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

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 124759


Meri now, popping up from lurkdom: 
1) What exactly is a Dementor? I know that we know from JKR that they 
represent depression (and chillingly well, might I add), but where in 
the WW do they come from? They don't seem equipped for procreation, 
and unlike many of the other beasts and beings in the WW they didn't, 
IIRC, make an appearance in FB. Are they born? Were they created by 
some horrid experiment gone awry? Or are they manifested by negative 
human feeling (ala the slime in Ghostbusters II)? 


Alla:

Great questions, Meri. For some reason I find the idea of Dementors 
bein the result of awful experiment gone wary to be very agreeable. 
Could it be the experiment in MoM?

I just cannot imagine natural borne beings to be able to experience 
happiness for only one reason - sucking happiness from others.


Could you clarify please what do you mean by " manifested by negative 
human feeling"? Are you suggesting that they appear on Earth when 
somebody is hurting, feeling negative, destructive emotion? 
Interesting.


Meri: 
2) Do Dementors have free will? We can assume that, because they 
follow directions, they have some rudimentary understanding of the 
world around them, but can they choose to do things on their own? Are 
they creatures that are slaves like the house elves? Now, IMHO the 
things the MoM has asked them to do (namely guard Azkaban and suck 
out people's souls) have probably been things that the Dementors 
would enjoy in some sick, twisted way anyway. But what about now that 
they've abandoned Azkaban? Did they choose to do this or were they 
forced or coerced? 


Alla:

I think they do have free will ( in PoA they did come to the stadium 
even though they were specifically told not to come on the school 
grounds), or maybe they were just sort of forced to, because they 
literally cannot live without other's happiness.

 
JMO,

Alla