While Anthony brings up some fantastic ideas and theories that really do seem to fit with what information we’ve been given, I simply cannot--with a clear conscience--agree that the Veil creates Dementors.

And I’m not saying this because the idea that the strong, heroic and essentially good character of Sirius Black could come back as something as evil and vile as a soul-sucking Dementor. I’ll be the first to admit that, considering all the other twists of darkness J. K. Rowling has led us through, it’s entirely plausible. The contrast of goodness (Sirius) versus evil (Dementors) is already there; so is the irony of Sirius becoming the thing of which he was once a prisoner. And yes, if I was J. K., I’d also be upset about forcing Sirius through the Veil and transforming him into a nasty Dementor for Harry to destroy. Admittedly, it is a possible and intriguing plotline, but I feel that the series so far has defended too much the idea of personal choice for this to be true.

From what we’ve seen in the books, the Dementors are scary, soul-sucking freaks and natural allies of Lord Voldemort. One may even wonder how old they are. Since they were used as Azkaban guards for who knows how long, it’s reasonable to think that they have existed as a natural evil for eons before the rise of Voldemort. That’s the keyword here: evil. Again, they are natural allies--which means they weren’t forced to the dark side. The idea that someone could be forced to do what Dementors do completely disregards the major theme of choice: I cannot imagine Sirius possessing such a wicked instinct.

In the words of Albus Dumbledore, “it is our choices...that determine who we are,” not the disaster of getting pushed through a creepy curtain.

I mean no offense to Anthony or his editorial. On the contrary, I loved it and agree with several other points he brought up. But no way can Sirius be a Dementor.

9/4/04