harry potter - In the Horcrux Cave, was the Aguamenti spell too fundamentally weak to work?

I'm trying to ascertain if when Harry's spell (aguamenti) in the Horcrux cave was blocked by voldemort's protections, if it was too 'low level' a spell to have ever worked and Harry would have needed to know a more powerful spell (Aqua Eructo?). Or if Harry simply needed to cast it better than Voldemort cast his protection?

Here by better casting or a better spell I mean that the water would have lasted long enough to be drunk. Surely there is a way to overcome the anti-water protections in place?

Answer

Actally, Aguamenti did indeed work.

Voldemort's protections simply vanished any water that was produced (successfully) by Harry.

"Aguamenti!" he shouted, jabbing the goblet with his wand. The goblet filled with clear water; Harry dropped to his knees beside Dumbledore, raised his head, and brought the glass to his lips — but it was empty. Dumbledore groaned and began to pant. "But I had some — wait — Aguamenti!" said Harry again, pointing his wand at the goblet. Once more, for a second, clear wa-ter gleamed within it, but as he approached Dumbledores mouth, the water vanished again. "Sir, I'm trying, I'm trying!" said Harry desperately, but he did not think that Dumbledore could hear him; he had rolled onto his side and was drawing great, rattling breaths that sounded agoniz-ing. "Aguamenti —Aguamenti —AGUAMENTI!" The goblet filled and emptied once more. (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 26: The Cave)

While it's not clear from canon, I don't think any "stronger" spell would have worked - the spells to produce water are not designed or concerned with what happens to the water AFTER it appears (e.g. they don't create "unvanishable" water).

Comments

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