Category:Dark Magic

From UnknowableWiki

Dark Magic is magic meant for evil purposes. Wizards that show proficiency in using and learning it--such as Grindelwald, Severus Snape and Lord Voldemort--are usually extremely dangerous and should be viewed with caution by the wizarding world.

It should be noted that regular spells, for instance, can of course be used with evil intentions; but there are certain items and incantations that serve no use other than evil. The Unforgivable Curses are a prime example--and this explains why certain wizards were dubious regarding Bartemius Crouch, Sr.'s decision to allow Aurors to use those curses against Death Eaters during the First War against Voldemort.

Spells that alter nature in unacceptable ways are also considered Dark Magic, but a more precise definition is difficult to achieve. Voldemort's quest for immortality, for example, is unquestioningly against the laws of magic to which wizards like Albus Dumbledore abide. On the other hand, Dumbledore himself helped Nicolas Flamel create the Philosopher's Stone, which allowed Flamel to live for several hundred years.

There have been exceptionally gloomy periods in history when dark wizards ruled countries of the wizard world; one of these was Lord Voldemort's terror reign over England. It is not known how deeply he affected other countries in Europe or, indeed, in the rest of the world, but the British were certainly hit the hardest.

Unlike schools like Durmstrang, which is known for its Dark Magic course, the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has its students sitting in Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons since their first year. The line between the two approaches seems to be understandably thin; three of the six teachers Harry Potter has had since he enrolled at school have been Death Eaters. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Bartemius Crouch, Jr. (while impersonating the Auror Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody) performs the three Unforgivable Curses on spiders in front of his fourth-year class.