Why Avada kedavra is a bad spell WAS: Re: I HAD A DREAM OR HOW I REALIZED

[Zara]

No: HPFGUIDX 167115

 
> Alla:
> 
> Oh. Okay. I guess we do disagree about the degrees of badness of 
> Avada Kedavra then. I guess to me in the Potterverse, and again I 
can 
> obviously be wrong, but this is how I read this, the good person 
> would never use AK, unless maybe in self-defense or under duress 
and 
> even then IMO would pay a price for that. So, I get that you are 
> saying that this is a big deal for you as well, but from what you 
> described for me it is much worse, it seems (the use of AK).

zgirnius:
Here's the question. In the Potterverse, would a good person strangle 
somneone uder those circumstances? Shoot them with a gun? Push them
off the tallest tower of a humongous castle?

If the answer is yes, this places the focus bang on mechanics. Because
if a good person can do any of the above, but not use the AK, it is 
about magic, not killing.


If the answer is no, then we are back to what is in my opinion the 
proper focus of the discussion of Snape's actions. There and then, 
could there have been a reason for a good person to act as Snape did? 
If yes, then his use of the AK may potentially be justified by that 
same reason. If not, then Snape would have been just as evil, had he 
chosen any other method for the murder.

> Alla:
> Now, of course if Snape is DD!M and killed Dumbledore on his 
orders, 
> then obviously I am wrong. But the fact that we had not seen any of 
> the good guys use AK makes me think that among other things.

zgirnius:
When have we seen a good guy kill by any other means in the 
Potterverse? I can't recall a single instance. To say a killing by 
the AK is more abhorrent in the Potterverse based on its never having 
been used by a good character, it seems to me you would need such an 
example. Otherwise, we are back to good guys don't kill, period.

Moody was involved in a battle which resulted in the death of one 
Evan Rosier, for the record, this is mentioned in the GoF Pensieve 
scenes. Doubtless a killing in the line of duty, and defencse of self 
and others by whoever did the killing, since we know that was the 
battle that lost a bit of Moody's nose. So I think Rowling is not 
saying *no* killing is ever allowed. Just that Moody's way, to avoid 
it when possible, is best.

Could Snape avoid it? Again, in my view, that is the question we 
ought to be discussing, not how he chose to do it. How he chose to
do it is about mechanics. Whether he could avoid it is about the
good/evil of the action.


> Alla:
> 
> Eh? I lost you in this paragraph. You do not think that it is  JKR 
> style to go what way? That AK is horrible or that is not?
> 
> Because it seems to me that AK symbolising intent to kill is very 
> much in tact with the theme of what magic is symbolising.

zgirnius:
If you place the AK in a class by itself, as worse than other 
killing, then the magic becomes the focus, not the killing the magic 
symbolizes.