What is 'Dark Magic'?

[Jim Ferer]

No: HPFGUIDX 95807

Bill: "What exactly is `Dark Magic'? This has never been answered in
canon. Many fans assume that the difference between `Dark Magic' and
`Light Magic' has to do with the intended results, but this cannot be
right, as many `Light Magic' spells can be used to hurt or kill
others--for example, the Reducto Curse, which Harry uses in the Third
Task to blow a hole in a hedge, would also blow a person apart. The
three `Unforgivable Curses' may, if used, be cause to be sent to
Azkaban, but they are not specifically named as `Dark Magic'."

Dark Magic can be said to be a matter of symbolism and intent.   The
'intent' is not the intended result, but the state of mind of the
caster – taken that way, if a wizard killed a Death Eater in
self-defense, or, say, used Imperio to make a Death Eater walk tamely
to jail, that wouldn't be Dark Magic, which always destroys the
practitioner in the long run. (It might be a problem in wizard law,
but that's another story)

Symbolism that invoked evil – Hands of Glory, graveyard dust, etc. -
would likely have the same corrosive effect on the soul of the wizard
who used it.

If that's true, it would explain why Harry didn't take harm from
trying to cast the Cruciatus Curse on Bellatrix – he was driven by
rage and grief, not sadism.  That's why he wasn't good at it, as
Bellatrix realized.  Curses like that are still dangerous to the
caster, though – what if Harry had exruciated Bellatrix and *liked* it?

Carol: "P.S. IIRC, Parseltongue is specifically identified as a Dark
Art in CoS. Sorry I don't have a page reference."

It was, but by a student, and not in any way you'd take as "official."
IOW, the student was wrong. Certainly Harry wasn't practicing Dark
Magic when he chatted with the snake in the zoo, or tried to call off
Draco's snake at the Dueling Club.  Casting a deadly snake at a fellow
wizard in a practice duel was much closer to the evil intent line than
Harry was.

Jim Ferer