Producing a Patronus + reaction to a Dementor

[naamagatus]

No: HPFGUIDX 89223

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Doriane" <delwynmarch at y...> 
wrote:
> "naamagatus" :
> 
> > I think that's the important point. When Harry wasn't suffering 
> > under the draining presence of a dementor (and his reaction to a 
> > dementor is much worse than anybody else's),
> 
> Del answers :
> 
> We don't know that. We know it's very bad for him, but we can't 
know 
> if it's worse for him than for other people. Dudley is completely 
> shocked after he meets the Dementors, and Dudley didn't exactly 
have 
> a horrible life. Dementors produce bad emotions, and emotions can't 
> be measured. We can't say that Harry suffers more from the 
>Dementors than anybody else.

By 'anybody', I meant the other characters that we see reacting to 
the Dementors in the books, not 'the entire Magic and Muggle 
population'. Among the characters that we do see, Harry is the *only* 
one who faints when encountering Dementors. It's an unusual enough 
reaction, that most of his distress afterwards arises from the shame 
of being *the only one who has fainted.* Then, Lupin specifically 
acknowledges that Dementors affect him worse than anybody else, 
because of the horrors in his past.

> That was my point. Harry can produce a good Patronus when not 
> stressed, but so can a few other students. So Harry's ability to 
> produce a Patronus cannot be counted as a proof of his supermagical 
> abilities. And yes I know he managed earlier, but he also had more 
> training, and private training too, from a teacher. I'm sure quite 
>a few other kids could have done it too.

I don't know about "supermagical" abilities, but he did produce a 
Patronus under a great deal of stress; a Patronus which was strong 
enough to drive away a hundred Dementors. 

I would say that JKR intends Harry to be great of heart and 
character, rather than super magical. He doesn't seem extra brilliant 
in magic per se (Hermione is much better than he is), but when the 
magic requires also strength of character, he does seem to be head 
and shoulders above his peers (and elders): holding on to Quirrell, 
producing a Patronus, beating Voldemort in the graveyard, freeing 
himself from Voldemort's possession in OotP. 

Naama


Naama