Dumbledore- Time, Wisdom, & Spies

[snow15145]

No: HPFGUIDX 116519


Steve/bboyminn:

That's one reason why I don't give much weight to the idea of
chocolate frog cards acting as spys. I simply don't think that photos
have sufficient depth to be anything but a cartoon/caricature verion
of the real person. Also, while it has been somewhat implied, we
really have never heard a photo communicate in any way. There have
been implied minor vocalization, but no photo has ever talked.

Snow:
This is an area that has been most puzzling especially since JKR's 
statement, from the Edinburgh Book Festival, that the portraits more 
or less repeat catch phrases. I have found several instances were the 
portrait has presented itself with present day concerns that they 
communicate about. For instance, there is Phineas who, upon hearing 
of his great grandson's apparent death appears distraught and 
proceeds to his Grimmald portrait for verification. (OOP The Lost 
Prophecy "Am I to understand," [
] "that my great-great-grandson-the 
last of the Blacks-is dead?" [
] 
"I don't believe it,") Again with 
Phineas, who makes an astute observation when Dumbledore escapes 
apprehension, declares to Fudge, that if nothing else Dumbledore has 
style. (OOP The Centaur and the Sneak "You know Minister, I disagree 
with Dumbledore on many counts
but you cannot deny he's got style
") 
These examples are of present day emotion to a present day situation 
with a present day applicable emotional response. If a portrait only 
continues to repeat catch phrases that he had heard or had said in 
the past how could he possibly react to present circumstances with an 
emotional verbal response?