James an Auror? and Link to Interview on Clearing Hagrid's Name

[Tom Wall]

No: HPFGUIDX 59839

I, Tom, wrote previously:
> After all, Dumbledore confirms in PoA that James likely would have 
> spared Pettigrew the same way Harry did. So, I interpret this as an 
> indication of James' character - he *could* have killed, but 
> probably wouldn't have wanted to. 

Rosebeth replied:
Tom, while I agree with quite a bit of your post I have to disagree 
with the idea that James wouldn't use the AK on LV. There has been a 
lot of discussion lately about a mothers love for her child. Why not 
the same for a father's love? 

I (Tom) respond:
I see where you're coming from. Please, let me clarify, and we'll see 
if we agree. ;-)

I wasn't trying to dispute James' love for Harry and Lily – I was 
trying to ponder more specifically whether or not a) James would be 
willing to kill for them (which I think he would be willing to do,) 
and b) whether or not that would be his first choice for attack. 

On the question of (b,) I'm not sure that the first thing James would 
try to do would be to use an Unforgivable Curse. Rather, I think 
that, as you kind of suggest in the next part of your reply, that 
James would be more likely to use an Unforgivable as a matter of last 
choice, in a gunfight-style situation.


On that note, Rosebeth also wrote:
It's my belief that James is going to try to whatever he can to save 
them, and if that means an Unforgivable Curse, then so be it. Like a 
gunfight in the old west LV was just faster.

Tom replies:
Yeah, I know what you mean. 

I have no doubt that in the last resort, his family on the line, 
James would probably have no issues using an Unforgivable Curse on 
the Voldemort. I wasn't trying to suggest that James wouldn't *ever* 
use an Unforgivable in this kind of situation, rather, I was trying 
to figure out whether or not he'd think to use, say, `Avada Kedavra' 
right away.

In the case of that latter question, `would James use an Unforgivable 
Curse first,' I think that the answer is `no.' 

IMHO, like Moody, and his son, I'm thinking that James was probably a 
man of impeccable character. Such a person probably wouldn't select 
an Unforgivable Curse as a matter of first choice simply due to the 
moral nature of their personality.

I'm not saying that he'd have reservations using it in a last-ditch 
effort, but rather that a person of Harry's, and Moody's character 
(and so, James' character) probably would have naturally selected 
something less lethal than an Unforgivable. For instance, I can see 
James trying to `stupefy' Voldemort before killing him outright.

-Tom