Harry, Draco and bathroom/ A couple of theories - Snape

[sistermagpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 162405


> Amiable Dorsai:
> So you're thinking that in the time available to him, roughly the
> interval between "Cru..." and "...io", Harry should have given his
> choice of spells a little more thought, debated the pros and cons 
of
> all the spells in his repertoire and chosen accordingly?  I dunno,
> Pippin, this sounds like the Hermione Granger school of dueling, 
and,
> dearly as I love her, it doesn't seem to work out very well.

Magpie:
I think Pippin's just saying that Harry has responsibility for the 
spell he did choose with all the others at his disposal (which he's 
used in the past just as quickly).  Even if you're defending 
yourself, if your defense seriously injures the other person you 
might be called on it. Or you might feel you went too far.
 
> Pippin:
> >  Instead he chose to experiment which was
> > both wrong and stupid. Suppose the spell hadn't worked at all?
> 
> Amiable Dorsai: 
> Then Harry would, like as not, be dead or insane and Draco would be
> hoping Azkaban would keep him safe from Voldemort.  

Magpie:
Being hit by a Crucio doesn't make you either.  The Longbottoms are 
a special case, having been put under longterm Crucio by two experts 
at the spell.  If Harry's spell hadn't worked and Draco's had (which 
in itself isn't a given) the more likely result would be that Harry 
would have been hit with a lot of pain that would then stop.  That's 
the more common result of a successful Crucio that we've seen. I 
think that's what Harry was avoiding in his mind.

Amiable Dorsai:
> 
> Harry didn't "experiment", he fired off the first spell that came 
to
> mind.  If it was hard on Draco, well, Draco was one who decided to
> fight, Draco was the one who decided to use an Unforgivable, Draco 
was
> the one who decided that someone in that bathroom was going to 
suffer.

Magpie:
Right.  But just as Draco has responsibility for everything he did 
in the bathroom, so does Harry.  The fact that he was the one on the 
defensive doesn't mean anything he does is the same as anything 
else, which presumably is why he continues to feel unusual twinges 
of guilt that he doesn't want.
 
> Pippin 
> > What Harry did could be compared to using an illegal handgun
> > against an attacker. The shooting might be self-defense, but
> > violating the gun laws would still be a crime.
> 
> Amiable Dorsai:
> We don't know if Harry's action was a crime, we don't know the
> relevant law.  What we do know about Wizard law is that it is a
> fickle, capricious thing--that's been a running theme of the books
> from the beginning.  Likely, the worst thing that would happen if 
the
> Chosen One killed a Death Eater in self-defense is that Scrimgeour
> might finally have a handle on Harry.

Magpie:
I agree.  Wizarding Law doesn't seem to be a solution to anything.  
If there's meaning in the scene, imo, it's in the way it's written 
and the characters' reactions to it.

-m