DD's Penseive / Portrait

[colebiancardi]

No: HPFGUIDX 144404

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Pookie" <pookiebear364 at g...> wrote:
>
> Debbie R <robersondd at c...> wrote:
> > Do you suppose that DD could have left some memories in his 
> > pensieve that might shed some light on things for Harry (and
> > Minerva since she would be the one to find them)....or was it 
> > left obviously empty <snip>??? 
> 
> 
> I also had a thought that perhaps the painting of DD might be 
> helpful to Harry; had anyone any thoughts on that?  If I missed 
> the posting on this please accept my appol...
> 
> Pookie

colebiancardi:  I posted a thought way back when but it did not gather
much interest at the time, as I have not seen any posts to my post. 
But my thoughts about the paintings is that they are active
participants, even though they aren't *real*.  The reason why I think
this is because of their uses to DD(having them check on situations by
visiting their other portraits) and this passage from HBP(p. 499 Am
Hardcover Ed) when DD is talking to Harry about his theories about
LV's Horcruxes:
"Harry suddenly noticed that every single one of the old headmasters
and headmistreeses in the portraits around the walls was awake &
listening in on their conversation.  A corpulent, red-nosed wizard had
actually taken out an ear trumpet."

They might be of use to the Order, as Harry is being very
closemouthed, at the end of HBP, about his task with DD.  The
portraits have been listening in to Harry's & DD's conversations about
LV & Horcruxes from the beginning and know just as much, if not more,
than Harry does - as we have had canon that DD talks to the portraits
when he is alone in the room - can't remember the book, but it is an
earlier one - Harry is outside of DD's office and hears conversations,
but when he enters the room, only DD is there.  He later discovers
that the portraits can talk.  

Which leds me to believe that was also the reason why DD talked to
Snape in the Forbidden Forest, where they argued, instead of DD's
office - I don't think DD wanted the portraits to overhear what he &
Snape were planning to do.  But why not?  Aren't the portraits
supposed to be at the beck & call of the headmaster/headmistress?  Is
DD worried that one of the portraits may be used for some other
purpose?  Or did he just wish any plans, such as what Snape needs to
do if something really bad happens(re: The Tower scene), not to be
revealed.

colebiancardi
(who thinks the portraits have an important role to play in book 7)