Questions

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 136462

 
> John K:
 >Rowling talked about it in an interview, though I can't find the 
>exact quote.  And we don't know how many of a person's memories, 
>emotions, or thought processes are retained in a portrait, though 
>I'm guessing we'll get a glimpse at Dumbledore's new portrait in the 
>next book.
> 
> Ghosts, on the other hand, are indeed a piece of the wizard's soul 
> (or perhaps the whole thing), retaining their full characteristics, 
> memories, and thoughts from life - but you either become one or you 
> don't, and for those who don't, dead is most certainly dead.  We're 
> supposed to find out what makes a person a ghost or not in the next 
> book, as well.
> 

Potioncat:
Here is the interview. I don't think we should get our hopes too high 
for "seeing" Dumbledore in the next book. He'll be there, in the same 
way a portrait of a loved one would be on the wall, but this is what 
JKR said in 2004:
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http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/news_view.cfm?id=80

All the paintings we have seen at Hogwarts are of dead people. They 
seem to be living through their portraits. How is this so? If there 
was a painting of Harry's parents, would he be able to obtain advice 
from them?

That is a very good question. They are all of dead people; they are 
not as fully realised as ghosts, as you have probably noticed. The 
place where you see them really talk is in Dumbledore's office, 
primarily; the idea is that the previous headmasters and 
headmistresses leave behind a faint imprint of themselves. They leave 
their aura, almost, in the office and they can give some counsel to 
the present occupant, but it is not like being a ghost. They repeat 
catchphrases, almost. The portrait of Sirius' mother is not a very 3D 
personality; she is not very fully realised. She repeats catchphrases 
that she had when she was alive. If Harry had a portrait of his 
parents it would not help him a great deal. If he could meet them as 
ghosts, that would be a much more meaningful interaction, but as Nick 
explained at the end of Phoenix—I am straying into dangerous 
territory, but I think you probably know what he explained—there are 
some people who would not come back as ghosts because they are 
unafraid, or less afraid, of death.
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Potioncat again: 
So at best, I would expect a scene the first few days after the 
incident. DD's portrait will wake up, look around and say something 
like, "If I'm up here, things must not have gone as well as I hoped."



> John K:
> There are indeed to be seven books, one for each of Harry's seven 
> years at Hogwarts.  Whether it's related to the seven Horcruxes we 
> don't know, but seven seems to be a special number in the wizarding 
> world, and it's also just the number of years required for 
secondary 
> education, so it might be coincidence.
> 

Potioncat:
And the wizard of the month on JKR's site is the person who 
discovered the magical properties of the number 7.
 
All this time I thought it was Elmo....