What *are* the Dark Arts?

[Charmian]

No: HPFGUIDX 7780

--- In HPforGrownups at egroups.com, "Jim Flanagan" <jamesf at a...> wrote:
> The "Defense against the Dark Arts" course seems to be a very mixed 
> bag, as it includes how to deal with critters like Cornish pixies, 
> hinkeypunks and boggarts, and how to recognize werewolves.  Since 
> these creatures are just acting according to their nature, I don't 
> see how learning about them qualifies as dark "arts."

Did Lupin teach only defense against scary magical creatures in his 
class? I can't quite recall, but I got that impression. Perhaps that 
was only the curriculum for third year, with actual defense against 
other magic users coming later. After all,  it might not be prudent 
to teach the students offensive magic spells until they reach a 
certain level of maturity. 

> 
> We don't know much about what Moody taught his students other than 
> experiencing the Imperius curse. 

He did show the other two Unforgivable curses. I just assumed he 
showed them other, less major curses throughout the year. 

The only useful DADA that Harry has 
> learned ("learnt" for our friends across the water) were the 
Patronus 
> charm, which he had to *beg* Lupin to teach him, and 
> the "Expellarmus" spell, which he learned by watching Snape at the 
> one and only dueling club meeting.

Not sure if the second spell is necessarily against the Dark Arts. 
Maybe more of a general fighting spell. Certainly a useful one 
though. 


> 
> Perhaps a better name for the course than "Defense against the Dark 
> Arts" would be "Defensive Magic." 
> 
Well, perhaps one assumes that defense is only needed against the 
Dark Arts. 

Charmian