Fans of the Harry Potter Wizarding World are holding their breath for good news regarding the third Fantastic Beasts movie. It has been delayed another year by pandemic and scandal. Fortunately, there are ten entries to revisit while things are being sorted out. Unfortunately, during this tour, one inescapably faces the most horrifying ghoulish creatures ever put to film. The third of the series marks the first appearance of the Dementors. If Azkaban was not considered one of the best in the series, their presence is enough to warrant a skip. But it is, and one must always face their fears – even if said fear is sourced in the incarnation of despair and depression.
The Wizarding World is full of beings and creatures of all sorts, be they mythical, paranormal, or even comical. Out of all of them, none come remotely close to the depths of terror Dementors dredge up. They were first seen on the big screen in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in 2004, establishing themselves in children’s nightmares forever. There, they interrupt the train to Hogwarts in pursuit of the recently escaped convict and alleged mass murderer Sirius Black. When they enter Harry’s train compartment the environment turns frigid cold. Any nearby plants wilt and the worst feelings Harry could possibly imagine flood his psyche – so much so that Professor Lupin is forced to intervene, lest Harry die of fright. They are then stationed as guards around Hogwarts in the event that Sirius Black comes to kill Harry. An ominous and menacing situation for the children who must attend school.
Later, they full-on attack Harry during a Quidditch match, nearly breaking his neck by chasing him off his broom. In 2007’s Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, they are sent to assassinate Harry by orders of the Death Eater Dolores Umbridge. They carelessly try to kill Dudley Dursley in the attempt, even though he was not their target. Dementors are evil, soulless, and scary, and should never have been allowed in such proximity to people, let alone children.
Dementors are native creatures of the island of Azkaban. They have existed there for who knows how long and were only discovered by wizards in the 18th century. After reclaiming the island from an evil villainous dark wizard, the British Ministry of Magic deigned to convert the vile lair into a prison. Rather than eradicate the Dementor infestation (like they should have for all humankind) they struck a deal. In exchange for permission to feed on the emotions of the inmates, the Dementors would serve as guardians for the Prison of Azkaban.
This would prove a treacherous arrangement in favor of the Dementors. First, it is inhumane for the Ministry of Magic to allow their prisoners to be fed on and tortured by these creatures. The main reason why Azkaban has a near-zero escape record was that most prisoners went mad or died because of the effects of the Dementors. It is like saying a prison has never had a breakout because every inmate was executed the second day they arrived. Technically the statistic is accurate, but the evaluation is appalling.
Second, no surprise really, when Voldemort makes his play to take over the world the Dementors are readily available to march with him. If all the previous incidents were not evidence enough of their wicked behavior toward children, the fact that they work for food makes them mercenaries. Sure, they could continue sucking the souls out of the meager convicts of Azkaban, but why would they when Voldemort offered them a chance at all the wizards and the muggles in the whole world? Is that not a greater reward?
The Ministry knew Dementors had no interest in reason or negotiation, they were in it purely for sustenance. The Ministry really proves their naivety by not wiping out the entire colony of Dementors when they first reclaimed Azkaban during the Enlightenment. So much harm could have been spared if they only went full bore. Only Dumbledore saw them for what they were. Regrettably, nobody listened to him.
In an interview, J.K. Rowling expressed the origin of the Dementors. She said they derived from a time in her life when she was severely depressed. They are an embodiment of the absence of hope, joy, and cheerfulness, the feeling of internal, spiritual deadening. What a miserable and deplorable conception.
In the movies, they glide across the floor resembling the grim reaper with black hoods and robes and a skeletal physique. Their presence literally freezes the air around them and sucks the light out of the room. If there are more than one, it is that much more chilling and darkening. They force their victims to relive their worst memory. When they came close to Harry and nearly suck the life right out of him, he described it as the most horrific sensation of his life. He could hear his parents being murdered by Voldemort. If one were to stay near a Dementor too long, they would leave them an empty husk of a human, a meat sack, with no emotions or soul. Essentially turning one into another version of themselves. If that is not reason enough to wipe them out, the Ministry really has to reevaluate its priorities.
One could say that the existence of such evil brightens the goodness in the rest of the Harry Potter Wizarding World. The Patronus Charm, for example, is a magnificent defense of hope and conviction, should one overcome their fears. Allowing a Dementor access to a children’s school is a stupid decision by the Ministry of Magic, but Rowling is forcing them in the face of readers and viewers to confess a point about what being a person is all about.
By saying the Patronus Charm is the only way to defeat a Dementor it is saying confronting one’s fears is the only way to overcome depression. Rowling is giving the audience a blueprint on how to deal with these complicated emotions. There is some value to that in a world deluged by a global pandemic. It is too bad that her wisdom does not cross over to other kinds of societal shifts.
Fantastic Beasts 3 is set for release on July 15 2022.
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