Veritaserum

Full Name: Veritaserum

Characetristics: Clear and Odourless

Brewing Time: One Lunar Phase (28 days)

Developed: Merlin (1090)

Difficulty Level: Advanced

Veritaserum is a powerful truth serum. The potion effectively forces the drinker to answer any questions put to them truthfully, though there are some methods of resistance. Use of the potion is strictly controlled by the Ministry of Magic. It was first developed by Merlin in 1090.

## History

**1994–1995 School Year**

Veritaserum was used on Barty Crouch Jr. in June of 1995, when Albus Dumbledore discovered that Crouch was disguised as the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Alastor Moody. Severus Snape also threatened Harry Potter with it earlier that year because he suspected that Harry had been stealing supplies from his storeroom necessary to brew Polyjuice Potion. This was prior to the discovery that Barty Crouch Jr. was the one who stole the ingredients to disguise himself as Alastor Moody.

**1995-1996 School Year**

Dolores Umbridge attempted to use Veritaserum on Harry the following year, but to no effect. In actuality, Snape had presented her with a fake potion, and Harry only pretended to drink it, instead dumping it in one of her plants while she was occupied. Umbridge later asked for more Veritaserum after Harry broke into her office to contact Sirius Black, but Snape said it would take a month to make more. Instead, he suggested she use poisons on Harry if the situation were very grave. Snape also taunted her about using the entire bottle during one dosage rather than using the necessary three drops. As a result, Dolores suspended Snape and tried to use the Cruciatus Curse on Harry. However, Hermione Granger, who was also present, intervened and pretended to tell Umbridge the truth.

**1996-1997 School Year**

Though not used in the 1995–1996 school year, Horace Slughorn, the Potions master, taught his sixth year class how to make the potion for their N.E.W.T. examinations. Later, Harry suggested using it on Slughorn to collect a memory. Dumbledore rejected this idea since he knew that Slughorn could resist the potion with an antidote. Additionally, Dumbledore did not want to use force or coercion on the Potions master.

Lastly, Rita Skeeter used Veritaserum on Bathilda Bagshot while interviewing her for Albus Dumbledore's biography.

The Rosenfeld Case of 1996 had fallen apart because of suspicions that Veritaserum used was tainted.

## Nature

Veritaserum is clear, colourless, and odourless and is almost indistinguishable from water. According to Severus Snape, the potion must mature for a full lunar phase, and is quite difficult to produce. It can be mixed with any drink, and three drops are a sufficient dose to make the drinker "spill out his innermost secrets". Thus, the potion forces the drinker to tell the complete truth to any question put to him/her.

## Limitations

For the same reasons Muggles don't use polygraph tests in court, Veritaserum is no more reliable than its Muggle counterpart. Since some wizards and witches can resist its effects while others cannot, Veritaserum is "unfair and unreliable to use at a trial" and cannot be used as definite proof of guilt or innocence.

Another weakness is that the victim only states what they believe to be true, so the victim's sanity and perception of reality also factors in during interrogations. This is the main reason why Barty Crouch Jr.'s testimony was not credible, as he was clearly insane.

## Resistance

Despite being the most powerful truth serum in existence, it can still be resisted through different methods, including the taking of its antidote and Occlumency.