Dudley's Dementor

[Athena Appleton]

What did Dudley have to relive when he was near the dementor? Was it just all the horrible things he's done to other people, or has he suffered something, too?

[highsorcerer]

I thought it was clear that only wizards and squibs are affected directly by dementors; muggles had only a more vauge feeling when they were near.

[Emma'I'm a real witch']

It doesn't actually say what muggles hear when dementors are near, but at the ministry hearing it just says that they can't see them.
Dudley says in the kitchen when they are all talking about what happened that he heard horrible things in his head, and when Harry said 'that you thought you'd never feel happy again' Dudley agrees with him.

[Sacred Guardian]

i think that dudley might have relived his dieting, that must have been terrible for him

[Emma'I'm a real witch']

Possibly cos that's the only horrible thing that has happened to him that we know of in the books.
But what about before the books? Maybe Dudley started fighting and had a gang because he was being bullied for being fat?

Also in PoA when they are talking about Dementors in Azkaban it says they suck all of the happiness and hope out of a place, so maybe it is more a feeling of hopelessness than reliving actual memories. We only know Harry relives his memories other people might just be sad. Is there any evidence to dispute this? If there is please let me know.

[Violet]

i thought it was as highsorceror said that muggles dont really experience dementors in the same way. And the way that dudley described it as i remember was a feeling of immense cold and unhappiness.

[Jotomicron]

I think the only reason Harry saw his parents dying was because that was the most unhappy thing he had in his memory, and Demetors would cartainly like to make Harry feel like that...

Other thing that bugs me is that Dementors feed themselves with the happy feelings of people. After some time, prizioners in Azkaban would be empty of happy feelings... what would dementors eat then?

[Athena Appleton]

i think they keep getting fresh meat... new people come into Azkaban as old prisoners are deprived of their happy thoughts...

[Jotomicron]

Yeah thought! I kept saying 'feelings'... should've used 'thoughts' instead!

[Athena Appleton]

Tinker Bell came along and sprinkled pixie dust on us and we all had our happy thoughts and started to fly away far, far away from the ugly dementors who take our happy thoughts away and make us fall on our backsides....

i'm tired

[highsorcerer]

Well, Harry has had a very unhappy life. While loved deeply by his parents, he was neglected by his aunt and uncle, and had to cope with the duality of feeling inadequate in wizarding coupled with the expectation of great things. It's initially why Ron and Hermoine became his friends (Ron felt poor and unable to live up to expectations; no money, and brothers who were head boys, quidditch captains, prefects, or well-liked. Hermoine felt alone and isolated. Harry accepted both of them as-is and on their own merits).

It's taken time, but Harry should know his fears are unfounded. He's taken on Voldemort and Death Eaters with intelligence and bravery. I have to wonder if Voldemort's boggart would conjour up an image of Harry, or if his dementor would recall his defeats at the hand of Harry.

[Nobby]

dudley probably relived a magical incident. after all he and his family hate magic thats why they hate harry so much. mayb the moment when he sprouted a tail in PS or has a enlarged tongue in GoF.

[Jotomicron]

I second that, Nobby!I think he recalled a magical event, if he recalled anything at all!

[pandora315]

Its all relative isn't it? I mean Dudleys idea of something horrible would maybe to Harry be something only trivial. Like if you've seen a lot of horrors than you think of more terrible things. But everyone has feelings of being hurt, or scared, or unaccepted. Dudley could have remembered once losing a chocolate bar or something and to him it made him feel awful. Who knows? But I think someone says that even Humans can feel their presence. Does that mean they just feel the cold or everything else as well, becuase didn't Dudley say he heard something in his head? That would mean he experienced Dementors the same way harry did. So either all humans experience dementors the same as wizards, or Dudley is magical as well.

[darkcloak]

It seems important:

Amy: What did Dudley see when he faced the Dementors in book five?
JK Rowling replies -> Ah, good question. You'll find out!

Taken from: http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/extras/JKRWorldBookDay2004.html

Perhaps he was bullied at school when younger and therefore he took it out on Harry. We never thought we would feel sorry for Snape before book 5, so maybe after book 6 we may feel a little pity for Dudley. After all, JKR is constantly reminding us that people aren't born 'bad'.