Glory |A. Potter|

Twenty-Eight

"Think about it. There is no known cure for the Dementor's kiss, but it's not like they would want for a cure to exist," Ramona was saying, the passionate tone of her voice a direct result of her reading a book about the structure of the wizarding community being heavily influenced in politics. Next to her sat Jane, her gaze moving from her Transfiguration textbook at hand, to Ramona, then to Albus watching them from a few ways away on another armchair, a cigarette wasting away at hand.

The common room was almost empty save for a couple of students who had decided to expand their bedtime in light of the weekend arriving. It was only at this hour, in the darkness of the night, that Ramona could speak up and let her thoughts grow and bloom and turn into narrow paths with thorns on the side—because truly, if there was one thing anyone knew about Ramona was that you would hardly be able to make her say something that ended in a pleasant manner because frankly, she didn't quite believe the world worked that way—and those around her could do nothing but sit and listen as she spoke her ideas out loud. 

"The Dementors are a symbol of despair and fear, they had been used as guards of Azkaban for the longest time and in occassion, they had been noted roaming the streets-"

"-Don't remind me," Albus huffed with a brief roll of his eyes, "all wizarding population knows about those times."

"I'm sorry, Albus, that's the truth," Ramona shrugged and in an attempt to hide her smile, Jane lowered her gaze to her book, letting a few strands of hair to hide her face, although Albus still caught sight of the little smile splayed on her lips, and he didn't bother to hide his scoff. "Anyway, I was saying that this whole thing seems suspicious to me. Dementors are powerful beings and their existence is veiled by fear and superstition. I bet you anything this is how they want us to see them."

Jane blinked, "They-"

"The Ministry," Ramona explained, "Dementors are a fine tool in their hands should they ever wish to control the population because everyone fears them and there is nothing we know about them so we couldn't stop them. Hardly anyone is able to produce the Patronus Charm and even if they can do it, it's impossible to keep casting it for a long period of time because it is a truly exhausting charm and it drains you out. Sooner or later, everyone will have to yield because there is simply no beating the Dementors. The Dementor's Kiss, on the other hand, is seen as the ultimate penalty and no one can get away from it. And this is where I've started to think."

"Really?" drawled Albus as he let out a puff of smoke, "And what about the rant I just heard? Was that just you speaking without thought? Should I not take you seriously?"

"You should always take me seriously, Potter," she narrowed her eyes at him briefly before she glanced at Jane to ensure she had her attention still. When it was clear she did, she kept talking. "What if there is a cure for the Dementor's Kiss? They have found it, have it ready in case a politician or someone in the higher up society has need of it but they tell the people they know nothing so they will have something to threaten them with. Perhaps this is the reason they insist we should fear the Dementors, it's because if anyone were to do more research regarding them, they would realise nothing is final and would find a cure for their deadly kiss."

"I don't know, Ramona," Jane spoke, sceptical even though Ramona was practically vibrating with excitement next to her. "The Dementor's Kiss is the equivalent of the death penalty in the muggle world. The death penalty had been pretty common in countries in the past and has started to disappear as the people supposedly evolve, but there is no escaping it once it's been decided. I think there is no escaping the Dementor's kiss. Wizarding folk don't die, or at least, they don't die the way muggles do. For muggles, there is nothing once they die, they know nothing, can't seem to expect something, hence the reason they have faith and believe in a religion that tells them what is supposed to be out there, after death. But wizarding folk know what is waiting for them afterwards. They either choose to move on or they return as ghosts, and that's not all that uncertain. They have no idea what happens to them should their soul disappear, though, and that's what happens with a Dementor's Kiss."