Dementors and Horcruxes

[ornadv]

No: HPFGUIDX 144902

>Allie:

>I have wondered if they can be killed. The Patronus can drive them
>away, but it doesn't destroy them. Because in theory, if they can't 
>be destroyed and they CAN breed, in a short time the entire planet 
>would be overrun by dementors! (Unless their lifespan is 
>ultrashort, but I have no reason to think it is.)

Orna:
We know they can feel starved, if they can't dwell on human 
feelings, especially happy or excited ones. Patronus which are 
produced with human joy, but are not-human drive them away. I think 
occlumenting humans might also starve them, in a way. 
It would seem that trying to kill them would be difficult, since 
trying to kill might involve some excited emotion. 
There is some way of controlling them, since the ministry used to 
have them work for them, and now Voldemort uses them – has to order 
them etc. I have often wondered how it was possible for Fudge in GoF 
to be accompanied by the dementor for Barty's Crouch kiss, without 
suffering from the dementor's company, or him and DD visiting 
Azkaban. It seems there are ways of neutralizing dementors. 
Perhaps they are forced to be "undementorish" towards authority 
figures, who control them? 
About breeding – I thought the dementors were breeding, because the 
WW was alarmed to Voldemort's return, and therefore anxious and sad 
feelings were bound to be all around. It seems the right atmosphere 
for dementor-breeding. And in this sense you are right, that the 
entire planet is being filled by them.
 Perhaps if the WW-community feels stronger, and more confident, it 
wouldn't be the "right" atmosphere for breeding, and then old age 
would kill them of, or at least there would be less of them. 

Orna