Who sets the passwords?

[princesspeaette]

No: HPFGUIDX 77602

> 
> > Wanda:
> > > I was just wondering, who makes up the passwords for the 
> Gryffindor 
> > > students?  I assumed it was McGonagall, and she probably sets a 
> new 
> > > one every week.  <snip>
> 
> 
>  Margaret replied:
> > 
> > I always assumed that the prefects made up the passwords, it 
would 
> > account for them always knowing what they were and when they were 
> > changed, as well as the fact that McGonagall is rarely seen near 
> > Gryffindor tower (I think it's mentioned in CoS that when she 
came 
> to 
> > tell them Ginny had been taken into the chamber it was the first 
> time 
> > arry had ever seen her there). <snip>
> 
> 
>   Now linlou:
> 
>         I was under the impression that the passwords are made up 
by 
> the portraits that guard the common room entrances. In POA, Neville 
> wrote them down in the first place because Sir Cadogen kept 
changing 
> them and he couldn't keep up.  However, do we know one way or the 
> other if all the common room entrances are guarded by portraits? I 
> know in the COS movie Slytherin's was not, but does the book 
> describe it at all?( Sorry, not sure where my copy is at the 
moment.)
> If this is the case it may give us a further clue as to the extent 
> of the abilities of the portraits.


Margaret, again:

The Slytherin common room is located near the dungeons (how 
appropriate), and has a door that appears to be part of the stone 
wall.  There is no portrait, you tap the wall with your wand and say 
the password.  It's in CoS when Ron and Harry take the polyjuice 
potion to look like Crabbe and Goyle. 



~Margaret


Apologies if this has been answered by the time this post appears on 
list, I'm still on moderated status.