Why the Veritaserum theory is all wet

[dicentra_spectabilis_alba]

No: HPFGUIDX 34768

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "judyserenity" <judyshapiro at e...> wrote:
> Tex wrote:
> > >... AFAIKT, Cannon doesn't tell us Sirius' 
> > > motive for the prank, i.e. why Serius Told Snape about the Shack.
> > > I think Snape spiked Serius' pumpkin juice with Veritaserum and
> > > caused him thus to babble. 
> 
> Sheesh, will people stop at nothing to malign my poor, misunderstood 
> Severus? 
> 
> Devin responded: 
> > Hmmm...well, I have my doubts about the whole Veritaserum theory.  
> > Yes, Snape is often angry for no good reason, but I doubt even Snape 
> > could be angry at Sirius for endangering him if the only reason 
> > Sirius endangered him was that he was under the influence of 
> > Veritaserum.  I think it was just a dumb, very stupid and childish 
> > thing Sirius did, and I LIKE Sirius, so there ya go.
> 
And Judy replied:
> Thanks very much, Devin!  I guess some of you Sirists are OK after 
> all!
> 
> There's a much bigger problem with the "Veritaserum made Sirius talk" 
> theory, though.  Think about it.  Ok, suppose 16 year old Snape got 
> his hands on carefully controlled Veritaserum, managed to lure Sirius 
> away from his friends, and somehow arranged for Sirius to have amnesia 
> about the whole thing.  (By the way, that kind of contradicts the 
> "Snape is incompetent" theory, doesn't it?)  So, Snape has Sirius 
> under the influence of veritaserum.  Snape asks "where does Lupin go 
> each month?" Sirius replies "He goes into a tunnel under the Whomping 
> Willow.  The tunnel leads to the Shrieking Shack."  
> 
> I can pretty much guarantee that the next words out of Snape's mouth 
> will be "*Why* does Lupin go to the Shrieking Shack?"  (Or something 
> to that effect.)  And, of course veritaserumed Sirius will have to 
> reply "Because Lupin is a werewolf."  
> 
> Snape would have no reason to go to the Shack after that; the Prank 
> would never happen.
> 
Not only that, Sirius remembers the incident quite clearly and his
attitude when narrating it indicates that he very much did it on purpose.

Nope.  No canon evidence that the Prank is the result of coersion or
anything like unto it.

--Dicentra, who proudly wears her S.I.N.I.S.T.E.R. pin