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pedanterrific comments on Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality discussion thread, part 15, chapter 84 - Less Wrong
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In fact more powerful than most adults; there's a line in Chapter 78 that "If [Mr and Mrs Davis]'d been children young enough for accidental magic they probably would've spontaneously Disillusioned themselves.", which we know requires significantly above-average power in MoR. (Assuming that line from the narrator isn't exaggeration.)
If you accept the hypothesis, wanded magic has the not-insignificant advantage of being more powerful. What's the advantage of wandless magic?
I thought it was obvious. What if you're without a wand?
If you're in battle without a wand, it seems to me that either 1) you've been ambushed, or 2) you've been disarmed. I don't really see that the ability to cast understrength spells helps all that much in either situation.
That depends on how creative you get. Even understrength spells, especially if unexpected, could tip the balance in your direction - especially if all you're looking for is, say, an opportunity to escape. Even if you lose your gun, a rock can still be useful.
Yeah, thinking about it a little more, even just wandless Apparation would be pretty useful.
Even just wandless Apparation? Wandless Apparation! Of all the defensive magic options available that don't involve time travel that's quite possibly the first pick. I'd take it over the ability to cast Avada Kedavra (at all). I'd consider taking it even if it meant sacrificing my ability to cast any offensive dueling spell ever.
Once that is in place it is time to research as many alertness and general paranoia spells as possible.
Do we have any indication how difficult it is to cast Anti-Disapparation Jinxes, in canon or MoR?
The fact that Quirrell ends his spiel about how the correct tactic is usually "Just Apparate away!" with the fact that Dark Wizards can still reliably threaten even people who can do that indicates it's at least possible in combat time (i.e. doesn't require a day to cast it on a house, say).
Edit: But yeah, that's obviously the best single choice (though I think you're selling the AK a little low). Number two would be Accio, I guess.
In particular, how difficult are they compared to a reliable AOE destructive spell cast on the same area? (Skipping straight to the killer instinct!)
I'm buying Apparate high. AK is great and all but easily acquired in the form of hired or otherwise accessible muscle. Firepower is a commodity, the life and safety of the general less so.
I'm curious as to your reasoning. A location spell and a little effort can handle this use case. (ie. If you can already cast apparate twice and know which direction to cast it you've got most of that use case handled.)
Operating under the assumption that you don't have your wand because you've been ambushed or disarmed, the ability to get your wand back seems marginally more useful than the ability to slam your head against an anti-disapparation jinx.
Non-reliance on wands is a big one, since watching the movements of an opponent's wand, or disarming them, are combat fundamentals. Being able to cast spells unnoticed is another one (consider the powerful effect of the mid-interrogation Memory Charm in the Order of the Phoenix). Also, it's presumably better training in terms of building up power and skill to cast spells without a crutch.
Besides, many spells don't really need extra power to work, as they have a binary effect (like the Quietus Charm) or typically target objects that can't resist (such as the Vanishing Charm).
Nitpick, but Quirrell cast a Quieting Charm on the rocket in the Azkaban escape, but Harry's ears were still ringing enough afterward that he couldn't hear Bellatrix shouting. So it's not a binary effect; there could be Quieting Charms that are capable of silencing louder noises than others.