[HPforGrownups] Re: OOP: Something that disturbed me

[Charona Wheeler]

No: HPFGUIDX 65299




>From: "Wendy St John" <hebrideanblack at earthlink.net>
>Reply-To: HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com
>To: HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com
>Subject: RE: [HPforGrownups] Re: OOP: Something that disturbed me
>Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2003 19:45:59 -0700
>
>
>
>Spedlegs4169 wrote:
>
>"i think harry's use of the Cruciatus curse is completely justified.
>Lestrange was "famous" for her use of the Cruciatus Curse on the
>Longbottoms.  Harry did the curse for Neville, and for himself,
>because Lestrange was the one that sent the spell at Sirius and
>knocked him through the archway."
>
>
>Now me (Wendy):
>
>I think this discussion of the Cruciatus curse is also going on under
>another thread, but as I hadn't jumped in there, I thought I would here . .
>.
>
>I am going to respectfully disagree with your statement that Harry casting
>the curse is "completely justified." The fact that Harry used it disturbs
>me. I'm not sure if I'm a lot disturbed, or just a little, yet (still
>pondering that).
>
>Cruciatus is one of only *three* curses which are classified as
>"unforgiveable" (at least that's my understanding of the canon from GoF).
>Although we don't really know the reason these three (and only these three)
>are unforgiveable, Harry knows that they are, and he is also aware that the
>legal penalty for using any of these curses is a sentence in Azkaban. And
>he knows that these curses qualify as "Dark Magic" (again, by my
>understanding of the canon. Not sure it's even been specifically stated).
>For me, it seems the casting of this curse is no small matter within the
>Wizarding World (as opposed to casting memory charms - which also strikes
>me an unethical, but which the WW seems to take in stride). I do understand
>that Harry might wish to inflict great amounts of pain on Bella Lestrange.
>She is a monster, and I very much hope that she is going to pay for this in
>some tangible way in the future. But what I don't want to see is Harry
>compromise his *own* integrity in favour of his desire for revenge. Yes, he
>was in a "heat of the moment" situation, but I found it disturbing for
>Harry to "default" to casting an unforgiveable curse. Not only has he
>called upon Dark Magic, he has also broken Wizarding law and risked a
>prison sentence. Perhaps these are not the things going through his head at
>the moment he cast the curse, but I think they *should* be. In some ways,
>having a wand is like carrying a loaded gun. If someone chooses to carry a
>loaded weapon around, that person had better have a very clear head about
>when and how to use it. Yes, in general that analogy is very flawed - as a
>wand is a tool for so very much more than a handgun is. But I think it
>still works in this situation. Harry faced off against Bella, wand drawn,
>and his gut reaction was a desire to cause pain, to which end he used an
>illegal, Dark curse. I will accept there are mitigating factors here - his
>age being the primary one, but also his emotional state at the time. But I
>am still not happy with the choice that he made. It's too soon to tell
>whether or not this experience will be the beginning of him actually
>turning to the Dark Arts because he feels there is no other way to defend
>himself and his loved ones, or if the experience will force him to
>recognise that the Dark Arts are completely not the way to go. I do hope he
>learns to respond to his feelings (such as the desire to cause pain) by
>facing and overcoming them, instead of acting upon them the way he did in
>this battle - for his *own* sake. I'm not saying Bella didn't "deserve" it.
>I just don't want Harry to have to live with the aftermath. Let Lestrange
>be "famous" for her use of Cruciatus. That's definitely NOT what I want for
>Harry.
>
>We don't know yet how he'll react to all of this, which is why I'm not too
>*terribly* disturbed . . . yet. But regardless where thisgoes in future, I
>would never call his action "completely justified."
>
>Cheers!
>
>Wendy
>
>
I never thought that Harry might actually turn to the dark side.  Maybe he 
will.  He gets angry enough, and he knows that he has the power.  He is 
already in close with Voldemort.  Maybe he will kill off Voldemort so that 
he can have all the evil power to himself.  I don't think that JKR would end 
the series like that because that really wouldn't be cool, but it would 
prove to people that things aren't always what they seem.  I mean, she's got 
enough money that she and her ancestors could live off of for about a 
hundred years (may be an exhaggeration), but now she can basically publish 
whatever the hell she wants to.  Maybe society will hit another realist wave 
in five or six years when book seven comes out.  Of course, if she is being 
smart about it, she will make Harry out to be the good guy until the last 
book, in efforts to keep readers.  I really don't think that she will do 
that though, it's just an unlikely possibility.  I really hope that Harry 
won't die in the end either, that would be really depressing, I'm growing up 
with Harry Potter, he is more than a fictional character, he is a symbol of 
hope and a lifestyle.  Too many people love Harry, myself being one 
(although I want Ron).  I count on Harry being Headmaster of Hogwarts after 
he is an Auror, and a Defense Against the Dart Arts teacher.  Oh and after 
he marries Ginny Weasley and Ron marries Hermione (then the triad would all 
be related!).
---Charona

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