Love Potions (was: Re: Fred and George)

[delwynmarch]

No: HPFGUIDX 136624

Elizabeth wrote:
"Consider this instead:  Romilda Vane gave cauldron cakes to Harry
spiked with love potion made by fred and George.  Who's to blame for
this?  Fred and George for making and selling it or Romilda for using
it unethically?"

Del replies:
Those Love Potions sound very much like drugs to me. Like the rape
drugs, in particular. They are *designed* to make someone act in a
romantic/sexual way *even if they would never choose to act that way
without the Potion*. So I say that the manufacturers of those drugs
*should* be held responsible for putting them on the market, and the
users should be held responsible for using them. Both behaviours are
criminal IMO.

Not to mention, of course, that Fred and George intentionally and
deliberately help the students break the rules of Hogwarts. They
*know* that Love Potions are *forbidden* at Hogwarts, so they send
them undercover of something else. That's highly irresponsible and
reprehensible IMO.

Elizabeth wrote:
"If I did such a thing and gave it to my spouse on Valentine's Day, is
my behavior equal to hers?  "

Del replies:
Yes, if you do it without his/her consent or at least knowledge.
Taking someone's free agency away from them, and forcing them to act
in the way you want (even if it is to do something that they would
have done anyway), is criminal IMO. Some countries have (rightfully
IMO) legislated that there is such a thing as spouse rape.

Elizabeth wrote: 
"If I have a gun and use it to stop a criminal from coming into my
house in the dark of night without consent, who is to blame if I kill
that person?"

Del replies:
You said so yourself: you use it to *stop* a *criminal*. That's not AT
ALL comparable with the Love Potions, whose purpose is to *forcefully
induce* a specific behaviour in an *innocent and often unaware victim*.

Del