Harry Killing in HBP (was re: Violence)

[Jim Ferer]

No: HPFGUIDX 131988

Heather the Buzzard:"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."

Well done question!  There's got to be a reason the DE's don't just AK
wholesale. It sure isn't kindness or a sense of right and wrong, so
it's got to be what you say. 

I've always believed that casting spells, like anything else, is
tiring to a greater or lesser degree, and depend on the skill and
experience of the operator.  That implies that the fighting spells
used in the MoM battle would be harder and harder to cast the longer
the battle went on.

BTW, if I was doing the after-action review for the DA, one of the
first things I would have said is 1) "Whenever you Stunned or disabled
a DE you should have broken his/her wand or at least taken it." (I'm
sure the only reason Harry and his companions didn't do this is they
didn't think of it) 2)"Is there any reason any of you can't carry a
spare wand?" and 3) "There's an old saying in the Muggle military:
Never, ever, leave living [effective] enemies in your rear." In this
context it means Stunning them, tying them up with Incarcerous,
hitting them with Petrificus, and taking their wands.

Jim Ferer