Snogging and Love Potions wasRe: CHAPDISC HBP 15, The Unbreakable Vow

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 152240

 
> 
> a_svirn:
> Well, *what* they are? They create powerful infatuation or 
> obsession. Sounds like bending other people to your will to me. 
> Sexually, considering the nature of the obsession. At any rate it 
> means altering other people's mental state considerably.

Potioncat:
So does Confundus. So does Cheering Charms. They arent' sexual, but 
they alter the mental state.


> 
> a_svirn:
> She did invent Bellatrix though. So the possibility is there, even 
> in this author's Universe. Besides, I'd say Merope's actions were 
as 
> bad as anything Bellatrix could come up with.

Potioncat:
Oh, yeah. That was bad. And I do understand that Tom thought he was 
in love because of the Potion. That he married Merope because of the 
potion. I'm not saying love potions are good or OK at all. Certainly 
I wouldn't want them to exist in the real world.

What this really comes down to, is what is Dark Magic? Even when 
Harry performed Dark magic, he only got a couple of scoldings and a 
long term detention. No one packed him up to Azkaban or broke his 
wand.

I think confundus "should" be Dark. I think making leeks grow out of 
someone ears "should" be Dark. I think writing "sneak" on someone's 
face...a mark that doesn't go away..."should" be Dark. I might put 
love potions in Dark too...particularly since so many list members 
have thought up Dark uses for them that I wouldn't have. But if the 
question is, are love potions dark in the WW, then no they aren't.

We never saw what a normal love potion would do. We saw Merope 
administer one for a long period of time. We saw Ron take an usually 
strong one. We heard about the danger of the strongest one known.

My thoughts were that a normal love potion would make you feel an 
attraction toward someone for a brief period of time. That seems 
harmless enough.(In a fictional world) People go through all sorts of 
efforts for that very reason every day.

 If Merope had only used the potion to get Tom's attention, it would 
have been ok. Keep in mind, I mean, she gives him the love potion, 
they go out on a date, exchange a chaste good-night kiss. The next 
morning he wakes up and thinks, "What a horrible nightmare!" They 
never see each other again. 


> > Potioncat:
> We know Molly made a love potion in 
> > her Hogwarts days. 
> 
> a_svirn:
> And we may guess to what end. 

Potioncat:
But we don't know. I suspect she quickly lost interest in the object 
of her affections. It seems very obvious that Molly and Arthur have a 
real, loving relationship. You don't get that from a love potion, as 
Merope found out.
> 
> > Potioncat:
> We know the potions are being sold openly. 
> 
> a_svirn:
> So what? There is lots of stuff going on in the WW that shouldn't 
be 
> allowed at all.

Potioncat:
Agreed.