Compilation of Questions for JKR (WAS: Can Ghosts Drink?)

[erisedstraeh2002]

No: HPFGUIDX 47588

I (Phyllis/erisedstraeh2002) originally wrote:

> Can ghosts drink?  We know that Nearly Headless Nick tells Ron and 
> Harry that he hasn't eaten in over 400 years in PS/SS, and all of 
> the food at the Deathday party in CoS is rotten so that the ghosts 
> can smell it as they pass through.  But they can't *eat* it.  So 
> can they drink?  Because wouldn't Nearly Headless Nick have had to 
> drink the Mandrake draught in order to be un-petrified?
> 
> It seems to me that if ghosts can't eat, they shouldn't be able to 
> drink, either.  But then how was Nearly Headless Nick restored?

Which led to a discussion about how *any* of the basilisk's victims 
were able to swallow the potion, to which Jazmyn said:
 
> <snip> if they are petrified, there's no way they can swallow
> anything, even if their mouths are open.

to which Amanda responded:

> Nobody ever said they have to swallow it, that I can recall...

Now me:

You're right - nobody said they had to swallow it, but Dumbledore 
refers to the potion as "Mandrake juice," which implies that it's 
something to be imbibed.

Jazmyn again:

> There ARE other ways of administering the potion, such as an enema 
> or injecting into the stomach, but I seriously doubt that Rowling 
> would want to bore us with the details if they DID use enemas.

to which Amanda replied:

> Especially since they would have had to use a drill for either 
> option, given that the victims were, as you note, petrified.

Me again:

LOL!  I was in tears when I read this!!
 
Amanda again:

> And even if it is poured into the mouth, it's *magic* and if that's 
> the way it's given, physiology has little to do with it. 

Me again:

I think you've hit the nail on the head here.  I envisioned it 
thusly:  Once the Mandrake juice was applied to the victim's mouth 
(or lips, if their mouth was shut), it would un-freeze that part of 
the victim's body.  So if their lips were frozen shut, applying the 
juice to their lips would un-freeze their lips, thus enabling the 
nurse to open their mouth and pour the rest of the juice into their 
throat.  As the juice traveled down their throat and into their body, 
it would unfreeze as it went along.  And once it hit the stomach, it 
would then be able to travel to the rest of the victim's body through 
the bloodstream.

I don't think it's an immediate process, for Dumbledore tells Ginny 
that Madam Pomfrey is "just giving out Mandrake juice – I dare say 
the Basilisk's victims will be waking up at any moment" (Ch. 18).

I'd also like to thank everyone who responded to my question – I've 
never received so many responses to one of my posts before, and I 
really appreciated it!  Also, apologies to Oryomai for bringing up a 
question that he/she had already raised (I must have missed it the 
first time around).

The misting idea on Nick is a good one, but this seems to me to be a 
good question for JKR to address when she compiles her encyclopedia 
after the HP series is completed.  Do we have a list of such 
questions?  If not, I'd be happy to volunteer my services to keep 
track of questions such as these for the group.

~Phyllis