[HPforGrownups] Re: Ghosts

[Kathryn Cawte]

No: HPFGUIDX 71544

 

 
"callie603" <callistar at h...> 
wrote:
> 
> Do you think that the choice is a one-time-only deal? Do you think 
> they can stay for a while and then go on, or go back and forth? Or 
> do you decide at the time of your death to live eternity as a 
ghost, 
> or it's decided for you by your fear, and you can never go to the 
> place where everyone else goes? Or do you have to accomplish 
> something, and then you can rest at peace? Any thoughts?

I think I'm sitting on the fence for this one. My inclination is to say it's
a one time deal if you refuse to go on and instead remain as a ghost then
you're stuch, but my gut tells me that we may well see NHN overcoming his
fear and somehow managing to depart this plane.

So very much a don't know there - but I don't know if anyone has said this,
if they have I missed it. Nick explains that ghosts are pretty much peole
who feared death so much that they hung around and the wizard who seems to
fear death most of all is Voldemort. Does this mean that when (if?) Harry
defeats him he's going to stay around as a ghost for all eternity?

Because I'm thinking that that's not a good thing.

And on a related note - someone was saying earlier that Binns is a lousy
teacher but I wondered can Dumbledore actually sack him? And what legal
status do ghosts have anyway? Is he drawing a salary? Can dead people *have*
a bank account or is it going to his heirs? And if he's keeping it what
would he do with it. It's not even like Dumbledore can be claiming to
provide him with bed and board because he needs neither. And why would he
carry on teaching after death anyway? People who enjoy teaching tend to be
passionate about their work, Binns seems to be anything but. It's bad enough
working at a job you don't enjoy up until you die - but to carry on
afterwards? Really it makes Sisyphus look like he got off lightly compared
to that as a punishment.

K