Dark Magic and Evil (WAS: Grindelwald and evil)

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 91162

Tom wrote:
> I've been having some trouble 
> lately understanding exactly 
> why so many of us (myself included) 
> equate "Dark" Wizards with "Evil" 
> wizards.
<snip>
> But we also know that they study both posions *and* antidotes at 
> Hogwarts, in potions class.
>
Carol:
True. Which makes me wonder why DD allows Snape to teach his students
to make poisons but won't allow him to teach DADA. One would be as
dangerous as the other if Snape really intended to slip back into evil
ways.

Tom:
And the Hand of Glory? Borgin says:
"Insert a candle and it gives light only to the holder! Best friend 
of theives and plunderers."

But, I'm not clear on exactly why this would be considered a 'dark' 
item. For instance, it would seem to me to be extremely useful 
for 'good' wizards who want to be secretive, for instance. <snip> 

Carol:
Or how about for a certain spy who might want to see nighttime
meetings without being seen?

Tom: 
Voldemort says, in the graveyard scene:
'- it is an old piece of Dark Magic, the potion that revived me 
tonight -"
Whether or not this bit of Dark Magic actually cheapens the life one 
lives, ala drinking unicorn's blood, we aren't told, althouh from 
what I infer it wouldn't seem to do so., otherwise I can't see 
Voldemort using it. But again, I can't see why this piece of magic is 
necessarily 'evil,' I mean, good wizards have both servants and 
enemies as well, and I could see many useful occasions for bringing a 
wizard back to life.
 
Carol:
Now this time I have to disagree with you. The spell requires the
wizard performing it to violate his father's grave, take blood from a
living enemy, and take the flesh of a servant. That, to me, makes it
evil whether the intended benefit is evil or not. I'm unclear, though,
about whether the spell actually required the servant to have his hand
chopped off (which would make it even more evil, as would even a
finger or a toe). Surely there was some way to obtain the flesh of the
servant without maiming and mutilating him? Maybe Voldemort made
Wormtail cut off his hand because he intended all along to give him
the silver hand if obeyed the order? (I have a feeling it's going to
be a formidable weapon, but I don't want to get into that now.)
 <huge snip of interesting speculations that I have no response to at
the moment>

Tom:
But on the other hand, I don't see how curses could really be used 
for anything particularly 'good.'
 
So, I guess what I'm saying here is that it's not a foregone 
conclusion that the Dark Arts are necessarily 'Evil,' although they 
can be used for that purpose.

Carol:
I think the Unforgiveable Curses are both Dark and Evil in themselves
and because of the cold, calculated ill will (or blind hatred)
required to perform them. Other curses and hexes are less clearly
evil, though I for one don't think any good is going to come of the
hexes placed on Malfoy and his thuggish friends at the end of OoP. It
will only make them vengeful and eager to retaliate.

Tom:
<snip> And just because a witch or wizard learns, knows, or even uses
the Dark Arts, that doesn't automatically make that person 'evil.'

Carol:
While I think that Dumbledore is right not to teach the Dark Arts at
Hogwarts (and I wonder whether Crouch!Moody really had his permission
to use Unforgiveables on those spiders), I agree that learning them
(as opposed to using them) doesn't necessarily make a person evil. I
don't want to bring in Snape, who's already sufficiently
controversial, but I would argue that Viktor Krum is not evil despite
having presumably learned the Dark Arts from Karkaroff. Yes, he
Crucio'd poor Cedric, but he was under the Imperius curse at the time
(and I think regretted what he'd done). He liked Cedric and likes
Hermione and he hasn't let fame go to his head. I do worry that
something of the sort will happen again since Viktor has shown himself
to be vulnerable to the Imperius Curse and would make a perfect
scapegoat for a DE who wanted to manipulate him, but I don't think
that he's evil now even though he's been taught the Cruciatus Curse.
If he were to cast it deliberately and with calculating or malicious
intent, however, I would change my mind about him and fear that he was
beyond redemption.

Carol