Portraits (SPOILER-isn't everything?)

Book 6: HP & the Half-Blood Prince Forum

Right, so when a headmaster dies their portrait turns up in the office. But what is in a portrait. It isn't the person themselves, but it has their personality, memories, beliefs, opinions - everything! So althought the soul itself may be dead, and the person no longer feeling anything, for all intents and purposes to the rest of the world they are there. But surely it doesn't work like that? I'm pretty sure it's not, but it's the way it seems. And how come they can go from one portrait to the other and leave the frame empty? Cos doesn't that mean that when a new portrait is created of that person, it's empty until they decide to fil it. Which is kinda confusing.

This could actually get into an interesting philosophical debate, which will confuse me completely

Great idea for a topic discussion, Becky....

I don't believe that we've ever found out how the portraits get placed upon the walls... and now, knowing that Dumbledore has one up in the Headmistress' office... well, is it something that just automatically, magically, appears at their deaths? Or, is it something for all wizards? Like, is a spell placed upon them, in their lives....

But not all of the wizards get their portrays, just those who are in some way significant, famous or just... rich. Like, in Black's house, the members of the family got their portrays on the walls of the house. In Hogwarts there are portrays of people significant to the school. They're all dignified, successful... I mean, there aren't many portrays of old Weasley or Gaunt family members. So who takes care that right people are put in right canvas? And who chooses who's cool enough to get their very own portray? It's very mysterious.

Hm, I highly doubt that portraits are like horcruxes, and i highly doubt that all the headmasters have murdered someone.

But I'm wondering if a portrait could be similar, like when you get a portrait you do actually put a piece of yourself in there, just not enough to keep you alive like voldmorts horcruxes?

Wasn't it that there used to be an old legend about pictures. It was something along the lines of " if you get your picture taken, it will take your soul or a part of it" I wonder if it's something like that, because the portraits seem to have quite a bit of the person that was painted in their image. Too much to not take them into consideration..

I don't know if this entry came out the way I wanted it too. I don't really like how I worded this, but take it or leave it.

I think that having a portrait must be very expensive. The Blacks had money, so they would be able to afford one. I would assume that a part of the person goes into the portait. Not your soul, but something to give an echo of your former self.

So, a portray is something like a 2-dimensional ghost..? I don't know if it matters much anyhow. Up until now portrays were quite passive in the story. Their only role is to deliver messages from time to time. But sometimes they can be very useful. They've transmitted some very important messages in the last two books.

What I found interesting is that all headmasters' portrays have to obey the present Headmasters' commands. Phineas Nigellus, for one, who disagreed with Dumbledore on everything, still did whatever Dumbledore asked him. That might be important in book 7. And it will be nice to see Harry/McGonagall/someone else talking at least to Dumbledore's portray........!

Phineas Nigellus did think that Dumbledore had style.

M.

I don't think they're too important to the story, it was just an interesting thought I had, cos it didn't really make sense. Maybe it's one of those things we shouldn't look too carefully at, cos it'll just go all wrong! But it's definately not like a horcrux or anything, the person is dead, end of story. But like Sherry said, I think it's like an echo of the person. And if their still alive and picture's made of them then it's the same, but it won't be quite the same person. But I was thinking, if there was a portrait of Sirius, then Harry could talk to him, which would probably cause him more sadness and everything, so hopefully she's not going to do that. But it wouldn't be the same as talking to the real person. This is all completely hypothetical by the way