For a long time the sinister institution from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter universe, Azkaban, stood as a significant topic of debate among Potterheads. Today, once again, we traveled the same road that took us back to the horrifying prison, renowned for its spine-chilling horror and the inescapable despair inflicted by its Dementor guards.
However, this time, a compelling theory emerged from the depths of Reddit wondering what if Azkaban’s true purpose was far more complex and even more horrifying than being merely a prison for the damned. According to this theory, Potterheads suggested that Azkaban was not built to contain prisoners, but rather to appease the Dementors by providing them with a steady supply of souls to consume.
Harry Potter Fans Figure Out the True Purpose of Azkaban
Turning J.K. Rowling‘s idea about Azkaban into a Stephen King-esque horror flick, a chilling fan theory emerged on Reddit that unraveled the truth behind the sinister institution. Claiming that perhaps Azkaban was created not as a means of confining prisoners but as a strategic arrangement to manage the Dementors’ insatiable hunger, the theory brought a bizarre twist to the plot.
According to Redditor r/harrypotter, the theory proposed that Azkaban functioned as a grim restaurant, where the Dementors, creatures of dark magic and despair, were served a steady diet of human souls. Further, in order to solidify the theory, the fan claimed that the Dementors’ unquenchable thirst for souls perhaps posed a dire threat to the wizarding world, making the existence of a facility like Azkaban a necessary evil.
Thereafter, the theory proved how this arrangement ensured that the Dementors remained within the prison’s walls instead of ravaging the world unchecked. However, since this required a regular supply of souls, the Wizarding World thus decided to bring in prisoners, particularly those deemed outcasts and wrongdoers to provide the Dementors with the meal they needed.
In the end, this macabre deal served a dual purpose: it not only kept the Dementors fed and satisfied but also served as a just place to punish the wrongdoers. The wizards and witches, through the creation of Azkaban, not only negotiated a dark truce with the malevolent Dementors but also inflicted fear upon the broader wizarding world that kept them in check from committing crimes.
Azkaban Became a Feeder for the Previously Unleashed Dementors
In order to solidify the theory on a different level, the Redditor used the Time Turner to imagine an era, prior to the creation of Azkaban. Weaving a fascinating yet quite possible timeline, ahead of the construction of the prison, the fan pictured a wizarding world where the Dementors roamed with terrifying freedom. Thus stating how the unrestrained Dementors would become a menace, the fan swooped in the possible deal that led to the creation of Azkaban.
Claiming how the wizarding world possibly lived in constant dread of these dark entities, whose presence was a relentless terror in the pre-Azkaban era, the fan stated that the Patronus Charm must have become a desperate measure rather than a solution. Eventually, what happened was that even though wizards and witches repelled the deadly creatures, they could not eliminate the Dementors or their ability to reproduce through the spreading of fear and despair.
That’s when the establishment of Azkaban perhaps became a necessary compromise born out of desperation. According to the theory, when the magical community realized that while they could defend against Dementors, they could not eradicate them, that’s when they struck a deal to confine the creatures to a specific location. But in order to do so, they needed a regular supply of souls. That’s when they decided to turn Azkaban into a confinement for both, the Dementors as well as the criminals.
So it seems that according to the fan theory, Azkaban wasn’t just a prison but a calculated solution to a dark and pressing issue. By transforming Azkaban into a “restaurant” for the Dementors, the wizarding world seemingly managed to control the menace, until Voldemort surged to power and promised to provide the creatures with the opportunity to roam free.
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