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

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 156416

Carol earlier:
> > So I repeat--being able to cast a corporeal Patronus in the Room
of Requirement when they haven't so much as faced a Boggart Dementor
is no guarantee that the DA members can cast one when faced with a
real Dementor determined to suck out their happiness and just possibly
their souls.
> 
Alla responded:
> 
> I agree, it is **no guarantee** that they will be  able to cast the 
> Patronus in the battle, but IMO that was the whole point to make 
> them learn it. IMO JKR will not go in the trouble of describing so 
> many students learning Patronus spell, just to let it go.
> 
> Somebody in this thread earlier speculated that JKR will most 
> certainly have fun with the battle scene and beatiful Patronuses 
> flying around and driving out the Dementors.
> 
> I agree, for literary economy purposes if nothing else.
><snip>
> I speculate that something like this will happen - in a sense that 
> kids will be forced to do it to protect their beloved Hogwarts or 
> younger kids or something like this. Yes, they will not be sure that 
> they could, but I predict that they will manage splendidly.

Carol responds:
But by the same token, JKR wouldn't have mentioned Snape's alternate
method of fighting a Patronus unless it, too, will come up in Book 7.

I'll bet you a ginger newt that Hermione tries and fails to cast her
beautiful otter Patronus against a real Dementor and just in the nick
of time remembers Snape's method, which saves her life and Ron's. Or
something along those lines.

Carol, who thinks that not many people are going to "manage
splendidly" and Harry isn't the only one who's underprepared