The unforgivability of curses

[dfrankiswork at netscape.net]

No: HPFGUIDX 40100

We have had discussion on and off as to what causes the Unforgivable Curses to be so named.

I think it may not be that they uniquely share some special characteristic of 'unforgivability', rather just that the phrase is a MOM designation for three spells associated in the public mind with dark magic.

For one thing, they were permitted for use by Aurors, and Moody (as he is supposed to be) is permitted to try Imperio on his pupils.  So it seems unlikely that as spells per se they have an irrevocable effect on the caster.  We don't know if Snape ever used them in his DE days: if so, he seems to have been forgiven.

It is worth asking whether the unforgivable nature of these curses is the flip side of the free and easy way that other spells, such as memory charms, are used with gay abandon.  Perhaps, if these curses were not put in a special category that takes them out of the discourse about spells generally, then the WW would be less unwilling to examine the morality of these lesser spells.

Perhaps that is part of Dumbledore's agenda in allowing them to be demonstrated in lessons: to show that the only thing special about them is their taboo status.

David


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