In the fictional Harry Potter books, a Dementor is a soul-sucking fiend who guards the wizard prison, Azkaban. In the books, Dementors appear to have a generally human shape, approximately ten feet (3,05 meters) in height, but covered in dark, hooded cloaks which reveal only grey, decayed hands. The wraith-like creatures have no eyes, and there is a large hole where the mouth should be, which is used for sucking the soul out of the victim in a process called the "Dementor's Kiss". According to the author, J.K. Rowling, they grow like fungi in the darkest, dankest places, creating a dense, chilly fog. Dementors can levitate freely and can travel to nearly any altitude to capture their prey. For other uses, see Fiction (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Harry Potter series of novels. ... For other uses, see Soul (disambiguation). ... Azkaban is the fictional wizard prison in the Harry Potter series of books by J. K. Rowling. ... Evening cloak or manteau, from Costume Parisien, 1823 A cloak is a type of loose garment that is worn over indoor clothing and serves the same purpose as an overcoat—it protects the wearer from the cold, rain or wind for example, or it may form part of a fashionable... For other uses, see Wraith (disambiguation). ... Joanne Rowling OBE (born July 31, 1965 in Chipping Sodbury, South Gloucestershire), commonly known as J.K. Rowling (pronunciation: roll-ing; her former students used to joke with her name calling her the Rolling Stone), is a British fiction writer. ... Levitation is the process by which an object is suspended against gravity, in a stable position, by a force without physical contact. ...

Dementors are invisible to Muggles, but affect them in the same way. While at least one Squib in the series has claimed to see a Dementor, J. K. Rowling has stated that this was a lie and she noticed it because of the effect it has on her.^[1] J. K. Rowling has likened the effect of a Dementor to the human ailment known as depression, which the author has herself experienced.^[2] She describes it as "that absence of being able to envisage that you will ever be cheerful again. The absence of hope. That very deadened feeling, which is so very different from feeling sad."^[3] This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Blood purity is a central concept in the Harry Potter series of books by J. K. Rowling. ... Joanne Jo Murray née Rowling OBE (born 31 July 1965[2]), who writes under the pen name J. K. Rowling,[3] is an English writer and author of the Harry Potter fantasy series. ... Joanne Jo Murray née Rowling OBE (born 31 July 1965[2]), who writes under the pen name J. K. Rowling,[3] is an English writer and author of the Harry Potter fantasy series. ... Clinical depression (also called major depressive disorder, or unipolar depression when compared to bipolar disorder) is a state of intense sadness, melancholia or despair that has advanced to the point of being disruptive to an individuals social functioning and/or activities of daily living. ...

Lethifolds from J.K. Rowling's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them share many of the same characteristics as Dementors. The Patronus Charm is the only spell that affects them and they have the appearance of black cloaks. Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them is a 2001 book written by English author J. K. Rowling to benefit the British charity Comic Relief. ...

Description

Dementors are soulless creatures^[4] that are considered to be among the foulest beasts on Earth.

Being blind, Dementors sense and feed on the positive emotions, happiness and good memories of human beings to move around, forcing them to relive their worst memories. The very presence of a Dementor makes the surrounding atmosphere grow cold and dark, and the effects are cumulative with the number of Dementors present. Those kept in the company of a Dementor for too long become depressed, and are often driven to insanity, which is the main source of Azkaban's horrible reputation. Their source of sustenance allows the Ministry of Magic to employ them: Dementors are at least intelligent enough to be greedy, and to obey as long as doing so provides them with a bigger feast. In the fictional universe of the Harry Potter series as written by J. K. Rowling, the Ministry of Magic is the governing body of the magical community of Britain and succeeded the earlier Wizards Council. ...

Despite their attachment to human emotion, Dementors seem to have difficulty distinguishing one human from another, as demonstrated by Barty Crouch Jr.'s escape from Azkaban, wherein they could detect no emotional/mental difference between the younger Crouch and his mother. (They sensed one healthy, one dying person entering Azkaban, and they sensed one healthy, one dying person leaving, according to Crouch Jr., who had left disguised as his dying mother.) Possibly prolonged exposure to certain humans, such as Ministry employees, makes it easier for Dementors to recognize them. Dementors can talk to humans, this is implied after Sirius Black escapes from Azkaban. They tell Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic that Black was talking in his sleep and saying "he's at Hogwarts. He's at Hogwarts". Bartemius Barty Crouch Junior is a fictional character from the Harry Potter series of books. ...

One way to shield oneself from Dementors is to use the Patronus Charm to drive them away. The charm summons a patronus, a magical manifestation of good will, providing varied levels of protection against the Dementors' influence, based on the caster's strength as a wizard. Corporeal patronuses will chase down Dementors and force them to flee the vicinity. An incorporeal patronus can only slow a Dementor down, as if the thing is walking through quicksand, and tends not to last long. This suggests that a patronus is not the only means of dealing with a dementor. Chocolate is an effective first aid to mild cases of contact, presumably due to chocolate's serotonin-dopamine boosting effects. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Magic (Harry Potter). ... For other uses, see Chocolate (disambiguation). ... Serotonin (pronounced ) (5-hydroxytryptamine, or 5-HT) is a monoamine neurotransmitter synthesized in serotonergic neurons in the central nervous system (CNS) and enterochromaffin cells in the gastrointestinal tract of animals including humans. ... Dopamine is a phenethylamine naturally produced by the human body. ...

Dementor's Kiss

In addition to feeding on positive emotions, Dementors can perform the Dementor's Kiss, where the Dementor latches its mouth onto a victim's and sucks out the person's soul. The victim is left as an empty shell, incapable of thought and with no possibility of recovery. It is believed that existing after a Dementor's Kiss is worse than death. The Ministry of Magic occasionally uses this as a punishment, such as on Barty Crouch Jr. for escaping Azkaban and posing as Alastor Moody to return Voldemort to power. It is implied by some wizards that receiving the Kiss is a fate too horrible for any criminal. Muggles who have had their souls sucked out in a Dementor's attack would mistakenly be thought to suffer from the medical condition known as Persistent Vegetative State by Muggle doctors^{[citation needed]}, since after the kiss the victim would no longer experience any higher brain activity despite the fact that no damage is done to the brain itself. For other uses, see Soul (disambiguation). ... In the fictional universe of the Harry Potter series as written by J. K. Rowling, the Ministry of Magic is the governing body of the magical community of Britain and succeeded the earlier Wizards Council. ... Bartemius Barty Crouch Junior is a fictional character from the Harry Potter series of books. ... For the record label, see Mad Eye Recordings. ... A persistent vegetative state (PVS) is a condition of patients with severe brain damage in whom coma has progressed to a state of wakefulness without detectable awareness. ...

Role in the Series

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter first encountered Dementors during his third year of school, when they were sent to guard Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry against Sirius Black, who had recently escaped Azkaban Prison. Harry, whenever he got near one, was forced to relive his worst memory: hearing the last moments of his parents' lives before they were murdered by Lord Voldemort, which begins with Harry hearing his mother screaming. His first encounter with a Dementor was on the Hogwarts Express, during which he was protected by his Defence Against the Dark Arts professor Remus Lupin. It has been suggested that Ordinary Wizarding Level be merged into this article or section. ... Sirius Black is a fictional character in the Harry Potter book series written by J. K. Rowling. ... For other uses, see Memory (disambiguation). ... Lord Voldemort (IPA: [1][2]) is a fictional character and the primary antagonist in the Harry Potter novel series written by British author J. K. Rowling. ... The Hogwarts Express, as seen in the film adaptation of the first book. ... This article or section contains a plot summary that is overly long or excessively detailed compared to the rest of the article. ...

Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore warned the Hogwarts students not to give the Dementors any reason to harm them. Although the Dementors were assigned to patrol the school's grounds, Dumbledore forbade any from entering Hogwarts itself. Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore is a fictional character within the Harry Potter series written by British author J. K. Rowling. ... It has been suggested that Ordinary Wizarding Level be merged into this article or section. ...

Harry endured a second encounter with a group of Dementors during a Quidditch game, which caused him to lose consciousness and fall from his broom. He was that time rescued by Dumbledore, who slowed Harry's fall then drove the Dementors away with a Patronus. // Quidditch is a fictional sport developed by J. K. Rowling, found in the internationally bestselling Harry Potter novels and films. ... Consciousness is a quality of the mind generally regarded to comprise qualities such as subjectivity, self-awareness, sentience, sapience, and the ability to perceive the relationship between oneself and ones environment. ...

To overcome the Dementors, Harry asked Lupin for assistance. Lupin taught Harry the Patronus Charm. When Harry finally mastered the Patronus Charm, his patronus took the form of a silver-looking stag. This article is about the chemical element. ... This article is about the ruminant animal. ...

In Harry's Quidditch match against Ravenclaw, Harry successfully used a Patronus Charm to repell three dementors on the field. However, the Dementors were really Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and Flint trying to sabotage Harry.^[5]

Harry failed to produce a fully-formed Patronus when he and Sirius Black were attacked by a group of Dementors. However, the two were miraculously saved by the intervention of a powerful and fully-formed Patronus, which had in fact been conjured by Harry himself, who had used a time turner to travel back into the past from three hours in the future. This technically counts as both Harry's third and fourth encounters with the Dementors, since, due to his time travelling, he had experienced this same encounter twice over. In the fictional Harry Potter series, many magical objects exist for the use of the characters. ... Time travel is a concept that has long fascinated humanity—whether it is Merlin experiencing time backwards, or religious traditions like Mohammeds trip to Jerusalem and ascent to heaven, returning before a glass knocked over had spilt its contents. ...

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Dementors do not appear in the fourth book of the series, but they are part of a crucial event near the end. When Cornelius Fudge visits Hogwarts to hear testimony regarding the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament and its resultant complications, he brings a Dementor with him for his own personal protection. The creature performs the Dementor's Kiss on Barty Crouch Junior; this prevents him from testifying to Lord Voldemort's role in the orchestration of the many violent and horrific events of the year, which in turn allows Fudge and the entire Ministry of Magic to take the position that Voldemort has not returned, and establishes the main conflict for the next novel. Cornelius Oswald Fudge is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling. ... It has been suggested that Ordinary Wizarding Level be merged into this article or section. ... The Champions of the 1994-1995 Triwizard Tournament: shown characters are portrayed by the actors that play them in the movies The Triwizard Tournament is a fictional tournament featured in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. ... Bartemius Barty Crouch (the younger) is a fictional character from the Harry Potter series of books. ... Lord Voldemort (IPA: [1][2]) is a fictional character and the primary antagonist in the Harry Potter novel series written by British author J. K. Rowling. ... In the fictional universe of the Harry Potter series as written by J. K. Rowling, the Ministry of Magic is the governing body of the magical community of Britain and succeeded the earlier Wizards Council. ...

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry's fifth encounter was in an alley near his home on Privet Drive, when he and his cousin Dudley Dursley were ambushed by two Dementors sent secretly and illegally by Dolores Umbridge. He was able to use the Patronus Charm successfully and was subsequently found by his Squib neighbour, Arabella Figg. J.K. Rowling had said that she may reveal in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows what Dudley's "worst memory" is; i.e. the memory the Dementors forced him to relive during this attack. "What would spoiled, pampered, bullying Dudley have been forced to hear?"^[6], but didn't. After Deathly Hallows was published she mentioned that Dudley saw himself as he really was (a spoiled bully) when he was attacked by Dementors. This article is an overview of the family tree of fictional character Harry Potter of the Harry Potter series. ... The Dursleys are Harry Potters last living relatives. ... Dolores Jane Umbridge is a fictional character from the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling. ... This article describes magic in the fictional Harry Potter universe. ... Arabella Doreen Figg (more often Mrs Figg) is a Harry Potter character who surreptitiously watches over Harry Potter while hes home with the Dursleys. ... “HP7” redirects here. ...

Dementors served the Ministry of Magic as the guards of Azkaban because this task allowed them to feed on the emotions of freely provided prisoners instead of having to hunt down victims; however, they display no interest in the larger role their activities play in wizarding society and demonstrate nothing resembling a sense of obligation to the responsibilities with which they have been entrusted. At the end of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the Dementors of Azkaban stage a mass revolt against their employers to join Lord Voldemort, as he can provide them with more humans to feast upon. “OotP” redirects here. ... Lord Voldemort (IPA: [1][2]) is a fictional character and the primary antagonist in the Harry Potter novel series written by British author J. K. Rowling. ...

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

The Dementors from Azkaban joined Voldemort and were multiplying, which caused the "unseasonal" July mist. Cornelius Fudge admits they are factors in the Prime Minister's recent decline in terms of public approval, as they are making people less happy in general. Professor Snape also requests a report on Dementors, wherein Harry disagrees with Snape on the method for confronting a Dementor. Readers could interpret this to mean there is more than one way to repel a Dementor, on the assumption that Harry chooses the Patronus Charm. Also, Rowling claims that many Death Eaters cannot produce patronuses, but they can definitely control Dementors. Azkaban is the fictional wizard prison in the Harry Potter series of books by J. K. Rowling. ... Lord Voldemort (born c. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Dramatic morning mist Mist is a phenomenon of a liquid in small droplets floating through air. ... Cornelius Oswald Fudge is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling. ... Severus Snape is a fictional character in the Harry Potter book series written by J. K. Rowling. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Magic (Harry Potter). ...

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Dementors do not play as much of a vital part in Deathly Hallows as in previous books other than being part of Voldemort's army, and sometimes causing an eerie and unnatural fog. The Ministry under the control of Voldemort used Dementors to punish those who were Muggle born for no other reason than because Voldemort hated Muggles and Muggle borns. Harry and Hermione saved a Muggle born woman from the clutches of the Dementors in an effort to acquire a Horcrux from Umbridge who was questioning the woman. Pursued by Dementors in Hogsmeade, Harry summons a patronus shortly before he meets Aberforth Dumbledore, almost giving himself away. After the appointment of Kingsley Shacklebolt to the position of Minister, Dementors are removed from Azkaban. Rowling said that after Voldemort's demise, Dementors will never be used by the Ministry of Magic again and the Ministry will contain them by limiting their numbers. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling. ... Hogsmeade is a fictional village in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling. ... Aberforth Dumbledore (born c. ... Kingsley Shacklebolt is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series of books written by J. K. Rowling. ...

Outside of Harry Potter

The word existed before the series. In fact Hitler was frequently called a dementor. Also in the program Kim Possible, there is a character named Professor Dementor Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (April 20, 1889 – April 30, 1945, standard German pronunciation in the IPA) was the Führer (leader) of the National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi Party) and of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. ... This article is about the television series. ... Professor Dementor (real last name Demenz) is a fictional villain from Disneys Kim Possible. ...

See also

• Dark creatures
• Ring Wraith
• Wraith

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Magic (Harry Potter). ... In J. R. R. Tolkiens Middle-earth legendarium, the Nazgûl (from Black Speech Nazg (ring) and Gûl (wraith, spirit); Ringwraiths, sometimes written Ring-wraiths), also known as the Nine Riders or Black or Dark Riders (or simply the Nine), are evil servants of Sauron. ... For other uses, see Wraith (disambiguation). ...

References

1. ^ J.K. Rowling official site. Extra stuff: Squibs. (Link)
2. ^ Chaundy, Bob. "Harry Potter's magician". BBC, 18 February 2003 (Link)
3. ^ Treneman, Ann. "J.K. Rowling, the interview", The Times, 30 June 2006 (Link)
4. ^ http://the-leaky-cauldron.org/2007/7/30/j-k-rowling-web-chat-transcript
5. ^ Page 263, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, USA Hardcover Edition
6. ^ Page 33, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, (UK paperback edition)