2

Near the end of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in the chapter "Veritaserum", Barty Crouch Jr. drinks Veritaserum and the rise of Voldemort is now undoubtedly clear and easy to understand. There are no more missing peaces. Dumbledore, Snape, Harry, Professor McGonagall, Sirius (in dog form) and Winky all hear Crouch's testament under Veritaserum.

When Fudge arrives with a Dementor for protection, the Dementor kisses Crouch, making him unable to drink Veritaserum again. Fudge does not believe Harry and wants Crouch's proof before he believes that Voldemort has returned. Obviously Harry cannot take Veritaserum as the Ministry thinks he is hallucinating plus he has secrets (Invisibility Cloak, Marauder's Map) so he does not want to get Fred and George into trouble.

Dumbledore is also too valuable to take Veritaserum. Snape is a spy and obviously he can't. Sirius is on the run so obviously he cannot show himself. Winky is owned by no one at the end of GoF, but she still works for Hogwarts. Dumbledore could order Winky to drink Veritaserum. Ministry leaders may be biased against Winky because she is a house-elf, but that is proof. If not, McGonagall has no secrets (that's what I think) and she can drink Veritaserum. Of course she will need convincing but I think she will if it is for the convincing of the Ministry. If not Winky is there.

TheLethalCarrot
  • 143,332
  • 64
  • 808
  • 878
  • 2
    Veritaserum isn't accepted as proof in a criminal trial, there's no reason it would be accepted for this either, especially when the Ministry doesn't want to believe it. Even if that weren't the case, McGonagall has no firsthand evidence of Voldemort's return. All she can prove is that Harry and Barty Crouch Jr. did indeed say the things that the Ministry has already been told they said; that doesn't prove that what either of them said is true. – Anthony Grist Aug 13 '20 at 16:01
  • "Dumbledore is also too valuable to take Veritaserum." Why exactly? – Marvel Boy Aug 13 '20 at 17:32
  • Because he has so many secrets and plans (such as, Harry is just a pawn in killing Voldemort) –  Aug 13 '20 at 18:19
  • Veritaserum doesn't make you recite a biography of yourself and all details that you know. You only are forced to respond truthfully to questions that are posed to you. So unless somebody knows what to ask, there isn't any danger of Dumbledore or anybody else spilling any world-changing secrets. Here the issue seems basically that whatever any of this team has to say is second hand information that Crouch Jr. or Harry recited to them, and the MInistry doesn't want to believe that. – N Unnikrishnan Aug 14 '20 at 15:02

0 Answers0