Harry's far from ruthless Was:Re: Harry the Auror

[annemehr]

No: HPFGUIDX 89175

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "sachmet96" <sachmet96 at y...> wrote:
 
> And [Harry] is ruthless enough to kill/hurt without batting an eye (or 
> spending a second thought on it) as was seen in PS with Quirrell and 
> Voldemort. In PS after he realized he could get rid of Quirrell he 
> intentionally "caught Quirrell by the arm and hung on as tight as he 
> could" (PS, UK p.214). He didn't spend a thought on the fact that he 
> just hurt/probably mortally wounded Quirrell. Yes, it was in self 
> defence and I don't expect him at that moment to spend much thaught 
> about that, but at least after he woke up in the infirmary he could 
> have asked what happened to Quirrell but doesn't even think about it.

Annemehr:

I think you are reading Harry completely wrong, but this last part
must surely be movie contamination.  The relevant quote from PS/SS,
from which you only took a phrase, tells exactly what Harry was doing:

---------------------------------
"Then kill him, fool, and be done!" screeched Voldemort.

Quirrell raised his hand to perform a deadly curse, but Harry, by
instinct, reached up and grabbed Quirrell's face --

"AAAARGH!"

Quirrell rolled off him, his face blistering, too, and then Harry
knew: Quirrell couldn't touch his bare skin, not without suffering
terrible pain -- his only chance was to keep hold of Quirrell, keep
him in enough pain to stop him from doing a curse.

Harry jumped to his feet, caught Quirrell by the arm, and hung on as
tight as he could. [...] he could only hear Quirrell's terrible
shrieks nd Voldeort's yells of, "KILL HIM! KILL HIM!" [...]
-----------------------------------

I don't know how it could be any clearer that Harry is defending his
own life by causing Quirrell blistering burns (second degree is the
technical term, I believe).  There's no need for Harry to think twice
about that because it's actually the right thing to do.  You don't
spend a second thought on giving an attacker a boo-boo on the arm when
there's a life at stake, even if it's your own.

And Harry never tried to kill Bellatrix; he knows perfectly well what
the Cruciatus Curse is for.

Sorry if this sounds sarcastic; I'm really just trying to make a very
emphatic point.

Annemehr