rape was Love Potions

[bjebenstreit at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 137186

> Susan McGee wrote:
> "But in the HP  universe, I don't think a love potion can actually be
> characterized as a  rape drug...."
> 
> Del replies:
> I think that's EXACTLY what  they are. They have ALL the
> characteristics of the RL date rape drugs,  except one:
> 
> * They are undetectable once slipped into food or  drink.
> 
> * They are fast-acting.
> 
> * They make the  victim act in a promiscuous way.
> 
> * They render the victim  unable to assert themselves, to make
> appropriate decisions, to act as  they would choose to act without 
the
> influence of the drug.
>  
> The only difference is that RL victims often have little or no
>  memories of what happened, so they are spared the additional
> humiliation  of remembering how they "lost it". WW victims apparently
> do remember  what happened (see the look of horror on Ron's face, and
> the vague  explanations of Tom Riddle about having been duped).
> 
> Susan  McGee wrote:
> "Rape is a crime of violence, not sex. It involves forcing  someone
> else to have sex, or sexual contact... It involves  degrading,
> humiliating, and exerting power over the other  person."
> 
> Del replies:
> Ron was very much degraded and  humiliated by Romilda's Love Potion,
> she very much exercised power over  him.
> 


Ethanol:
I think that there are different kind of love potions,  with varying 
strength. Why should there not be? After all, liquor also comes in  low and high 
concentrations.
 
No matter wether the twins are careless or not, I don't  think the ministry 
of magic would allow the sale of "love potions" that could -  when used 
correctly - make a person so willingless that he or she could be  raped. With rape I 
mean here a very wide definition of the term, including  *all* sexual 
activities that at least one of the participants would not have  agreed to, if he/she 
had not been under the influence of the  potion.
 
The important point is: when used correctly. 
 
Romilda Vane's potion was tempered in two ways that a  love potion of the 
strength sold by Fred and George probably should not be  subjected to. First: it 
was hidden in the chocolate cauldrons and it is possible  that the contents of 
the potion reacted in some way with the ingredients of the  chocolate. Second 
and more importantly: it was consumed *way* after its intended  due date.
 
Now we know from Slughorn that a love potion can  produce side effects when 
it becomes too old, for example getting stronger. So I  assume that Ron's 
reaction in HBP was much stronger than Romilda Vane intended.  I don't think that 
if the twin's love potion had been used correctly it could be  used for rape - 
otherwise the ministry would not allow them to sell it to minors  and they'd 
run the risk of being forced to close, if nothig else.
 
The "love potion" Merope used however, I'd assume was  of a much stronger 
calibre. Even *she* became guilty of giving it to Tom Riddle  senior, again and 
again and again. 
 
Rowling uses Ron in HBP for some comic relief, but I  think she also does it 
to show how dangerous a love potion can be. 
 
Greetings,
Ethanol


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