[HPforGrownups] Harry Killing in HBP (was re: Violence)

[heather the buzzard]

No: HPFGUIDX 131963

John Fisher wrote:

>Harry's *having* to kill somebody (besides Voldie) strikes me as
>unlikely.  Remember how in the MOM battle even the Death Eaters didn't
>use Avada Kedavra?  Between "stupify," "impedimenta," and
>"expelliarmus," there really isn't much reason to use a killing spell
>(a possible exception being that AK apparently can't be blocked).  I
>take this to be the reason that Avada Kedavra is illegal, period: the
>only reason to use it is that you want to outright kill someone, not
>just stop him.
>

heather adds:

You know that brings up an interesting point.  Since the spell IS so 
unstoppable, then why wouldn't the baddies just kill everyone and be 
done with it?  What possible reason would there be for sparing their 
opponents, for using any other curse at all?

I would wager that, like the Patronus, it's a spell that takes a huge 
amount of skill and that it 'drains' the caster.  A more experienced and 
powerful wizard probably can do more with less 'drainage', it's less 
exhausting on them. 

And like how Harry's attempt at the Crucio fizzled... he doesn't have 
the training, practice, OR the mindset for it.  Possibly the AK requires 
a steely, dedicated, focused concentration of hatred in order to work.  
So it's not something you can just toss around in the middle of an 
intense battle -- you need to be able to focus all your negative 
energies on it.  Like an anti-Patronus heh... which is a concentration 
of positive, protective and happy energy.  The more practice Harry gets 
at the Patronus, the faster he's able to toss one off, but he still 
needs that moment of focus and mental control.

So I imagine that in a fast-paced battle, you're better off casting 
something quick and simple that you know you're not going to screw up, 
in the hopes of gaining an advantage so that you CAN take a moment to 
focus on an AK if that's your ultimate desire.  Many of the DE's at the 
MOM might not have sufficient 'power' to cast an effective AK anyway, 
except for Bellatrix.  Although Peter was able to cast one -- he had 
time and opportunity to focus his hatred, he wasn't being attacked and 
had the clear advantage, so perhaps it's not so much 'power' as it is 
'focus' after all.

Hmm.  I wonder if that was the first time Peter cast the killing curse, 
or does he have experience...

heather the buzzard