by June » Wednesday 9 July 2003 9:50:02am
Agree with the above reasonings. The Cruciatus curse is an unforgiveable curse, but it doesn't mean that other wizards besides the Death Eaters couldn't do it. It has more to do with the intentions and power behind it, I should think. Most wizards don't do such curses because it's illegal... I remember the fake Professor Moody once saying before that anyone caught doing such unforgiveable curses face a lifetime in Azkaban. Still, remember that during the first war, Barty Crouch gave the aurors tremendous powers to kill the Death Eaters, and perhaps that meant the legalisation of the unforgiveable curses for that period.
So, for Umbridge, if she thinks what she's doing is right, and she's sadistic enough to do it, it just means that she was willing to use extreme means for an end, and does not imply she's a Death Eater. That's my opinion anyway.