[HPforGrownups] Re: The Basilisk Didn't Do It

[Barb P]

No: HPFGUIDX 44951


That's a different story.  JKR has talked a little about why people become ghosts, and it seems to be pretty much in line with other ghost folklore concerning unfinished business.  (JKR actually blames unhappiness on people becoming ghosts, but by extension one can say that someone is unhappy who has unfinished business).  There is nothing to suggest that the Riddles were unhappy (they were clearly oblivious to the angsty life of young Tom Riddle) so there is no reason to expect them to become ghosts no matter how they were murdered.
 
Myrtle talks about her problems with Olive Hornby and her general teenage misery when she died.  She was both very unhappy and had unfinished business.  She was actually actively haunting Olive until the Ministry made her go back to her toilet.  Myrtle isn't a ghost because she was killed by a basilisk; she is a ghost because she can't let go of this world for other reasons.  The ghost issue is somewhat confusing because we have the character of Nearly Headless Nick, whose unfinished business/unhappiness seems to be specifically caused by the way he was killed, i.e. the botched beheading (if there's another reason why Sir Nick is still holding on, JKR isn't telling).  So I can understand Sir Nick causing some confusion about the means of death having something to do with whether a person becomes a ghost. 
 
--Barb
 
 Tim wrote:If the Basilisk killed the Riddles on Tom's command, wouldn't the Riddle house be haunted by the 3 ghosts.   

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