Grammar, Capitalisation, Canon issues, etc

[Sapphire at Dawn]

I'm pretty sure that Imperiused has been used by Leanne, Katie Bells friend in HBP. I don't think that the Cruciatus or Avada Kadavra has, though.

Sarah x

[OliveOil_Med]

Don't forget, though, Voldemort attempted to use Avada Kadavra on Harry in DH, even though he didn't succeed. He also used it on the Muggle Studies teacher in the very first chapter of DH.

[Tim the Enchanter]

Don't forget, though, Voldemort attempted to use Avada Kadavra on Harry in DH, even though he didn't succeed. He also used it on the Muggle Studies teacher in the very first chapter of DH.

But that's still using Avada Kedavra as a noun, not a verb.

~~~~

"Cruciate" is canon, from the part in DH when Amycus Carrow discovered his unconscious sister, and threatened to torture all the Ravenclaws to find out who was responsible. (p. 476 Brit)

I believe that the Imperius curse has been used as "Imperiused", but I can't find it in any of the books right now.

However, I am pretty certain that Avada Kedavra has never been used as a verb in canon.

And I think only younger (possibly Muggle-born) wizards would really say "Avada Kedavraed," much less "AKed."

Ha ha! I think of something entirely different when I see "AKed". When I first stumbled upon the term ("Snape AK'ed Dumbledore"), the image of Snape gunning down the Headmaster with a Kalashnikov instantly formed in my head.

Tim the Enchanter

[OliveOil_Med]

I think a more correct verb tense would be, "He used the Impervious Curse", and so applied with all the other curses. This is just my opinion, though. What does everyone else think?

[Equinox Chick]

Imperiused is definitely in the books. As Sarah said, Leanne says it about Katie Bell just after the necklace incident.

"She looked all funny when she said it ... oh no, oh no, I bet she'd been Imperiused, and I didn't realise." HBP Silver and Opals page 236 UK Hardback edition

Carole

[Inverarity]

I think a more correct verb tense would be, "He used the Impervious Curse", and so applied with all the other curses. This is just my opinion, though. What does everyone else think?

I think the Impervious Curse sounds like something that makes you.... really dense?

Seriously, I had forgotten Leanne's line in HBP. (I'd forgotten Leanne, actually.) But yes, I think formal usage would be, "He used the ______ Curse," and turning the names of the curses themselves into verbs would be more of a younger generation thing.

[Padfoot Patronus]

This will appear to be very non-HP, but it is from my story. I was wondering whether it should be 'His head is resting on the table' or 'He is resting his head on the table'.

It's a little wow question for me, because I cannot decide which is better. This is the beginning of the sentence, and one another part follows after a semi-colon. I know it has to do with active and passive voice, depending whether I want to make 'head' or 'he' the subject. Which is good in first person narrative?

Feeling slightly befuddled, slightly amused,

-Akay-

[ToBeOrNotToBeAGryffindor]

Akay, I like the first one better, personally. Then again, you could always just try 'His head rests on the table' and see how that works out.

[TheCursedQuill]

You say it's first person, so is your character talking about someone else?

You could use either one, but because it's first person, I'm leaning more towards the second one. It seems more natural for someone to say, whereas the first one is very narrative. I know that in my own head, I don't tend to make a head the object, rather I'd use the person. So "he" would work better for me. However, I do think it depends on how it works with the surrounding sentances, as well as your characterization of the person saying it.

-Sarah

[Gmariam]

However, I do think it depends on how it works with the surrounding sentances, as well as your characterization of the person saying it.

I agree with the characterization bit. What does your character notice first: the person who is resting his head or the fact that he is resting his head? And what is more important to your overall narrative: the person or what the person is doing?

Hopefully answering those two questions will help, too!
~Gina