jsalvatier comments on Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality discussion thread, part 17, chapter 86 - Less Wrong

9 Post author: Alsadius 17 December 2012 07:19AM

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Comment author: jsalvatier 22 December 2012 05:55:49AM 1 point [-]

Maybe a dark ritual involving sacrificing a limb to blind someone or something?

Comment author: Desrtopa 22 December 2012 06:11:39AM 3 points [-]

Maybe, but I doubt it.

Since every time a new magical element like this is posited, the obvious thing to do is ask how someone like Quirrell could abuse it, I'll note that Canon Voldemort was capable of instantly creating a better-than-new magical prosthetic for Peter Pettigrew after the latter sacrificed his hand for a ritual.

Limb farming his own Death Eaters is thinking too small, particularly since the prosthetics might be identifiable. I'd go with "Imperius innocent civilians into casting the ritual for you and then memory charm them so they don't notice their limbs have been replaced." Although maybe you don't need to replace their arms, since even when they do find out, what are they going to do about it, really?

Comment author: Sheaman3773 18 August 2013 09:04:42PM *  0 points [-]

I know that this is quite old, but it bears mentioning that consent is often a huge issue with magic, for more or less precisely this reason. We also know that it is important in the Potterverse as well, since Pettigrew's line was:

Flesh of the servant, willingly sacrificed, you will revive your master.

Not to mention:

Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken, you will resurrect your foe.

This shows that consent is important on both ends. Imperius could easily not count as actually giving consent.