GH re-re-revisited - Portrait Spy

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 115319


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "cubfanbudwoman"
<susiequsie23 at s...> wrote:

> 
> SSSusan:
> Thanks, Dungrollin.  Wish it were my original idea, but 'tis not, 
> though I really like it [magic portrait at Godrics Hollow].  I can't 
> imagine any other way that DD could have so quickly found out what 
> was happening at GH.  
> 
> Hmmmmm...  What impact does a Fidelius Charm have on a portrait's 
> ability to communicate with an outside party?  Could Phineas travel 
> between GP & DD's office because DD told him GP was Order HQ, or 
> does the Fidelius not affect a portrait at all?
> 
> Siriusly Snapey Susan

bboyminn:

The portrait of Phineas in Dumbledore's office didn't have to be told
about what was happening at Grimmauld Place because Phineas IS at
Grimmauld Place; he has a protrait there. He had full access and full
view because that house at 12-GP was his home; the home of his
portrait that is.

One confusing thing about these multiple protraits at multiple
locations, is there only one character for /all/ the portraits, or one
for each portrait? 

In other words, we have two known portraits of Phineas, does that mean
that there are two of him wandering around out there in the portrait
universe? 

And if there are two of him, are they of one mind, each fully knowing
the experiences of the other? 

If there are two of them, and they are not of one mind, but live
completely independent lives, do they occassionally get together and
talk, and when they do, do they alway agree with each other, or do the
get into disagreements? 

What if one is a portrait at age 16 and another at age 60, would they
be of one mind, or would the portray their individual age-based
personalities? 

If there is only one character for all portraits, how can that be? If
one portrait is painted in January, it must have a life character in
it, but then if another portrait is painted in October, it would seem
to have it's own life character; different protraits, different times,
different artist, different clothes, different settings, perhaps
different sizes, etc.... It really doesn't seem possible for one
/portrait life character/ to inhabit all versions of all his portraits.

Enquiring minds want to know.

To the main point of magical portraits at Godrics Hollow and some
other strategic location to act as a messenger between Dumbledore and
the Potters, that seems like a very reasonable and logical thing for
them to have done. It's certainly what I would have done. And as
SSSusan and others have pointed out, it does explain nicely how
Dumbledore was able to be so informed and to act so quickly the night
Voldemort visited Godric's Hollow.

Just a thought.

Steve/bboyminn (was bboy_mn)