Lupin's Patronus

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 122699


Geoff:
> It would appear that even Lupin doesn't seem to produce a 
 recognisable Patronus or Hermione would have given a clearer 
 description of it - and his silver vapour, or whatever, did drive 
the Dementor away.
> 
> JLV:
> Hermione doesn't describe this as silver vapour at all, but a 
> silvery "thing". Surely if it was mist/vapur she wouldn't have 
> called it a thing? And to say that "Hermione would have given a 
> clearer description of it" if it was corporeal rather than mist is 
> rather unjustified. <

Pippin:
Especially since Hermione doesn't give a clear description of 
Dumbledore's patronus either. Here's what she says about 
Dumbledore driving the dementors away from the Quidditch 
match:

"Dumbledore was really angry," Hermione said in a quaking 
voice. "I've never seen him like that before. He ran onto the field 
as you fell, waved his wand, and you sort of slowed down before 
you hit the ground. Then he whirled his wand at the dementors. 
Shot silver stuff at them. They left the stadium right away...."

--PoA ch 9


JKR has confirmed that Dumbledore's patronus is a phoenix. It  
sounds here like Dumbledore generated several at once. One 
could argue, of course,  that Dumbledore, though capable of the 
corporeal patronus, did not produce one here. However the 
dementors did leave immediately.


Hermione was panicky herself when she witnessed Lupin's 
patronus and Dumbledore's -- she may not have been the most 
accurate observer.

Canon is not conclusive, but there are  indications that  only the 
corporeal  or "true" patronus will drive a dementor away.

: "I thought a Patronus would --charge the dementors down or 
something, " said Harry dispiritedly. "Make them disappear--"
"The true Patronus does do that," said Lupin. PoA ch 12

But the indistinct patronus only hovers and drains the caster of 
energy. It blocks the dementors advance as long as it lasts, but 
can't dismiss it:

Ch 12: PoA p 242 US hardcover: 
--and then a huge, silver shadow came bursting out of the end of 
Harry's wand, to hover between him and the dementor...

Ch12 PoA p 245
Several sessions on he was able to produce an indistinct silvery 
shadow every time the boggart-dementor approached him, but 
his Patronus was too feeble to drive the dementor away. All it did 
was hover, like a semi-transparent cloud, draining Harry of 
energy as he fought to keep it there.

Ch 20 PoA
A thin wisp of silver escaped his wand, and hovered like mist 
before him.

Ch 1 OOP
A silvery wisp of vapor shot from the tip of his wand and the 
dementor slowed, but the spell hadn't worked properly; tripping 
over his feet, Harry retreated farther as the dementor bore down 
upon him, panic fogging his brain--*concentrate*--

Although Lupin says he has confidence that Harry will be able to 
handle a real dementor attack with just the wisp of a patronus, 
Harry  tells his own class they should practice with a boggart 
even after some of them can produce a true patronus. 

In fact, he varies his technique from Lupin's by having the class 
learn without a mock dementor  at first. I wonder if Harry feels he 
would have made faster progress himself if he had been 
allowed to do this.  I also wonder whether Lupin had some 
ulterior motives, like wanting to find out  who was  at Godric's 
Hollow besides Voldemort.

"You heard James?"

But then I have my suspicions, you see.

Pippin