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It probably says something about how exhausted and mildly hysterical I am that I have spent the past couple of hours, in between yelling at an essay, working out Methos' chances of survival/effectiveness as a combatant in HP's Second War. You know. To relax. Because what else do you do to relax except ponder taking a 5000 year old muggle killer and dumping him in the middle of a wizarding war to see how easily he kills people. *shakes head at self*
It occurs to me that I am rather bloodthirsty when I'm irritable. Heh. Also, that I need to stop reading HP fic again. Heh.
And finally, in a bit of a non sequiter, I kinda really, really want to see Methos meeting the high-and-mighties of the Wizarding World, and being thoroughly unimpressed because, over one and a half thousand years ago, Methos was meeting much more impressive wizards (*cough*Merlin*cough*) and showing them how to bully kings. *grins* Or three, four, five thousand years ago, he was watching the Priest-Kings and the War Mages of the old world rain down literal fire and brimstone, and as a result is more than a little jaded when it comes to magical posturing. Heh.
It occurs to me that I am rather bloodthirsty when I'm irritable. Heh. Also, that I need to stop reading HP fic again. Heh.
I did reach some conclusions, however. The main one being that I'd mostly bet on Methos, provided he knew what he was getting into. I'd also bet on Methos even if he didn't know what he was getting into, provided whoever tried to kill him first didn't know what he was. Against most Death Eaters, in combat, I'm betting on Methos, if only because Death Eaters seem pathologically opposed to the idea that muggles can be dangerous (the same can be said for a lot of Ministery wizards too, I suspect), and not viewing Methos as a threat while you are trying to kill him is not a good survival move. Also, most wizards seem to have problems with physical violence and/or killing up close, and also problems with going for a kill straight-off, which is going to run them into trouble if Methos has reason to lethally defend himself. Which he generally seems to have no qualms about doing.
I would not bet on him, though, if he was facing, say, a top level Auror or some members of the Order/Death Eaters, when they were keyed up and fully ready for a fight. If he's facing someone rational and battle-ready in combat, he simply can't match the lethal, ranged tool-box that a wizard has by virtue of a wand (unless he had a gun, and time to use it before someone got off a disarming spell). And while it might not kill him, all the wizard has to do is Petrificus him or some other holding spell, and deal with him at their leisure. He's vulnerable, in battle conditions, to a lot of spells/curses that a wizard would be able to block.
All of which, though, I think would end up being rather moot. Because Methos, if he's going to enter a war, against people he knows can out-gun him in open combat, is not going to get his hands dirty until he's sure he can do so on his terms. If Methos was running a wizarding war, I suspect it would involve an awful lot more ambushes and sniper rifles than most wizards would be prepared for. He strikes me as more the guerrilla war type.
And finally, sort of randomly, I would not bet on Methos as, say, a Hogwarts teacher, being able to defend himself from student pranks. Not on the sharp end, anyway. If only because he can't actually kill or otherwise incapacitate a student attempting to prank him. On the other hand, though, I for one would not like to open hostilities in a prank war against that man, because I have a suspicion the revenge would be spectacular, and more or less untraceable. Heh.
I would not bet on him, though, if he was facing, say, a top level Auror or some members of the Order/Death Eaters, when they were keyed up and fully ready for a fight. If he's facing someone rational and battle-ready in combat, he simply can't match the lethal, ranged tool-box that a wizard has by virtue of a wand (unless he had a gun, and time to use it before someone got off a disarming spell). And while it might not kill him, all the wizard has to do is Petrificus him or some other holding spell, and deal with him at their leisure. He's vulnerable, in battle conditions, to a lot of spells/curses that a wizard would be able to block.
All of which, though, I think would end up being rather moot. Because Methos, if he's going to enter a war, against people he knows can out-gun him in open combat, is not going to get his hands dirty until he's sure he can do so on his terms. If Methos was running a wizarding war, I suspect it would involve an awful lot more ambushes and sniper rifles than most wizards would be prepared for. He strikes me as more the guerrilla war type.
And finally, sort of randomly, I would not bet on Methos as, say, a Hogwarts teacher, being able to defend himself from student pranks. Not on the sharp end, anyway. If only because he can't actually kill or otherwise incapacitate a student attempting to prank him. On the other hand, though, I for one would not like to open hostilities in a prank war against that man, because I have a suspicion the revenge would be spectacular, and more or less untraceable. Heh.
And finally, in a bit of a non sequiter, I kinda really, really want to see Methos meeting the high-and-mighties of the Wizarding World, and being thoroughly unimpressed because, over one and a half thousand years ago, Methos was meeting much more impressive wizards (*cough*Merlin*cough*) and showing them how to bully kings. *grins* Or three, four, five thousand years ago, he was watching the Priest-Kings and the War Mages of the old world rain down literal fire and brimstone, and as a result is more than a little jaded when it comes to magical posturing. Heh.
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