Harry Wasn't Going to *Really* Kill Sirius (WAS: Digest Number 2066)

[erisedstraeh2002]

No: HPFGUIDX 42963

Melody wrote: 

> So, how was Harry going to kill Black?  

and Toni responded:

> I think that it was simply a scene meant to convey just how much 
> hate an fear and all the stuff a thirteen year old kid might feel 
> given the life that Harry's had.  

now me:

I agree with Toni and others who have said that Harry was acting out 
of emotion in the Shrieking Shack when he had his wand poised over 
Sirius. I think JKR repeatedly sends a strong message in the books 
that it's wrong to kill, even if the person is confirmed as Ever-so-
Evil (e.g., James and Lily don't try to AK Voldemort back; Harry 
keeps Remus and Sirius from killing Pettigrew).  I think the 
strongest evidence that Harry wouldn't have really killed Sirius is 
at the end of GoF in the graveyard when Harry and Voldemort duel - 
Voldemort says "Avada Kedavra!" but what does Harry do?  He 
says "Expelliarmus!"  Not "Avada Kedavra" or some other killing 
curse.  Since Harry didn't try to throw a killing curse at Voldemort, 
the one who murdered his parents, I strongly believe he wouldn't have 
thrown a killing curse at Sirius, who was believed at the time to 
have betrayed Harry's parents, but not to have actually killed them.

Of course, if my <Harry won't commit murder, even if it's a bad guy> 
theory is correct, does this mean that Harry won't *ever* kill 
Voldemort?  Oooooh, I didn't mean to go there...

~Phyllis