Requiescat in Pace: Unforgivables

[Dennis Grant]

No: HPFGUIDX 174603

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Lee Kaiwen <leekaiwen at ...> wrote:
> You're also, apparently, forgetting your Latin: "crucio" (from 
> "cruciare" (v.)) -- "I torture"; "cruciatus" (n.) -- "torture, 
> torment". 
> There IS only one purpose for the Cruciatus, and it's no Tickling 
> Charm. 
> You sure you want to be arguing for a moral use of torture? 

Harry doesn't use it as a form of torture; he uses it as a powerful
immobilizing spell.

I'm going to come back to the real world Microwave Pain Gun used as a
nonlethal (but very powerful) mob dispersing tool that is effectively
the exact same thing as the fictional "crucio" spell. Yes, it *could*
be used to torture (and based on descriptions of its effects, it would
be a particularly horrible form of torture) but used in short doses,
it is an act of mercy compared to the alternative (a bullet, or an
Avra Kedavra)

Whatever his motive for using it, be it a white-hot fury and a desire
to punish, or a more reasoned justification (maybe it's tougher to
block than stupify, or maybe it is more likely to work on a tough,
battle-hardened Death Eater) it is effective in disabling his target
*and then he stops using it*

Call that what you want, but it isn't torture.

DG