The Harry Potter series is known for its fantastic beasts but there are certain creatures in the Potter universe which are not fantastic but the “foulest creatures to walk the earth”. Dementors are not only dangerous but make a person feel dead inside (literally as they suck out your soul). We were introduced to them in the third book of the series and here are some facts about these creatures that you may not know.
10. They grow in decaying places:
Dementors are not born, they grow in places where there are too much misery and horror. The dementors at Azkaban grew thereafter an evil wizard did experiments on innocent muggles and tortured them in that fort. The foul creatures feed on misery and grow stronger with every tormented person.
9. Voldemort got them on his side:
Even though not much is known about the nature and biology of dementors, we know that they are evil and greedy. Voldemort recognized this fact and therefore offered them positions in his army. He offered them bodies to feed off and got their allegiance. They supported him in not just the second wizarding war but also helped the death eaters including Bellatrix Lestrange escape.
8. The Azkaban dementors were found there:
You may wonder where the dementors came from and how did they become the protectors of Azkaban. Well for starters dementors weren’t really appointed by wizards to work at the wizard prison. When Azkaban was discovered by the wizarding community, the dementors were discovered there too. It is believed that the former evil inhabitant of the fortress did evil experiments there and the amount of suffering he caused to the poor muggles in the fortress led to the growth of dementors. So when Azkaban was rediscovered it was infested with these foul creatures.
7. Wizards were scared of their wrath:
As we now know that dementors were found in the Azkaban fort on the island and were later made the guards of the wizard prison. However, this wasn’t the first decision by the wizarding community and the Azkaban fort was to be destroyed but the wizards were worried that the dementors could take revenge and come after them. Later Azkaban was turned into a prison so that the dementors could stay there and guard the prisoners.
6. They create a fog that is visible to muggles:
Muggles, as we know, cannot see most magical things and therefore they cannot see the dementors too. However, they can certainly feel the effect of dementors and can even see a mist or fog where the dementors are. Through this muggles can feel the presence of the foul creatures and the fog is certainly a warning.
5. The Dementor’s kiss:
All Potterheads are aware of this term and it certainly creates a sense of terror in the prisoners of Azkaban. The dementor’s kiss refers to the despicable act through which the dementors suck out the soul of their victims. It is surely the most horrifying punishment ever and the ones who die because of the kiss cannot become ghosts as they have lost their souls to the monsters.
4. Chocolate works like a miracle against them:
We have all tried to life our moods by eating a chocolate right? Have you ever wondered what makes the chocolate so effective? Well, chocolate has mood enhancing properties which help us feel better and positive instantly. Positivity works like a shield against dementors so chocolate is a short-term remedy for it.
3. How Sirius Black survived them:
Azkaban is a terrifying place to live for a wizard and the Dementors made sure every prisoner was depressed and mentally unhinged. However, dementors can only feed off of human emotions and don’t have that much power over animals. Sirius, as we know, was an animagus and could take the form of a dog and therefore he spent most of his time there in his animagus form. Also, the fact that he knew about his own innocence helped him stay mentally stable and plot his escape.
2. Dementors are no longer the guards of Azkaban:
After the second wizarding war and Voldemort’s death, dementors were finally fired from their jobs. After the war, the new Minister for Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt ushered in the reforms and the Dementors were driven out and replaced by Aurors, who would all take rotating shifts at the prison along with their regular duties. It is not known how to kill dementors so they could only be driven away and it could not have been an easy task. It is true that dementors turned Azkaban into a completely inhumane facility so it was really important to banish them.
1. They were inspired by JKR’s own depression:
JK Rowling is a successful writer today who gave the world the most loved series but nothing came easily to her. She went through depression in her life when she was at the rock bottom. A single mother whose book got rejected more than 10 times by publishers, Rowling really was at her worst time. At that time she got inspired to create these creatures and described depression as:
“The 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.”
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