How to become a ghost

[meriaugust]

No: HPFGUIDX 83326

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "phoenixwriter" 
<phoenixfeder2002 at y...> wrote:
> Sorry if this has already been discussed. 
> 
> I have been thinking about it and wondering why some people become 
> ghosts and others do not.
>
snip 
> 
> Why do ghosts exist? In order to get a chance which they didn't get 
> when they were alive: to learn to love somebody and be loved in 
> return.
> 
> That's it.
> 
> PW

JKR has said that it's the people who aren't the happiest in life 
that become ghosts, so not being loved is obviously an important 
factor, but I'm not sure that love has everything to do with it. 
Nearly Headless Nick (in the last chapter of OotP, but I'm not quite 
sure where, because I don't have my book with me at school) seems to 
imply that becoming a ghost is a choice that people make when they 
die, and it depends on the kind of person that you are whether you 
will make the choice to "cross over" or stay behind. (Sirius for 
example, probably would not have ever become a ghost because he hates 
being cooped up, values his freedom, and is always up for "the next 
great adventure". Myrtle, on the other hand, wanted nothing more than 
to make Olive Hornby sorry she made fun of Myrtle's glasses, and she 
clearly succeded.) It also seems like the choice is irreversible: 
that once you are a ghost you can't ever "cross over". It's a one 
shot deal, so it's not like once you find love you get to move on; 
Myrtle is, after all, still stuck in her girl's room. So it seems to 
me like there is something more important behind why people become 
ghosts, but it does support the constant theme of the stories: it is 
our choices that make us who we are, even as ghosts. However, you do 
bring up an interesting point. I can picture the Bloody Baron having 
a very depressing and loveless life (perhaps having something to do 
with his unfortunately bloody clothing). 
Meri