The nature of Patronuses (Patroni?)

[Bex]

No: HPFGUIDX 152051

<massive snippage>
> > Julie:
> > The When: I can't think of any reason for JKR to introduce the
> > concept of a patronus changing so late in the saga, and in such
> > a brief, isolated moment (Snape mentions it, then the subject  
> > never resurfaces) other than to set a foundation for the  
subject's
> > reappearance in Book 7, this time with plot relevance.
> 

> Potioncat:
> JKR said a Patronus was resistent to evil. Only the Order members 
> know how to use the Patronus as a message. Now, I suppose Snape 
could 
> teach someone else to cast a Patronus this way. Or maybe it's 
> important that he didn't teach Patronuses to his DADA class at all. 
> Is a Patronus something DEs would sneer at, like Draco sneered at 
> DADA class in general? So now only the DD side can conjure them? I 
> know other Wizards know about them, but how many witches and 
wizards 
> can cast them?

> >Julie:
> > 5. Finally, will the mentioned difference in Harry's and Snape's
> > approaches to repelling Dementors have significance in Book 7?
> 
> Potioncat:
> It could be that Harry will save Snape, as you suggested. With all 
> that mist in HBP, it might be good to know more than one way to 
skin 
> a Dementor. Someone...I wish I remembered who...suggested that 
Snape 
> may have chased away the Dementors in PoA without a Patronus. It's 
> also interesting that we weren't told what Snape's method was.
> 

OO! OO! OO! OO!
I am sooooo glad someone picked up on the different approaches to 
repelling Dementors. I read Potioncat's reply above and almost jumped 
out of my chair.

Snape apparently didn't teach his class about Patroni. I think the 
Harry filter would have said something about it if he did. Perhaps 
the reason he didn't teach them (and subsequently argued with Harry 
about the best way to deal with dementors) was because he didn't want 
to teach them about Patroni? Maybe because should someone very clever 
in the Black Hat camp discover how to use them for messages, and 
extract messages from them, they could be intercepted?

Perhaps Snape is trying to cover the order there.

I am sure we haven't seen the last of the Dementors. Perhaps 
the "change in the Patronus' form" scene we saw with Snape and Tonks 
does have more to it than the obvious. I'd love to learn more about 
the Patronus messaging that the order uses, I'm sure we'll see it 
much more often - perhaps Lupin will teach Harry more about it?

And two sidenotes:
1) Snape using Tonks' name wasn't all /that/ special. Remember, 
he /was/ her Professor several years ago. And I'm betting he couldn't 
care less what your nickname was - he'd call you whatever he wanted 
to.

2) How does "Figgy" communicate with the Order? She's a Squib. Did 
she just summon Dung to send something for her, or did DD trust the 
floo network in her place?

`Yb