Imperio

[Lisa]

No: HPFGUIDX 176788

Laura:

> OK.  So, yes, perhaps there are effective choices - I just
> am not as quick at thinking of them as other people are.
> 
> But the question still remains (perhaps only in my mind),
> is it really that horrible to do an Imperio?  So horrible
> that it is an Unforgiveable?  The person was not asked
> to do anything that would be damaging to him/herself or
> to others.  It didn't involve a matter of conscience that the
> person would regret if s/he had consciously performed
> the act.  The person was not rendered incapable of
> making other informed, conscious decisions.  The effect
> was very short lived.
> 
> It just doesn't seem that horrible to me.

Lisa:

I guess we could draw a parallel to human euthenasia.  It's 
considered legally wrong -- murder, in fact.  Whether it's done to 
put someone out of excrutiating suffering or not.  i.e., it's an 
Unforgiveable.  In our real-world example, we can refuse a feeding 
tube or some such device to prolong the life, but we cannot take the 
life.  In the wizarding world, there are other spells to be used in 
various instances to achieve some means to some end, without using 
the Unforgiveable.

Lisa