Harry's flaws and moral errors?

[Cathy Drolet]

No: HPFGUIDX 139341

<Harry could have chosen to fire it in response to something as little
as a taunt, instead of an Unforgiveable Curse.>

Sandy aka msbeadsley
>>This is closer to canon than what Rita Skeeter wrote about Harry was
to Harry in reality, but it still isn't canon.

CathyD:
It could have been something as little as being sneaked up on.  "Harry was about to put his book away again when he noticed the corner of a page folded down; turning to it, he saw the Sectumsepra spell, captioned "For Enemies", that he had marked a few weeks previously.  He had still not found out what it did, mainly because he did not want to test it around Hermione, but he was *considering trying it out on McLaggen* next time he came up behind him unawares."  Lucky for McLaggen that he didn't sneak up on Harry before Harry found out how the spell really worked.  

>>I can't fathom
how someone, even at the age of 16, even in a world with advanced
healing, could ever see something labelled 'for enemies' and have
their first urge be to use it and see what it does.>

Sandy aka msbeadsley
>>See my previous paragraph, and furthermore, "have their *first
urge* (emphasis mine) be to use it and see what it does" is, IMO,
edging back up to Rita Skeeter's level of realistic reportage
again

CathyD:
Canon shows clearly what Harry first thought of the spell: "Harry ignored her.  He had just found an incantation (Sectumsempra) scrawled in a margin above the intriguing words 'For Enemies', and *was itching to try it out,* but thought it best not to in front of Hermione.  Instead, he serreptitiously folded down the corner of the page."   Itching to try it out right then and there.  Lucky for someone in Gryffindor tower that Hermione was there isn't it?  

I think what saved Draco, was not just that Mrytle's screams brought Snape running, but that Snape was following Draco, probably as closely as Harry was.  If Snape had been in his Dungeon office when this happened he wouldn't have been so quick on the spot.  I'm quite certain he was watching Draco, and saw him enter the bathroom, followed some time later by Harry. (Snape could hardly appear to lurk outside a *boy's* bathroom...what would the readers say then? Can Snape make himself invisible without an invisibility cloak?)  When Snape heard Myrtle's screams, who did he think had been attacked and rushed to aid?  Not Draco, surely, Snape knew what Draco was capable of by this time, but he had no idea that Harry knew any such Dark Magic.  

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