An Odd Ghostly Question.

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 124602


Not sure this is such a critical thing, but recently while pondering
the Veiled Archway in the Dept of Mysteries, I couldn't help wondering
if a ghost could enter the Archway and return? 

Why would that matter? 

Well, it would allow a ghost to carry messages 'beyond the grave'.
That is, take messages to dead people and return with responses.

I could speculate on various reason why this might happen, the most
obvious is that it would give Harry a way to communicate with Sirius
and perhaps even his parents. 

Since a ghost is dead, they wouldn't die upon entering The Veil, and
since they are not bound by the physical world, I speculate they could
return.

The counterpoint, of course, is that ghosts, while dead, have not
'gone on', and the 'ON' to which they have not /gone/ is on the other
side of The Veil. 

Also, a nice counter-counter point might be that while ghost are not
bound BY the physical world, in a sense, they are bound TO the
physical world. Not sure how that would come into play.

Which brings up an additional point. Could a ghost like Sir Nick, who
clearly seems to regret choosing his 'pale imitation of life', now
choose to walk into The Veil and fully accept death, thereby moving
from a shadow of himself walking the earth to his eternal rest? 

This is a very minor point, and it does border slightly on the 'fan
ficcy', but I can't help but wonder.

Given what a substantial plot element The Veiled Archway is, I can't
help but believe that it is going to somehow play a major role
somewhere in the next two books.

Just a thought.

Steve/bboyminn