great essay. I agree with your description/analysis of TR. And it's a sad thing indeed when people overlook all this and say: TR chose to be evil.

It's also bad judgement on JKR's part to pitch HP against TR to preach her "choice theory". In my opinion, in JKR's eagerness to make TR "pure evil", she inadvertanly took away TR's choice. And in case of Harry - in this most important aspect of the plotline, the prophecy, does he really have a choice?