who's going to die; Weatherby

[lyorkus at yahoo.com]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at y..., "Amy Z" <aiz24 at h...> wrote:  
> BTW, to back up the thread a ways, Peeves isn't the same as a 
ghost.  
> No one's quite sure how poltergeists are different, but he's not 
> transparent, isn't a proper ghost according to Nick, and as far as 
we 
> know was not formerly a living human.  
> 
> There might also be a way for ghosts as well as poltergeists 
to "die" 
> (be dispersed?).
> 
> Amy Z
> who wants to know more about the Bloody Baron

Peeves is definitely the ghost of a human.  A poltergeist ("geist" is 
the German word for "spirit" or "ghost") is supposed to be the ghost 
of an adolescent.  The rebellious or mischievous nature of the 
poltergeist supposedly has something to do with a combination of the 
nature of the person's death (there's unfinished business this person 
never got around to, he/she is upset about that) and the basic 
instability of a teenager's personality.  As a result, this ghost is 
having a hissy fit for eternity.

What is surprising is that there aren't MORE poltergeists at 
Hogwarts, since it's about a thousand years old and students have 
clearly died at the school before (what about those Triwizard 
Tournament fatalities?).  In fact, Moaning Myrtle is pretty close to 
being a poltergeist herself, what with her antics in the out-of-order 
bathroom, going into the lake to see Harry during the second task, 
and spying on him while bathing in the prefects' bathroom.  Peeves 
seems to have more gusto than her, however.

Maybe we'll find out about Peeves' demise sometime in the future, as 
we did with Myrtle.  We already know a little about Nick's botched 
beheading.  The Bloody Baron would be another good one to know.  I 
admit to being confused about the Fat Friar, however.  Why is he 
haunting Hogwarts?  Was it built on the ruins of a monastery a 
thousand years ago?

--Laurin

(I've probably asked more questions than I've answered!)