The Dementor’s Kiss
chapter twenty of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
On the way back to the castle, Sirius asks Harry to come live with him – but before they get back, Lupin transforms into a werewolf. In the confusion, Pettigrew escapes, and dementors come after Sirius, Harry, and Hermione – but are driven off by a mysterious Patronus as Harry passes out.
Harry’s mind was buzzing. He was going to leave the Dursleys. He was going to live with Sirius Black, his parents’ best friend….
(by Wacca)
Harry could see Lupin’s silhouette. He had gone rigid. Then his limbs began to shake.
(by Tealin Raintree)
Lupin’s head was lengthening. So was his body. His shoulders were hunching….
(by Patilda)
The yelping seemed to be coming from the ground near the edge of the lake. They pelted toward it, and Harry, running flat out, felt the cold without realizing what it must mean -
(by Sanna Lorenzen)
More were appearing out of the darkness on every side; they were encircling them….
(by Helene Sirois)
about the chapter
The Power of Magic
It’s interesting that, unlike with Apparition, a wand isn’t necessary for an Animagus transformation. In fact it’s the only substantial, controlled bit of magic I can think of that doesn’t require a wand. Of course from the writer’s perspective, this had to be true so Sirius could break out of Azkaban. But it doesn’t really fit with the other laws of magic: even brewing Potions requires a wand! I’d be interested to know how Rowling explains the difference between this and other, wand-necessitating forms of magic.
Life at Hogwarts
If I were a character in Rowling’s books, I’d be silently cursing her for writing that the ceiling in the tunnel to the Shrieking Shack is so low. Even as thirteen-year-olds, Harry and Hermione couldn’t stand up straight in it; can you imagine how awkward this would be for Lupin, Pettigrew, and Ron chained together (walking sideways)? Or for Madam Pomfrey, who used to bring Lupin out for his transformations, admittedly when he was younger? My guess is she wrote it that way so that Lupin, as a werewolf, wouldn’t be able to fit through the tunnel to escape after he’d transformed. But it makes for some awkward scenes, and these won’t be the last of them.
The Final Word
“Professor Lupin… is a damaged person, literally and metaphorically. I think it’s important for children to know that adults, too, have their problems, that they struggle. His being a werewolf is a metaphor for people’s reactions to illness and disability.”–J.K. Rowling, November 2002
One thing I’ve always wondered – why didn’t anyone knock Peter out? I mean if he doesn’t need a wand to transform into a rat, he could basically do it at anytime; being tied to someone else isn’t going to stop him like being unconscious would. They were almost asking for him to escape.
MartinTenbones said this on July 10, 2009 at 5:43 pm
Something I’ve always wondered about:
Lupin changes only when he’s outside and the moon appears from behind the clouds. But before it sounded like he changed indoors as well (within the Shrieking Shack or rolled up in his office after drinking the potion).
Is a wand really used for Apparition? I hadn’t noticed that. I thought since you don’t use a spell or charm you also don’t need a wand.
Also Metamorphmagi don’t need a wand to change. And what about Legilimency, speaking Parseltongue and Seeing? Ah, well, the last one isn’t controlled.
Kim said this on July 11, 2009 at 10:41 am
Rowling said that the moon wasn’t up until they left the Shrieking Shack, which is why he didn’t transform until that moment. I don’t think it has anything to do with being outside or inside.
Riley said this on July 11, 2009 at 2:34 pm
It seems in book 7 that you do need a wand for Apparition – the Muggle-borns who escape the Ministry have to do so in groups since several don’t have wands, Harry has to throw Ron a wand for him to Apparate out of Malfoy Manor, etc. Right after leaving the Ministry Harry thinks to ask Hermione whether the wand is necessary, then doesn’t ask because she says something that makes it seem like you do.
MartinTenbones, as for knocking Pettigrew out… I agree with you, I don’t know what the heck they were thinking. Sirius of all people should know that physical restraint isn’t enough to keep an Animagus from escaping.
Kim, Legilimency is a good point, though. It seems like you’re probably right that a wand isn’t necessary there either.
John Kearns said this on July 12, 2009 at 11:55 am
Its nice to see Harry getting excited about the prospect of living with Sirius instead of the Dursley’s, but I doubt Dumbledore would’ve allowed that considering the blood protection tied to Petunia that keeps Harry safe while he’s not at Hogwarts. Although maybe as a compromise the Dursley’s could’ve moved into 12 Grimmauld place with Sirius and Harry. :D
MartinTenbones said this on July 12, 2009 at 3:55 pm
“Although maybe as a compromise the Dursley’s could’ve moved into 12 Grimmauld place with Sirius and Harry. :D”
That would’ve been worth a series of books in and of itself. ;)
John Kearns said this on July 12, 2009 at 7:10 pm
On why they didn’t knock Peter out- they had their wands pointed at him so they could catch/stun him if he transformed. But in all the confusion of Lupin’s transformation they were distracted and Peter took his chance.
Alyssa said this on August 13, 2009 at 9:50 pm
If you needed a wand to transform into an animagus creature, then that creature would need a wand to transform back. Which is wildly unlikely and highly inconvenient, not to mention a giveaway: a beetle with a wand? Oh yes, that’s Rita for sure …
Deborah Hubbard said this on August 14, 2009 at 2:47 am
I like to think that wands aren’t necessary for many types of magic. I don’t know when the magic wand was invented in Rowling’s universe (at least as early as 382 BC according to Ollivander’s shop sign). However that still leaves thousands of years beforehand when witches and wizards were performing spells without them such as the Egyptian wizards putting curses on the pyramids.
As magic is an innate ability perhaps performing some spells is instinctive and wands just make it easier? A bit like how we can eat and cut food perfectly well with our hands but we use cutlery to facilitate the process. However if all knives and forks were to disappear tomorrow, the human race would not starve to death.
Perhaps I have put way too much thought into this and should go to bed!
Ozzie said this on August 20, 2009 at 6:01 pm
I always believed that Animagi were drawing on some of their own deep magic to transform, something that was always a part of them. So once you learn how to transform once, it becomes a very natural and fluid process. They don’t need wands to channel the power elsewhere.
Ashley Price said this on September 30, 2009 at 8:13 pm
I often have to skip these last chapters, as it feels like watching “I Love Lucy” to me — you know a ton of things are going to go wrong and you can see them coming a mile away. Of course, they should have done something more effective to restrain Pettigrew. Why did they talk so long when Lupin knew it was a full moon? Etc., etc. I generally dislike what the movies do to the books, but I was so relieved at how they shortened these chapters.
Anna said this on January 24, 2010 at 5:57 pm
I was sure that while Remus was transforming, Harry sees Peter dive for Remus’ discarded wand – leading to the conclusion Peter perhaps needs a wand, whereas other, more accomplished wizards/witches do not? I always assumed that if a magical person was familiar enough with a spell, that a wand was just a way of directing energy – Dumbledore performs a lot of wandless magic, admittedly, he is the most powerful wizard of the age, but I always put that more down to his experience with the Craft?
Stella-Jayne said this on April 13, 2010 at 11:12 am