for enemies

... you know what, upon reflection, I don't understand Harry's punishment over the Sectumsempra incident either. It makes about as much sense as Sirius and co.'s punishment for the werewolf incident-- in reverse. What, just because Malfoy didn't finish saying 'Cruciatus', even though a review of the incident should prove he was the first one to draw his wand and fire a curse, Harry is the only one punished? Just because Malfoy was the only one who needed the hospital wing, and his Head of House was the one who found them? Not saying Harry shouldn't be punished for his idiocy in using the spell; just that it's yet another severely unbalanced consequence that seems utterly unlikely to help Harry learn how to react to danger and responsibility like a normal human being.

(Oh wait ... *cough* Dumbledore. Continually grooming Harry to increase his feelings of isolation and self-justification in service of his eventual martyrdom at the hands of Voldemort ...)

Oh, and also: one student attempts to kill and torture another, his opponent slashes him bloodily across the chest, and detentions are the only punishment handed out? And no one else objects? Fucking seriously? I guess they really mustn't ever report student injuries and punishments in any official way, or else... I'm reminded of a Hagrid quote I also tripped across recently. "It's always been a bit of a risk sending a kid to Hogwarts hasn't it? You expect accidents, don't you, with hundreds of underage wizards all locked up together."

Not that JKR seems to have cared what she was implying about the alienness of wizarding culture with all of this, beyond cleaving to conventional tropes in isolating her hero ...

I'm not really sure how much of this will make sense for Harry to realize in backagainharry, but continuing to reinforce the beneficial effects of thinking things through is going to be a must.