[HPforGrownups] Re: Draco and Dumbledore

[Magpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 160178

> Dungrollin:
> It's a mere four and a half pages after this that he uses the spell
> on Malfoy. And the main reason he hadn't tried it out yet was that
> he didn't want to do it in front of Hermione.
>
> Yeah, I'm fairly confident he'd have tried it out on someone like
> McLaggan, though perhaps not *in the back*, the way he considers
> doing in the second quote.

Magpie:
Reading the book the first time I knew which spell Harry was trying out and 
knew he couldn't try it out because of that.  Had he tried it out on 
McLaggan he would have just nicked him, more like Snape did to James.  The 
only reason it's so gruesome on Malfoy is because they're fighting and Harry 
waves his wand "wildly" and casts the spell in desperation.  So I'd have to 
say I don't think the spell was a danger without Malfoy.  Harry would have 
hurt McClaggen, but in a small way that showed him how vicious the spell 
was.

Carol:
I agree with Pippin (and Magpie) that we see Draco slowly growing up during 
this year (although I see it more as an understanding of what death really 
means than the development of compassion or higher
ethical standards),

Magpie:
This was a while ago but I wanted a chance to say I think you are right 
about the development being in an understanding of what death means--this 
could be the first step to being able to develop compassion or ethical 
standards, but not sure whether those things are really something he could 
be consciously thinking about in HBP.  Even if they entered his mind I don't 
think he'd be able to allow himself to think on those terms in the book.

-m