What counts as Dark Magic? (was: Marauder's Map, the Marauders, and Voldemort)

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 108989


Eleanor:
> I do not believe that Dark Magic is the same thing as illegal 
magic. 
> Being an unregistered Animagus is illegal because it's dangerous, 
like
> Apparating without a license.  Professor McGonagall didn't do 
anything
> Dark when she became an Animagus.  People who Apparate aren't doing
> Dark Magic either, whether they have a license or not.
> 
> In some fantasies, magic is magic, and whether it's good or evil
> depends only on how it is used.  In others, there are two separate,
> mutually exclusive kinds of magic, labelled "light" and "dark"
> regardless of the intentions of the people who use them.  Which is
> Harry Potter?  The characters seem to think it's the second kind, 
but
> are they right?


Alla:

Hi, Eleanor. here is the problem as I see it and I can be very very 
wrong.

I think it would make for more complex story if whether magic was 
good or evil depended on intent of its user, but I think that in 
Rowling world dark and light magic are mutually exclusive and unless 
Dark magic is used in time of emergency or from provocation,self-
defense,etc(Aurors using unforgivables in the time of War, Harry 
attempting to crucio bella, etc.), using Dark Magic is wrong.

Hogwarts students do not even learn Dark Arts, only defense against 
Dark Arts.

Snape cannot get DADA job, because supposedly Dumbledore is afraid 
that it will revert him to his old ways, right? So, even getting in 
contact with Dark Magic for someone who was overly exposed to it in 
the past can renew his addiction?

Yes, I think that Rowling's message is that Dark Magic is Bad Magic.