"If we turn our heads and look away and hope that it will all disappear then they will - all of them, an entire generation of people. And we will have only history left to judge us."
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I am a bit confused as to the extent of the portraits in the Headmaster/Headmistrisses office. I am pondering with whether or not Harry can contact Dumbledore through his portrait. It seemed at first that a portrait was only a copy of the person with the same general personality, but with no connections to the real person. But I remember Phineas' portrait keeps mentioning thing like "nack in my day at hogwarts" and such. So does that mean that the portraits are either an exact duplicate of the real person or an actual way to contact the person through the grave? Either way I'm wondering why harry just looked at the portrait of Dumbledore sleeping in HBP and didn't do or say anything to it. I'm hoping that the portrait will play a big role in the 7th book.
I have no idea. I guess it's just one of those things to drive us crazy until the last book comes out. I'm guessing the portraits are just a copy...but who really knows?
Would you guys PLEASE post any opinions you have to my originalk statement. It's getting old looking for replies when there are none. Plus I really want to see what you have to think.
I thought about this. I'm not sure if the portrait will 'own' the whole soul of the person behind it, it just seems a tad too easy. Harry could ask the portrait for advice everytime he needs it. The portrait could also assure Harry that Snape isn't evil, explain why he pleaded for his life, why he exactly trusts Snape etc. I think it would be a better plot if Harry has to find this out all by himself, with a little help of Ron and Hermione.
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I've thought of this as well. Portraits struck me as copies, too... They know what happened with their lives and such, but it's like a clone of the person. It's not exactly what they would say or do, but their feelings on something.. That probably doesn't make any sense.
Anyway, I hoped that Harry would be able to talk to DD's portrait. Maybe his portrait would help Harry solve problems..but he can't give Harry anything important because..well..he isn't the real Dumbledore. Exactly, Andrea. DD can't always be there for Harry to tell him everything. Harry needs to do it on his own because he has to face Voldemort on his own.. I hope that there is more to Snape that what we read..
From what I remember from all the books, the images are free to come and go as they like, and they always seam to be of pepole that have past on (not completly sure on that one).
Dumbledore has never been afraid of death giving the impression that it is a great adventure. maybe these paintings are glimses of whats to come, a link between the two??
The image having most or all memories of the subject can pass back information, so I think this will be of great help to Harry, but if he dose not return to Hogwarts how will he be able to talk to Dumbledore??? As they may not let him entre when not a student of the school.
As people have been saying, I think that they are just copies, hence portraits. They know everything that happened in their life but as for emotional attachment to people in their old lives I really do doubt it.
As people have been saying, I think that they are just copies, hence portraits. They know everything that happened in their life but as for emotional attachment to people in their old lives I really do doubt it.
QUOTE page 728 OoTP When Phienas Nigellus heard of Sirius Blacks death: "Am I to understand," said Phienas Nigellus slowly from Harry's left, "that my great-great-grandson - the last of the Blacks - is dead?" "Yes, Phienas," said Dumbledore. "I don't belive it," said Phienas brusquely. Harry turned his head in time to see Phienas marching out of his portrait and knew that he had gone to visit his other painting in Grimmauld Place. He would walk, perhaps, from portrait to portrait, calling for Sirius through the house...
I think this suggests that a portrait can have emotional attachments to people, otherwise why would Phienas react in this manner?
What im wondering is where is the other frame for Dd, because he said that all the Headmasters have different frames in different places so that they can keep in touch with the wizarding world, and go get information for the head master. So where is Dd's? i would hope somewhere in the ministry, but maybe in the department of mysteries? that could lead to alot of interesting things.
i hope that somehow DD's portrait will explain what happend with snape and such...like did he plead for life or death...and give harry help with his "mission"
i was wondering the wizard cards in the chocolate frogs...can the picture talk in there...i no it can move but maybe if it can talk it can help harry...and be portable : )
I thought it was interesting that when Harry noticed Dumbledore's picture hanging on the headmaster's wall, Dumbledore was asleep. If Dumbledore had been awake, and Harry spoke to him, then the big funeral scene would be anti-clamactic because everybody would be thinking that Dumbledore isn't really dead (or at least his presence is still around in some form) and the emotions would be lacking in everyone's touching salute to him at the grave. p. 626
I'm also curious how the picture got there so fast. Was it already there? Did Dumbledore put it there because he knew he wouldn't return from the horcrux task? Harry left the room to go get his invisibility cloak, maybe Dumbledore did something special to it?
Exactly what I was wondering, Cosmic. How do the pictures appear there so fast? One could imagine that some kind of Charm was cast so that when a headmaster dies a potrait of his liking is hung up.
And as for Portraits themselves, that has always been something I have wondered about. It seems that they take along the person's personality with them. For example Sirius's mother. And apparently, they take their life expirences as well. As in the case of Phineus. But they cannot be the actually people...for I don't believe a wizard moves to a frame when they die.
So my guess is that there are a shell of the person. A copy, a clone, whatever you may call it. One that has a personality and can think for itself.
Couldn't Harry just have a picture of Sirius, then?
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I was having a very similar discussion to this with my gf (not exactly the same, cause she hasn't finished HBP yet, but similar), she asked me whether, if someone wanted to find out something about someplace and they knew there was a portrait of someone in there, whether they could make another portrait of the person... not exactly intrinsic to the plot, but an interesting thought.
Anyway, to DD's portrait...
I'm thinking that Harry will have to rely on himself a lot more now that DD is gone, and that this is an intergral part of his growing up process, so, if DD can talk to him through his portrait, it will kind of nullify that chance for Harry to grow as a person. But, (as always), then again, anything is possible in the last book, who knows what supprises JK has up here sleeves?
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QUOTE (Mavido @ Jul 19 2005, 07:37 PM)
What im wondering is where is the other frame for Dd, because he said that all the Headmasters have different frames in different places so that they can keep in touch with the wizarding world, and go get information for the head master. So where is Dd's? i would hope somewhere in the ministry, but maybe in the department of mysteries? that could lead to alot of interesting things.
Mavido, I was wondering the exact same thing. Department of Mysteries would be awesome, good theory :-)
Dumbledore's Portrait, *Spoiler*-Merged
Jul 19 2005, 05:44 PM
