Dementor's Allegiance

[Sirius Potter Fan]

This thought just sprung up in a thread about Fudge...but

Just when did the Dementors start doing Voldemort's wishes? It is made obvious when they leave Azkaban, releasing all the imprisioned DE's. but they have acted questionably much sooner than that...Think about PoA, the dementors came specificaly after Harry, not just once, but several times, without cause...on the train, during the quidditch match, at the lake. and in GoF, they performed the "kiss" on Barty without being instructed to do so, before Dumbledore could talk to him, posibly on Voldemorts orders not to let Barty spill any more information as to his wherabouts, plans etc... any thoughts?

[Hermione]

Dumbledore has said that he mistrusts the dementors and that he wishes the ministery wouldn't ally themselves with such creatures. He also instructs Fudge to remove them from Azkaban, as they were Voldmort's best supporters.

Who is the head warden at Azkaban? Is it a former death eater? A dementor? Or a creature uneffected by their powers?

[Sirius Potter Fan]

Who is the head warden at Azkaban? Is it a former death eater? A dementor? Or a creature uneffected by their powers?

hmmmm now that is a good question. I had never even thought about a warden, but I suppose there would have to be one wouldn't there? My vote would be some creature unaffected by the dementors powers. at least while they were there. Now that they are gone...could be anyone I suppose...GIVE THE JOB TO PERCY! :p

[kashlie]

I have been wondering what exactly can be done to the dementors if they don't do as they are told?
Patronus' don't destroy them, just chase them away. Anyone who tries to defeat them would just be sucked dry...
So, it is plain to me that the dementors govern themselves, and only ever did what the MoM asked, because there were no better offers at the time. I think as soon as there was any hint of Voldemort being back, that was it.
But if no one can truly stop a dementor, what was stopping them from doing as they pleased anyway?

[Sirius Potter Fan]

I have been wondering what exactly can be done to the dementors if they don't do as they are told?
Patronus' don't destroy them, just chase them away. Anyone who tries to defeat them would just be sucked dry...
So, it is plain to me that the dementors govern themselves, and only ever did what the MoM asked, because there were no better offers at the time. I think as soon as there was any hint of Voldemort being back, that was it.
But if no one can truly stop a dementor, what was stopping them from doing as they pleased anyway?


I have a feeling that there is some way to destroy them. perhaps Avada Kedavra works just as well on them? Dumbledore had some amount of control over them. and...hmmmm...thinking about my poor Sirius, the dementors couldn't feed on him, because he knew he was innocent... so it could be possible to starve them. I wonder... could occlumency work on them?

[Kingsley]

It is weird because I dont think of them as having minds--more of creatures of instincts and soul cravings

But now the question is how do you end a dememtor and did Dumbledore know how--could the dementors sense it :D

[George]

Well, I never really believed that we were told enough about these mysterious creatures. There's too much secrecy and hush-hush about them. Someone should just come along and tell us the whole tale, in one of the books. But, as long as we are left to speculate, I will keep it simple and say that they are a lot like mercenaries- work for whoever they like and will best appreciate them. In this case, the Dark Lord. While Voldy was "gone", they were with the MoM. After Voldemort, they may happily come back to the Ministry, or as security guards in some other place... but, the truth about them is still concealed by JKR's secrecy... :)

[Hermione]

Well, I never really believed that we were told enough about these mysterious creatures. There's too much secrecy and hush-hush about them.
I think she may have done that on purpose and not only to keep up suspense. JKR has confirmed that dementors symbolize depression, and it's easy to see the connection. Today's society has a hush-hush attitude towards mental illnesses, much like the wizards to the dementors. And our knowledge of them.

Back to the thread...

If you starve a dementor, will they turn to canabalism and feed on each other? But since they don't have souls, won't it be useless? Maybe we can trap them all in Azkaban and have a dementor's Donner Party. Hmm, maybe I will have dreams of this one too...

I do believe there probably is a way to destory a dementor, perhaps by exposing it to overwhelming joy, happiness, fufillment, love? If it is so overpowerful, it may die. I would picture it's mouth getting bigger and bigger and bigger, until it had just swallowed up it's entire body.

[Sir Cadogan]

The patronus charm is a very powerful kind of defensive magic. There may be other kinds of spells that we just haven't seen yet - similar to the one Snape uses in the Shrieking Shack to bind Lupin and Black, only on a grander scale. Why shouldn't there be a spell that sort of herds together huge groups of "things", even if they are as strange as the Dementors? Thus it should be able to keep them in a kind of magic prison, which they probably don't like. Possibly, a threat to apply such kinds of magic has hitherto kept them under the Ministry's control; and Dumbledore certainly knows about such ways of controlling them, too.

So, the Dementors' behaviour would suggest that somebody promised them not only better chances to feed on people's happy feelings, but also promised to protect them against "good" wizards. Now who could that be? ;)

[Alz]

I think the Dementors just do what is natural to them.
They sucks the joy and happiness out of people just by being close to them - and when then times comes and someone doesnt respond to this - I think that is when their insticts tell them to go for a quick kiss ;)
There is obviously someway you can communicate with them - when the MoM took them on for their duties they must have articulated to them the realms of what they can and cant do.
The Dementors aren't ferel - they have a nature nature that makes them so what they do - but I think that can be communicated to at a level.
I think that perhaps one or two forget the boundries and then their nature kicks in - but up to that point they are able to understand and follow directions.
It was a sweet deal to them - they have people they can get their feeds from - and in exchange they guard the prison - it is a good relationship to them and the MoM -well it was :D

[Hermione]

I think the Dementors just do what is natural to them...
The Dementors aren't ferel - they have a nature nature that makes them so what they do - but I think that can be communicated to at a level.


To hear Blaise tell it they almost sound like a misunderstood, helpless victim of a specices. Shudder. :eek: Makes me think of cuddley Nazis.

I think the dementors controll themeselves. Think, what would have been done with them had they not been guarding Azkaban? They would have been destoryed and punished like the rest of Voldemort's followers. If they co-operated they could go back to him at any time.

Really I think they are intelligent creatures, even if they are a bit evil.

[Alz]

You arent a writer are you - cause that way with words and all is brilliant :D

What I am saying is that it is part of their nature - like yours to breath and eat - they need to consume happiness and spread misery.
Their are doing what they need to live, thrive and survive - I dont think they are doing what we consider right - just acting on habit.
Are they capable of supressing it - sure why not - but did you think for a second they actually might need the meals of the souls to sustain them?
That could be like eating - they need sustanance ;)

[Fortescue]

Dementors seem to need someone to tell them what to do, and they do follow orders as in obeying Umbridge by going to Little Whinging, and standing guard at Hogwarts for almost a year. They seem to be creatures of instinct, as when they invaded the field at Harry's Quidditch match. As Lupin explained to Harry, they were getting hungry - all the emotions released during the Quidditch match was kind of like a feast to them. I don't think they were so much there specifically for Harry, but he noted as he was chasing the snitch that they were looking up at him, possibly because at that moment, as he chased the snitch, his emotions of happiness were strongest.

Voldemort could offer the Dementors much more than the Ministry. I don't think he would restrict them from feeding whenever they liked.

[Alz]

Totally agreed - Voldemort's attraction was like what you said - a chance for them to feast whenever they wanted to - regardless of subject and situation.
For years they were almost 'hand fed' but the Wizarding world - they become almost lazy and when they broke with the program I am sure there was a punishment even a Dementor wouldnt like - like shutting them in a room with pink walls and my little ponies or something :D
I think Voldemort offered them the chance to 'live' and they liked the proposition of being around someone that could inspire such raw emotions in people - mostly fear :)

[Hermione]

You arent a writer are you - cause that way with words and all is brilliant :D



No I'm not a writer, just a college kid. Nice thought though! :)

I understand what you mean Blaise, they need to survive and it makes sense that they would put their own survival as a first priority. They are only acting in their base needs and impulses. They can not help their actions, so this leaves the course of action up to the MoM.

Should they be destroyed?

They are horrid creatures. Should the ministry keep the prison active in order to ensure the survival of dementors? If you look at it from a certain perspective it makes sense from an animal/creature rights point of view, no matter how horrid or foul they are they should live.

But on the other hand, the sacrifice in order for them to live and flourish is so great, humans would have to suffer considerably and some would lose their souls and be forever lost in dispair...so a species can survive?

[Fortescue]

For years they were almost 'hand fed' but the Wizarding world - they become almost lazy and when they broke with the program I am sure there was a punishment even a Dementor wouldnt like - like shutting them in a room with pink walls and my little ponies or something :D


:D
My little ponies ? :p I think that would do away with the whole lot of them at once :D

I wonder what would happen to Dementors if you tried to give them a hug before they could give you a kiss?

[Sir Cadogan]

I wonder what would happen to Dementors if you tried to give them a hug before they could give you a kiss?

:D They wouldn't be amused ... It seems they have no nerves capable of feeling except through their mouths - rather awkward, in fact. Because they don't really "feel" anything themselves (or so I think), but they more or less "eat" and "digest" the happiness of other people. So they live on metaphysical matter, as it were. Very tricky.

Let's look into our crystal ball: What will happen when they've achieved world dominion? Not one single happy thought will have remained by then, and they're going to die out from starvation.