Dementors/Lethifolds (was: Re:Crouch!Moody and the Unforgiveable Curses)

[JoAnna]

No: HPFGUIDX 96489

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "vmonte" <vmonte at y...> wrote:
> 
> Do you think that the Dementors were once wizards that lost their 
> souls through dark magic? 
> ** Does anyone have any theories as to what these creatures are? 
** 
> As I mentioned before I don't see these creatures procreating like 
> other species... There is also something human about their 
skeletal 
> form.

I believe that Dementors are a human form of Lethifold 
(see "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them).  My theory is that 
the Dementors were created (accidentally) by Dark wizards (perhaps 
working for LV/Tom Riddle, or maybe even for Salazar Slytherin, 
depending on how long the Dementors have been around).  The Dark 
wizards were experimenting with Lethifolds, perhaps in an attempt to 
harness their power (i.e. put them under the Imperius Curse to use 
for killings/assassinations) and a catasrophe happened that merged 
the Dark Wizards and the Lethifolds, hence creating Dementors.

As for if/how Dementors "procreate" (reproduce?), I believe that a 
person who has received the Dementor's Kiss will turn into a 
Dementor *if the body has not been immediately destroyed by means of 
cremation* (or other means of destroying a corpse).  

This is why Barty Crouch Jr. didn't become a Dementor - Dumbledore 
probably saw to it immediately that his body was cremated.  This is 
also why criminals in Azkaban who receive the Kiss don't become 
Dementors (or maybe they do - perhaps the Ministry is told that they 
died in prison & were buried, when really they were Kissed so 
there'd be more Dementors!).

Just my theory.  I do hope we'll learn more about Lethifolds in book 
6 or 7.

- JoAnna
author of "Harry Potter and the Unicorn Guild"
http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=1823392