Confusing and Befuddlement Draughts

[alshainofthenorth]

No: HPFGUIDX 93118

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "potioncat" <willsonkmom at m...> 
wrote:
> Potioncat wrote: 
> > > If JKR was having a character poisoned, why would she kill him 
in 
> > > some other way before the poisoning was discovered?  As I was 
> typing 
> > > that sentence, I swear, a voice in the back of  my head said: 
To 
> set 
> > > us up for someone being poisoned in the next book! 
> > 
> Jenjar wrote: 
> > Interesting points potioncat.  First let me clarify, I don't 
think 
> > the draught or poison Kreacher may have given Sirius would have 
> > killed him.  As Harry's textbook states, confusing and 
bufuddlement 
> > draughts were used to produce hot-headedness and recklessness.  
> > 
> > If this is what happened JKR could have had many, many reasons 
for 
> > doing it.  There are 2 possibilities that stick out to me:
> > 
> > 1) If Sirius had been more himself and not unusually hot-headed 
or 
> > reckless, he might not have died.  
> > 
> > 2) As things are now, Dumbledore is blaming himself for Sirus' 
> death -
> >  he thinks he misjudged Sirius' ability to handle being caged up, 
> > which led to Sirius' reckless actions.  How will his guilty 
> feelings 
> > affect his future decisions and actions? 
> > 
> 
> 
> Potioncat:
> Good points! DD certainly felt he had made several mistakes this 
time.
> 
> I didnt' expect the poison to kill Sirius either, I was just 
> surprised that he died and we never discovered it. (Assuming we're 
> correct about the poison.) But unless someone is being poisoned in 
6 
> or 7 the only purpose of discovering it now would be to heap more 
> guilt on Sirius' friends.  Harry particularly will think he would 
> have picked up on it if he'd done better in potions.
> 
> So perhaps we should watch out for someone else to act strange.
> 
> Potioncat

Alshain:
I disagree with the theory that Kreacher is slipping Sirius 
Befuddlement Draughts. He'd probably want to, but I don't think he's 
able to. Much as Kreacher hates it, Sirius is his master. He's still 
bound in servitude to the Black family, and I think the magic that 
binds house-elves has to prevent house-elves from causing harm to the 
families they serve in the same way as Dobby was prevented from 
telling the Malfoys' secrets. (House-elves and free will is one of 
those themes I wish JKR could write more about.) 

So in short, I don't think Sirius's hotheadedness is magically 
induced, just plain frustration with a horrible situation he can't 
escape. Harry's thoughts when taken in context are the kind of 
freewheeling associations your brain comes up with before falling 
asleep. 

Alshain