[HPforGrownups] Death chamber (was: Powers of the Veil)

[SnapesRaven]

No: HPFGUIDX 89538

lizvega2: 
>>  In OOP the room with the veil is referred to by Dumbledore as 
  the 'death chamber'.

  Does this mean that the wizarding world has an equivalent to the gas 
  chamber/electric chair?

  I was under the impression that all wizards, even the really bad 
  ones, were sent to Azkaban. <snip>
  If these people, surely the worst of the worst, weren't even 
  sentenced to death, who would be?

  <snip> Perhaps it is there as a portal to death? Death would 
  be one of the mysteries the the MM would study in the dept. of 
  mysteries, surely?

  But, if it is a portal to death, and not a death device, then why 
  couldn't Sirius be retrieved? <<



Good morning!

: )
I gave that chamber some thought myself and here it is:

I don't think this expression has been picked because the veil can be used to execute people - I rather think it is, as you pointed out, a portal, and thus not necessarily meant to be 'used' on purpose. 
I haven't come to a conclusion regarding the finality of falling/stepping? through this veil. Surely, people who pass this 'border' cannot come back immediately but seem - I am referring to Luna here - to stay behind it, whispering (Harry heard it, too). 

The Dementor's kiss is worse than death. To me it is perfectly clear why the death Eaters were sent to Azkaban, probably waiting for their kiss... rather than 'just' vanishing through a veil (btw, we haven't come to know what exactly the consequences are - JKR, I hope you don't let us down, but I'm sure you won't!) which presumably doesn't cost them their souls. 
I imagine the veil and falling through it more harmless to the 'victim' than a Dementor's kiss because, like Nearly Headless Nick said, there's the possibility for an afterlife Sirius has apparently chosen. I don't think that as a soulless ...creature one can 'live' an afterlife. So the veil is rather cruel to those who remain but in my opinion not to those who pass thrugh it.

Indeed I think that death is a mystery in the WW... the chamber is located in the department of Mysteries, after all.
; )
There is surely much to discover about this phenomenon, and the archway seems to me as an interesting object of study. Maybe there is some research going on featuring the stepping through this veil, trying to find out if any contact - and if so, what kind - is still possible. There may be many methods of experimenting with that veil. 

I think that symbolism is, as always, a very important component here. 
There can, however, be different ways to interpret the Death chamber. (Ok, this was superflowous, sorry, I know that you know...) 
First, one could wonder why the room is built like an amphitheatre, perhaps designed to fit many wizards and witches to watch the proceedings on the dais. There are two options:
First, it could be for research purposes as pointed out above. Second, it could really be for spectators to watch an execution. But as I already said, this in in my view not the purpose. 
The second point is the dais itself. When Iread OotP, I saw the archway on the dais before my inner eye, and pictured it in a rather beautiful way, like some podest to honour victors. It had a special aura about itself, and I thought of it as almost festive. I don't want to prompt that heroes are being sent through this archway as a reat for their achievements. No way! But to me the whole construction, so attention-drawing to the centre, felt somehow ...proud. Not like an exposition but natural and not hiding. 
One could say like death itself...?

I wonder whether the archway is some mysterious object like the Mrror of Erised... can it be brought somewhere, probably without the amphitheathre itself? Is there a use to/of it on the MoM's behalf? And if so, can wizards like Dumbledore 'borrow' or at least access it, perhaps for bringing sirius back, contact him, ...or could he borrow the archway but only under the premise that there would be NO attempt to do the aforementioned?

I know I might have thrown up some irritating questions, or they might be just silly. But that's what I remember from my thoughts regading the chamber.
: )

Have a nice day!


SnapesRaven