[HPforGrownups] Patronuses (was: Things...play later)

[Kathryn Cawte]

No: HPFGUIDX 79581

 
   I think people are worrying too much about the attacking abilities of the
various patronuses. Dementors work by sucking happy thought out of people. A
Patronus is the embodiment of a happy thought and thus can defeat a Dementor
 Sort of like fire and water - fire can cause water to evaporate (the
Dementor sucking out the emotions) but a concentrated amount of water will
extinguish a fire (the patronus defeating a Dementor). The power of a
Patronus is not in the particular abilities of an otter or a swan or
whatever (although I agree with whoever pointed out that Swans are big,
vicious, scary birds, trust me I live in Windsor on the Thames,  I know
whereof I speak) but in its significance to the caster. The Dementors did
not, as I understand it, retreat from Harry's patronus because it was a
large animal with big horns but because of what the stag (and therefore)
James meant to Harry. Harry's happy thought was his father who may have been
a total brat at 15 but grew up to be a brave man who died to give his wife
and child a few moments in which to escape and who loved his son very much.
*That* is what forced them to retreat - Harry's emotions regarding his
father, not the stag itself.Another example of 'love' and other positive
feelings defeating evil.

K