Why the Veil? 'I'll be Back'

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 77853

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "lavaluvn" <gansecki at h...> wrote:

> 
> My question is: why did JKR use the veil for Sirius' (sniff) death?  
> I ask because because my husband ... had the reaction - "oh he'll be
>  back" ...
> 
> I know everyone quotes JKR on how death is final, etc, etc, no one 
> can come back.  ...edited...
>
> ...edited...
>
> 
> Thanks,  CAG


bboy_mn:

Let's make a distinction here-

There is a big difference between someone coming back into the story
and someone coming back from the dead.

I say Sirius is dead; completely, totally, finally and forever dead,
but I also believe he will be back. 

He can come back to the story without coming back from the dead.

He'll be back, as in -

a.) Harry goes into the veil and talks to Sirius.
b.) Harry pulls back the veil and sees Sirius on the other side, and
while standing on the 'life' side, he talks to Sirius who remains on
the death side.
c.) Flashback as in the pensieve scene in Snapes office.
d.) more pensieve scenes.
e.) Long rambling late night coversations with Lupin or some other
person during which we gain a very very deep insight into Sirius. 
f.) Harry crosses over to 'the other side' where he remains for
eternity, but has just enough time for a farewell from beyond that
veil which resolves and closes the story. The end. Fini. Finis.

The veil as a plot device-
I think part of the reason for using the veil to kill Sirius as
opposed to a mortal curse wound that would allow a nice heartfelt
death bed scene, is that real life rarely allows us those 'heartfelt
death bed scenes' where everyone confesses all, all conflicts are
resolved, everyone says 'I love you' and everyone part sad but satisfied. 

Real death catches us by suprise, and is it so often pointless, no
time to say 'goodbye' or 'I love you'; we just go about our daily
lives then suddenly the loved one we took for granted is gone.
Hopeless and irreversably gone. 

I think JKR intentionally wanted to leave us with a very unsatisfying
unresolved death. I think she wanted to (figuratively) throw us into
outer space and leave us hanging in the emptiness. 

I think she wanted it to be a death that we could hardly believe,
because when people we love are lost forever, it is hard to believe; a
death that leaves us stunned and confused. 

Where is Harry's resolution in this death? Where is his chance to say
goodbye? Where is his chance to morn the loss? Where is his chance to
view Sirius's body one more time, a chance to memorialize him, to
eulogize and pay tribute to him?

There aren't any of these things; just a pointless, unsatifying,
unresolved, confused, heartaching, gut wrenching, huge empty void
where love used to be. I think this is the feeling JKR intended to
leave a with; a pointless empty void.

I also feel the the Veil was not a 'one trick pony'. I think it's
important and it will play a very siginificant roll in the future.

Just a few thoughts.

bboy_mn