[HPforGrownups] Re: Professor Binns

[rayheuer3 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 60267

tish9774 at grics.net writes:

> My *theory* as to why some people become ghosts was sent down the 
> toilet with Binns.  I thought that maybe people who were murdered 
> (Moaning Myrtle, Nearly-Headless Nick, Bloody Baron) were able to 
> come back as ghosts.  That is why everyone was able to come out of 
> LV's wand in GoF.

The general theory I've seen for the creation of ghosts is that they left 
something "unfinished".  This is true of almost all people who die violently.  It 
may be something as obvious as vengeance, or seeing their killer brought to 
justice, or as warm as seeing a child grow up safely, as simple as "I haven't 
finished school yet", or as banal as "I have classes to teach".  But it seems 
that in the WW world, or at least in Hogwarts, nobody feels the need to help 
ghosts "move on".  Similarly, Hogwarts ghosts seem totally comfortable with 
their existence *as ghosts* and may feel no need to "move on".

Take Moaning Myrtle, as an example.  The circumstances of her death have been 
revealed, the basilisk is dead, and a form of vengeance has been exacted on 
Tom Riddle/Voldemort.  Yet Myrtle is still happily (unhappily?) haunting her 
toilet.  About the only thing that she might be missing now is a Hogwarts 
diploma.  But in the 50 years she's been haunting that toilet, nobody has even 
*tried* to put her spirit to rest.

  --  Ray
 


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