Harry Potter 1. Introduction

**Introduction**

  
  
So you want to learn to defend yourself? It is no easy task, I assure you. Anyone can do it, though. Yes, that's right. Even the student who sits way in the back and hides from the professor, hoping that he or she will not be called on can learn to defend him or herself, with this book. Your professor will go into greater detail if he or she is good, but this will be useful to everyone. Even Aurors have things to learn. But I should neither ramble so much, nor write this informally. This is supposed to be a textbook, correct? I thought those were boring. Hopefully this one will not be as boring as most others.   
  
I should move on,yes? I should think you'd like to know what exactly you will be learning in this book. It's called: _The Dark Arts and Self Defense: Volume 1,_ but what exactly does that mean? I can tell you, since I'm writing it. That means that this is the first in a series of books meant to teach you about the Dark Arts, and how to defend yourself against them. My philosophy is a little different than most people would think, though. If your professor has chosen my book, he or she must have the same philosophy.   
  
My philosophy is simple, really: **You must understand what you are fighting in order to properly fight it. **That is the most important thing you should get from this book. Volume One begins with an overview of the Dark Arts as a whole, and starts you off with some basic magical theory on the Dark Arts. Why you are being started off with such a hard aspect is beyond many people, but it is entirely important to properly defending yourself, and hopefully you will understand later, when you're in the NEWT classes. We won't talk about those now, though.   
  
This introduction is short, but I'm bringing it to a close now. You can't fight something you are ignorant about, so pay attention. One day, it may save your life.   
  



	2. Chapter One: What's in a name?

**Chapter One – What's in a name?**

  
  
What are the Dark Arts? That's the question on everyone's mind, isn't it? Well, obviously, they are considered evil, since you are learning to defend yourself against them. That doesn't explain much, does it? Evil is such a subjective word. If you want to know the truth, a lot of people don't believe in evil. For example, Grindewald, Voldemort, most of their followers, and many other people in this world don't believe in evil. Voldemort, for example, only believes in power. I'm going to disagree with them all, though. I believe that there is a balance of good and evil in everyone. That means that anyone is capable of learning the Dark Arts.   
  
You see, the thing that separates the Dark Arts from every other form of magic is that it is inherently "evil" in its intention. Let's break down the name first, and hopefully that will give you a better understanding.   
  
"Dark" is the first word of any importance. Now you may wonder, "Why do they call it the Dark Arts? Why not the Evil Arts or something like that?" Well, this goes way back to the times when people still relied heavily on instincts. People, naturally, are afraid of that which they do not know. Many people, especially children, are afraid of the dark because you cannot see everything that is around you. Because of this, the dark is associated with monster and scary things of all sorts, giving it an almost "evil" quality.   
  
As I said, the Dark Arts are inherently "evil" in their intention. This basically means that their main purpose is to harm a person. For the most part, they deal with things that most "respectable" people don't like to deal with. For example, mind control, murder, pain, and dealing with the dead are all included here. Necromancy, a form of the Dark Arts which deals primarily with the dead is not always meant to harm anyone, but most people do not like to bother the dead, so it is considered evil. So basically, the connection was made between the "evil" qualities of the dark and the evil qualities of the magic, hence the term "Dark" being used.   
  
The second word is "Arts." Why would you call it an art? If you curse someone, how is that an art form? In some sadistic way, I'm sure it can be seen that way, but that is not where it came from. You see, a good portion of the Dark Arts is rooted in older magic. In times of old, before wands were introduced, the magical community had to channel their power without the use of any substance to magnify it. The cores of your wand make it easier to learn magic nowadays. Back then, though, there was nothing, and it took great concentration to learn the simplest spells. Your professor may be able to show you this.   
  
One of the most advanced forms of concentration was done is groups. The group would chant in languages of old to channel their power and increase their concentration. These spells normally had a good flow and rhythm, so much so, that you would think the people were singing, not casting a spell. As a result, spell casting had a musical quality that was beautiful in its practice. There were once great spell writers, and they were indeed artists, focusing as much on how the product looked and sounded as the result. The fact that the spells were so beautiful seemed only to increase their power.   
  
Somewhere along the line, though, another side of the magical being got an idea. Spells, though beautiful and strange in their own way, were no longer just for pleasure or getting useful things done. No, there were many other uses, some of which were "evil." With the invention of the wand, a good deal of it was lost to all but those who delved deep enough into the old magic, which is much more dangerous than modern magic. The problem with modern magic, though, is that many of the most powerful spells cannot be duplicated with a wand, and still must be done in the old way. A majority of the spells considered in the category of the Dark Arts are plagued by this, so the name "Arts" stuck. It's almost a tribute to the times of old.   
  
Now that you know where the name comes from, we can move on to deeper things. The Dark Arts are very much an art form, but they require something more from you than most magic. This form of Magic requires a suspension of all morals. You must not feel bad about hurting someone. You must detach yourself from everything people have always tried to teach you. Once you separate yourself from the magic, you must then want to do it. I don't mean in the I want to buy some dungbombs way. You have to really want it. Your entire being has to want to cast the spell or perform the charm. Falter just a bit, and you will get an adverse reaction, or the spell will not be as powerful.   
  
This is why most people do not want to learn the Dark Arts. They require you to let go of all that is good inside of you for a short time. They require you to become almost inhuman, and it is not a pleasant feeling. It is not a pleasant feeling at all, which is why most people have trouble learning this magic.   
  
You will not have to perform any of the magic, but you must know a lot about it in order to defend yourself. In the next chapter, we'll go into greater on what it means to perform the Dark Arts.   
  
  
  



End file.

Harry Potter