Harry Potter discussion forum for movies, books, and more! - The Leaky Lounge: Why Chocolate ? - Harry Potter discussion forum for movies, books, and more! - The Leaky Lounge

Bet this thread grabbed your attention straight away.

Getting down to the res, chocolate is recognised as the remedy for the ill-effects brought on due to close encounters with Dementors in POA, not only by Remus Lupin - one of the few competent DADA teachers Hogwarts has seen, but also by Madam Pomfrey - who is in charge of the Hospital wing at Hogwarts.

The question is ~ Why is Chocolate the remedy for the side-effects of the Dementors ? The main-effects, as a matter of fact. Is it just because chocolate is viewed as comfort food by the majority, and no one can deny that a person who has been very near a Dementor would like some comforting and that is the reason why it is given to people in bad shape after a clash with the Dementoids ?

Or is it a case of prescribed wizarding medicine over the ages. After all, Muggle researchers have also found out that chocolate has some chemicals that make one feel good and according to latest reports, they are effective in warding off Dementia. That last word sound familiar ? It is only two letters off from what the guardians of Azkaban are named.

So, what is it about chocolate that brings about the feeling of warmth spreading all over that Harry experiences on the train and later too ? Could the fact there is someone who cares about you to give you choclate ensuring you are fine, have anything to do with the good feeling ?

Discuss all this and much more in this thread. Only condition is, it must be about chocolate.

This post has been edited by rowena r: 01 April 2009 - 02:28 AM

You got the solution in one.

The real question is.....Why not chocolate? After all if chicken soup and hot lemon and honey drinks help when one has a cold, then surely chocolate is a good remedy for depression. And what you say about someone else caring enough to give you some, would make it even better.

Oh yeah! I like white chocolate, mocha coffee and any variety of Tim-Tam biscuits.

It could all of the factors together which make chocolate such a good choice.
I suppose first and foremost, one needs to counteract the negativity that a dementor's presence emits.
So having a food that:

1. tastes good
2. produces feel good chemicals
3. is given to you by someone who cares

All this "goodness" will undoubtedly have a positive affect on the victim.

Icecream should work too.... if only i could carry that in my pocket........So the portability of chocolate is another reason why it's a good choice.

It does actually produce endorphins. It's a great thing for warming you up because it makes you feel good. you get happy feelings, it really does work for PMS'ing which can be a form of depression... that's probably why Remus like it!

I agree, I believe chocolate contains 'serotonin' which I think is the part which makes you happier. Plus the fact that it is quite a popular and favourite food, along with the high sugar content which is sure to give anyone a temporary, instant boost.
Plus there's always the idea of 'thinking yourself better?' If Harry or anyone else believes they're taking something good for them, what is there to stop them making themselves feel better; like when Ron thought he'd taken a bit of Felix?

This post has been edited by !!LaurenaLongbottom: 02 August 2008 - 10:23 AM

I see dementors as a sort of metaphor for depression in the Harry Potter books. As the others have said, chocolate actually has chemical properties that make you feel better. So if you're shaken up after a dementor attacks you, chocolate would be a good solution.

Well, chocolate is meant to make people happy, like when you are feeling down on Valentine's Day because you didn't get anything from anybody, then you find a box of chocolates in your locker. I don't know about you guys but that would make me feel pretty darn happy (maybe if I don't think that it could be a prank of some sort). oh well.

Dementors are meant to suck all the happiness out of the lives of the prisoners in Azkaban, so when a young wizard, or any wizard for a matter of fact, like Harry encounters a Dementor, or even a Boggart disguised as a Dementor (in Harry's case), it makes sense to think of something to take away all the despair that comes with the ice cold feeling that freezes poor little flowers to death (POA movie), that is well known for bringing joy and happiness to people and wizards!





HUFFLEPUFF!

chocolate is an aphrodeziack (excuse spelling), and that is what makes you happy, happiness is what is needed todefeat a dementor and so it should help with the after shock of a dementor.

Agree. But, does teeangers appreciate it as much as adults?
I understand the reactions are the same..

Let's see, the chocolate is not what makes us happy, I have an idea that the chocolate is supposed to remind us of the happier or happiest times in our lives, wheather young or older. Eating chocolate makes this older man feel pretty good when I'm feeling a little down. I don't eat very much, just a little bit here and there.

Tovarisht