OOP: Beyond the Veil

[glenfinnan1745]

No: HPFGUIDX 65598

There is an interesting parallel to the veiled archway in C.S. 
Lewis' _The Last Battle_, the final book of the Narnia series.  In 
that book, there is a mysterious door which people enter but from 
whence they never return.  From one side, it looks like an ordinary 
stable door.  But King Trinian, after he goes through it, sees it 
from the other side as:

     "A rough wooden door and, round it, the framework of the 
doorway: nothing else, no walls, no roof. He walked towards it, 
bewildered, and the others followed, watching to see what he would 
do. He walked round to the other side of the door. But it looked 
just the same from the other side: he was still in the open air, on 
a summer morning. The door was simply standing up by itself as if it 
had grown there like a tree."

Apparently, once people come through this door, they are dead, and 
go on to face whatever afterlife is appropriate for them: the 
worshippers of the evil demon Tash are devoured by their 
bloodthirsty god; the good creatures of Narnia go on to Aslan's 
paradise, while the skeptical, cynical Dwarfs simply believe that 
they are in a dank, smelly barn.

Given Rowling's known affection for the Narnia series, borrowing a 
motif like a freestanding door to the afterlife has to be more than 
a coincidence.  Incidentally, I found the ending of OOP to be the 
most explicitly theological of any in the series.  In a nutshell, 
the message is: the greatest power in the universe is love - 
particularly sacrifical love that lays down its life for its 
friends - and love is ultimately stronger than death.  In fact, only 
by embracing love can you overcome death and achieve eternal life.  
Those who simply fear and resist death without embracing love (like 
Voldemort or ghosts) live a shadowy imitation of life that is 
ultimately fruitless.  All of this is classic Christian theology.

I am not suggesting that OOP or the rest of the Potter series are as 
theologically determined as the Narnia series, but I think that as 
the series draws to a close, the philosophical / theological 
meanings will become more important.  Like many posters, I think 
this all points to Harry dying a sacrificial death in Book 7 to 
destroy Voldemort, and possibly to a reunion with his parents, 
Sirius, and others (Hagrid? Dumbledore?) beyond the veil.


"glenfinnan1745"