The Dementors

[Indigo]

No: HPFGUIDX 17063

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., booleanfox at y... wrote:
> Can anyone please help??
> My dear other half has been
> re-reading PoA and has come up
> against a major problem which may be
> spoiling his enjoyment of it :(
> Namely, the Dementors (no, not their
> existence, that's upsetting him,
> that's pretty universal...) - why do
> they affect Harry so badly that he
> passes out every time they come near?
> They upset and frighten everyone, but
> it's only Harry who is so disturbed.
> I'm sure that this must have been
> discussed in the past but I couldn't
> find anything in the search and my
> crappy TV email makes searching v.
> difficult - so if anyone can point me
> to the past posts,   I'd be v
> grateful...

Harry is affected so deeply because he had a *deeply traumatic 
experience* as a child -- one that is buried in his subconscious. 

That's why every time the dementors turn up he hears his parents' 
voices screaming and begging for mercy.

He relives their deaths every time a dementor comes near him because 
a dementor's nature is to pull the worst memories in a person to the 
forefront of their mind and torment the person with them.

That's why people go mad in Azkaban -- the Dementors destroy and suck 
out all happy thoughts, and the person is left with nothing but awful 
thoughts and tormenting memories.

Indigo (who finished a reread of PoA about a week and a half ago)