? [closed]
Why couldn’t Newt use ‘Accio’ to retrieve all his beasts?
‘Accio’ only works on inanimate objects. While people or creatures may be indirectly moved by ‘Accio-ing’ objects that they are wearing or ...
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How can Newt cast Accio on a Niffler when it is only supposed to work on inanimate objects? [duplicate]
Accio is not supposed to work on people or creatures as per this source:
Why couldn’t Newt use ‘Accio’ to retrieve all his beasts?
‘Accio’ only works on inanimate objects. While people or creatures ...
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How quickly do objects summoned by Accio fly?
Is there a specific speed that Summoned objects fly at, and if so, what is it? If not, how is speed determined?
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Can this inconsistency in the ability of the Summoning Charm (Accio) to summon animals be explained?
J.K. Rowling has stated on her website that the Summoning Charm only works on inanimate objects, explaining that creatures and humans can only be summoned by summoning objects they are holding or ...
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Would a Patronus animal change throughout your life due to emotionally changing? [duplicate]
Would a Patronus animal change throughout your life, if different things make you happy to what you used to like?
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What is the difference between Diffindo and Sectumsempra?
In the Harry Potter books, Diffindo is called the 'Severing Charm' and it’s most commonly used to cut ropes and the like. However, in the last book Hermione uses it on Ron but misses, creating a '...
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Can Allomancers Soothe or Riot themselves?
In Mistborn, can Allomancers burn zinc and brass to Riot or Soothe their own emotions, such as to calm down if scared or cause a fight-or-flight reaction to trigger adrenaline?
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Can Allomancers see metal behind themselves?
The blue lines that iron and steel Mistings see point towards nearby metal objects whenever an Allomancer is burning one of the two metals. They can see these lines even when they close their eyes. ...
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Can Dumbledore speak parseltongue? [duplicate]
Since Dumbledore can understand parseltongue without being a parselmouth, and Ron can mimic enough parseltongue to open the Chamber door without being a parselmouth, it seems logical that someone ...
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Can Muggles learn Parseltongue?
While discussing this question, the conclusion was that apart from using Parseltongue to open the gate to the Chamber of Secrets, Harry didn't really use any magic and he might as well have been a ...
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