Dark Magic

[Midnight Storm]

*Hoping this hasn't already been asked*

I'm a little confused about the whole concept of Dark Magic.

I'm assuming that the following are examples of Dark Magic:

Unforgivables
The potion that had to be drunk to get the locket Horcrux
The necklace that Katie Bell touched
'Sectumsempra'

But what makes something 'Dark'? A definition of Dark Magic would be awesome.

And plenty of examples, if possible.

~Midnight Storm

[Annalise28]

I would say that it's a spell or potion specially designed to do damage to someone.

But I could be wrong, feel free to disagree anyone.

[DeadManSeven]

Most things that are pointed out as being examples of Dark magic are things that put the morality of their user in question. If its intention is to hurt, harm, or kill, it's probably going to be branded Dark at some point.

That said, there's two exceptions to this rule of thumb, and that's Avada Kedavra and Horcruxes. Using the Killing Curse puts a crack in one's soul; creating a Horcrux shaves a piece of it off. That magic trading on the currency of souls seems to be a Very Bad Thing, first turning Tom Riddle into an alien moster while alive and then practically destroying his form in the afterlife, would imply that there's perhaps some greater code of morality that magic adheres to, with the 'old magic' Dumbledore mentions but never explains completely being the counterpoint to actual genuine soul-maiming Dark magic. I don't think any of 'modern' magic is especially Dark or not; making stockpiles of cursed necklaces probably means you're not a very good person, but it's not going to automatically defile your soul any more than casting a certain number of Healing Charms would qualify you for sainthood.

[Equinox Chick]

You could argue that Levicorpus is Dark Magic. It seems a benign spell, but when the Death Eaters are levitating the Muggles at the QWC, it becomes a lot more sinister.

It's also not benign when James Potter uses it on Snape. It's bullying and meant to humiliate. It was invented by Snape ... but whether that automatically makes it Dark is debateable.

On the other hand, when used in Gringott's, Levicorpus is a useful and necessary spell. I think the explanation for certain spells has to be the intention of the caster.

Even Avada Kedevra when used by Snape to kill Dumbledore wasn't a Dark act, but an act of necessity mixed with mercy.

~Carole~

[Maple_and_PheonixFeather]

Maple runs over to the Lexicon...
Dark Magic, part of the Dark Arts...ok, so what are the "Dark Arts"?

"Some magic, however, is evil in its intention through and through. Spells of this kind are often called curses. Curses are spells that are often intended to cause harm to another person. This intention to do harm places that spell into the realm of the Dark Arts. However, simply casting a Curse spell doesn't mean that a person is using the Dark Arts. Ultimately, the deep, true intention of the caster is what makes the difference."

"Typical Dark Magic spells are called curses. There are offensive spells that shoot out of a wand like a gun; curse energy causes physical damage to things it hits besides the magical effect."

"ark Magic is more than simply curses, however. Magic that involves tampering with the free will of another person (e.g., the Imperius Curse), or which kills another person (e.g., Avada Kedavra) would be considered Dark Magic indeed. Voldemort spent years in magical research into ways of becoming immortal. This pursuit is also an example of Dark Magic, presumably because it tampers with the natural order of things."

- HP Lexicon.

So essentially, Dark Magic is dependant on the caster intentions, as Carole said, but it is essentially anything that harms, whether mentally or physically, a person and tampers with the natural order of things.

Examples: Note that these are examples of curses and what could be Dark Magic. I simply took any curse and potion with dire effects on people or Nature. It really depends on the intention with some of these though (ie Blasting curse)
-Petrification - Albus Dumbledore refers to Petrification as "Dark Magic of the most avanced kind" (CS9).
-You could almost say that Amortentia is, but it would depend on the situation. As it doesn't actually create love (the greatest of all powers), it creates obsession, which, in the wrong hands, could have dire consequences. The name is also Latin for "to tamper with love".
-Certain books, such as the ones Ron mentions in Chamber of Secrets.
-The curse used by Dolohov in the Department of Mysteries on Hermione.
-Babbling Curse
-Curse of the Bogies
-Confringo (Blasting Curse)
-Conjunctivitis Curse
-Dark objects (ie. Found in Borgin and Burkes: human bones, glass eye,Hand of Glory (made using Dark Magic, it uses a real human hand),hangman's rope, opal necklace, ornate and cursed,Other Dark Magic items available in Knockturn Alley include:shrunken heads, poisonous candles, human fingernails,Number twelve, Grimmauld Place
an ornate crystal bottle with a large opal set into the stopper, full of what looked like blood, boxes, made of tarnished silver and inscribed with languages Harry did not understand claws, daggers, a grandfather clock that shot heavy bolts at passers-by, a spidery instrument, rather like a many-legged tweezers, which scurried away and tried to puncture Harry's skin, music box that played a faintly sinister, tinkling tune when wound that nearly knocked everyone out, an ancient set of purple robes that tried to strangle Ron when they were removed from their wardrobe, etc.)
-MORSMORDRE and the Dark Mark
-Entrail Expelling Curse

Ok, that's enough examples for now

[msk8]

That said, there's two exceptions to this rule of thumb, and that's Avada Kedavra and Horcruxes. Using the Killing Curse puts a crack in one's soul; creating a Horcrux shaves a piece of it off.

I would agree that Avada Kedavra always splits one's soul, except in DH, the Snape chapter, don't Dumbledore and Snape have a conversation that goes something like this:

Dumbledore: I would not have Malfoy's soul so maimed. [through killing Dumbledore]

Snape: And what of my soul, Dumbledore?

Dumbledore: You alone know if it will harm your soul.

So this implies that even the Killing curse isn't necessarily dark magic. I think it's the intent that matters.

[AidaLuthien]

I would think that the Killing Curse could be used as an act of mercy killing.

The Crucio curse on the other hand... I can't think of any situation where torturing someone can be morally good. Morally neutral maybe if someone threatens to kill you if you don't torture someone else, but not good.