Harry: Not Quite So Admirable.

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 158158

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "eggplant107" <eggplant107 at ...> wrote:
>
> Argus Pyrites wrote:
 
> > if Voldemort had retired to Dover, somehow obviously done with 
> > trying to take over the world, yet back in a body and alive... would 
> > Harry track him down and try to kill him? I think not.

Eggplant:
> I think so, at least I hope Harry is smarter than that.If somebody
> discovered a old and placed Nazi war criminal who 60 years ago had
> joyfully butchered thousands of innocent human beings in a
> particularly horrible way, and if that person decided to just let the
> monster go free, well ; I think I'd conclude that the person who did
> that was a idiot.  

Geoff:
That'a an interesting analogy. 

I think the answer to what Harry would do might lie in 
his own words:

'"NO!" Harry yelled. He ran forwards, placing himself in 
front of Pettigrew, facing the wands. "You can't kill him," 
he said breathlessly. "You can't."

Black and Lupin both looked staggered.

"Harry, this piece of vermin is the reason you have no 
parents," Black snarled. "This cringing bit of filth would 
have seen you die, too, without turning a hair. You heard 
him. His own stinking skin meant more to him that your 
whole family."

"I know," Harry panted. "We'll take him up to the castle. 
We'll hand him over to the Dementors. He can go to Azkaban... 
just don't kill him."

"Harry!" gasped Pettigrew and he flung his arms around 
Harry's knees. "You - thank you - it's more than I deserve 
- thank you -"

"Get off me," Harry spat, throwing Pettigrew's hands off 
im in disgust. "I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it 
because I don't reckon my dad would've wanted his best 
friends to become killers - just for you."'

(POA "The Servant of Lord Voldemort" p.275 UK edition)

This is very pragmatic thinking - and perhaps rather typical 
of Harry. I think that in a situation such as the one considered 
by Argus and Eggplant that Harry would take the same line of 
choosing to hand Voldemort over to the authorities.