Harry (technically) dying?

[Constance Vigilance]

No: HPFGUIDX 127513


--- jmgarciaiii wrote:
> 
> I'm sitting here once more wrapping up the series with Book 5, 
> pondering Harry Potter-ness and I was ruminating further on my 
> hypothesis Harry might go across the veil (after Sirius?) in Book 6 
> (or maybe Book 7...I'm not fussy). 
> 
> It's apparent what lies beyond the veil apparently "kills" anyone 
> who crosses it is an underworld of sorts, a backdoor death, if you 
> will. 

ConstanceVigilance (me):

The Veil. I think it is the biggest unresolved artifact in the series 
thus far. I would not be surprised to see Harry go through the veil, 
but my money would be in Book 7. 

Since "going through the veil" seems to imply a permanent death, what 
would happen if a ghost went through the veil? I think that it is 
highly likely that we will see Nearly Headless Nick going through the 
veil in a future book, as he seems somewhat regretful that he didn't 
have the courage the first time to finish his death. His rejected 
application to the Headless Hunt might cause him to realize that he 
is a misfit as a ghost, and given a properly heroic reason, he could 
easily be convinced to Cross Over.

We can probably assume that when living or dead people cross the 
veil, they are gone for good. But what would happen if one who is 
neither living nor dead goes through? I'm referring to Peeves. As a 
poltergeist, he is not the remnants of a living person. Nor is he a 
person in living form. Could he pass through the veil and return 
unscathed?

Now, jmgarciaiii:

<snip>
 
> Fluffy is a three headed dog Hagrid got from a "Greek chappie" down 
> at the pub and in mythology the gate to the underworld was guarded 
> by Cerberus, a three headed dog. It was Hercules (or Herakles) who 
> went down to the underworld and got past the dog.
> 

ConstanceVigilance:

That darn medium-that-must-not-be-named. Changed it from "Greek 
chappie" to "Irish fellow" and totally destroyed the reference. But 
Fluffy is an interesting loose end. Harry and friends have already 
gotten past the Greek guard of the underworld once.

jmgarciaiii:

<snip>
 
> 
> *Persephone wound up as a resident of the underworld because she 
ate pomegranate seeds Hades gave her. In Book 5, Harry ruins his  
Strengthening Solution by adding--you guessed it--pomegranate to it,  
when he wasn't supposed to add pomegranate ANYTHING to that potion.
> 

ConstanceVigilance:

I didn't notice that during my readings. But it is a good catch, JM. 
As I recall Persephone was not supposed to eat anything but she ate 6 
pomegranate pips. Her punishment was to spend one month in Hades for 
each pip. The world dies with her for those 6 months, giving us 
winter. So, Persephone + pomegranates = partial bad news. Perhaps 
Harry + pomegranate = Not Completely Bad News, too? Maybe he will be 
able to "die" and come back? OK, I'm reaching. I don't want Harry to 
die, but I think we are given many hints that it is coming.

Thanks for the thoughtful post, JM.

~Constance Vigilance, who notices that Quirrell also got past the 
guard of the underworld, but that doesn't mean anything.