Death Undone?

[kashlie]

Okay, there are two reasons I am doing this thread - one, because when I thought of it, I had had very little sleep, and a lot more alcohol, and two, because Kaz's thread 'Spells undone' reminded me of it!

Here goes...

If there is a way to kill Dementors, and it does happen, will the souls they have sucked out return to the bodies they came from - assuming the souless bodies are still alive in Azkaban?


And what if Voldemort is making Inferi out of the Dementor's victims? As a friend asked, would they then become brain-eating zombies with feelings? (a little far fetched, but nonetheless, a disturbing thought.)

[Alz]

We are not told if the body dies once the soul is sucked out unless I missed something ...
It would seem to be like a death sentance to me - I think perhaps the only existance from the experience would be the persons soul in the Dementors body.
I mean - going back to what you are saying - no, I dont think the souls will return back - the body would seem almost lost - I would suspect it withers and dies in a very short term .. I mean I just dont see how you can have these souless vessels about - this is what made me think that was where Dementors came from - because the body would slowly die with no soul - it would crave a soul - but then JKR said in HBP they are breeding - that woudl suggest a normal entrance to the world.

The inferi thing is interesting but Dumbledore and Snape I think both stated it was dead people - once again look above to the big white space known as what happens to a body post Dementor's kiss.
You might have a point thou - so nice!

[Boing]

I do remember that somewhere along the way in the discussions about Dementors, Harry does learn that the body remains behind and alive once the kiss has been performed, but as Blaise said, I don't know how long it remains behind. The narrative did say that the person is left behind as a shell of themselves and that they could never recover.

[Tonks]

.. and Lupin said that over time, the victim would become something like the dementor itself - soulless and evil.

Uhh - let's see. I think I am with Blaise on this one, I doubt that the souls can return to the people's bodies. For one reason, the dementors happiness-sucking has been referred to as 'feeding' (as well as 'breeding'), which seems to me like they can sort of digest it / use it up and it isnt like they just keep it contained inside themselves, but they need a constant stream of it or they get "hungry" (hungry for happiness LOL) .. For another, if the victim turns into something like a Dementor (im still undecided about whether or not they turn into actual dementors or not), then they cant exactly get their own souls back - it wouldn't fit..

I really hope there is a way to kill/ get rid of Dementors forever, otherwise that's going to be quite a big problem. Maybe Hermione'll figure out a way to get rid of them - ;) .. I sort of think there isn't though because Lupin said the Patronus Charm is the only defense against them really.. we can hope though..

I'm also with Blaise on the Inferi thing - I don't think the victims are all necessarily dead .. and so they cant really be made into Inferis if they aren't.. seeing as how Inferi are pretty much just reanimated dead bodies..