Its probably been years since i read the Potter books. I just want to find out just how dark the books were. Some of the ones I remember are.

Marietta breaks her promise to the DA, she does so under great emotional stress and is subsequently disfigured by Hermione’s jinx, which causes a purple rash to spell ‘SNEAK’ across her face. Later in the books, Marietta still has this disfigurement, something which Harry and his friends seem to think is deserved

Umbridge is dragged off by centaurs into the forbidden forest and we don't know what happens to her. She is later somehow rescued by Dumbledore but no more is said on what happened to her except that she is completely traumatised.

 

There are absolutely darker moments than the one I'm about to quote, but I came across this detail recently when re-reading the scene where Harry visits Weasleys Wizard Wheezes:

I'm not sure what's more hilarious — that a real-life hangman is sold in a joke shop or that a gaggle of ten-year-olds is watching it with delight.

 

The scenes that you mentioned are grim when described like that, but presented quite lightly in the actual books, so I wouldn't say that they make the books 'dark'.

I reckon that the darkest part of HP is the whole baby murder thing, followed by Voldemort's followers grooming child soldiers.

 

It isn't?

 

Uh. Maybe don't snitch out a group that is risking expulsion and possible arrest. A group that you're ostensibly part of. An actual illegal body like that in the real world would have just taken her out back and shot her. You shouldn't fuck around if you're not prepared to find out

 

Sirius trying to get Snape killed by Remus is pretty fucking dark.

Anyone under the Imperius curse is basically totally subjugated, and many made to do terrible things for Voldemort, I don’t know if anyone can come back from that.

Hermione kidnaps Rita and keeps her locked in a small jar for a period of time.

Polyjuice potion is a pretty huge violation of people’s personal rights and sense of self.

 

In terms of the "good guys", Hermione keeping Rita as a pet for a while is up there.

 

Yes Hermione seems too petty and vengeful in the series. Harry is the saving grace of trio with Ron having his own issues.

 

Marietta snitched to a Neo-Nazi who was leading a band of Magical Hitler Youth. Fuck her. Mariette is the HP equivalent of the people who snitched on Anne Frank. Marietta is lucky Hermione was being kind with that parchment.

To quote Lt. Aldo Raines, "I mean, if I had my way... you'd wear that goddamn uniform for the rest of your pecker-suckin' life. But I'm aware that ain't practical, I mean at some point you're gonna hafta take it off. So. I'm 'onna give you a little somethin' you can't take off."

Good. Fuck that toady cunt.

Dark Moments:

Dumbledore allowing Hogwarts to get turned into a Magical Terrorist Training Camp not once, but twice during his tenure as Headmaster.

The fact that half a dozen students spent a good chunk of a school year in Magical Locked In Syndrome. There had to be some after effects from being petrified by a 1000 year old monster.

The fact that a school was being guarded by soul sucking demons that, on their literal first appearance, tried to murder a 13 year old boy.

The fact that the Magical government engages in high level cover ups that include the brainwashing of muggles.

The fact that the Magical Government has infiltrated the Muggle government.

 

How about Pettigrew, who preferred to live as a rat for over a decade to doing something with his life? One would think that a lowly sold-out would be more buoyant than that. Unless, of course, he's but a broken man whose whole life has been destroyed along with Potter's and Black's. Who detained himself to his own worm-tailed Azkaban.

 

Harry almost killing Draco was pretty dark. When reading it wasn't so bad but in the movie Draco just gets cut up and the blood flowing. It actually made me feel sorry for Draco. He's crying in the bathroom and Harry's like lets have a duel and almost kills him. Brilliantly directed.

The whole kidnap Harry and Pettigrew just randomly kills Cedric was crazy. I'm not sure if the books had such a tone its been while since I read them but the movies all had grim tones almost making it grimdark.

Dumbledore's death was also dark. Him begging Snape to kill him and all that.

Katie's almost death was also shocking.

Bellatrix torture of Hermione was also gruesome.

 

Bertha Jorkin's fate, which to be fair is mostly left to the imagination. From being tortured for information to actually being used in some sort of twisted ritual to give 'birth' to Voldemort. That's some prime A-grade Nightmare fuel right there.

And while Marietta deserved what she got, the fact that such decisions were required at all takes it pretty deep into the dark territory.

 

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