Personally i think it's a portal to another world, like the british sent convicts to australia (and i don't want to believe that sirius is dead) but its your call!

I don't want Sirius to be dead, but he probably is, so I would say it's a portal to the afterlife.

Hmmm... portal to the afterlife.

As much as I like Sirius, it would seem like a huge cop-out to have him living in another world. When it is said that someone is dead, they better be, unless it's part of some sort of elaborate scheme. Sirius's case, to our knowledge right now, isn't.

Execution chamber sounds tempting, but I really don't think they get killed that way. I think they just die by passing into an afterlife.

I voted for another world - I am clutching at straws and refuse to let go of them. Besides it seems to me that JK hasn't really addressed the veil issue directly and she has not once definately denied that Sirius could somehow come back through it somehow (whereas she has catagorically denied other things) *looks lovingly at the tightly gripped straws in my hand*

I feel its just another entrance into the afterlife. I'd be quite happy avoiding that jumping-off place myself... it's a little eery.

Hm..I voted for Portal to the afterlife.
Although, it does seem quite bizarre to me, why there would be a veil in the department of mysteries which 'kills' whoever goes within it. You would think that the Ministry of magic would at least block it up, or do something to try make it safer if the veil is that bad. Who is with me in thinking this is quite odd, if you re-consider? I don't believe there is 100% bad in the veil, but some good. Other-wise, the Department of mystery minestry workers would have got rid of such a thing, or blocked it up with a spell. I could also guess, that the veil is an object that is yet unknown, and experimentations are currently happening on it..

I think it is a portal to afterlife because after Harry kills Voldermort he will want to go to the afterworld to meet Siruis and his parents.

I believe that it is a portal to the after while and however badly we all want Sirius back I just don't see that happenning.

I think it's a portal to anthor world or dimension! I don't think Sirius is dead. I just think he is in another dimension and wil come back in the 7th book.

I'm going with a portal to the afterlife. I'm pretty sure in an interview, J.K. said that anyone died, is dead. As sad as it is, I don't think Sirius is coming back.

I think that it's the door to afterlife,but my Sirius' fan spirit expects that it's the door to another world and he is already live there,because Harry will need Sirius when he'll fight with his worst enemy: Lord Voldemort.




->Sirius,I'll always remember you!!

i believe the veil is a portal to the afterlife, however, there was whispering behind it...there are benches in that room, so obviously people come there...maybe that room is a place where one would go to speak with someone that has died...

So do I. I think the veil is a portal to the afterlife. Maybe some people do go there to commune with the dead, that is how they probably learn about death. Maybe it was once a church or something where they could speak to dead relatives. Maybe you can only hear the people in the viel if someone in your family has died.

I voted that it is a portal to the afterlife. I like the idea that once people could go there to speak to the dead, that's such an awesome idea! It makes sense with all the benches being right by the veil and the whispering coming from it. I bet that you can only hear the whispering if someone has died, like a thestral concept! Wow, what great ideas.

*Visit the Gryffindor House Thread and post a motto, all the information you need is there*

A portal to the afterlife.

If it is indeed a "portal to another world" he would be able to return
or at least communicate with Harry with the mirror he gave him.

Okay, I promise that this is the last time I am going to post this explanation on a veil forum...the veil is not some mysterious creation of J.K Rowling, it is an ancient symbolism that she excavated out of celtic mystic folklore.

The "veil" has long been used by mystics and priests/priestesses of non-Christian faiths to describe the thin field of invisible energy that separates the world of the living (ie. the plane of energy upon which we fleshy people exist) from the world of the dead (ie. the higher plane of existence upon which sentient but non-manifest energy beings exist.)

It is described as a veil because most believe that it is possible for those with the proper sight to see through it and for certain spirits to see back into our world.

Some traditions believe that the veil sort of billows in the wind, changing and thinning at specific points in the celestial calendar (ie. every quarter of the year Oct 31, June 21 etc...) and that at this time it is possible to converse with and sometimes see their departed loved ones who have not yet reincarnated.

well harry heard sirius after he fell through the veil right... well i think it may be A prison because i still think sirius is alive and but some people think he is really dead but thats them and to me he is not dead

I think darknessdolly is quite correct. The "veil is used in old folklore so she does have a point with that. Her explainations makes quite good sense too.

Fawkes

I think its a portal to another world or something? I dont know, its hard to explain, but I know this much.. it will all be sorted out in the 7th book and I cant wait.

As much as i dont like to beleive this i think its a portal to the after life.....i wish for series not to be dead mearly stuck behind it.....sad but i think he is dead....did he have his mirrior with him when he died>?

Very good explanation darknessdolly, it is good to see that despite the flak JK is getting from the fundy christians, the topic is allowing for people to learn more about the old ways. I love the symbolism JK uses throughout the series, have you ever noticed how the four houses of Hogwarts appear to correspond to the 4 quarters and the elementals? Check out my post in the Quibbler for more.

Well as much as I want Sirius to be alive I think is it a portal to the underworld. That the wispers that Harry and Luna heard were spirits talking. And since we dont know what Sirius was hit with, it wasnt said for fact that it was the killing curse. Lets say its not they why did Sirius not come back out of the veil? Because he is now in the underworld

i think that all of these options are very narrow minded. i dont think that it is anything that we could possibly comprehend past the veil. and i think that that is why jkr didnt explain about it. she wants it to remain something that nobody knows about. its nothing, in physical form, whcih means that it isnt anything, which means that its not an afterlife, or a prison, or anythign like that. of course, i could be wrong.

I am hoping it is a portal to the afterlife, I think that Sirius is dead, but he will surface somehow in Book 7 but not sure how. It is after all in the Department of Mysteries, perhaps Jo may leave it at that - a mystery?

i said the portal to the afterlife, but does falling through it really make you dead? If you walk on either side it would all be the same though wouldnt it? I think these questions will be answered in book 7. Im hoping that maybe Harry gets to this other world (but without being dead that would be horrible) see his parents, dumbledore, and sirius and learn a thing or too about life.

and in a way i do agree with spadice. I think there is somekind of possibilty that Jo will just let it be a mystery as it is in real life. We have no way of knowing what happens to us after death and I think even in the wizarding world that remains the same. Some people understand it better then others but its one of those things thats best not to worry about. One of those things that you know is out of your control and is not ment to be comprehended. But I dont know, Its really hard too say when I have no idea what JK Rowling has in store. Im sure it will make lots of sense either way.

The veil is a portal to the afterlife.

Sirius will not be coming back.

I dont know but could the people that are behind the veil friends and family of the people outside the veil.

Could it be that the people that were whispering behind it were people like James Lily and Regulas waiting to meet Sirius when he fell through.

I think the Veil is a portal to the afterlife.

I sgree with Loopy_Luna, as much as I want Sirius to come back, I don't think he will...*sigh*

Execution chamber, portal to aferlife, same type of thing to me. The purpose of the veil is to kill someone without the use of weapons, spells, drugs, poisons, etc. Just send them through the veil, and there they go. Never will they return. Thats how I see it at least.

I think it'll be a portal to the after life.
I agree with silentberserk,about the two-way mirror thing, because didn't JKR say that would come into play in the last book?

I am not about to let Sirius go. I said that it was a portal to another world. My reasoning is that if JKR had really wanted him gone, she would have killed him with an unforgivable curse, or something that truly showed that he was dead. The Veil is mysterious and we dont know much about it, so therefore, it does not need any proof that he is dead, because he fell through the veil and disappeared, also Luna said that she could hear them whispering sometimes. Although Luna may not be a very realiable source, it is a hint.

hmm,
My predilection is that it was Bellatrix's intent to send Sirius to The Afterlife.
But, Sirius didn't know that he could use it as an advantage.
We may not know that there is a way to escape the veil. Or if the escaper has a chance of living after it.
Sirius may see Dumbledore or James and Lily Potter, talk to them, have a concensus, a general agreement to tell Harry what to do to stop Voldemort's reign of terror.
This could be a possibility, its my opinion, I would love to see that happen.
But, right now, we need to wait for the 7th book.

I was suposed to pick afterlife but I picked the third one by mistake

i either have to go with the portal to another world or afterlife. harry heard voices behind it and so did luna, and they both lost family members and people close to them, just like both of them could see the thresals. i think its like and afterlife/other world, but the people behind it aren't exactly dead.

I kinda agree.
I think it's a LIMBO for lost souls......
Harry could see the threstral because he saw Cedric's murder. I always wondered why Harry was so drawn to it. I hope to know more about it in book 7.

I voted (as many of you) for the portal to the afterlife.

I liked the idea that someone said that only people who have dead relatives can hear the people behind the veil, like the thestrals.

I hope that OOTP is not the last time we hear from Sirius, because I think that Jo has to explain what the veil consists of in book 7, she can't leave a dead end to that!

xD

I voted that it was a portal to the after life, and also it's one way, you can only go into it, and not come out. I think Sirius is dead, and isn't coming back.

I dont think hes going to come back either, and even if he did, dont you think it'd be a bit harsh to explain all that in a book, well it wouldn't but JK wouldn't make it confusing like that. So I voted for afterlife to.

I think that it is a barrier of sort from the living and the dead. So really a portal to the afterlife. but when u go in u cant come back out.

I voted the veil is a portal to the afterlife like you.

But i dont agree with you about Sirius's return. I believe he will come back and play very important role in the end of last book i think..

[size=2]I think that it must be either a portal to another world, or a portal to the afterlife, but come on people. what did it say in that part of the book?? something about hearing vioces coming from inside?? Is that supposed to mean something??[/size] i hope it does, and i hope it will go into detail in the 7th book. And also go into more deatil about why some ppl become ghosts, and some ppl dont. i know nearly headless nick talked about it, but wasnt it a little confusing about taking a walk in a certain direction??

Even though I do not want to belive Sirius is dead , I think that the veil is a portal to afterlife , and I think that Sirius really is dead , no matter how much we want him not to be

I think its a portal to the after life because he is no doubt either dead or in another dimension and i doubt he is in a different dimension because knowing sirius he would have found a way to get out of the veil.

I'm not so sure what the veil is. I don't really think that it is the afterlife because it doesn't seem like very fun or another adventure. It might be another world of spirits or something, but then that just creeps me out ! I hope that Sirius isn't dead and I still think that Harry can communicate to him using the mirrors. The only thing that sticks to me about that veil is what Luna said about her mom and she can still talk to her. That just doesn't make sense!

As much as i would like to belive that the veil leads to another world (because i really would like for Sirius to come back) i think it's portal to afterlife. Yet i'm hopeful that we will see more of Sirius, maybe the mirrors, some kind of memories or it could be something new, i jt hope we do hear more from/about him.

I think that the veil is a portal to the afterlife. I don't really know why but I just don't want Sirius to be dead. And plus if Sirius does come out somehow he could be someone that Harry could fight for and love again just like Ron and Hermione... But that's just a theory.






Hope Sirius isn't really dead.

OI IM FROM AUSTRALIA!!!!!!!!!
australia owns
but i voted for portal to the afterlife, he was killed before he entered it so yeah thats why i voted for it

I think that it could be a a portal to the afterlife. Where maybe you can communicate with the dead. And like the thestral theory maybe it only applies to people who have had loved ones die. . .or have seen loved ones die.

I don't want Sirius and Dumbledore dead, because they could have helped Harry very much, but i think the veil is a portal to the after life

I reckon it's a prison.. Because Luna reckons she can hear voices.. I think the people that fall through, are trapped in some kind of gateway prison.

This helps my theroy into the fact that Sirius isn't dead..

Whatever it is, it seems mysterious.

I think that is a portal to the afterlife... Because they said he was dead and that he wasn't coming back and stuff...
Whatever it was, it creeped me out...