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A Magical 'Harry Potter'-Themed Anti-Rape PSA

Listen up, Potterheads. No means no, k?

That's the message of this clever "Harry Potter"-themed PSA poster, which instructs muggles the world over that love potions (for non-wizards: alcohol and/or drugs) do not a consenting adult make.

"Coercion through magic is illegal," the poster warns. "Combined with the use of love potions it is rape." Sponsored by the Ministry of Magic, the ad requests reporting of all purchases of Ashwinder eggs, rose thorns and Moonstones (for those unfamiliar with J.K. Rowling's lore, these are the three central ingredients of her fictional Love Potions).

The artist wrote on tumblr that the message is serious, though the approach may not be:

Though this poster may seem humorous by nature, it was not intended as a joke because not only are rape jokes disgusting but I am as serious about my love for all things Harry Potter as I am about my stance on social and sexual politics. Rape is an unpleasant but extremely relevant topic in our times and combating its culture is as important in the magical world as in the muggle world, so I hope that every child will be taught that using a love potion that comes in a can with a percentage on it is just as bad.

Rowling herself even brought up issues of consent in the books: The Dark Lord himself, Voldemort, was conceived while his father was under a love spell. Said Rowling of that significance, "The enchantment under which Tom Riddle fathered Voldemort is important because it shows coercion, and there can't be many more prejudicial ways to enter the world than as the result of such a union."

So, yeah, the lesson is to keep all romantic entanglements on the up and up.

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