What are Dark Arts?

[Hitomi]

No: HPFGUIDX 91064

Potioncat:
> I have some questions about Dark Arts and DADA. DADA in the first 
> years is more about getting rid of magical pests than fighting 
dark 
> arts.

Hitomi:
Actually, we don't know this.  Lupin basically used his own 
curriculum, and Quirrell and Lockhart weren't teachers, I don't care 
if they got paid in that occupation.  We don't know what you're 
supposed to learn in DADA before N.E.W.T. level.  Most of what Harry 
knows is self-taught, or personally influenced and sought after.  If 
he needed to know how to do something, he got help, or used it over 
and over out of need (ex. "Expelliarmus").


>  After Ron attempts the slug curse on Malfoy, Hermione 
comments "That 
> curse is difficult to do under the best circumstances." 
(paraphrased 
> from CoS) 
> Hermione puts a spell on the D.A. list that hexes anyone who 
betrays 
> the group.(OoP)  With all the hexes, curses and jinxes that are 
being 
> performed by fairly young students at Hogwarts, just what 
separates 
> dark magic from regular magic?

Hitomi:
I wouldn't call these hexes Dark Magic, personally.  Inappropriate, 
annoying magic, yes, but not evil magic, which is what Dark Arts 
implies.  The Unforgivable Curses are evil, as is that spell LV used 
to bring himself back at the end of Book 4.  Basically magic that 
seriously undermines your free will, or causes serious harm.  The 
intent behind some of the hexes the students use might be evil, but 
the magic itself, no.  The Jelly Legs curse is actually kind of 
funny.

Which I think is JKR's argument.  Intention.  People should only be 
praised or blamed for what they meant to do, and thus, chose to do.  
Which is why a lot of the arguments by all the Christian 
fundamentalists (some of which are family members of mine) are 
ridiculous.  They read the books - if they actually read them, 
instead of judging them right of the bat, which I know some do - 
purely on a technical, literal level.  Most of the magic in "Harry 
Potter" is a practical device.  You need a light, you say "Lumos."  
You need to unlock a door, you say "Alohomora."  The wizard using 
the magic is what makes the difference, and there is some magic most 
wizards would refuse to use, like "Avada Kedavra."  The books are 
more metaphorical and figurative than I think a lot of the Bible 
Belt would like to believe.  I'm surprised they don't find C.S. 
Lewis evil.

 
> We're told in OoP that young Snape was up to his eyeballs in dark 
> magic, and that James hated dark magic.(by Sirius)  We're told in 
PoA 
> that the Marauders' map is full of dark magic.(by Snape) Lupin 
later 
> gives it back to Harry, so he must not think it's dark magic.  We 
> don't know if Snape was just poking at Lupin, setting up a red 
> herring for Harry, or in his opinion it is dark. I'm under the 
belief 
> here that Snape knows who created the map.

Hitomi:
Personally, I believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that Snape knew who 
created that map.  Snape would more than likely recognize is an 
object was of evil magic, and was pretty much setting that up for 
Harry and Lupin.  That conversation was on a thought-procession 
level, versus what was actually said.  Snape probably came from a 
family not unlike Sirius', perhaps not as wealthy, but just as 
dark.  The Mauraders hated the Dark Arts, because they detested what 
was evil, or what they believed to be wrong, never realizing they 
were just as bad at times in their immaturity.  Snape studied the 
stuff purposely.  Magic more than likely meant to harm, or gain at 
the expense of another.  Hence, he represented "evil" to the 
Marauders, so they tore him down.  Doesn't make Snape inherently 
evil, just makes him of questionable character, considering he 
wanted to study dark magic.  And James... well, we already want to 
smack him upside the head.  

 
> Just about any of the magic the students are being taught could be 
> used for good or evil.  So, what are Dark Arts?  Does anyone have 
a 
> good feel for this?  Does anyone have a canon reference about this?

Hitomi:
Again, magic meant to cause harm, or gain on the intent of cupidity 
and avarice, especially at the expense of another, and/or any magic 
that undermines your freedom of will.  Most of the anti-jinxes are 
similar, considering they wouldn't be effective if they were not, 
but they don't cause unnecessary damage, they are meant solely to 
counteract the original jinx.  

But intent changes everything, concerning any form of magic; just as 
it does in the real world, concerning any choice we make.

~ Hitomi