Sectumsempra and the DEs

[stevemac]

No: HPFGUIDX 151447

Beatrice23:

> Probably for the same reason that he doesn't use avada,
> imperio, or crucio.  It is dark magic.  PERIOD.  One doesn't use
> it on another human being.  Harry is plagued by guilt when he
> does use it on Malfoy and lets face it, if anyone deserves it....
>
> He uses it in the cave because he is facing an opponent that is
> not alive so technically it is like blasting away a rock or
> something else.  He uses it out of desperation.  He may be
> angry when battling the DE, but he shows that he has to some
> extent learned to master that enough not to stoop to the level of
> the DE.
>
> Quite a difference from OotP when he attempts to use crucio on
> Bellatrix.


stevemac:

He does try to use several curses at the very end as Snape and Draco  
try to flee the grounds (the key word being TRIES).

He tries (one assumes) CRUCIO twice, a few others, then SECTUMSEMPRA.  
It's seems to be blind rage and assumed self-defense in the cases  
where Harry does KNOWINGLY use Dark Magic, but he does try it - it's  
not "below" him.