[HPforGrownups] Imperius Curse: Pure Mechanics or Maintained Mindlink?

[bufo_viridis at interia.pl]

No: HPFGUIDX 93314

I've snipped Neri's and Erin's discussion bout Imperius, since it's exhaustive and I couldn't neither add to it nor comment on it.

So just a general remark: I always had an impression that the "mechanistic" magic, with full incantation etc. is  - to some extent, mind you - beginners' job. After a while Wizard switches more and more from "stupid wand waving" (Snape) to mental control over what (s)he's  doing. The mental image of transfigured thing, for example, can be more and more complicated. Dumble was doing worldess and wandless magic from the very beginning. We've seen more of it in OotP (Dolohov's silent curse, for example). Also Occlumency, Legilimency and let's not forgot mysterious Obliviate!
Of course most of the Wizards use the wans all the time, possibly even when they could do without, after all why not do things easier way?

> Neri:
>  Even excluding the idea of the Imperius virus, it seems a prudent 
> precaution to devise a test that uncovers imperio'ed agents. Does 
> anybody have an idea?

I have a partial answer to it, which may indirectly support "mental link theory". I guess Imperius doesn't leave a residue on the person being hit. So after being released from it, there is no way to tell if the person was or wasn't influenced, save person's own word. Going with "in case of doubt, law should favour the accused" Lucius and the like were released. 

Now I mut say I have no idea why there is not a check for person who is under inflence. Unless Imperioing is as delicate work as Oblivating. You don't use lots of power, which leaves the victim glassy-eyed and wooden-voiced, as after Veritaserum. You use a tiny little bit, manipulating hidden desires and slowly bending the victims psyche. And only after release the (real!) victim is in shock: how could I do such things?

Which, accidentally was  the reaction of many persons who under the influence of mob psychology sommited different attrocities.

Last but not least, the most scary, IMHO, line from OotP, which is a great hint/warning about the things to come in next books (an also commentary on the things which happend already).
Beginning of "The Second War begins" chapter:

"According to Madam Pomfrey, thoughts could leav eeper scarring than almost anything else..."

Taking into account the role of the most important scar in the books and its cause, I'd say this sentence is important.

Cheers, Viridis
P.S. Apologies if the quote has been already discussed to death.