[HPforGrownups]Re: Hogwarts' Ghosts Was Re: The Bloody Baron's identity

[Maria Kirilenko]

No: HPFGUIDX 51549


Greicy wrote:

I've always wondered why would Peeves just be scared of the Bloody 
Baron.  Does he know something about the Bloody Baron?  Did they 
know each other before their deaths?


Me:

I don't think that Peeves was ever alive. He's not a ghost, after all.

I believe in the theory that he is the product of overflowing emotions of all those teenagers. RL poltergeists (if you believe in that sort of thing) are thought to be just that, although they don't have bodies like Peeves does. 

Greicy:
The other ghosts are a mystery, besides NHN, unfortunately.  I 
recall reading on the internet, this may not be true, but JK will 
tell us why ghosts are ghosts.  And that's good b/c I want to know 
what is the deal with them.  Why were the Bloody Baron and NHN 
killed? Because it SEEMS as though they were killed for legitimate 
reasons.  Why is Peeves such a pain!?  

Well, there's really no evidence that you absolutely have to be killed to become a ghost. You have to be unhappy and/or have "unfinished business" (what was Casper's business, btw?)

My assorted thoughts on this are:

NHN was, as I imagine, executed during one revolution or other - is that a legitimate reason? 

Maybe the Bloody Baron died in a battle? That would explain the blood. Maybe he murdered someone - but surely wizards don't need to actually spill blood when they murder. Maybe he was a Dark wizard. Ah, the joy of speculating...

Peeves is a pain because of that 'teenager' thing.

Greicy:

Moaning Myrtle died in Hogwarts, did the rest of the ghosts die in 
Hogwarts as well.  Don't you "haunt" the place where you died?  Were 
they all teachers and students there at one point or were visiting 
Hogwarts at the time of their death?  Did something else happen in 
Hogwarts that we don't know about that could have caused their 
deaths?  Did Muggles find Hogwarts at one time and kill Wizards and 
Witches?

Me:

I think we would've heard about it by now, if such a raid really happened. Bathilda Bagshot in "History of Magic" writes that Muggles were very bad at witch-hunting.

So, IMO ghosts *don't* necessarily haunt the place where they died. I find it improbable that NHN was decapitated at Hogwarts. Moaning Myrtle didn't choose to haunt that bathroom - she wanted to haunt Olive Hornby, and did just that until MoM made her stop.

BTW - has anyone tried looking up Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington or another name that sound like that? I couldn't find anything. Is Nearly Headless Nick based on a RL person? 

Maria,

who asks more questions than provides answers and knows it.



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