They are real, Fr. Amorth insists, he has done many exorcisms to free people from just such spells. Their evil efficacy lies not so much in the material used itself as in the will to harm through demonic intervention. Yet it is this demonic intervention that the Harry Potter novels nefariously ignore. Magic is presented as a funny thing, a game.
Spells are cool.
Books are being published on the subject, such as Spells of Teenage Witches , described by its author as a self-help book for young people. A witch and officer of the Pagan Federation wrote The Young Witches Handbook , which includes spells for passing school exams or attracting a partner. Apparently there is no reason for concern. No one talks about the fact that what starts as silly spells can lead to spiritual and psychological damage, and even demonic obsession or possession. Harry Potter and his friends cast spells, read crystal balls, and everything is fine.