DADA teachers

[Steve Vander Ark]

No: HPFGUIDX 24273

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., cimorene21 at h... wrote:

> Also-- it seems to me that DADA is something of a bullshit course

No, it isn't. It's probably the most important course at Hogwarts. 
The reason is that almost every bit of magic is neutral. What matters 
is the intention of the caster. And that intention comes from a well 
developed, "good" character. Why can our heroes cast curses without 
doing Dark Magic? Because a curse spell cast by someone whose 
intentions are not evil is not Dark Magic. DADA is training students 
the why of magic, not just the how. It's like ethics courses for 
doctors. Without a thorough training in this, a school trains wizards 
with no foundation of good and evil. The product would be ammoral, 
easily-swayed wizards who wield power without the understanding that 
would keep them on the side of the right and good. The creatures they 
study are not the same as the ones in Care of Magical Creatures. They 
are not simply animals. They are Dark Creatures who actively intend 
to harm. Look at Red Caps: these nasty little creatures are not 
animals, they are physical embodiments of the evil intent to harm and 
kill. Red Caps don't have a life cycle like animals, they simply 
exist to kill travelers, use the blood to color their caps red, and 
then kill again when the color fades. Contrast that with a creature 
which kills because it needs food. It's all about intention. 

Steve Vander Ark
The Harry Potter Lexicon
http://www.i2k.com/~svderark/lexicon