Potions, A Dark Art?

[alexpie at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 31976

Catherine Keegan wrote:
>BTW, what do you folks feel constitutes "the dark arts"?  I've been trying 
>to divide up what sorts of disciplines would make up a 
>curriculum.  Obviously, spells/hexes/jinxes and probably 
>poisons/potions.  Anything else?  I read Sherri Tepper's books eons ago and 
>the titles all reflected aspects of magic.  The one that my feeble brain 
>recalls is necromancy.  Any other disciplines?

Do potions necessarily fall under the Dark Arts?  The potion prepared by 
Snape for Lupin was certainly not dark, nor was the sleeping draught 
administered to Harry in the hospital wing. I think the meaning of potions 
may be in how you see them--a metaphor for Snape, perhaps?
Barbara