JKR's Single Biggest Error - ie: Veritaserum

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 124086


>>Alla:
>I think I know what I think JKR's mistake is. She did not describe 
WHEN exactly Veritaserum is supposed to be used.
>For example, it may very well be that in the case of war 
emergencies, acused goes straight to jail ( do you know how much I 
hate what I just typed? :)), but we don't know that and so far I am 
left with the impression that Veritaserum is a clumsy plot device, 
which JKR used because she needed Crouch Jr.'s confession and did not 
explain to us when Ministry uses and does not use Veritaserum.<

Betsy:
I think JKR makes it fairly clear that the Ministry is not so much 
interested in truth as it is in power.  Look at the treatment of 
Crouch Jr.  When Fudge went to the office where McGonagall was 
guarding him, Crouch Jr. had recently been given Veritaserum, and 
yet, Fudge didn't ask any questions.  He immediately had the Dementor 
give Crouch Jr. the Kiss.  Fudge wasn't interested in what had 
happened, he was interested in keeping things quiet.

So I think in the case of Sirius, the Ministry was not interested in 
hearing the truth (why didn't they ever question Sirius about his 
contacts, for example?), it was interested in vengeance.  (I won't 
call what they did justice.)

And again, I see JKR being consistent in this.  The Ministry is 
corrupt and they have no interest in the truth.  So it doesn't matter 
what the general rules are, the Ministry won't follow them.

Betsy