Snape and dementors Was Re: Why does Dumbledore make Snape DADA teacher?

[zgirnius]

No: HPFGUIDX 158598

> Steven1965aaa:
> 
> IMO Snape would not be as effective at dealing with Dementors 
> through the Patronus charm because his "happy memory" would not 
have 
> the same power as Harry's.  IMO the patronus charm is a "love" 
charm 
> and that's why Harry's is so powerful.  I don't mean "love" charm 
in 
> the sense of love potion --- I mean that the swelling of emotion 
and 
> feeling associated with a happy memory would make the spell 
> powerful, just like Harry's swelling of feeling made Voldemort's 
> possession of him in the ministry intolerable for Voldemort. Just a 
> guess of course, and I don't mean to say that Snape would not be 
> capable of generating some measure of positive emotion, but this 
> would explain why Harry is so good at this particular charm.

zgirnius:
I think Snape is definitely capable of casting the charm. There's 
just too much indication he's a crackerjack DADA wizard. (Not to 
mention, I doubt he would badmouth Tonks' Patronus as 'weak' if his 
own was). But I agree that you are probably right about Harry and the 
charm. I would not be surprised if it turned out he's better than 
anyone at it, as part of having 'the power the Dark Lord knows not'.

Snape, however, seems to have some mysterious other way of dealing 
with them.