Dementor's Nature (Re: Dementors and the MoM)

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 124733


Geoff:
A couple of thoughts crossed my mind while reading this thread.

Jen wrote:
"Then there's the piece about the morality of the Kiss. Lupin asks
Harry to consider whether anyone deserves to have their soul sucked
out, and Harry responds some people do deserve it. Obviously Lupin
doesn't feel the same way."

I wonder whether Harry has revised his views a bit. When he said
this, he was still under the impression that Sirius had betrayed his
parents to Voldemort. He later found that this was not true and, as a
result, was involved in the rescue. Dumbledore remarks to him when he
feels that nothing has changed:

"It made all the difference in the world, Harry. You helped uncover
the truth. You saved an innocent man from a terrible fate."
(POA "Owl Post Again" p.310, UK edition)

Also, he also experiences the fear of being kissed when the Dementor
seizes him just before the Patronus appears. I feel those two events
would make Harry change his views.

Again, Tonks wrote:
"I think of the Dementor as a Demon Tormentor hence: Dementor"

Interestingly, I've always associated it with "demented", which my
dictionary defines as "wild and irrational" from the Latin "demens"
(= insane). The "-or" ending of the word suggests that they are the
producers of this, i.e. contact with Dementors - short of being
kissed - might affect you in this way.

In other words, "Warning. Dementors can seriously damage your health"
and "Every Dementor carries a Government health warning." :-)