Dragons, Produced and Tickled, and Other Pleasantries

[Barry Arrowsmith]

--- In the_old_crowd at yahoogroups.com, "pippin_999" <foxmoth at q...> wrote:
> snip>
> It's only a theory that any coercion was used, but we agreed it
> was likely. Another possibility is the confundus curse, which
> seems to make people do the opposite of what they intend.
> 
> 

Ah. That's a relief. The statement was made with such certitude that
I was worried that 'd missed something, that a chapter or two had 
been excised from my copies while I was looking the other way.

The 'we' - mmm... does not include myself, I'm afraid. Though I do 
agree that Snape was deliberately and probably with malice afore-
thought sent into harms way, the idea of magical compulsion doesn't
sit comfortably. Oh, it's not impossible, but the odds are against IMO.

Confundus - my reading is that is causes confusion so that the victim
can't quite recall what he was meant to be doing and can't concentrate
well enough or long enough to get himself sorted out; induces a
sort of random uncoordinated action, in other words. Bit difficult to use
that and expect someone to pop down a glorified rabbit-hole I'd think.

Which, SFAWK leaves James and Sirius playing at Imperio!
Where did they/he learn it? They don't even *see* it until the 6th year.
Doubtful if they ever practice casting it, even then. That, after all,
is Draco's point when he mentions that dear old dad wanted him
sent to Durmstrang - they do Dark Magic properly, they actually 
*learn* the spells (authors emphasis) instead of the defence rubbish
they do at Hogwarts. So who would teach J&S to cast Imperius curses?

Mind you, it would answer that nagging question of why the hell Sevvy
would believe anything Sirius tells him? Difficult. I recall posting an
imaginary exchange between the two, but that was out of frustration
at how little we know about the event.

An Imperius curse would smooth out the wrinkles .... but.... no, sorry,
I just don't buy it.

Kneasy