Dudley Demented (???)

[snow15145]

No: HPFGUIDX 106991

> Alla:
> 
> I agree that Dudley was just a nice "desert" for Dementors' dinner, 
> but I also thought that that one could be a clue for Dudley 
possibly 
> having some magic ability inside of him.
> 
> I always thought that Lupin's statement
> "Even muggles feel their presence, though they can't see them" -
PoA, 
> brit,ed., p.140
> implies that Dementors affect Wizards stronger than Muggles, 
> althought I could be wrong, of course.

Snow:

I agree with you Alla.

Lets look at what young wizards of Dudley's age had to say about the 
experience of meeting a dementor and match it to what Dudley himself 
had to say when the dementor attacked him.

POA. Pg. 85 Neville said, "It was horrible
Did you feel how cold it 
got when it came in?"
" "   " "         Ron said, "I felt weird
Like I'd never be cheerful 
again"
POA. Pg. 86 "Ginny was shaking like mad, though
" 
POA PG. 97 Malfoy "Nearly wet himself," said Fred

" " " "            George said, "I wasn't too happy myself

" " " "            Fred said, "Sort of freeze your insides, don't 
they


Now lets match this up with what muggle Dudley had to say:

OOP pg. 30 "All dark," Dudley said hoarsely, shuddering. "Everything 
dark. And then I h-heard
things. Inside m-my head
"
OOP PG.31 "horrible," croaked Dudley. "Cold. Really cold." 
" " " "          "Felt
felt
felt
as if
as if
" "As if you'd never be 
happy again," Harry supplied dully. "Yes," Dudley whispered, still 
trembling. 

Dudley in just the few statements he made expressed the sentiments of 
all the other child wizards. In fact Dudley's reaction was more like 
Harry and Ginny even Malfoy. Dudley threw up and was shaking, feeling 
extremely faint. Even some of the young wizards like Fred, George, 
Ron and Neville were not affected to "this" degree. 

Now take a look at the attack on Dudley from the dementor:

OOP pg 19 Dudley was curled on the ground, his arms clamped over his 
face; a second dementor was crouching low over him, gripping his 
wrists in its slimy hands, prizing them slowly, almost lovingly apart


The dementor took Dudley's hands away from his face. Dudley may have 
had his eyes shut tight but he must have felt the dementor grab at 
his wrists and pry his arms away from his face. How could he not feel 
the tugging of something forcing his arms away from his face so that 
he could be kissed? 

Lupin explains in POA pg 187:
"Dementors are among the foulest creatures that walk this earth. They 
infest the darkest, filthiest places, they glory in decay and 
despair, they drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around 
them. Even Muggles feel their presence, though they can't see them. 

Here lies the conflict; did Dudley see the dementor? Did he have his 
eyes shut? What is meant specifically by "feel their presence"; is 
it "sense" their presence or "physically" feel their presence? If it 
is sense their presence then why did Dudley obviously feel something 
pry his arms from his face? If it is the physical sense of the word 
then why did Mrs. Figgs describe the dementors as running instead of 
gliding? If a muggle can physically sense a dementor why wouldn't a 
squib be able to? 


Hey, even Neville who's family thought he may be all-muggle until he 
was eight, didn't react to a dementor as badly as Dudley. Dudley 
couldn't move, had to be drug home and when he got there was throwing 
up. Don't know for sure but it looks pretty conclusive to me along 
with the pampered spoiling from his mother who knows a bit about 
Wizarding life. Dudley appears to be a hidden wizard to me. 
Snow