Not My Canon!

WTF: Magic?

The Power of Flight

I know we've covered it here and there, but if I'm gonna discuss how the rules have changed...

Delphi can straight up fly.

Hey, remember that one time Voldemort flew? Book 7, Chapter 4 - The Seven Potters:

"And then Harry saw him. Voldemort was flying like smoke on the wind, without broomstick or thestral to hold him, his snake-like face gleaming out of the blackness, his white fingers raising his wand again -"

When I first read this in Deathly Hallows, I was stunned. Flight? Way to pull out the big guns in the last book! That's unexpected! Now, the movies took flight in a whole different direction with confusing, smokey black clouds, and it became a trait all the baddies could do. But in terms of OS-Canon, flight is possible.

I like to believe that the magical power of flight is rare. It has to be, if you think about it. At this point in time, Voldemort had powers many did not possess (and if you read my first posts from ELIXIR, you'll notice that I've given this unparalleled skill to an additional character). However, HOWEVER... this moment with Voldemort is not necessarily a memorable event in the books, all things considered, which means the average fan might be surprised to see it on stage and learn that it's proper canon. And if the play is meant for general audiences... You get my point.

We don't know how Voldemort was capable of flying when no one else could. And since he died when Delphi was a baby, she shouldn't know either. We can't just throw the power of flight out there because Harry saw Voldemort fly one time. Again, it seems as if the Cursed Trio are suggesting that magical aptitude and specifically learned abilities are passed down from generation to generation, which makes no sense. Who needs broomsticks when you can just... start hovering. Take that, all sense of danger in playing Quidditch!

The Confundus Charm

The purpose and effects of the Confundus Charm are so out of wack in this play, it makes me feel like the script itself is leaking the spell onto the reader.

What's that you've got on you, Mike? Eww. Confundus. Anyone have like a... a napkin or something?

I'd love to just brush past this, but since the use of the Confundus Charm on Amos Diggory was so integral to the plot, we have no choice.

There are a few specific instances from the play we can reference to try and understand what JKR and Co. were doing here. First, we see Albus and Scorpius heading to the wizard's nursing home to talk with Amos Diggory. We know during a second read-through that Amos has already been confuded. During this time, Amos suggests that Delphi should join them:

AMOS: Delphi - perhaps if you were prepared to accompany them?

DELPHI: If that would make you happy, Uncle.

This causes some confusion right away, because this exchange presents the Confundus Charm as acting more like the Imperius Curse and that Amos is under Delphi's control. In fact, he was "confunded" enough to force the boys to leave at wand-point. In these scenes, and during his discussion with Harry at the Potter home, Amos seems very on top of his thoughts. He's articulate and specific in his wants and desires. But then the narrative completely sideswipes you in the first alternate universe, during the scene when Albus is confused that he has an Aunt Padma.

RON (to HARRY): Taken a Confundus Charm to the head, has he? (To ALBUS.) My wife, Padma. You remember.

This example is more in line with book canon, where the manner of the individual denotes that Confundus Charms merely confuse you. This is exhibited numerous times in the series. Harry had to use "Confundo" on the guards when they needed to bypass the Probity Probes at Gringotts. Barty Crouch Jr. (when he was masquerading as Mad-Eye Moody) claimed that an "exceptionally strong Confundus Charm" would have been needed to "bamboozle" the goblet into forgetting that only three schools were allowed to compete in the Triwizard Tournament.