Dementor's Kiss

"You can exist without your soul, you know, as long as your brain and heart are still working. But you'll have no sense of self anymore, no memory, no...anything. There's no chance at all of recovery. You'll just -- exist. As an empty shell. And your soul is gone forever...lost."

- Remus Lupin on the Dementor's Kiss

The Dementor's Kiss is the act of having one's soul sucked out by a Dementor. It was sometimes used as a sentence for criminals by the Ministry of Magic, and is considered a fate worse than death. Before Voldemort was in control of the Ministry, Dementor's Kiss was ordinarily used against those who escape from Azkaban. When Kingsley Shacklebolt became Minister for Magic after the end of the Second Wizarding War in 1998, Dementors (and probably Dementor's Kiss) were no longer used by the Ministry of Magic.

Description
The Dementor will pull back its hood, clamp its jaw around the victim's mouth, and consume his or her soul. The Dementor's Kiss is generally considered to be a punishment worse than death. Victims are left in what Muggles would call a : empty shells that are still alive but irretrievably "gone". It is impossible to return as a ghost, for the Kiss consumes the soul, and the soul of a person is required to become a ghost. It is unknown if the person can have acess to the afterlife, or if the soul is trapped completely in the Dementor's body and digested.

Usage
"Ah, vengeance is sweet. How I hoped I'd be the one to catch you... But why deny the Dementors? They're so longing to see you. Do I detect a flicker of fear? Ah, yes. The Dementor's Kiss. One can only imagine what that must be like to endure. It's said to be nearly unbearable to witness, but I'll do my best."

- Severus Snape to Sirius Black in 1994

The Dementor's Kiss was occasionally imposed as a sentence for criminals by the Ministry of Magic; as the reformed Ministry stopped employing Dementors as guards of Azkaban after the Second Wizarding War, it is likely that the Dementor's Kiss was no longer used as a criminal sentence either.

The Dementors attempted to administer the Kiss on Harry Potter and Sirius Black after cornering them and Hermione Granger by the Hogwarts Lake in 1994. However, the Dementors were driven away by a Patronus that had been cast by Harry's future self after he and Hermione used a Time-Turner to try to rescue Sirius. After his capture, Sirus was sentenced to receive the Dementor's Kiss, but Harry and Hermione helped him to escape once again with Buckbeak's assistance.

The Kiss was performed on Barty Crouch Jr. after it was discovered that he had disguised himself as Alastor Moody to deliver Harry Potter to Lord Voldemort and had killed his father in 1995. However, as the Kiss was administered before an official confession could be documented, Cornelius Fudge refused to believe that Voldemort had actually returned.

During the summer holiday, Harry and his cousin Dudley Dursley were attacked by two dementors, secretely sent by Dolores Umbridge to 'silence' Harry of his opposition to the Ministry's stance of denial on Voldemort's return. Were it not for Harry's quick response, both he and Dudley Dursley would have received the Kiss.

When Voldemort was in control of the Ministry in late 1997 and early 1998 and Muggle-borns were being persecuted, those detained by the Muggle-Born Registration Commission were threatened with the Kiss if they resisted. Dementors nearly kissed Mary Cattermole during one trial, but Harry Potter repelled them, and he and Hermione Granger freed her and the other Muggle-borns being held prisoner, helping them to escape, along with Ron Weasley. It is possible that some innocent Muggle-borns were kissed before the Ministry was taken back.

Known victims

 * Barty Crouch Jr.
 * Innocent Muggles — kissed while Dementors were not under the control of the Ministry of Magic

Behind the scenes

 * The crime of escaping from Azkaban seems to be punishable by the Dementor's Kiss, as Sirius Black was fated for such a sentence if he had not escaped in time. Barty Crouch Jr. suffered this when his escape from prison was discovered. But these punishments could have been meted out for their other crimes.
 * A Dementor attempting a Kiss on Sirius is witnessed in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, in which his soul is being sucked out his mouth in the form of a small, glowing, white dot, but the Dementors are fought off by Harry's Patronus before they can finish this.
 * This may be one of the things that Dumbledore claims is "worse than death."

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Notes and references
Baiser du Détraqueur Ankeuttajan suudelma Kus van de Dementor Поцелуй дементора