[HPforGrownups] Book 3- Sirius

[heidi]

No: HPFGUIDX 8760



yyhgnumberonejgn at aol.com wrote:

> Last thing.  At the end of Book 3, when Sirius was caught, and when they all
> were saying that they couldn't trust just 2 kids instead of an adult(Snape),
> thinking Sirius Confounded both of them, why didn't they use the truth potion
> on Sirius?  I know that the dementors had permission to perform the Kiss and
> all, but this really is a life-or-death situation. Shouldn't they have given
> Sirius the chance?  They didn't have anything to lose-- if Harry and Hermione
> were Confounded, Sirius would say that given the truth potion.

There's a lawyerly explanation for this which has a few components, involving
protectiona against self-incrimination-against-one's-will, or the same reason why
lie detector tests aren't admissible in US courtroom, or that it's too new a
potion to be trusted by the ministry

But I have a different question - one which hasn't been asked at all, at least
since I joined the list in June - Why, after Sirius broke into Gryffendor Tower,
didn't they use Hermione's time turner for one turn, stand right inside the
portrait & nab him when he came in?