Good short.

That was an awesome motivational speech.

LMAO that ending line :D

Yeah, the 'But people shouldn't kill, just Stun!' lot tend to forget that, before JKR forgot she was writing about a war, she had Harry kill a man at eleven.

Arguably he killed a seventeen-year-old at twelve as well, if you take the Diary to essentially have been a living, thinking person.

That they were both attempting to kill him doesn't detract from the issue that Death Eaters were ALSO attempting to kill him and his loved ones.

JKR chickened out, with the bizarre effect that her later books are both darker and more sanitized than the earlier ones. Child soldiers murdering people is too dark? Magical children being abused by hate-filled Muggles is a terrible atrocity? You don't say, JKR? You put those both into Book ONE.

Good fic.

I have to agree with Ron. Hermione is a bit (and often is in canon but many don't call her on it) hypocritical in saying Ron has the emotional range of teaspoon or being insensitive. Hermione often refuses to think she could be wrong, esp. if its Harry or Ron she things in the wrong.

A good example in canon is in later books, think it was 6th yr (may have been 5th after all its the summer he yells at them) Ron & Hermione get into another row and Harry finally snaps he's tired of their continual snipping at each other then dragging him into it and Harry walks away. Ron later says he agrees with Hermione (which suggest she said it off-page) that he is tired of Harry yelling that them and taking his anger out at them. Hypocritical as they (Ron & Hermione) do argue and yell at each other every year.

On topic of the fic -
I agree with Harry here. The way Dumbles is fighting is NOT a winning tactic as you've shown. Worse Hermione has forgotten one can not fight a war and stay 'innocent' as she implied with the "you can't just throw your innocence away". A soldier goes into war knowing how dirty war is. Only the naïve would think that one can go into war and stay "innocent".

I'd love to ask her, what is innocence?
Knowing you can save family or a friend and not do it since it means to kill, thus the family or friend dies. Also is the thought, if the Death Eater is willing (and often enthusiastic) about killing people, then once they are finished at that location, they will move on to kill more people because one person refused to kill.

And so, some will look at it as this
Some will say that Hermione spared a Death Eater, she will then have the blood on her hands of the future victims of the Death Eater since that her innocence was more important than the victims' lives.

The only good enemy is one that can't get up and stab you in the back. Sometimes trying to be better than the other person is just a good way to get yourself dead. I've learned from experience that turning the other cheek just means I have a sore face on both sides.

Thanks for this fic. It's short, but gives one a lot to think about.

Dang Harry...That's deep.

Great story! Although one thing: While Hermione did know a lot of spells, she also could use them very quickly and in a timely manner. She would avoid killing because she's capable of defending herself better than others. I can see Harry saying that to Ginny since we don't hear about Ginny doing anything besides her bat bogey and scrougify, but I can't see this scenario happening with Hermione. However, I do agree with Harry because it is a war and you can't avoid killing without being killed yourself, it's just, I can't see it with Hermione. But I really loved the idea of it!

A very realistic view point. Thanks for sharing!

DA fuck?
Δα φθψκ?

I wish this wasn't a one-shot. It has the great makings of being a full length story. A story I want to read...desperately!