Dementors - How do you defeat them?

[Melody <Malady579@hotmail.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 50278

Pickle Jimmy asked:
>Where do the dementors come from? Other than using patroni to drive
>them 'away' can we do anything more to them? How do the ministry
>control them anyway? Do people that are "soul sucked" by dementors
>become dementors (like werewolves)? How many dementors are there?
>Could voldemort make more dementors, and if he could why would he
>need Azkaban - wouldn't he just make his own rather than freeing the
>already existing ones? Do dementors die or are they dead already? Is
>this the final state of Voldemort - dementormort?

::sigh:: A line of questions that tumble upon themselves.  I adore it.

Let me clip it about a bit.


>Can you destroy/kill a dementor?
>Do dementors die or are they dead already?

So let's see.  Maybe we should first define what a dementor actually
is.  Based on the categorizations in FB&WTFT they are not a beast or
being, so they must be a spirit.  They do glide (GoF Ch31) like a
ghost, though I don't think it is quite right to call them a ghost.
It seems they classify best in that category at least.  So then being
a spirit, it is not alive and thus cannot die.

Dementors actually get a long description.  At least, long for JKR
standards.  They have human form with hands, head, mouth.  It breaths
but I don?t think you can suffocate them.  In PoA Ch20, their hands
could lower their hood and grasp Harry to bring their mouth to kiss
him.  Hmmm...that gives them substance.  Maybe they are not spirit.
How odd.  Now I am confused.


>How do the ministry control them anyway?
>Other than using patroni to drive them 'away' can we do anything more
to them?

If they are beings, then they can be contained by the ministry because
beings have a perishable body and thus can be "hurt" or killed.  But
if they are a spirit, then the ministry must be able to threaten them
somehow, like with Myrtle, to make them follow their rules or
concessions.

Maybe it is solely on the patronus charm.  A really good patronus can
drive hundreds away as evident in PoA.  A wizard's advantage.  As long
as the dementor's stay at Azkaban it is a sort of safe haven from
wizards using the patronus on them.  I wonder if it hurt them?  I
wonder if it causes them to feel happy so they feed on themselves?


>Do people that are "soul sucked" by dementors become dementors (like
werewolves)?
>How many dementors are there?
>Could voldemort make more dementors, and if he could why would he
need Azkaban - wouldn't he just make his own rather than freeing the
already existing ones?

They have human-like bodies, yet I cannot see dementors...shall we
say...paired off in the Caribbean on a honeymoon together.  they must
create more somehow, but then, if they cannot be destroyed then that
is unnecessary.  For they do not die.  Just are driven away.  Oh, that
is depressing.  They always linger around waiting for their chance.

I do not see Barty Jr. being a dementor now.  Interesting if that is
true though.  We have Barty Jr. being loyal to Voldemort in post-soul
suck also.  Would then, if Harry was soul-sucked, he become a dementor
just child sized?  Does a dementor, if born from the kiss, retain any
of its personality as a human?  They all seem to be faceless or rather
indistinguishable themselves, so it seems they are perfect cookie
cutters of each other.

Given that the dementor character is based on what causes depression,
it seems almost the they are indestructible to me.  They have an
inexhaustible hunger and deep searching "eyes" to find victims.
Almost as if their sole purpose on the earth is to devour happiness
until it does not exist.  Wait - that is their purpose.

They are indiscriminate in their victim.  Do not care of the race,
creed, or age.  They care only for themselves and their needs, and to
that they satisfy themselves.  Seems, they have no soul in which to
plead to.


So I guess Pickle Jimmy, I see dementors as a sort of solid spirit
that cannot be destroyed but can manipulate solid objects.  Ok that is
a paradox really.  I think they are just here from the beginning.  A
set number that wander to quench their hunger.  They have no defenses
to protect themselves except the ability to bring beings to catatonic
states with their presence and of course "the kiss."  Wizards can
trump them but must be powerful enough to do it.  Their effects can be
treated once they are gone, but all succumb to their whim.  Oh they
are nasty little creatures aren't they even without physical descriptions.


One last question by Pickle Jimmy:
>Is this the final state of Voldemort - dementormort?

I don't think so mainly because...hehe...I can't believe I am about to
say this...it is not bangy.

Come now.  JKR *will* bang Voldemort's final end.

Somehow, Voldemort the dementor that can suck out poor defenseless
souls is not the sort of end JKR is shooting for.  Maybe...but I will
not put money one it.


Melody