What happens to a person's pensive after they're gone?

[h2so3f]

No: HPFGUIDX 143663

Jenny wrote: 
"What happens to Dumbledore's pensieve? Will Harry inherit it?"

CH3ed: 
Hey Jenny. :O) I don't know if DD had left the pensieve for Harry 
(is it DD's property or Hogwarts'?) Perhaps, as some of our members 
had suggested, book 7 would open with the disclosure of DD's will, 
and then we'd know.


Jenny wrote:
" Perhaps with DD's pensieve he can finally learn why DD trusted 
Snape so unequivocally. He could learn tons more than that, 
depending on what was put in there, but that's something I think 
Snape isn't going to be really forthcoming with Harry about (in 
between blasts from wands and all.)"


CH3ed:
It would depend on whether there is any memory stored in the 
pensieve, indeed! I was wondering in another thread if taking a 
memory out to look at in the pensieve is like printing a hard copy 
of a file from the computer (so the original file would still be in 
your head and the strand is just a copy) or if the strand is the 
actual memory original materialized (so you've better take care of 
that strand while it is out of your head or you might lose it for 
good)? If it is the latter then perhaps the best place to keep a 
memory is in one's own head or in a vial hidden somewhere not as 
obvious as in a pensieve. 


Jenny wrote:
"Also, now that Snape's run out of the castle, does anyone think he 
left behind _his_ pensieve with anything in it? I'd love to see more 
of Snape's memories, ..." <snip>

CH3ed:
I think Snape was using DD's pensieve when he was teaching Harry 
occlumency (Harry observed in OotP that it had the same cracks as 
the one he saw in DD's office). But I, too, would be interested in 
seeing more of Snape's memories (but perhaps not of his potion 
researches). :O)


CH3ed doesn't think JKR has said anything much about 
pensieves....better go to Quick Quote Quill to check. :O)