I was wondering about where the dementors came from. I was also pondering why there were no other horcrux-bound immortal dark witches and wizards. Then a random thought occured to me. What if the other dark wizards over time aged and decayed into the dementors. Their need to feed off of positive emotions is just a salve for the longing for the missing piece of their souls. So is the ability to suck out someone's soul. The dementors are trying to replace the missing part but it is only temporary.

Well that's my thoughts. What do you think?

 

IIRC, Half-Blood Prince mentions something about Dementors breeding, which seems to imply that they're just a species of creature like all the other magical creatures out there.

Of course, I could be remembering entirely wrong. Still, the idea's interesting.

 

It does. Of course, if Dementors could breed, they'd take over the world, because they're supposedly unkillable.

 

I've written a story where a guy messes around with creating a Horcrux and other types of dark magic and becomes the first dementor. Also, I don't think they're unkillable, you just have to be creative. Freeze them, crush them, light them on fire like the ring-wraiths. OR OVERPOWER THEIR EMOTIONS WITH SUPER UBER SOLID GOLDEN PATRONUS OF LOVE

 

In canon, they're unkillable. How they manage to maintain a corporeal presence at the same time is beyond me.

 

J.K Rowling didn't really put any serious thought into that issue, because...well, she's Rowling. Her world barely makes sense without any kind of serious scrutiny. On this site alone, people have written thousands upon thousands of words in vain attempts to make some sort of coherent sense out of the world's magic system/economy/everything. The HP story with the most reviews on FF.net is a 70+ chapter attempt (whether successful or not is a matter of opinion) to rationalize her world.

The issue of exponential growth and dementors is far from the largest problem with the Harry Potter universe.

 

This is a really interesting concept. I hope someone includes it in their stories.

 

Where exactly does it say that Dementor's are unkillable? The Lexicon doesn't seem to have anything on the Dementor entry that suggests they are.

 

The only thing that affects them is the Patronus Charm. If they could be killed by physical means, then dealing with them would be a lot easier.

 

That doesn't mean they don't die. Old age to a dementor - twenty four hours, y/y?

 

Where does it say the only spell that can affect them is the Patronus Charm? Unless my memory is failing my (a distinct possibility, especially in the later books) there is never a time when someone willing and able to cast the Killing Curse needs to do so against a Dementor. Remember that they were nominally in the Ministry's employ before defecting.

 

You're confusing yourself by using logic in Rowling's world.

It could just be very hard to kill them. Do you actually have something that states nothing can effect them but the patronus charm? Or is that just in reference for the only way Harry can deal with them?

I find it hard to believe that they are controlled at Azkaban purely through the use of a charm that drives them away.

 

http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Dementor

In other words, Rowling had no idea what she was doing when she made them (as usual). Originally, the idea was that there was only one thing that could repel them - the Patronus Charm. Later, plot developments (them breeding) and common sense dictated that their numbers had to fall somehow. There is nothing in canon for how they die or are killed.

 

My guess would be starvation (lack of souls/emotions to eat) or Fiendfyre. For sure, the Azkaban dementors stayed there for the legal free lunches.

 

Interviews. Interviews.

 

Dementor population too large? Time to bust out the cheering charms!

Alternatively, who ya gonna call?

 

Dudley is the first dementor.

/trufax

 

Dementors are first created by the Egyptians. They were kept in the pyramids to be a magical AC.

QFT.

 

I like to think Grindelwald made them.

 

Really? You think they are less than 100 years old, and that he made dozens of them?

Anyways, the Patronus Charm is just the only spell we know of that can effect them, and that spell can also effect other creatures as well such as Lethifolds. I don't think any creature is truly unkillable, even Phoenixs. Biologically immortal, maybe, but that doesn't mean cutting off it's head won't stop it. We've seen evidence that they are hindered by solid walls, so I don't see why putting a dementor in a garbage crusher wouldn't kill one. Also, since they are just bones, surely theres other magic that could probably effect it. They probably are highly resistant to magic, many magical creatures are, but their aura prevents anyone from really getting a chance to test on them. But, I don't want to go down the MoR route, but I think that there are other ways that don't involve supercharged patroni to kill them, the problem is thinking clearly and calmly enough to do it.