Killing curses

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 86382

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Tanya Swaine <swaine.t at x> wrote:
> With all this talk about killing curses, I can't help but wonder what
> Remus and Sirius planned to use on Peter before Harry stopped
> them.  Thoughts anyone?
> 
> Tanya

Carol:
Sirius probably thought he had nothing to lose so I don't think
principles or anything else would have deterred him from using Avada
Kedavra at that moment. He'd already spent twelve years in Azkaban and
knew he was facing Dementors if he was caught--and starvation, filth
and deprivation if he wasn't. All he wanted was the satisfaction of
avenging himself against Peter and committing the murder he'd spent
twelve years paying for. If ever there was a desperate man, it's
Sirius Black in PoA. Fortunately for him and Remus, Harry stops them
from committing murder. He doesn't even know about the additional
implications of the unforgiveable curse. He just doesn't want them to
be contaminated by the act of wilful murder.

Remus is not, of course, equally desperate, but I think he would have
killed Peter as an act of loyalty to Sirius so they would share the
same fate, whatever the consequences. Loyalty put all other
considerations, including right and wrong, good and evil, out of his
head. Even if there's a killing curse that's forgiveable in certain
circumstances (such as self-defense or war), he and Sirius were about
to commit willful murder so the means probably didn't matter. He was
probably facing a lifetime in Azkaban regardless of which curse he
used, and maybe even the Dementors because he was aiding a wanted
fugitive. I think he would have used Avada Kedavra in those
circumstances just to be on the same level as Sirius. 

Of course, there's no way of knowing whether this assessment is
correct, it's the best I can come up with based on their respective
characters and situations at that moment. An ESE!Lupin supporter would
no doubt see it differently. :-)

Carol