The Unforgivables Curses

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 94937

Del wrote: 
> The recent threads about the Cruciatus Curse have gotten me more 
and 
> more confused. I've been arguing that using the Cruciatus curse 
> requires some kind of sadism, but quite a few people disagree. So 
> now I'm wondering : how do the Unforgivables work and why are they 
> they called so ?
> 
> Do they work like any other curse, or do they require some evil 
> intent ?
> 
> Why give them such a grand name as Unforgivable ? 


Potioncat wrote:

I thought the "Unforgivable" referred to the legal status.  That is, 
no legal excuse for using it therefore automatic sentencing. Except 
when Aurors were allowed to use it on outlaws.

This ties in with my own confusion about the definition of Dark Arts. 
While the WW may be clear on them, I am not. 
Potioncat