Draco's Intent (was Re: What if other teachers behaved like Snape?)

[arrowsmithbt]

No: HPFGUIDX 101246

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "(Mrs.) Lee Storm (God Is The Healing Force)" 
<n2fgc at a...> wrote:
> 
> [Lee]:
> I can sorta see Dar's point, Kneasy.  Draco knew how the dementors affected
> Harry; he'd seen the crash and tumble Harry took when the dementors had come
> into the stadium.
> 
> I'm sure he's not aware that Harry's learning Patronus; the practical joke,
> if you will, was designed to do, at least, serious injury, which could have
> possibly resulted in Harry's demise.  Fortunately, Harry did manage a
> whopping Patronus which exposed the pranksters and the pranksters were
> reprimanded and punished.
> 
> Okay, let's say that Harry hadn't learned the Patronus; Draco and company
> did their dementor thing and Harry fell, and let's say that staff, referee,
> etc. couldn't act fast enough... But, fortunately, that didn't happen, and
> so we have more HP books. <Grin>
> 

Ah, but would a couple of teenagers dressed in a sheet believe that they 
would have the same mental effect on Harry as a real Dementor? Unlikely.
So far as I can see, they know Harry passed out in the Express in the
presence of a Dementor, but do not necessarily appreciate just how
much more intensely Harry was affected by, let's  call it the creatures
mental field.  

I've always read this passage as an attempt at distracting Harry, maybe 
even hoping he'd fly away from the Quidditch grounds. Then would come
the jeering - "Yah! Frightened of a piece of cloth!" But it backfired, it wasn't
the sight of a Dementor that affected Harry, it was the mental effects.
And since there weren't any mental effects it couldn't work.

Kneasy