Harry using Crucio -- my two cents

[jkoney65]

No: HPFGUIDX 174180

> Sneeboy2:

> I don't see him at that moment being in more danger than he was,
> say, escaping Voldemort at the start of the book, yet there he
> used only the legal spells -- and to good effect. I find it
> disturbing that he uses what's arguably the worst of the three
> spells: in the real world, we do not outlaw killing in times of
> war, but we do outlaw torture. If JKR wants to show us that
> Harry is flawed, I'm disturbed that she chose to do it so near
> the climax, where the logic of plot implies that this is a
> development toward which the rest of the plot has been aiming.
> It's almost as if she's saying to readers that his reluctance
> to use the unforgivable curses before now was a matter of
> immaturity, rather than moral fortitude.


Jack-A-Roe:
So far Harry has broken into Gringott's, lost the sword, had to
fight his way out by riding a dragon, goes to Hogsmeade where the
DE's know something is up, has to fight off dementors, finds out
his friends have been tortured during the school year, and has to
find a horcrux hidden in a castle before Voldemort gets there.

Meanwhile one of the deatheaters who was there when Dumbledore is
killed tells McGonagall:

US edition pg 593
"It's not a case of what you'll permit, Minerva McGonagall. Your
time's over. It's us what's in charge her now, and you'll back me
up or you'll pay the price."

And he spat in her face.

Harry, our everyman, reacts like most people would when someone
they care about is threatened. Out of anger. He curses Amycus,
but stops it when Amycus is thrown into the bookcase and is
knocked unconscious.

At that point Harry is starting to fight like it's a war. He
could have cast a reductor curse which I think would have caused
a lot more damage or several other more deadly curses.

The effect of the curse is not long term whereas one of the other
curses could have been. He doesn't hold it on him, in fact it is
over rather quickly. So at this point I can't see the spell as
torture.

Why didn't he use one of the other curses such as stupify? I'm
guessing that he's rather stressed and remembering Lupin's words
that this is for keeps.

I don't have any problem with Harry's reaction.