Expecto Patronum
'And Professor Lupin stepped over you, and walked towards the Dementor and pulled out his wand,' said Hermione. 'And he said," None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go." But the Dementor didn't move, so Lupin muttered something, and a silvery thing shot out of his wand at it, and it turned around and sort of glided away...'
This is the first scene where the readers are introduced to the Dementors and also to the concept of Patronus charm. Dementors represent depression, despair and hopelessness whereas the Patronus represents hope and happiness or rather a shield that protects the feelings of hope and happiness...
‘Dementors are among the foulest creatures that walk this earth. They infest the darkest, filthiest places, they glory in decay and despair, they drain peace, hope and happiness out of the air around them. Even Muggles feel their presence, though they can’t see them. Get too near a Dementor and every good feeling, every happy memory, will be sucked out of you. If it can, the Dementor will feed on you long enough to reduce you to something like itself – soulless and evil. You’ll be left with nothing but the worst experiences of your life.’
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
J.K.Rowling introduced us to the concept of Dementors, creatures so terrible that even the bravest of all wizards could weaken before them. Dementors are depression personified. She has proved it time and again that no amount of physical strength would help you to overcome Dementors. The best example is that of Hagrid. Despite his physical strength, he could not stop himself from reliving all of his worst memories while he was imprisoned in Azkaban.
When you are dealing with an attack, a physical attack, you fight it, maybe throw punches at it, wrestle it or in worst cases run away from it. But how do you deal with something that has no physical form? How do fight something that is within you? That is what depression is. You are not fighting anyone. You are fighting your own self. Like any other problem or attack, depression attacks you when you are least expecting it. It catches you in unawares. You can run away from physical attacks but how can you run away from something that is attacking you from within?
According to the HP books and movies, the only way you can repel a Dementor is by casting a Patronus which irrespective of its form or size protects you from the worst.
'The Patronus is kind of positive force, a projection of the very things that the Dementor feeds upon hope, happiness, the desire to survive...
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
As we have seen in books and in movies physical strength does not help in fighting Dementors. Fighting Dementors requires mental strength and courage.
..'With an incantation, which will work only if you are concentrating, with all your might, on a single, very happy memory.'
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
J.K.Rowling has admitted that Dementors are depression personified. So the defences which she has described are all applicable to fighting depression. According to the books, you can cast a Patronus only if you are concentrating very hard on a single happy memory.
If you read between the lines, what I interpreted was that the only thing that can repel or defeat mind monsters is happiness. Remembering a happy memory gives you hope that maybe life is not so bad, which, in turn, fuels the desire to survive, and hence you begin to look forward in life or rather look forward to life.
Depression sucks out hope, happiness, peace and every other positive feeling and replaces it with despair, misery, hopelessness and gloom. It is implied that in order to fight Dementors (depression) one requires a tremendous amount of will power and mental strength. It is easier to give in to the gloom and despair. When all you want to do is dwell on the bad things in life, to be able to pull out one teeny tiny memory that is happy and positive, is like a lone ray of sunlight penetrating deep inside a dark and lonely forest full of horrors. It gives you hope that outside this gloom and darkness the sun still shines and spreads its warmth.
Most people believe that you cannot fight depression alone. Many believe that it helps to have your own support system in place while fighting depression. I feel that the concept of a single happy memory stems from this belief. You don't have memories with yourself. All the memories, whether good or bad, are either with people or with things that you probably love or hate.
A single memory that involves something that makes you happy, like for instance, it could - a hobby, your pet, or maybe your family or friends or anything that gives you hope which I believe is the key to fight any type of depression, and the mind monsters are as good as defeated.
He raised his wand: he could not. would not suffer the Dementor's kiss, whatever happened afterwards. It was of Ron and Hermoine that he thought as he whispered,'Expecto patronum!'
Of course, the battle has just begun and there is long way to go but the very fact that you have begun to feel hope is a huge victory in itself.
DISCLAIMER: This is purely what I have learnt and understood while reading the books. This is me reading between the lines of whatever the original author has written. This is NOT an advice, medical or otherwise. Severe forms of depression requires medical help and assistance.
Edited by The.Wanderer - 3 years agoThat's an interesting take Ash..I actually never perceived the idea of Dementors and Patronus Charm in that sense relating it to real life..but now that you have mentioned it, it does resonate.
I loved how you have written that "It is easier to give into gloom and despair" very rightly said..
That's an interesting take Ash..I actually never perceived the idea of Dementors and Patronus Charm in that sense relating it to real life..but now that you have mentioned it, it does resonate.
I loved how you have written that "It is easier to give into gloom and despair" very rightly said..
Thanks Nikkie 😘😘
It means a lot when a fellow PotterHead appreciates you.
Ash... loved reading your musings on Dementors and Patronus Charm. You are a very good writer and knows how to weave your thoughts, emotions, and feelings with words. 😊
I agree!!
Ash... loved reading your musings on Dementors and Patronus Charm. You are a very good writer and knows how to weave your thoughts, emotions, and feelings with words. 😊
Thank you so much! I am so glad you liked it!
@Nikkie, thanks darling 😘
Of Bullies and Tyrants
Bullying is something which many of us have faced in our lives. Bullies, they exist everywhere. In so-called high societies and also in the lowest of low classes. Especially in today's age of the internet, a bully could be anyone... That cute guy who sits beside you in class or your newest bestie or that creep who harasses you as you walk back home. The Internet provides anonymity. There are countless faceless strangers out there who love to bully and intimidate people. It gives them a sense of power when they see that their victim is scared of them.
There is a thin line between teasing and bullying. Teasing is something which all of us indulge in. The basic intent of teasing someone is having fun and not intimidating or making that person uncomfortable. Bullying, on the other hand, is making fun of someone with the intention of making that person feel bad or purposely saying or doing something that makes the target uncomfortable.
The Internet defines bullying as "Use superior strength or influence to intimidate (someone), typically to force them to do something."
'Knew!' shrieked Aunt Petunia suddenly. 'Knew! Of course, we knew! How could you not be, my dratted sister being what she was? Oh, she got a letter just like that and disappeared off to that - that school - and came home every holiday with her pockets full of frog - spawn, turning teacups into rats. I was the only one who saw her for what she was - a freak! But for my mother and father, oh no, it was Lily this and Lily that, they were proud of having a witch in the family!...'
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Harry has faced several bullies throughout all the seven books. His uncle, aunt and cousin bullied him since he was a baby. Initially, we all thought that maybe Petunia did not like her sister Lily and she was jealous of the fact that their parents seemed to favour Lily more than her and so she was reluctant to accept Harry as her own. But in the chapter The Prince's Tale we realize that Petunia was jealous, jealous of the fact that Lily was a magical child who could go and attend Hogwarts whereas she herself could not. Lily was special and she was not. It was jealousy that made her bully her sister's only son. Sister, who she perhaps very deep down in her heart loved and was actually sad that she had died.
While growing up she and Lily had been best of friends, who stood up for each other, who faced that Snape boy together. Lily clearly adored her older sister and Petunia was extremely possessive about Lily. But it was Petunia's stupid jealousy that ruined such a beautiful relationship. Instead of accepting the fact that she was not magical and feeling happy for her sister, she convinced herself that Lily was a freak. She did not have the guts to face reality and so she buried all her love and affection under the negative feeling of hatred. So it was jealousy that made her bully and trouble Harry.
Uncle Vernon was a muggle i.e. he came from a world where no magic existed. He only knew that his wife had a sister who was magical and that any mention of that sister upsets his wife. He had no connection with Lily and since he did not know Lily at all, he did not have any reason to hate Harry. So why did he bully Harry? I think the reason was that he feared Harry and his powers. I think he was afraid that if Harry was allowed to remain happy and free, his magical abilities would flourish and could become a threat for him and his family. So he tried to keep Harry as miserable as possible, hoping that would squash the magic out of Harry. So, all in all, it was fear that made Uncle Vernon a bully.
And Dudley? He grew up in a household where a child was constantly bullied and troubled. He had seen his parents trouble and taunt and punish his cousin Harry for no apparent reasons. He grew up with the assumption that it is OK to bully people. He grew up with the assumption that bullying is the only way in which you can assert power and show your strength. So Dudley became a bully because no one taught him that it is a wrong thing to do.
I believe this is what Prof. Dumbledore was referring to when he uttered the following sentences.
“Dumbledore paused, and although his voice remained light and calm, and he gave no obvious sign of anger, Harry felt a kind of chill emanating from him and noticed that the Dursleys drew very slightly closer together.
“You did not do as I asked. You have never treated Harry as a son. He has known nothing but neglect and often cruelty at your hands. The best that can be said is that he has at least escaped the appalling damage you have inflicted upon the unfortunate boy sitting between you.”
― Albus Dumbledore (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince)
Edited by The.Wanderer - 3 years ago
Very interesting take and two very interesting excerpts from the books you have mentioned here Ash.
This post reminded me of one of the deleted scenes from Part 1 of Deathly Hallows-
"You didn't just lose your mother that night in Godric's Hollow you know, I lost a sister"
I feel part of the reason why the Dursleys were shown to be such bullies was that JK Rowling wanted to show Harry as someone being deprived of love and affection who grows to find a sense of belonging with his friends at Hogwarts.
Dudley in particular is shown to be a very spoilt child who not only bullies Harry but also bullies and beats up other children younger than him ganging up with his friends. I agree with you, the behaviour he was allowed to feel entitled to at his home, he grew up to exhibit the same behaviour outside too.
Perhaps Lily and Petunia's parents could have made Petunia understand that just because Lily was a witch that did not mean that she (Petunia) being a simple human being was any less special (Parents can play a very active part in addressing a child's insecurities after all) Probably then Petunia might not have grown to become snobbish and insensitive with the way she treated her sister and later on her nephew.
I guess the idea of not having anyone in the muggle world for Harry to care about (except Hermione who was herself a witch and his foster family) also helped the author in keeping the story more wizarding world centric.
Bullying I believe is nothing but an act of cowardice and only exhibits the shallowness of a person's character.
Looking forward to reading the next part of this post!
Edited by beguiling - 3 years ago
