Why is an Inferi so feared?

[KOTMods]

At the end of the day knowing that it is a dead body roaming around merciless would be enough to frighten the living daylights out of anyone!

[ecardina]

As far as the killing curse is concerned, that is very true. When a person is hit they are only concious for a split second of what's happening and they're dead before they hit the ground.

I think the question why an Inferi is so feared is obvious... but it is interesting to discuss it.

[thewbacca]

Still no-one adresses the picture in Snapes classroom. How on earth do you get does a non-cannibalistic dead body turn a person into a bloody stump?

[ecardina]

Originally Posted by thewbacca

Still no-one adresses the picture in Snapes classroom. How on earth do you get does a non-cannibalistic dead body turn a person into a bloody stump?

I did actually.

I answered it by saying 'teeth'.

They are relentless creatures and if there is a large amount of them, who don't eat, you can only imagine the results. I'd hate to come near a teething one. Agony on both parts.

[Voldemorts8thHorcrux]

Originally Posted by thewbacca

No it's not. Like I said, Slayer got it right - Piece By Piece. For all the "rambling dead body" thing, its still no stronger than a human being. You blast off its arms and it is harmless (and quite amusing - think Black Knight in Holy Grail). You chop off its head and it is blind, and deaf. You shatter the pelvis and it is immobilised. A human can think, can plan, can call for help, can plead. An inferi can't. And once again, how does it turn someone into a bloody stump, like we saw in Snapes classroom?

cant the inferi parts try to kill you? thats why i say shred it to pieces, lets see those pieces of flesh wriggle around and kill you. but just to be safe, burn them. i think it could still be harmful if you took the individual parts off. it doesnt have to think, it doesnt have to hear, because the dark magic is all it needs. we don't even know if it can regenerate. thats what everyone is uncertain about, which just makes it all the scarier. but yes, it would be funny to see it try to kick you and fall over with its arms off, in a kind of cruel way, but i think it would be.

[ecardina]

I wouldn't think so. Limbs don't just run after people, they have to be attatched to a body to work. Inferi or not.

[Voldemorts8thHorcrux]

Originally Posted by ecardina

I wouldn't think so. Limbs don't just run after people, they have to be attatched to a body to work. Inferi or not.

its more of the dark magic controlling it. normal magic can make limbs levitate or something to hit people, why not dark magic on a more advanced level?

[thewbacca]

Originally Posted by Voldemorts8thHorcrux

its more of the dark magic controlling it. normal magic can make limbs levitate or something to hit people, why not dark magic on a more advanced level?

Normal Magic requires concentration. An inferi is not a puppet, which requires that the master give a command before it does anything. Remember, Voldemort was unaware that two people had been attacked by the inferi in the cave after he left it (Harry and Regulus). Its more like a simple machine, given one command, and does that, and only that. Things like "Guard this" or "Attack that".

And how would the whole "falling over" thing be cruel? Have you seen Holy Grail? It was hysterical.

[ecardina]

Because I can't imagine a strand of flesh wriggling over to someone in an attempt to kill them. Also, there is somewhere in the 6th book were Harry targets a Inferius and it basically crumples and doesn't resurface. It must have done enough damage to stop it in it's tracks.

[thewbacca]

Originally Posted by Voldemorts8thHorcrux

cant the inferi parts try to kill you? thats why i say shred it to pieces, lets see those pieces of flesh wriggle around and kill you. but just to be safe, burn them. i think it could still be harmful if you took the individual parts off. it doesnt have to think, it doesnt have to hear, because the dark magic is all it needs.

"Everybody Run!! The nose is trying to kill us!!"...Nup, I don't really see it. An arm can't move very well on its own, it doesn't have enough purchase. To those who will say "People can crawl on their stomachs" that is simply dragging the body towards the arm. The physics of it doesn't work.

And as for it doesn't need its senses, the Inferi did nothing until Harry broke the surface of the water. They felt the movement in the water. They also saw the burning whip, and fled that. They still use their senses. On dry land, it would require its sight, its hearing and its sense of smell, thing centralized in the head. To quote Scary Movie "I've got it. Without their heads they're powerless."

Originally Posted by ecardina

I did actually.

I answered it by saying 'teeth'.

They are relentless creatures and if there is a large amount of them, who don't eat, you can only imagine the results. I'd hate to come near a teething one. Agony on both parts.

You ever tryed biting your own hand?

The jaws simply aren't strong enough to break through muscle tissue. Teeth could strip away a few layers of skin, sure, bu leaving a bloody stump? No. Also, teeth would break if they tried to get through raw bones.

[Voldemorts8thHorcrux]

The jaws simply aren't strong enough to break through muscle tissue. Teeth could strip away a few layers of skin, sure, bu leaving a bloody stump? No. Also, teeth would break if they tried to get through raw bones.

it would hurt though. and people would definitely get freaked out

[ecardina]

Originally Posted by thewbacca

You ever tryed biting your own hand?

The jaws simply aren't strong enough to break through muscle tissue. Teeth could strip away a few layers of skin, sure, bu leaving a bloody stump? No. Also, teeth would break if they tried to get through raw bones.

You would be pleasantly suprised. Although we do not use a lot of jaw power these days, we do have the strength to chew through tough meat. Now... i'm not saying it would take them five minutes but with 10+ inferi it could be done.

[tombo125]

Originally Posted by thewbacca

"Everybody Run!! The nose is trying to kill us!!"...Nup, I don't really see it. An arm can't move very well on its own, it doesn't have enough purchase. To those who will say "People can crawl on their stomachs" that is simply dragging the body towards the arm. The physics of it doesn't work.

And as for it doesn't need its senses, the Inferi did nothing until Harry broke the surface of the water. They felt the movement in the water. They also saw the burning whip, and fled that. They still use their senses. On dry land, it would require its sight, its hearing and its sense of smell, thing centralized in the head. To quote Scary Movie "I've got it. Without their heads they're powerless."

You ever tryed biting your own hand?

The jaws simply aren't strong enough to break through muscle tissue. Teeth could strip away a few layers of skin, sure, bu leaving a bloody stump? No. Also, teeth would break if they tried to get through raw bones.

I think you are overthinking this. We do not even know if the inferi can loose body parts, do we? They are held together by dark magic, right? Maybe that keeps them from loosing their body parts. If it was that easy, then Dumbledore would have said to Harry "Cut their heads off. They cannot see or smell without them."

Also, I thought the Inferi didn't do anything until Dumbledore had drank the water? It maybe the way it is written, but I thought the inferi only came out of the water after Dumbledore had drank the water.

[thewbacca]

Originally Posted by tombo125

I think you are overthinking this. We do not even know if the inferi can loose body parts, do we? They are held together by dark magic, right? Maybe that keeps them from loosing their body parts. If it was that easy, then Dumbledore would have said to Harry "Cut their heads off. They cannot see or smell without them."

Also, I thought the Inferi didn't do anything until Dumbledore had drank the water? It maybe the way it is written, but I thought the inferi only came out of the water after Dumbledore had drank the water.

No, I'm quite certain that a hand had grabbed him when he scooped a cup of water. Thats why he could only throw the water on Dumbledores face.
As for the Inferi, well, we may not know that, but think logically for a second. If it was a force holding together every fiber of the dead body, why not just attack with that force?

[tombo125]

Originally Posted by thewbacca

No, I'm quite certain that a hand had grabbed him when he scooped a cup of water. Thats why he could only throw the water on Dumbledores face.
As for the Inferi, well, we may not know that, but think logically for a second. If it was a force holding together every fiber of the dead body, why not just attack with that force?

You could very well be right about the water. I dont have the books with me.

Could you explain the second part again? I am not sure I understand what you mean.

[ecardina]

Obviously the inferi could sense water movement. The boat seemed to have some sort of protective spell over it but i'm guessing if anything else touched the water the inferi would automatically react.

[thewbacca]

Thats another thing. Why didn't Dumbledore just conjure a cup, scoop out the potion, set it down, and conjure another cup?

[LoonyMagic]

Originally Posted by thewbacca

Thats another thing. Why didn't Dumbledore just conjure a cup, scoop out the potion, set it down, and conjure another cup?

Because only the goblet that was provided could penetrate through the potion. Nothing else could get through to touch the potion - it was as though a barrier was there. Voldemort had thought of everything

[thewbacca]

Originally Posted by LoonyMagic

Because only the goblet that was provided could penetrate through the potion. Nothing else could get through to touch the potion - it was as though a barrier was there. Voldemort had thought of everything

There was no provided goblet. Dumbledore conjured it.

[Voldemorts8thHorcrux]

Originally Posted by thewbacca

There was no provided goblet. Dumbledore conjured it.

what i don't understand is that why dumbledore couldnt empty the goblet in another bowl and then set it aside, then he wouldnt have to face the inferi.