Wandlore and more

[sistermagpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 185420

> Jen wrote: 
> <snip>
> 
> > I do think disarming is consistently presented as a passive spell,
> where the point is to collect the other person's wand without 
harming. 

 Carol:

> I'm quite sure that, had the DEs not been delayed by the Order members
> and had been standing behind him, Draco would have killed Dumbledore.

Magpie:
I don't agree--and on this I think the author actually weighed in 
saying that no, Draco would not have killed Dumbledore. He used 
expelliarimus to put off the moment of truth when it became clear he 
wasn't going to kill him. Whether you chalk that up to compassion or 
cowardic, it was a line Draco couldn't cross.

> Magpie:
> Oh, I would agree with that too. I don't think there was ever a
> question that Harry was much of a killer. He's basically a normal
> person! So his choosing not to kill just seems like a given, rather
> than any big point about the character.

Pippin:
But normal people do kill, in wars. That's Lupin's point, and Molly
backs it up when she kills Bella. Harry's point is that he doesn't
think what Voldemort does should be normal. That issue, larger than
killing per se, is a big point about Harry's character, and comes up
over and over in DH.

Magpie:
Molly kills Bellatrix in a moment where she thinks she's going to kill 
Ginny. I don't doubt Harry might have reacted the same situation. It's 
not any more normal for Molly to kill than it is for Harry to kill. 
He's never in that situation. He doesn't kill Voldemort, but Voldemort 
gets dead. Neither Herimone nor Ron nor Neville nor Draco kills anybody 
either. It's not all that unique to Harry.

Pippin:
Having the killer kill himself may be a standard Hollywood way out of
the problem, but JKR shows us that it's not an easy way out. 

Magpie:
::shrug:: Didn't show me that. Seemed to work as neatly here as it 
usually does. If Voldemort's spell is going to backfire it's not so 
much harder to let him do the spell than to say the words yourself and 
tear your soul.

-m