Who are the House Ghosts?

[bluesqueak]

No: HPFGUIDX 45655

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Ali" <Ali at z...> wrote:
> A lengthy search of the archives has revealed – well a lot of 
> interesting discussion about a lot of interesting things, but not 
>the  question about ghosts and more particularly the Bloody Baron 
> that I was looking for!
><Snip discussion of the other ghosts>

 
> who then is the Bloody Baron? Is he based on someone or will he 
> too have a significance that we must still wait for.
> 
> Ali
> 

Hmmm... he probably is made up by JKR - 'Bloody Baron', or a 'Wicked 
Baron' was a staple of Victorian melodrama and Gothic style ghost 
stories.

However, if you want a possible candidate, Geoffrey de Mandeville is 
a good one. He was actually an Earl, but in the 12th Century any 
nobleman was usually called 'Baron'. He was certainly quite bloody, 
got himself killed by an arrow, and currently haunts East Barnet, 
near London - modern East Barnet is enough to make any self-
respecting ghost pack up and move back to the old school!

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/williamofnewburgh-one.html#11

will give you a medieval chroniclers view. No reference to his being 
a wizard, but Slytherin would have been proud of him. [grin]

Pip
[who apologises to any listies who happen to live in East Barnet, 
which is nice, but dull - strictly in my opinion]