killing voldemort/ polyjuice affecting personality?dumbledore cold&calculating?

[Kimberly]

No: HPFGUIDX 14377

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Amanda Lewanski <editor at t...> wrote:

> 
> I've been following this thread with interest. I think that Harry 
may
> indeed kill Voldemort, but I think there will be a vital difference 
from
> killing as V. and the DeathEaters do it---Harry will understand the
> burden he has taken on by taking another life. He will understand it 
and
> decide that not killing Voldemort would hurt too many people.
> 
> This is similar to what a lot of soldiers in WWII had to go through, 
the
> ones who weren't content with excusing their actions as "under 
orders."
> They understood they were personally responsible for the deaths they
> were causing, but also understood the bigger picture and judged that 
> the price they paid was worth the larger goal.
> <snip> The end may well justify the means---depending on the end and 
> the means. It will be a choice of Harry's, I think, and the choice 
> will not be whether or not to be a killer, but rather whether or not 
> to act to save others. It will be a
> difficult choice if saving others involves killing. But by that 
time, I believe Harry will have matured into a person who could face 
that choice as a real selection of options, not a foregone conclusion.
>  
> 

Wow!  Lots of thought on this thread.  

Very interesting thoughts, and I can see where you're coming from.  I 
accept that that is the case in some instances - that people do make 
that choice, so I take your point.  I hope that if that is the 
scenario that plays out, that Harry will be able to deal with it, and 
see it as you explained it.  
I still have a hard time accepting it in this instance, though.  And 
while in part that's my problem (delicate sensibilities and all that), 
in part I still feel like it came from JKR.  
What I mean is, Crouch Sr and the aurors who followed his lead in 
using the unforgiveable curses on the baddies... they made that 
decision, I think.  And yet JKR had Moody, who is admired and 
respected by Arthur Weasley and Dumbledore both, decide not to use 
them.  Or maybe my memory is wrong, and it was just that he didn't use 
them if he could avoid it or something, in which case my whole feeling 
on the subject is based on a faulty memory, and it's just my own 
qualms holding me back.  I'm ok with it being something I personally 
couldn't do, as everyone is different.  As long as they don't go 
against what JKR has set up so far, I'm ok.  I think I'm gonna have to 
look  back through GoF.  Unless anyone else remembers this bit?

kimberly
who wishes she had a searchable version of these crazy books