JKR interview in 2 weeks, send in your ?'s

[Christine Whittaker]

No: HPFGUIDX 129963

Snapesangel said:

-snip-
 
*As regards portraits, do the wizards in them have true awareness, 
as if they were somehow still alive within the portrait if they 
were dead, for example, or is it a bit like an interactive simulation? 
*If someone is alive and has a portrait somewhere, can knowledge 
pass between the two, so that if portraitdumbledore! was watching
something happen, realdumbledore! would know? 
*Does creating a portrait leave someting of the person behind in 
the way that becoming a ghost does? 


Now Chris:

I thought this sounded kind of familiar.  I checked on Quick Quotes and found this, it's from Edinburgh Book Festival, August 15, 2004:

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.

It would be nice to talk to the people who have passed on and get real answers, but I guess it is not to be.

Chris (flowerchild4)