Love potions and double standards in Harry Potter and fandom

[jademoonleader.livejournal.com]

It was mentioned on a previous thread that there is a creepy double standard in the series about how love potions are considered to be somehow OK if a witch uses them. For instance, we get Molly whom JKR wants us to love, giggling about brewing a potion that turns people into lust fuelled zombies. Did she actually slip the potion in question to someone? I really do wonder what JKR could have been thinking (if she thought at all).

The author of this fanfiction (link below) clearly adopts JKR's idea that love potions are alright for witches to use. The character Daphne Greengrass (who is only mentioned in the books, but never appears) slips Harry a love potion and then rapes him in order to curry favour with Voldemort, but bizarrely, all the characters, including Harry himself, blame Harry. What is stranger still, is that the author tries to curry sympathy for Daphne even though she had violated Harry for Voldemort. I discovered the fanfiction on the tv tropes double standards webpage.

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8499608/1/Fun-with-Potions

The author actually writes in an author's note at the end of chapter 2: "I don't see why people are getting on my case for Daphne raping Harry. If anything it is just repeating how Merope Gaunt conceived Tom Riddle."

Does this series convince many that rape using love potions is not really rape?

Comments

[attilathepbnun.livejournal.com]

Just because someone's messed up *doesn't* mean *it's their fault* they're messed up. Anyone who co-operates in their own victimization is messed up; they *need help* to get un-messed up, and out of their dangerous situation. Rice's wife needs help, obviously; I just hope she realizes this soon, seeks aid, and gets it, soon.

[vermouth1991.livejournal.com]

You beat me to this reply. @attilathepbnun. Expressing an empathic exasperation at a woman staying with an abusive spouse ("OMG that guy's a monster why are you even DEFENDING him??!!") is a far, far cry from "victim blaming".