[HPforGrownups] Portrait Holes

[Joel N. Fischoff]

No: HPFGUIDX 24509

On Sun, 19 Aug 2001, Mindy, a.k.a. CLH wrote:
>Several times in GoF, someone had to wait outside the common room door to
>open the portrait hole for Harry to leave. I am puzzled by this. Does this
>mean that the pupils are essentially locked into the Gryffindor tower
>until someone opens it from the outside?

I think you're misunderstanding what you read.  The reason people were
waiting for Harry is that Harry was not supposed to move around
unaccompanied, not that he couldn't open the portrait by himself.

The upshot of this is that, when he DID move around by himself, he had to
wait until someone opened the portrait because if HE opened the portrait,
then the portrait would know he left.  And you know what gossips they are.  
Not to mention that they were probably told not to let him out.

Joel