ghosts and RL's happiness

[cynthiaanncoe at home.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 26401

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Amy Z" <aiz24 at h...> wrote:
> 
> Do you think any characters will be active after death--e.g. get 
> murdered by Voldemort or henchmen but then deal them a blow from 
> ghosthood later?
> 
> (Since JKR has commented in an interview that the happiest people 
> don't become ghosts)  Is Remus happy?
> 
> 


To tell you the truth, I hope Lupin doesn't come back as a ghost.  As 
a group, I don't find the ghosts to be very interesting characters.  
We have Binns (zzzzzz), who only has any real role in CoS, and it is 
only to convey information; the Bloody Baron (who IS he, anyway?); 
the Grey Lady (same thing); the Fat Friar (who doesn't seem to do 
anything either); and Nearly Headless Nick (who gets petrified and 
has a party, but again, doesn't have all that much to do in my two 
favorite books GoF and PoA).  Then we have Moaning Myrtle, who helps 
Harry and oggles at him from time to time.  If there is any group of 
characters I'd have eliminated from the books, it would be the House 
Ghosts (although I reserve the right to change my mind if they get 
more to do in future books).

OK, Amy.  What was your question?  Oh yes.  Will anyone die and come 
back as a ghost?  I hope not.  The thing that is powerful about death 
in HP and any book is that it is so permanent.  Things that undermine 
this (like bringing people back as ghosts or having everything just 
turn out to be a dream) makes me unhappy.

So, I sincerely hope Lupin makes it to the last book (or at least 
really goes out in a blaze of glory in Book 5).  I worry, though, 
because I don't see how he can be happy.  Maybe he was emotionally OK 
before teaching at Hogwarts, but the circumstances under which he 
lost his job would really depress anyone.  But if he dies and comes 
back as a ghost to wander the Hogwarts halls moaning, well, I'll have 
to get after him.

Cindy (whose stomach lurched anytime someone predicted Lupin would 
die in OoP, so she'd like people to stop saying that)