[HPforGrownups] Dumbledore: Patronus and Dementors

[Christine Maupin]

No: HPFGUIDX 173644

Caius Marcius <coriolan at worldnet.att.net>  wrote:                                 
>I believe that on her website, JKR said that the Patronus spell was 
 >invented by Dumbledore. We know from PoA how much Dumbldore detests 
 >dementors, and what a mistake it was for the Ministry to work with 
 >them. But did Dumbledore inadvertently make that unhealthy alliance 
>possible through his creation of the Patronus spell, or is there 
>another way to deal with dementors without the side effects?
  
  

I believe that what JKR said is that Dumbledore came up with the idea and means for Order members to use their Patronuses for communication, not that he invented the Patronus Charm itself.  Her words from her FAQ section:

"Members of the Order use their Patronuses to communicate with each other.  They are the only wizards who know how to use their spirit guardians in this way and they have been taught to do so by Dumbledore (he invented this method of communication.)  The Patronus is an immensely efficient messenger for several reasons:  it is an anti-Dark Arts device, which makes it highly resilient to interference from Dark wizards; it is not hindered by physical barriers; each Patronus is unique and distinctive, so that there is never any doubt which Order member has sent it; nobody else can conjure another person's Patronus, so there is no danger of false messages being passed between Order members; nothing conspicuous needs to be carried by the Order member to create a Patronus."

I find it interesting that Snape apparently communicated with Black and Lupin in OOTP via Patronuses using a form that represented their best friend's wife and they didn't know it.  Wouldn't they be curious that this dark wizard had a doe -- a rather meek creature and the mate of a stag -- for a Patronus?  How many of us assumed his Patronus would be a bat, or vulture, or spider, or some other unappealing creature?

Christy