Given how totally fucked up the legal system is with regard to things like that, and how unhelpful it is, I suspect your method may have worked better, too.
my family has this saying: "as long as you feel bad." means that if you felt at all bad about doing the thing you apologize for, you're not likely to do it again. that you're still thinking about this eleven years later and turning over the morality of it in your mind shows that you're not likely to do this again. i think it's okay to feel pride for handling it that well, and pride for protecting your sister and helping your sister, even if that pride is mixed with "i can't believe i actually did that, i don't think i'll ever do that again." hurting someone is a pretty extreme reaction, i'll grant you that. but this was an extreme thing that happened. even the bible condones eye-for-eye morality at some points. and in my own warped little head, i hope that john feels that punch every time he tongues up against his false teeth. i hope that john realizes that this is what happens when you hurt other people. what is that thing that dumbledore said? "it takes a lot of bravery to stand up to your enemies, but even more to stand up to your friends." you were very brave and i think that's something you can take pride in.
