Past with the ability to feed off of feelings and evoke horrible recollections, dementors have an influence that makes them into one of many scariest magical creatures in the whole “Harry Potter” universe. Specifically, they’ll steal your soul.
As Remus Lupin (portrayed within the films by David Thewlis) explains to Harry in “Prisoner of Azkaban,” dementors can “kiss” victims, thereby eradicating their very soul from their mouth. When Harry asks if that kills the sufferer, Lupin reveals that it would not, however it’s truly worse.
“‘You possibly can exist with out your soul, you understand, so long as your mind and coronary heart are nonetheless working,” Lupin tells Harry (in a quote additionally featured in the identical Wizarding World article on dementors). “However you may don’t have any sense of self any extra, no reminiscence, no … something. There is no probability in any respect of restoration. You will simply – exist. As an empty shell. And your soul is gone for ever … misplaced.’
Below what circumstances would dementors really feel compelled to “kiss” somebody? It is not seen that often throughout the “Harry Potter” books, however when it’s, it is used as government-sanctioned punishment (the dementors are ostensibly “employed” by the Ministry of Magic and guard the wizard jail Azkaban, however find yourself turning on the Ministry when darkish forces come calling later within the collection). When Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), a falsely imprisoned wizard, emerges throughout “Prisoner of Azkaban,” the Ministry plans to have the dementors steal his soul (however the plan is thwarted by Harry). In “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Hearth,” a dementor kisses Barty Crouch Jr. (David Tennant), a confirmed evil Dying Eater, earlier than the Ministry can hear his confessions.