Harry's Use of an Unforgivable Curse

[Jim Ferer]

No: HPFGUIDX 96014

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "nmjenson" <nmjenson at y...> wrote:
> Anybody else unsettled by Harry's use of an unforgivable curse at the 
> end of OotP? I mean, it should be punishable by lifetime 
> imprisionment at Azkaban ... and he seems to have gotten away with 
> it! Dumbledore didn't mention it to him .... he HIMSELF doesn't seem 
> to realize how serious it was. I realize Sirius's death overshadows 
> his emotions, but still.

If Harry was charged with a comparable crime in the Muggle justice
system, he could claim self-defense and/or temporary insanity, and
most juries would go along with him given the circumstances.  He might
not even be tried in the not unlikely event the prosecutor declined to
bring charges.

But it's not our justice system, and the wizard justice system seems a
lot more arbitrary.  There weren't any witnesses, so nobody even knows
to priori incantatem Harry's wand; and Fudge is no longer in any
position to prosecute the newly restored hero of the wizard world.

Do you feel Harry *should* be charged?  Maddened with grief, pursuing
his godfather's killer, the torturer of the Longbottoms, the most
sadistic and psycho of Voldemort's followers?  He wasn't even good at
it, even then without enough evil in him to actually agonize this
monster (I'm imagining Harry's defense attorney delivering his
summation - there's a fic bunny for somebody)

Sometime Harry will take a look at what he did and consider that he
didn't have enough hatred in him even towards Bellatrix to Crucio her
properly.  I can imagine a scene where he captures her:

===============================================

Ropes sprang from Harry's wand, wrapping themselves tightly around
Bellatrix.  He picked up her wand.

"Get up," Harry snarled. "I don't think we'll be seeing your mate
Voldemort coming for you this time."

"Why don't you take your revenge now, boy?" she hissed, her eyes
bulging with fear - and desire?  "This is your chance, boy, you've
learned to mean it now, haven't you, little Potter?  Especially now
that I took care of your little friend..."

"SHUT UP!" yelled Harry.  His hand felt like it would crush his wand,
his vision narrowed to a tunnel that only showed the face of his
prisoner, the monster who... "you're not worth it. They'll take care
of you this time... and I'll be there when they make you walk through
that veil.  I'll let my godfather have you."

Bellatrix's eye bulged even more. What more could a Death Eater have
to fear?
===================================================

Jim Ferer