This is a general question based on the observations that Harry doesn’t seem to be as acute as usual in the most recent chapter—could there be a spell on him which is taking his default ability to check on whether things make sense down a few notches? What would it take for him to notice something like that?
Harry’s weird, and I’m not going to make a definitive statement about what he can notice. Him noticing that he’s under an Imperius curse would probably be worth a chapter, and I have a feeling the time turner might be involved somehow.
General question: could the be such a thing as a slow Imperius, so that the effect looks to everyone like a natural change of mind?
Another general question: Is there a way to check people for any spells that might be affecting them?
General question: could the be such a thing as a slow Imperius, so that the effect looks to everyone like a natural change of mind?
Sure, why not? It’s magic. A slow Imperius is no weirder than many other already used spells.
What does canon think? Well… I believe our only real POV from an Imperius’d person is when ‘Madeye Moody’ casts Imperius on Harry during a Defense class, and IIRC Harry’s mind is instantly & profoundly messed up even before Moody issues any commands; likewise, the imprisoned Barty Crouch is well aware that he is being controlled. Similarly for the Gringotts Goblin in Deathly Hallows.
The chapter title, IMO, points to clever social engineering, not magic.
This is a general question based on the observations that Harry doesn’t seem to be as acute as usual in the most recent chapter—could there be a spell on him which is taking his default ability to check on whether things make sense down a few notches? What would it take for him to notice something like that?
Would he even notice if he were under an Imperius? Or would his consciousness be busy maintaining the illusion of free agency?
Harry’s weird, and I’m not going to make a definitive statement about what he can notice. Him noticing that he’s under an Imperius curse would probably be worth a chapter, and I have a feeling the time turner might be involved somehow.
General question: could the be such a thing as a slow Imperius, so that the effect looks to everyone like a natural change of mind?
Another general question: Is there a way to check people for any spells that might be affecting them?
Sure, why not? It’s magic. A slow Imperius is no weirder than many other already used spells.
What does canon think? Well… I believe our only real POV from an Imperius’d person is when ‘Madeye Moody’ casts Imperius on Harry during a Defense class, and IIRC Harry’s mind is instantly & profoundly messed up even before Moody issues any commands; likewise, the imprisoned Barty Crouch is well aware that he is being controlled. Similarly for the Gringotts Goblin in Deathly Hallows.
The chapter title, IMO, points to clever social engineering, not magic.
In canon, Imperius causes a sense of calm happiness. We’d notice it whenever the narration took his PoV, even if Harry didn’t.