I remember reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban for the first time as a child and feeling instant fear at the introduction of Dementors. Dementors are magical creatures that guard the prison Azkaban and feed on joy and happiness, leaving their human victims with nothing but negative, dark emotions. As I’ve reread the series multiple times, it has become increasingly clear how Dementors serve as a metaphor for depression in the series. Given that Rowling portrays this threat as possibly the most terrifying force in the Wizarding world, with it most notably being a major obstacle for Harry and his greatest fear, I wonder what she may be trying to say about depression and negative emotions in general. While tracing the introduction to Dementors in the third novel as well as its subsequent mentions throughout the series, I believe Rowling paints a powerful message about depression in the way it afflicts the most “strong” characters and poses suggestions for how she believes we cope with it.

We see Harry struggle with a variety of emotions throughout his journey. In the first three novels specifically, we see him show joy, frustration, confusion, and perhaps most importantly, fear. Yet, there are few expressions of sadness he shows, which I found especially surprising given the traumatic circumstances he had experienced as a child and continues to express throughout the series. Prisoner of Azkaban is our first introduction into seeing Harry struggle with sadness and possibly reflect on the loss of his parents in a deeper, more emotional way. In the train scene, the Dementor feeds directly on Harry, completely bypassing Ron, Hermione, and Professor Lupin, all of whom were also in the same cart. With this scene, Rowling may be suggesting how the abundance of loss in Harry’s life may be making him an obvious target for feelings of depression and hopelessness.

We also see her approach solutions to this metaphoric representation of depression in a few different ways. Rowling initially introduces potential antidotes with some simplicity when Lupin offers chocolate to Harry immediately following the incident. Within the context of the metaphor, I think this is an important moment to include, particularly for her younger audience. Rowling presents small pleasures, such as chocolate, as something that can lift spirits even when confronted with the darkest moments. From a psychological perspective, this has some validity; seemingly insignificant objects or actions that bring even a small amount of joy can be incredibly impactful in improving mood. She introduces this concept in a way that is indeed frightening, but not necessarily anything out of the ordinary so far in the series, therefore making it more palatable and understandable to younger readers.

Following the train scene, Rowling expands on Dementors and the way they afflict Harry in particular. We see Harry face a Dementor/Boggart in his Defense Against the Dark Arts class, experience another attack at a Quidditch match, and ultimately go to Lupin for advice on how to conquer this fear. Lupin tells him that the spell necessary to expel Dementors is the Patronus charm, which requires the user to think deeply about their strongest, most joyful memory.

Ultimately, I think Rowling approaches the topic of depression with a lot of nuance. She represents social stigma that can come from struggling with your mental health when Harry is repeatedly teased by his Slytherin classmates for his reaction to Dementors. We also see the ways in which mental illness can create barriers in one’s life; Harry grows wary of attending events or going places where Dementors are present out of fear.

Of course, it’s not a perfect metaphor – depression can’t be cured by conjuring up pleasant memories or eating chocolate (yet). But, I think Rowling’s possible attempt at this representation resonates with her audience, and this is clear in the vast amount of people who continue to express how deeply her books resonate with them in their loneliest moments. By describing a terrifying, intangible concept like depression into a physical being, Rowling explores the ways in which her characters are able to “defeat” it, which presents powerful messaging about hope and perseverance to readers struggling with their own Dementors.