OOP: Something that disturbed me

jmgarciaiii jmgarciaiii at yahoo.com
Sat Jun 28 13:52:24 UTC 2003


No: HPFGUIDX 65358

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Wendy St John" 
<hebrideanblack at e...> wrote:

> 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).

Maybe HP's use of the curse is not "completely justified" but, IMO< 
it's justified enough.

> 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).

This assumes that HP actually gave the matter rational, measured 
thought.

[snip]

> 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.

I disagree that it was a "default" but rather it was a reflexive 
action. Also, IIRC, the unforgivable curses are permitted to be cast 
against DEs and, moreover, it is my view that in order for the curse 
to be an unforgiveable one, it has to have unforgivable result. If 
HP had cast the AK curse on BL and she had developed a dull ache as 
a result...would that be an unforgivable curse? There is, IMO, a 
difference between wanting to cause pain, and wanting to TORTURE 
someone.

> 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'm not happy about the choice, either, but I am not particularly 
disturbed by it. Also, if my reading of the prophecy is true, and 
it's kill-or-be-killed...then how is he supposed to effect that?

-Joe in SoFla





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