No. Unlike Dumbledore, I realized it was a vengeance scenario, not a blackmail scenario.
The only issue was to get the job done—save Hermione. Harry and Minerva got it done. Now the job to get done is to pay the 60k, and remove any obligation Harry has to Lucius—as Dumbledore implied that being in debt created obligations beyond the debt itself. They have the rest of their lives to pontificate on blackmail, vengeance, and politics.
As for the tone, I think a little ridicule is the proper response to the ridiculous. YMMV.
No. Unlike Dumbledore, I realized it was a vengeance scenario, not a blackmail scenario.
The only issue was to get the job done—save Hermione. Harry and Minerva got it done. Now the job to get done is to pay the 60k, and remove any obligation Harry has to Lucius—as Dumbledore implied that being in debt created obligations beyond the debt itself. They have the rest of their lives to pontificate on blackmail, vengeance, and politics.
As for the tone, I think a little ridicule is the proper response to the ridiculous. YMMV.