How alive are paintings?

[Tracie]

No: HPFGUIDX 69757

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, RoxyElliot at a... wrote:
> In a message dated 7/12/2003 1:34:10 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
> RavenclawBlack at C... writes:

(snipped a bit)

 in book five, the paintings seem very lifelike.  Phineas
> > particularly comes to mind.  Are the paintings like ghosts?  Can
> > wizards choose to leave themselves behind in that form, or are 
they
> > copies of the wizard's personality?  Can a painting be done while
> > the
> > person is alive, or postmortem?  (I'm thinking about Sirius here)
> > 
> > Anyway, I would like to hear what others think on this topic.
> > 
> > -Colin
> > 
> 
> My guess is that the paintings are sort of like Riddle's Diary, a 
memory.  It 
> would almost have to be the artist's impression of a personality 
rather than 
> the actual person though.  The personality would be "painted" into 
the 
> picture.  I wonder if there is some kind of spell for making a 
self portrait...


I have been doing alot of thinking about the paintings too.  In PoA 
when Sirius slashed his way into Gryffindor Tower the Fat Lady 
fled.  Doesn't that suggest some kind of conciousness?  Also, in 
OotP, Dumbledore sends inhabitants of these portraits to the MoM 
when Arthur was bit by the snake...then he sends one to ST Mungos to 
report on his condition...then Phineas is sent to ask Sirius about 
letting the children stay there at Grimmauld Place.  Phineas then 
runs out of the portraint in DD's office to the one at Grimmauld 
Place to look for Sirius after he hears he is dead.  All of these 
things suggest a conciousness to me, in some form...

So, maybe in some way, Sirius can return...that is my hope anyway...

Tracie...who mourned the loss of Sirius with tears and a fist raised 
in the air at JKR..."how COULD you!?!" (grin)