The Unforgivables Curses

[arrowsmithbt]

No: HPFGUIDX 94963

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "delwynmarch" <delwynmarch at y...> wrote:
> 
>snipped 
> The recent threads about the Cruciatus Curse have gotten me more and 
> more confused. I've been arguing that using the Cruciatus curse 
> requires some kind of sadism, but quite a few people disagree. So 
> now I'm wondering : how do the Unforgivables work and why are they 
> they called so ?
> 
> Do they work like any other curse, or do they require some evil 
> intent ?
> 
> Why give them such a grand name as Unforgivable ? I'm really 
> bothered by that. Unforgivable implies that there's no redemption 
> possible. Why is that so ? 
> So why does the WW, which is usually notably more lenient on moral 
> matters than the Real World, think that those 3 Curses are 
> Unforgivable ?
> 
> I used to think that they were called Unforgivable because of the 
> *intent* of the curser : I thought the successful use of one of them 
> was a sure sign of an irremediably evil heart.
> 
> But as some have pointed out, what about the teachers who 
> demonstrate the UC to their students ? What about the Aurors who use 
> them on bad guys ? Does the fact that they manage to perform them 
> signal that their hearts have turned irremediably evil, and if so, 
> should they still be allowed to teach/chase criminals ?
> 

There are a fair few posters that have on occasion got very worked up
over the Unforgivables and a few months back you'll remember a thread
arguing back and forth over whether Harry was forever tainted for having
tried one on Bella.

Me, I'm much more relaxed about it.

JKR  has come up with an interesting concept and one that most civilised
people would agree with. Three actions that are forbidden; to kill, to cause
pain and to remove free will. Interestingly, they are only Unforgivable if
directed at another human being. Apparently Elves, Goblins, Giants and
Centaurs don't count. (Yes, I know it  was Crouch!Moody said this, but 
some of the kids obviously know a bit about them already; there'd be no 
point in him lying.)

To cast one at a human is to incur immediate incarceration in Azkaban.
Yet he Imperio's almost the entire class. And you can be sure they told
their friends in other classes and they told....and so on. So it seems
highly likely that Crouch!Moody told the truth when he says that 
Dumbledore decided that they should know about the curses early.
(Once again DD seems to be able to pre-empt Voldy's ploys; it really
does make me wonder if he has the script taped to his bathroom mirror.)

You can't guard against an AK; Crucio!  we don't know if you can or not
and Imperio! you  can shake off with practice. But you have to have the
spell cast at you to practice throwing it off. The whole point of DADA
is defending against Dark Arts and you won't get that from a book. You
need the real thing. Seems like a contradiction - go to Azkaban or be
defenceless.

The key IMO is intent. Not the intent to throw the spell, but the end
towards which the spell is  being used. The spells give the user power
over other humans - how is that power being used? For good or ill?
Teaching and Aurors - basically good; Bella and Voldy - bad.

Making irrevocable rules always leads to problems; there are invariably
exceptions that creep in and graduations of culpability become apparent.
The idea that breaking such  a rule makes somebody irredemiably evil is
not credible; this is a man-made rule - it is not Holy Writ the breach of
which will inevitably drag someone to the nether regions for all eternity.
The rule was made to protect individuals and society, but there are
bound to be occasions when breaking the rule will provide just that 
protection that they are looking for.

The danger to a user is the same as that of drugs - you could get 
hooked on the power rush. Just like Bella. Nasty. It becomes an easy 
way to impose your will on others. But just like drugs there are approved
uses in appropriate and defined circumstances. 
Does that  sound reasonable? Hope so, 'cos I'm not about to change
my mind.

The question is - will Harry be hooked on a single dose?

Kneasy