Dementors -- talking?

[Megan]

No: HPFGUIDX 28893

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., maidne at y... wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at y..., blpurdom at y... wrote:
> > --- In HPforGrownups at y..., caliburncy at y... wrote:
> > > --- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Mindy C.L." <mindyatime at j...> wrote:
> > > > I am just reading my brand spankin' new copy of the POA in 
> > > > paperback and I was struck by something in one of the earlier 
> > > > chapters -- it was something to the effect that the Azkaban 
> > > > guards told the MOM officials that Sirius Black was muttering 
> in 
> > > > his sleep, "He's at Hogwarts, He's at Hogwarts." I thought that 
> > > > the dementors can't talk!!! Can they? Or perhaps only to the 
> MOM?
> > > 
> > > Yep, noticed that too when I first read the book and thought it 
> was 
> > > too bad: there's something so much more chilling about silent 
> > > villains.  But I suppose it's almost as chilling that they can 
> > > talk, but simply choose not to.  Anyway, I think we have to 
> assume 
> > > from this that they can, unless there are other Azkaban guards 
> that 
> > > are not Dementors--for which there is basically no evidence that 
> > > I'm aware of.
<snip>
> This discussion raises a few questions in my mind.  1)  Why would the 
> dementors pay any attention to what the prisoners mutter in their 
> sleep? <snip> 
4)  Who would want 
> to communicate telepathically with a dementor?
> Susan

Interestingly enough, this issue was never resolved.  I came across it
again in my journey re-reading the books (on POA, as you might tell).
 One has to question the wisdom of having dementors in Azkaban in
first place.  They don't seem to talk, communicate, or ever really
think.  What kind of creatures are these?  Are they really alive (like
viruses :-D)?  They also don't seem to follow orders very well.  They
swarmed on Harry for no reason, disobeyed Fudge (and Dumbledore).  Why
do they even stick around Azkaban?  It's not like they get paid and
take it home to their little Dementor kidlets <bg>.  ANOTHER thing
(boy, I'm just full of questions tonight) do dementors die?  How does
one create a new dementor?

Okay, went way off of my initial thought-process.  Is this a JKR
Flint?  We've seen no evidence of even GRUNTING, and, heck, trolls can
do THAT.  Personally, I can't see a dementor holding a quill and
writing messages with THOSE hands.  Perhaps some kind of magical
connection?  I just can't see it.  To me, they are these formless,
mindless creatures who simply glide along doing their lovely evilness.

-Megan (who wishes we could just have all the answers)