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[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 95065

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "potioncat" <willsonkmom at m...> 
wrote:

Potioncat:
> So far when we've seen these animated portraits, they seem very 
live, 
> and personable.  But they are not the original person.  They are 
some 
> sort of spell, copy, imitation.  So I think if Harry comes across a 
> portrait of Sirius, it will be an  empty experience for him.  If it 
> does give him some comfort, like watching an old video of a loved 
> one, it still won't be Sirius.

Geoff:
I don't think that's strictly true. In OOTP, we have seen various of 
the portrait folk -  Phineas Nigellus and Dilys Derwent for example - 
who have been sent by Dumbledore to find out information and deliver 
messages at points where they have another portrait of themselves.

I think that this has been discussed in a thread some time ago but 
there is a suggestion that the portrait is sentient and has the 
memories of its sitter up to the point in time where the painting was 
executed. So, a portrait could engage in conversation with a person 
perfectly coherently, assuming that the discussion did not go beyond 
the then knowledge of the sitter, which is a little more than 
watching an old video of a friend or relative.

However, if there was a portrait of Sirius, it would have to date 
from before the Azkaban days and therefore, from Harry's point of 
view, would not be helpful. If you want to discuss your teen angst 
and your hearer hasn't got beyond you being in nappies, you've got 
the wrong counsellor!