The veil is extremely intriguing because it is emblematic of death and the afterlife, something that Harry has had to deal with for his entire life. Both Harry and Luna can hear voices behind the veil, which shows that something is occurring behind the veil out of sight. The idea that something is happening makes sense when juxtaposed with Dumbledore’s statement in book 1, “death is but the next great adventure.” Dumbledore always knows more about everything than everybody, so it would follow logically that he would know or at least have some idea of what was occurring behind the veil, and by calling it an adventure, he is implying that there is an afterlife. I don’t think that Rowling would simply stick that into book 5 for fun; rather I think it has great relevance to events in book 7 that Harry and Co. will have to deal with. Maybe venture behind the veil? Who knows? I do believe that Harry is going to have some sort of spiritual or physical reunion with Sirius, and I see that happening either in relation to the veil or to Sirius’ two-way mirrors. Also if Harry is a Horcrux and he steps through the veil (which is in essence the gateway to the afterlife) then he will be effectively killing 1/7 of Voldemort and will reunite himself with his dead loved ones. Of course, Harry could just kill himself regularly if he wanted to die, and on top of that (if he isn’t a Horcrux) he probably realizes that it is best to enjoy life with the people he loves and cares about who are alive, and that in time he will be reunited with the people he’s lost.
-Theory by Geraldo
I believe that Sirius is dead. I think that the veil, interestingly enough, could actually be the entrance to heaven/afterlife. It is so close that whisperings of the dead/spirits can actually be heard from the other side of the veil. I don’t think falling into the veil really kills you exactly; it more just takes your spirit out of your body and sends it on to that heaven/afterlife. I think Sirius is dead because of the scene where Harry is venting to Dumbledore at the end of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Dumbledore says that Harry has just lost the one person he cared most about in the world, a person Harry was coming to regard as a mixture of a father and a brother. I don’t think that Dumbledore would say all of this to Harry if he had even the slightest idea that maybe Sirius hadn’t actually died.
- Anonymous