Doom of Damocles

The Doom of Damocles is a suspended sentence pronounced by the White Council.

It is considered a form of probation and a rare occurrance because it requires a member of the White Council to speak in the defense of the accused. If a young spellcaster uses black magic or breaks the Seven Laws of Magic, they are put on trial; the Doom of Damocles is only granted if a member of the White Council speaks on their behalf and manages to sway three-fourths of the council. The defendant is then placed under the care and responsibility of that particular member to be trained; if they fail to learn and use black magic again, they will be killed, along with the senior member that they were being trained by.

In the series

• Harry Dresden was put under the Doom after the killing of his master Justin DuMorne was ruled as self-defense. It was lifted after the events of Storm Front due to "valorous action above and beyond the call of duty". In Proven Guilty, both he and Molly Carpenter are placed under the Doom, with Harry being held responsible for the future actions of his new apprentice.