Remaining behind (was: ghosts, magicians and babies)

[Pam Hugonnet]

No: HPFGUIDX 118999

Snow wrote: 
> 
> (1)Nearly Headless Nick is the Gryffindor house ghost. 
snip
Isn't bravery and 
> chivalry equal to fearlessness like when Harry dashes off without 
a 
> thought to his own safety? It seems quite odd that Nick was in 
> Gryffindor when he didn't display such qualities. 

Potioncat replied:
But we don't know what brave things he faced prior to death.  And 
we've seen Neville who is very frightened fit well in Gryffindor.  
Quite a few of the housemembers sometimes fall short of reaching the 
ideal qualities of their houses. (Think twins hissing at a new boy 
because he was sorted into Slytherin.)



Perhaps it isn't just fear that leads someone to remain behind as a ghost.  Each ghost may likely have very different reasons for not wanting to move on, but I think that each reason may reflect something of the character of the house that the ghost is attatched to  as well as the character of the person that he/she once was.   I think that it was difficult for Nick to admit that he remained behind out of fear.  In some ways he has been forced to live in eternity with the badge of his shame:  the official ghost of the house which values bravery  because of his lack of courage at the decisive moment.   We know nothing definative of Moaning Myrtle's house (I think she was a Syltherin), but we know that her reason for staying behind was revenge--she wanted to punish Olive Hornsby for laughing at her (Myrtle's) glasses.  No fear there.    As for the Fat Friar, I think his name gives us a clue about why he stayed behind.  I think JKR is following the tradition of literary characters like Friar Tuck and the Prioress--servants of God who are very attatched to the pleasures of the flesh.  The Fat Friar may not have wanted to leave behind his earthly pleasures and loyalties in favor of unknown spiritual pursuits---speculation only.  As for the rest of the ghosts, anyone else care to speculate?

drpam
who does think that the Bloody Baron was denied the option to move on because of his transgressions in his earthly life, based on the theory that the blood stains on his clothing are unicorn blood.

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