Draco in the Bathroom (was Re: Draco's punishment)

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 147470

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "quick_silver71" 
<quick_silver71 at ...> wrote:
>
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Renee" <R.Vink2@> wrote:

Renee:
> > If you mention karmic balance, I'd like to point out that Draco's
> > failed murder attempts were already balanced in HBP. Draco almost
> > kills - and  almost gets killed himself - I don't think it's a
> > coincidendce that the effects of the Sectumsempra curse were so
> > drastic. This may have given Draco just the pause he needed to 
> refrain
> > from killing Dumbledore. 

Quick_Silver:
> Renee you just said something that I've been thinking about for a 
> while. The bathroom scene was not really about Harry or Snape (who 
go 
> though their usual motions) but Draco. It forced Draco to look 
within 
> himself and it brought death and violence home to him. 

Geoff:
But it also brought the same things home to Harry...

'Harry was still watching, horrified by what he had done, barely
aware that he too was soaked in blood and water.'
(HBP "Sectumsempra" p.489 UK edition)

'"I didn't mean it to happen," said Harry at once. His voice echoed
in the cold, watery space. "I didn't know what the spell did."'
(ibid. p.490)

'"I don't believe this," said Hermione. "You're actually defending -"
"I'm not defending what I did!" said Harry quickly. "I wish I hadn't
done it and not just because I've got about a dozen detentions. You
know I wouldn't have used a spell like that, not even on Malfoy but
you can't blame the Prince, he hadn't written 'Try this out, it's
really good'  - he was just making notes for himself, wasn't he, not
for anyone else..."'
(ibid. pp.495-96)

Harry reacted to Malfoy's attempted use of an Unforgiveable on him
but instead of using something he knew, such as 'Stupefy' 
or 'Expelliarmus', without thinking, he subconsciously(?) attempted a 
spell for which he did not know the outcome - but which had been 
niggling away in the back of his mind and tempting him. He has had it 
spelt out to him in no uncertain terms - both through his own 
conscience and the reactions of Snape and McGonagall - that doing 
this is highly dangerous; he could easily have found himself accused 
of manslaughter or even murder had help not been quickly to hand. The 
name of the spell implies that it is a serious and life-threatening 
curse to cast and it may underline for Harry the potential danger of 
finding himself unintentionally on a slippery slope towards the Dark 
Side.