20 ghosts

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 58910

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Kelly Grosskreutz"
<ivanova at i...> wrote:
> Sabrina wrote:
> 
> > In SS p. 115 it says: "About twenty ghosts had just streamed
> > through the back wall."
> >
> > Now, my question is, is it important for us to know who the other
> > ghosts that we don't know yet are?
> >



> 
> ... a side tangent ....  ... Peeves has the ability to affect matter
> (throwing things, etc), ...  But ...Moaning Myrtle ... has the 
> ability to displace water ....  Binns, ..., can write on the 
> chalkboard with chalk.  So what, in this setting, sets a ghost apart
from a poltergeist?
> 
> Kelly Grosskreutz

bboy_mn:

First 20 ghost; in previous discussions I have pointed out that JKR
uses the number 20 whenever she means a 'bunch'. When ever she needs a
quantity descriptive word that is not too small and not too big, easy
to visualize, etc.... In previous discussion many many examples of the
use of the number 20 have been pointed out. My theory is that you
can't take the number 20 literally; it just means a bunch.

Many people have tried to use this repeated use of the number 20 to
determine the exact number of student in Harry's year and by
association, the number of students in the school. Twenty brooms for
the first flying lesson, but I say it was just a 'bunch' of brooms.
Twenty earmuffs in Herbology class is really not exactly 20, it's just
a bunch of earmuffs. ... 20 cauldrons in the Potions classroom. ...20
tables in the Divination classroom. Based on my estimations, the
Divination classroom seats 60 to 80 students. Back to the topic, I
suspect twenty ghost flying through the room is not 20.00000 ghosts;
it is just a indeterminate bunch of ghosts.


Peeves & Myrtle-
Ghosts are misty vaporous clouds of ectoplasm, where as Peeves has a
solid physical form. It seems that despite his solid form, he is still
able to preform many ghostly functions. Ghost on the other hand, while
not solid, are still able to 'haunt'. 

In the tradition of ghost in fiction in general, it is possible for
ghost to have limited interaction with the physical world. These
usually reflect extreme emotional states of the ghosts. We never see
Nearly Headless Nick interact with the physical world bacause, for the
most part, he is an emotionally content ghost. Myrtle on the other
hand is alway in extreme emotional turmoil and is therefore more able
to engage in 'haunting' activities. In other words, she is more able
to interact with the physical world. Although that interaction is
still very limited.

Typical 'haunting' activities of ghosts in fiction in general-
- rattling chains
- levitating objects
- vocalizing; moans, crys, screams, etc...
- slamming doors and/or windows
- locking and/or unlocking doors
- making themselves visible/invisible
- making car engines start or stop
- others



Just a few thoughts.

bboy_mn