Dark Arts (WAS Re: Snape is still working for Dumbledore in book 6)

[zgirnius]

No: HPFGUIDX 159594

random832:
> I think a key 'lesson' we see in the books is that the ministry
> defines whatever it feels like as being dark or not. If the UV is only
> dark when used for certain purposes, why not also AK? Surely it would
> not be dark as a method of execution of murderers, it'd certainly be
> more humane/painless than the dementor's kiss. or even if then, still
> not for something as mundane as slaughtering livestock.
> 
> Right or wrong, "dark magic" is defined in the books as specific
> spells or types of spells, not as "the intention of the wizard using
> it". And I think it's presented as being that there is something
> deeply wrong with that way of classification.

zgirnius:
I am not so sure we are supposed to think all spells are innocuous, it 
is all in how you use them. There's the issue Bellatrix brings up, when 
she taunts Harry about his inability to use the Cruciatus Curse, of 
whether the successful use of some (dark) spells requires 'dark', 'anti-
social', 'evil', or however you want to term it, feelings/intentions on 
the part of the caster. Perhaps it is really best to slaughter 
livestock and execute murderers using Muggle means, than for wizards to 
do so using their minds and magical powers. When the Ministry 
authorized the use of Unforgivables by Aurors, Dumbledore did not 
approve.

While Dark Magic is sometimes referred to in ways suggesting it is 
widespread and not such a big deal (like Sirius claiming Snape, as a 
kid, was up to his neck in it) I have tried to keep a running list of 
actual bits of magic that someone knowledgeable has called Dark, and 
they are all fairly nasty pieces of magic:

1) Horcruxes (so dark it is not in the library)
2) The cursed necklace
3) The cursed ring 
(both these curses apparently deadly to the run-of-the-mill 
witch/wizard if an expert like Snape is not around to provide treatment 
in a timely manner, both Dark because this is why Snape treated them, 
not Pomfrey)
4) The creation of Inferi (Snape's definition in DADA class states a 
Dark wizard would do this)
5) The restoration of Voldemort's body
6) Sectumsempra (Snape states that it is Dark Magic in the HBP chapter 
of the same name)
7) The three Unforgivable Curses.