Amortentia and re The morality of love potions/Merope and Tom Sr.

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 152329

> >>Pippin:
> A person who takes a date rape drug loses all control over their   
> actions.
> But the action of a love potion is specifically *not* the Imperius 
> curse. Dumbledore takes pains to distinguish between them.

Betsy Hp:
I think you might be misremembering canon, Pippin.  In HBP, 
Dumbledore asks Harry:

"Can you not think of any measure Merope could have taken to make 
Tom Riddle forget his Muggle companion, and fall in love with her 
instead?"
"The Imperius Curse?" Harry suggested.  "Or a love potion?"
"Very good.  Personally, I'm inclined to think that she used a love 
potion.  I am sure it would have seemed more romantic to her..." 
[scholastic ed. p.213]

Dumbledore suggests that a love potion "seems" more romantic.  
That's the only distinguishing difference he points out.  And it's 
all in the eye of the beholder.

> >>Pippin:
> There is nothing in canon to say that if Romilda told Lovepotion!  
> Ron to jump off a cliff he would do it.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
Except for Dumbledore linking love potions to the Imperius curse 
<g>.  Also, we do see Ron exhibit *physical* changes because of the 
love potion.

"Ron's fist was drawn right back; his face was contorted with 
rage..." [ibid p.393]

Ron is exhibiting the physical signs of being angry.  His facial 
expression is one of rage.  Now, if Romilda had entered the room and 
suggested she and Ron have sex, why is it such a stretch to see that 
*only because of the love potion* Ron would become physically 
excited?

> >>Pippin:
> A love potion would make Tom want to sleep with or marry Merope-- 
> but it wouldn't give him no choice in the matter. 
> I mean, he could  want to sleep with her or marry her and not do   
> it. 
> He could take a long sea  voyage or a short cold shower.

Betsy Hp:
This doesn't make any sense to me.  You're blaming Tom for not 
realizing that his desire was false?  Should the muggle who became a 
table have realized that he didn't really want to be a table?

Plus, I don't think you've backed your premise in the first place.  
You've yet to show any evidence that love potions *don't* take away 
the ability to choose.  Remember, Dumbledore equates love potions 
with Imperius.  The little boy who tried to kill his grandparents 
did not have the ability to decide to take a long sea voyage instead.

> >>Pippin:
> Someone who's taken a date rape drug loses all their inhibitions --
> there's no canon that a love potion has that effect. 

Betsy Hp:
I would point out Ron's behavior while under the influence.  I don't 
recall him ever being that open in his declarations of love before.

> >>Pippin:
> If  Merope had used makeup or skillful dressmaking instead of a   
> love potion to hide her defects and  make herself more attractive 
> than she was without them, the law would not excuse Tom from his   
> duties to his wife or child. 
> After all, she would one day grow old and lose her looks, or she, 
> like Bill, could have lost them in an accident.

Betsy Hp:
Right, and if Merope had used a glamour (as Magpie pointed out) then 
this argument would make sense.  Instead, she took Tom's will away 
from him and made him her slave.  He did what Merope wanted when she 
wanted it, and he was made to feel that he was enjoying every second 
of it.  

After that sort of treatment, why should he believe anything Merope 
had to tell him?  Why should he take her word that the child is 
his?  Or that there even *is* a child?  And why would he conclude 
that *Merope* was the helpless one needing *his* help?  And why 
would he not expect any child of Merope's to not be a complete and 
total monster, just like their mom?

Betsy Hp