[HPforGrownups] Re: How do you end the effect of veritaserum?

[Star Opal]

No: HPFGUIDX 52375

Amy said:
>What really interests me about veritaserum is if a wizard could
>convincingly lie under it's effects.    I am thinking imparticular of
>Severus Snape here.  Could a wizard, under the effects of the potion,
>avoid telling the truth, tell a round-about story or just not answer
>the question entirly.  Does it depend on the does and it's strength?

In my opinion veritaserum is like a magical sodium pentothal. That a person 
would have the ability to refuse to answer a question if they didn't want 
to, BUT because of the magic involved would not be able to lie. Much like 
sodium pentothal, you would have to get the subject into a conversation 
along the lines of the question in order to bring their defenses down. Not 
just demand an answer but ease their mind into that train of thought and 
then ask. Look at they way Dumbledore questions Barty, his "eyes blaze" but 
he keeps his voice calm. He's keeping Barty in a conversational frame of 
mind. So I think a person could refuse to answer a question (or why else 
question so carefully?) but could not lie due to the magic.

Also like SP, veritaserum seems to have a druggy effect on the subject. I 
also think that it wears off as opposed to being permanent.

Star Opal
who's father told his mother in-law EXACTLY what he thought of her under SP 
^_^

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