State of the DA (was:Fear as a Crime (Re: muggle baiting )

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 156320

Carol earlier:
> >
> > But there was a huge difference. Harry learned to cast a Patronus
> using a Boggart that took the form of a Dementor, so he not only 
knew the spell but could cast it even while Dementors were sucking out
his happiness (and, of course, he also saw his future self driving
away Dementors and knew he could do it). The DA members can cast the
spell in the RoR, but they've never used it against even a Boggart
Dementor--and no one but Harry has a Dementor Boggart, as far as we know. 
> 
> PJ responded:
> 
> But since the DA meetings were all held in the ROR, anything 
> required is available for the asking.  Perhaps even a boggart or two 
> to practice on?  The DA members could request the room tuck a couple 
> of boggarts in a bureau drawer or something handy like that.  
> 
> If Harry himself let it out we know it would turn into a dementor 
> and we also know once they're released anyone can interact with it 
> (ie: Molly's greatest fears).  So first the kids would learn the 
> charm well enough to do it quickly, then they could "graduate" to 
> actually working on Harry's boggart-dementors for a taste of the 
> real thing.    

Carol responds:
The Boggart would only remain a Dementor while Harry was facing it. If
anyone else faced it, it would turn into a spider or a zombie or
whatever that person's boggart was, or it would become confused
because it was trying to turn into more than one person's greatest
fear. so Harry is the only person who can train himself to face a
Dementor by facing a Boggart. (Maybe Ron could use one to train
himself to stop fearing spiders, but that's another matter.)

> 
Carol earlier: 
> > Maybe the other DA members, at least the core half dozen, will be
able to use their Patronuses (Patroni?) to communicate with each
other, but I think only Harry can actually use a Patronus to drive
away a Dementor. 
> 
PJ responded:
> 
> You may be right but the way JKR brought all the parts together... 
> the entire DA (including Neville!) able to create something as 
> difficult and *advanced* as a corporeal patronus, the ROR, the 
> dementors breeding... it just screams dementor attack in book 7 to 
> me.  And I'll go out even further on this limb and say the dementor 
> attack will either happen at the wedding or in Hogsmead when the 
> kids are there for their outing. <g>

Carol responds:
Oh, I think you're right that the Dementors would be attracted to a
wedding (even a small one, and I don't think that Bill and Fleur will
invite a huge wedding party unless they want to attract the DEs as
well) because of the happiness they can suck up. But I doubt that Ron
and Hermione will find their Patronuses useful in the attack, which is
where Snape's alternate method for fighting Dementors (which Hermione
will surely remember) could come in handy.

Carol, hoping that Madame Maxime won't call attention to the wedding
by arriving in her house-sized flying carriage