'Death Arch' was Re: CHAPTER DISCUSSIONS: Chapter One/MuggleWorld, Wizard

[a_reader2003]

No: HPFGUIDX 82579

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Ali" <Ali at z...> wrote:
> Kneasy wrote:--- 
> 
>  >>Did they build Hogwarts? Or does it pre-date them? Can anybody 
> enlighten me? 
> 
>  For their physical constructional needs,  buildings, etc. I'd 
> classed them as glorified Borrowers - "That looks useful, we'll 
> borrow that."
>  
>  As to  what makes a place magical, I  reasoned that they do. To be
>  magical a place needs a certain  concentration of wizards, spells,
>  magical objects and the like. What critical concentration is needed
>  to achieve 'lift off' is anyone's guess.
>  
>  But after reading Kirstini's post I'm interested in hearing what 
> other posters think the WW is and what it's limits are<<< 
> 
> (Ali wrote:)
> I've never really thought about the WW as a physical space before, 
> although I agree that some physical parts are purely wizarding. 
But, 
> following OoP, I have really felt that the MoM was constructed 
> around the Chamber of Death. IMO, the arch and the veil predate the 
> MoM. I think that they are a link between our world and the next, 
> perhaps a place where it is easier to pass on quickly, I don't 
know. (snip)

Carolyn:

I've always been surprised at people's responses to this arch. To me, 
it has not come across as a place of execution, but very much a piece 
of theatre - albeit, v. serious theatre. All the tiered seating is 
obviously there for a lot of people to watch something important, but 
I had thought of it as either a triumphal procession in or out of the 
arch. Either people choosing thier moment to 'die'/go beyond (as 
Aragorn did), or possibly emerging from 'death' to announce or 
prophecy something, rather as in a Greek tragedy.

The whispering that Harry and Luna heard sounded to me exactly like 
people 'back stage' watching what was going on out in the audience !

I like the idea that it is something powerfully ancient and magical 
that the whole of the MoM was built on top of. However, if we think 
out on this, it means that it is also somewhere beneath central 
London. Wonder if it is one of the nicked artefacts from the British 
Museum ! The location of the MoM seems to be not too far from the 
Museum (which is at the north end of Charing X Rd).