Another question about the "Witch Hunts" (Veritaserum)

[Grey Wolf]

No: HPFGUIDX 47591

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Kethlenda <kethlenda at y...> wrote:
> I've noticed several people discussing the "witch
> hunts" in which the accused Death Eaters were put on
> trial, and the fact that several characters have been
> condemned to Azkaban on very little evidence.  It
> brings to mind a question I've had ever since I first
> read GoF.
> 
> After the fall of Voldemort, it was difficult to tell
> who had really followed him, who was innocent, and who
> was Imperius'ed.  Yet it is in that same book that the
> Veritaserum plays a major role in the plot.  Why
> didn't the Ministry of Magic administer Veritaserum to
> the accused Death Eaters, and get around the whole
> problem of trying to figure out whether they had acted
> of their own free will?  I've come up with a couple of
> possible answers:
> 
> (1) It's an accidental plot hole.
> (2) Only Snape knows how to make it, and either he
> didn't know how to make it yet at that time, or else
> was not trusted with such an important matter.
> (3) Some high muckety-mucks in the MOM didn't *want*
> the whole truth told, because they were afraid their
> own dirty laundry would be aired.
> 
> Any thoughts?
> Strix

There are two more reasons: one has already been pointed out, that the 
Verisaterum is a recent invention (the problem with this is that Snape 
talks about his *strongest* truth-telling potion, which means there are 
more truth-telling potions, and not all can be recent discoveries).

The other, the one I prefer, is the fact that there are truth telling 
potions in *our* world (the muggle world), and good ones, too. And yet, 
they are not used. I consulted a doctor about it the last time this 
came up on the list and I participated (almost a year ago, IIRC), and 
he told me that truth-telling serums (like sodium pentothal) are indeed 
efective. Why they aren't regularly used, I haven't the faintiest idea, 
but if someone can hunt the reason down, it is probably aplicable to 
the WW too.

Hope that helps,

Grey Wolf