Dark Arts

The **Dark Arts** is a branch of magic used to cause pain, control and kill. It includes the Unforgivable Curses, Dark creatures, potions and various poisons and curses. They appear throughout the *Harry Potter book series*.

It is thought to be unwise if a wizard dares to get involved with the Dark Arts, hence why Dumbledore would not even use it. Those who do are labelled Dark wizards. Voldemort and the Death Eaters are known for their involvement in the Dark Arts.

## About

### Nature

Dark forces are pragmatic in nature because when they are defeated, they return "fiercer and cleverer" than before. It is flexible and inventive. Defensive spells have to be versatile to keep up. Certain Dark spells are not successful unless they are done with powerful intent, e.g. a Cruciatus Curse works if a person truly wants to cause pain itself. Dark forces can be hard to control. The process of petrification is an "advanced" Dark force.

### Impact

Those who use the Dark Forces are thought to be corrupt because they usually have bad intentions. It is damaging to their appearance, especially in the case of Tom Riddle whose appearance was forever changed when he delved further into the Dark Arts. He grew less handsome and eventually serpentine. Killing is damaging to the soul because it is essentially ripped into pieces. In rare cases, a Dark wizard will use murder to creste a Horcrux. The process involves splitting the soul and the body completely for the unnatural purpose of achieving eternal life, taking another person's life for the selfish purpose of extending their own.

Spell damage done by a Dark force can be permanent and impossible to reverse. Frank and Alice Longbottom ended up incapacitated for life and George Weasley lost an ear due to a Sectumsempra curse. Basilisk venom usually kills in minutes unless healed by a Phoenix's tears, Dementors suck a soul until their victim is in a vegetative state and since there is no cure, they have no hope of getting it back.

### In law

Certain Dark forces include the Unforgivable Curses which are punishable by life in prison depending on the purpose of using it. Aurors had permission during the First Wizarding War to use such Dark forces to capture Death Eaters. During the Second Wizarding War when Death Eaters took control of the government, they legalised every Dark Art.

Schools teach what they find acceptable in connection to the Dark Arts. Hogwarts tesches Defence Against the Dark Arts but Durmstrang Institute simply teaches the Dark Arts. It is possible to purchase Dark artefacts but Arthur Weasley wanted to introduce a law that would grant permission to seize such things. The ownership of such artefacts do not garner a good perception in society.

### Defences

The single power capable of defeating a Dark force is love. It is capable of generating an ancient shield of protection that will cause a Killing Curse to bounce back. Using a Dark force is not technically evil if used in defence because for that purpose it is a good thing. There are counter-curses and spells capable of creating protection and spells which are not categorised a Dark Art that could hurt and kill.

## History

Before September 1991, a book called *The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts* was published. Before September 1992, a Dark Force Defence League was founded. Gilderoy Lockhart was part of that League because he "chose" a career to eradicate Dark Forces. In fact, he was a fraud who took the stories of these defeats of Dark creatures achieved by better, successful wizards and told everyone he had done it.

## Known Dark Forces

### Wizards

 Tom Riddle  Quirinus Quirrell  Lucius Malfoy
### Books

* Curses and Counter-Curses by Professor Vindictus Viridian

## Notes and sources

1. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince*, Chapter 9
2. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*, Chapter 36
3. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows*, Chapter 30
4. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Chapter 9
5. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows*, Chapter 20
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows*, Chapter 33
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 *Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince*, Chapter 23
8. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*, Chapter 23
9. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*, Chapter 5
10. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Chapter 17
11. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban*, Chapter 5
12. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows*
13. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Chapter 5
14. ↑ *Harry Potter book series*
15. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Chapter 6
16. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Chapter 6
17. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Chapter 10
18. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Chapter 16
19. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire*, Chapter 1
20. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire*, Chapter 32
21. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Chapter 5