Dementors and souls

[hendlei]

No: HPFGUIDX 156108

I haven't seen this topic discussed, or even mentioned, anywhere,
either on this discussion board or any other. It is, in fact, a new
idea to me, and it nearly stopped me in my tracks when it hit me.

I am in the process of reading PoA for the umptyumpth time and, in
the chapter where Lupin and Harry discuss the various powers of
Dementors (chapter The Patronus) the subject of "the soul" comes up.
We learn that Dementors feed on human emotion and prize the human
soul above all else. In GoF, Crouch, Jr., tells us that Dementors are
blind and "feel" their way to their prey by sensing the soul (chapter
Veritaserum). Dementors appear again in OoP (chapter Dudley Demented)
and yet another discussion of their powers takes place, including the
sucking out of souls, this time with Harry giving information to the
Dursleys.

Why are we being given so much information about Dementors?
Throughout the series, topics that occur over and over usually lead
to something important.

Then, in HBP, there are long discussions about the soul, about
splitting it and hiding parts of it inside a horcrux (hereinafter
called HCX). Since the soul contains what Lupin in PoA refers to as
the "sense of self," each piece of soul embedded in an HCX must
contain a piece of humanity with human emotions and with a human
inclination to protect itself. In CoS the piece of soul took the
image of a youthful Tom Riddle and tried to destroy Harry. He only
failed because he underestimated Harry. Could it be that DD is
injured not by spells put around the HCX he found (spells he probably
could have handled), but by the piece of soul trying to protect
itself?

Also, could Harry, in his quest to destroy the remaining HCXs trick
the Dementors into helping him by throwing one or more HCX in their
path? If they can't see, but do sense souls, can they destroy the bit
of soul in an HCX by "sucking it out"?

The basic question that occurred to me while reading PoA was: Can the
Dementors actually help stop LV while he believes they are his
allies? DD believes that LV doesn't know when or if an HCX has been
destroyed and, if that is true, it is possible to destroy several
before he realizes it.

As I said at the beginning, I've not seen this idea explored before,
yet it does tickle the imagination and brings together threads that
are currently lying around loosely.

hendlei