Magic Systems
There’s something that’s always bothered me about systems of magic which require only a nail clipping, strand of hair, or bit of blood to adversely effect someone occultly. In these narratives, the safety minded types save and burn every strand of hair, nail clipping, or whatever they happen to bleed on. Firstly, as someone who sheds hair almost as prolifically as my dog…do you have any idea how difficult it is to keep track of every single strand of hair? Seriously, I would venture to say it’s practically impossible. Nail clippings are a bit easier, but what about blood? As a woman we lose so much blood and other bodily fluids, it would become a full-time job trying to catch and burn it all! If that sort of system of magic worked, no one would ever be safe again. Although I suppose we would be protected slightly from evil-doers by the higher propensity for them to commit Hermione’s Polyjuice blunder. That seems like rather a small comfort, however.
