Know thine enemy!

Know Thine Enemy

I think that there are various ways of properly separating out the good from the bad.

Of course, the main method is body language. A person who revels in the Dark side would not be someone who openly goes about it (for obvious reasons such as he would be arrested). The witch or wizard in question would be secretive, sly and under constant threat of being revealed so he or she would also have to be cautious, nervous and paranoid. The main way of telling the difference between an honest man/woman and a liar is by looking right into his or her eyes and trying to make eye contact. If they have something they want to hide or if they are nervous about something, most probably their obsession with the dark arts, then they will not make eye contact and deliberately try and look away. Other nervous gestures include fiddling with hands, touching the face unnecessarily, a wheezy, fake cough, sweating under pressure, a nervous twitch, etc.

You can also tell when someone is up to something fishy is they are slinking from place to place, looking around frantically over their shoulder, staying close to the pavement and the side of a road, trying to blend in but standing out just the same. If they are sneaking around, they will attempt anything. It is important to take in their full appearance before taking the decision to trust them. If there is any large bag by them, that they are keeping close, then it could contain things that they don’t want to find out. If you see an invisibility cloak, maybe the corner of one, anywhere near their person, then they would probably have the need for stealth to try and get where they want, maybe a quick escape. Also, try and check to see if their hand is anywhere near a pocket. If it is, then either they are holding something very important that they are waiting to give you, or they are going for their wand to give you a nice, healthy stunner or maybe something worse.

I had touched upon a point regarding their stealth and trying to stay near the edge of the road and to try and stay out of sight. You, Professor Stealth, had mentioned wearing a lot of black and that being a bad point. However, I think that it is quite valid and will go on to explain why. If, for example, it is dark and the person who you are trying to distinguish as the Dark witch or wizard was doing all the above mentioned actions, but was clad entirely in shocking pink, then any self-respecting Auror was take him or her in for questioning at once. It looks too suspicious. But if the person in question was clad mostly in black or navy blue or brown or any other such dark colour, then he or she would blend in perfectly with their surroundings, making it difficult to see them and therefore, successfully hiding them from view. A hood would also do the same thing for the same reasons: it hides their face from being scrutinised. It would also cast a shadow on the person so that their non-eye contact, sweating and other nervous gestures would be hidden.

I hope you enjoy my essay on distinguishing between a dark and normal wizard and I apologise for expanding on your point. I hope you do not “treat it with the derision it deserves” as I feel that it is truly valid and useful in everyday Wizarding life.

When trying to distinguish a good wizard from a bad wizard, or a muggle from a bad wizard, you treat them as a muggle. The easiest things to look out for are not the magical signs as they might be adept at hiding these things.

Their facial expressions

The face is perhaps one of the most important areas to look at when trying to distinguish the good from the bad. Watch their eyes most predominately. The eyes can tell a thousand secrets that no other part of the body can. Just simply looking at the eyes may show you whether the persons heart and soul is filled with evil. Also, when being questioned, if a person, or a dark person, is lying, their eyes will dart upwards or to the side, though they will never look right at you. Looking away shows that they are hiding something, or trying hard to remember something, or even the fact that they know their eyes will give away too much. Their eyes may also dart around the crowd, constantly watching for their target or signs from the dark lord. Remember dark wizards are also vulnerable against the dark lord. He has no friends, he works alone and uses those who are his followers. The dark wizards know this and will always be on the look out for him or other spies which might lead them to their death.
Their mouth can also show signs of darkness, though this is not as clear. Thin, tight lips pressed together, or perhaps smirking may show cockiness where they think they are above you as they are ‘under the wing’ of the dark lord.

The next important area to look at is perhaps the person’s body language as a whole. Standing tall and turned directly onto you will show a confidence that they are perhaps being backed up, though you must not forget the other side of them, the sly side. If a person is up to no good, they may be constantly watching over their shoulder, their movement may be slower, yet pronounced. They will walk in direct lines, yet they will always be on constant watch in case a good authority is around, for they want, no less than good wizards, to be arrested and thrown into Azkaban.
Watch the persons hand. It may be constantly clasped around his or her wand. They are on their guard perhaps more than any other witch or wizard due to the nature of what they are doing.

What are they wearing is another important feature, although maybe not so much as the other two features. If they do not want to be seen, they may perhaps be wearing dark clothes, especially if the evil deed will be at night. Clothes to blend in with their surroundings. They do not wish to be caught and will do anything to stay hidden.

Please notice, that these are a few ways that could help distinguish between good and bad wizards/muggles, though every person is different.


sources: my own brain

Within this world, glimpsing at both the wizarding community as well as the muggle community, it is extremely difficult to tell a saintly person, someone who abides by the laws, does not wish others harm, and helps others in need, from the evil people who are at the complete opposite end of the scale. Also, bare in mind the individuals between these two opposite ends of the scale, perhaps the majority of the world that sites in between saintly and evil. We each have both pure good and pure evil inside of us, so how do we tell who is who in a crowded room?

The Evil end of the scale

There is no right or wrong way of distinguishing between these sets of people, though there are ways that aid a person in telling these dark wizards apart from the shadowed crowd, ways that perhaps one day may save your life.

The Eyes

The eyes of a person are perhaps the biggest and most important aspect when trying to distinguish an evil wizard from all others. There is a well know saying that the eyes are the windows to the soul, and although many sayings are meaningless, this one might actually hold a great deal of truth.

There are many ways within the eyes of a person that could inform you of the evil inside of you, obviously if they chop you up into little pieces or try to run you down with a tractor, then this is not a good sign! Before this happens, study their eyes;

A predominantly good persons eyes will sit comfortably in the centre of the eyeball and focus upon you. They have nothing to hide. Compare this to the eyes of a predominantly evil person. Their eyes would perhaps sit in the far corner of the eye, seeming to look sideways. This is known as ‘Snake eyes’.

Whilst god people and wizards tend to be truthful as they are not trying to fool you, evil people and wizards tend to lie constantly in order to protect their evil identity. If a person looks sideways when answering your questions then you know they are lying. They are not doing this willingly, believe it or not, an evil dark wizard does have a conscience under all that immorality.

Body Language

The language of the body can also tell us a lot about a person. The lack of space between them and you could become very intimidating, and a drastic change in this distance could be an immediate factor in distinguishing an evil wizard. This links in with your instincts outlined below.
Other instances of body language which could help point towards an evil wizard are;
The hands clasped tightly behind the back, this shows anger or frustration, as does the hands clasped tightly behind their head, though this also shows a feeling of superiority.

Instincts

Finally, trust your own instincts; it may also save your life. If your instincts are telling you to run away from a person then listen to them. Our instincts are linked closely with our soul, and our soul is the greatest power we have.


Obviously, there are many more factors in distinguishing an evil wizard from any other person, as well as magical. If they are wearing a deatheaters mask then you know that you are in trouble, though I have highlighted the differences using a muggle way due to the simple fact that dark wizards are humans too. Understanding these distinguishing features is the first main step to distinguishing an evil wizard from anyone else!

Sources
http://www.ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Spot-Evil-in-Peoples-Eyes&id=176343
and my own mind!

The true nature of a person to determine if they are good or bad, can sometimes be impossible to tell. In our world as well as in the muggle world, there is a substantial difference in what makes one good and one evil.

Clothing may not always be a key. Some of the most well dressed beings can be malicious murderers so can high, upstanding people. For example, take Lucius Malfoy. Once a member of our own Ministry of magic, well dressed, aristocratic and quite wealthy. Yet, one of the most wickedly evil people we know. Yes, he wears a lot of black, but that is mere coincidence as he follows the Dark Lord and is a Death Eater.

But then you have Arthur Weasley for example. Rather poor, untidy and unkept. A prime target for being evil in many people's eyes. Yet he is far from it. His lack of popularity makes him look less favorable in the eyes of the high-class wizarding families. But because his clothes are torn, old, dirty etc, does not mean he is evil.

Specualtions about clothing have gone on for a long time, depicting what is good and what is evil. There is no truth this far in clothing determining the foe.

Faces. Faces can be deceiving as well for upon the face many expression lie, though one can not use those expressions alone. But in many cases, the eyes can reveal one's true nature. Eyes that are cold and cruel, can definitely be linked to one who is planning to do harm to another. But again, sometimes the coldness of a gaze can be nothing more than sadness, lonliness, and shame.
Within our souls lie the truth, and within our eyes one can sometimes see us. See past our walls,into our souls and at times discover the secrets we've tried to hide.

Body language is another factor. The stance of a person, a being, can sometimes show what intentions that he or she has. It's not easy to know at first. But one has to look closely. There are signs that are obvious and signs that are not.

As a whole, most people can not be catagorized as one hundred percent good or one hundred percent evil. But suspicions can be narrowed down if one studies all aspects of the person or being that they are around.

With Death Eaters, it's rather obvious as all Death Eaters bare the Dark Mark of Voldemort. So, with that said, let's take a look at others who are not Voldemort's followers, but who are no less dangerous.

In our world, one might spot the obvious place to find such witches and wizards. Knockturn Alley. A dark place, where mostly only those who practice the Dark Arts go. It is filled with unsavory stores of dark and creepy things. And one might suspect it is a haven for some of the most wicked beings. In actuality, I believe it is not. Dark witches and Wizards can be found among some of the classiest people. They could be millionares in big, fancy mansions, or live in the bowels of the sewers or caves.The only way to discover truly if one is good or evil; in my opinion, is to single each individual out.

Watch their activities. Do they sneak around? Do they meet with witches or wizards who already hold unfavorable positions within the Ministry? Watch the way they walk, observes the places they go. Keep an eye on their temperment, their conversations with others. Do they act threatening? Do they act as though they are hiding something? Follow them a couple of days. See where they go, who they are with. If they buy certain questionable items, pay close attention to their reactions to the elements, to their surroundings. Check out their history. Have they committed crimes? Were they troublesome back in their days of youth? What about their school? Did they always get into trouble? Were they present at other crimes?

By paying close attention to the smallest of details of an individual person, it is my observation that one can discover the true intent of a person.

(my only sources that I used on this assignment was my brain and watching some of the Harry Potter movies, CoS for the particular observation of Knockturn Alley.)

What tells you that a person is a Dark Wizard? Perhaps it’s the dark clothes, mean expression, or suspicious looking face that gives it away. Yet this isn’t always the case. Spotting a Dark Wizard is not as simple as everybody assumes. A Dark Wizard in disguise is not going to always keep his hair dirty, wear black, or always have a sneer on his face. A true Dark Wizard may do all of these, but others may act the role of the innocent or good. These wizards are the ones that are harder to spot. In order, to know whether the wizards around you are good or not depend on your observation skills. Yet the simplest way, although not always accurate, to recognize a Dark wizard is the B.E.S.T way. This way was created by a young talented witch who taught this process to others during the time of the Dark Lord’s uprising. She is expected to be the youngest Head of Aurors soon. (I couldn’t help complimenting myself a bit.)

The B stands for the body language that people around you have. Many people unconsciously don’t tend to notice much about their surroundings. Yet a dark wizard must ALWAYS be cautious no matter where they are. Especially when it is a dark wizard that is a spy for his side. His body will usually be faced toward the area that is most populated. And his back will most likely be facing a wall or perhaps corner. This is to ensure that he will always be able to spot danger and not get attacked from the back. Although this stance is also used for Aurors because they are always in the lookout for trouble.

The E stands for the eyes. The eyes are the most vulnerable features of a person because that’s where all their emotions lay. Although people are quite good at masking their feelings, their eyes show a different story. Even the best Dark wizard can’t betray the slightest flicker of emotion when he is affected by something. Whether it is revulsion toward Muggles, or hatred toward Aurors and the ministry, their eyes will always flicker with that emotion some time while they are acting. And that is when their true side is revealed about how they feel. Another thing about Dark wizard’s eyes is that just like their bodies always being cautious of their surrounding, their eyes may constantly be scanning their environment. It may be just briefly but it they will do it. Yet again this can also count for Aurors.

The S is for the style they behave during certain situations. If they tend to rub their forearm often or always wear long sleeves no matter what weather it is, it is because they have something to hide. Other times Dark wizards may try too hard to try to fit in with the good side. They may overact or seems suspicious in nature. This can put you on your guard to spot the other clues that may reveal their true side.

The T is the tales they spread about their “goodness”. They may stress on the fact that they hate Dark wizards and how they love Muggles. Then something might happen that makes their actions contradict that claim. They might get mixed up in all the lies they spread and get caught.

Sources- no sources, just my imagination

Thank you all - marks will be notified in due course.

Please remember that with the new classes rules you may keep doing classes after they're marked as they are now always open, so I'll keep waiting for your works.