Waking up from the dead in HP

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 157643

---  "Maria Vaerewyck" <maria8162001 at ...> wrote:
>
> 
> > maria8162001:
> >
> > Or something like Buffy the Vampire slayer, were Buffy 
> > died ... and her friend Willow bring her back from the 
> > dead. <snip> Would Harry wake like this or like Alice
> > in Wonderland? <snip>
> >
> >
> > inyia:
> > Well, J.K.Rowling has said that when she started 
> > planning the HP saga she had made the things clear 
> > and there is no coming back from death.
> 
> 
> maria8162001:
> 
> Yes, JKR made that clear, but what I mean is, Buffy 
> wasn't at all dead, all the slaying stuff was just 
> in her mind. ...

bboyminn:

I've speculated on many 'waking the dead' scenarios in 
the continuing HP story, and it comes down to this.
What is death? The truth is, in real life, people wake
from the dead all the time; in hospitals and emergency 
rooms, etc.... So, if real non-fictional people can 
wake from the dead, then why can't wizards?

It comes down to your definition of death. There is
techincally dead and then there is absolutely and
irrevocably dead. For example, in the books there has
already been a mention of a couple of potions that
mimic death. 

At one time I speculated the Dumbledore would start 
feeding Harry a death mimicing potion as his 
confrontation with Voldemort drew nearer (extremely short 
version). Then in the final confrontation, Harry would 
seem to die, in a sense, he would be technically dead, but 
not literally dead. In Harry's moment of death, Voldemort 
would be vulnerable, someone would kill him (Neville), and 
Dumbledore would arrive on the scene and wake Harry up.

The theory was more detailed than I am presenting here, but
since it's impossible now, the details aren't important.
But the concept of 'technical death' is still valid in the
series.

Another example of technical death is Sirius. At one time
I speculated that Sirius went through the Veil alive and 
fully in possession of his body. That's now how people 
usually go behind the metaphorical 'Veil'. When normal
people die, the body is abondon and the spirit goes behind
the Veil. 

So, I speculate that Sirius is alive behind the Veil
because of the special circumstances under which he crossed
over. But he is trapped. Since he is trapped in the land of
the dead and can't return, he is technically dead. But the
extension of my speculation was that /other/ special 
circumstances would occur (very long story) that would allow
him to come out from behind the Veil and join the living. 

None of these scenarios are important beyond making the point
that death is only death by definition, and that definition
spans a range. So, I agree that JKR started out with the 
assumption, or the Potterverse Rule, that nothing can bring 
back those who are absolutely and irrevocably dead. But in the
grey area of only being a 'little bit' dead, I think there is
room for people to return. 

For example, in one of my wild fantasies, Harry possess 
Voldemort and drags him behind the Veil, but as long as Harry
is possessing Voldemort neither are truly dead. So, Harry
transfers his possession to Sirius, and both Sirius and Harry
return from behind the Veil. When Harry leaves Voldemort,
Voldemort is then trapped behind the Veil and for all intent
and purpose is dead to the world.

I can't say that JKR is actually going to follow this line, but
there could be a distinction between temporarily or seemingly
dead, and absolutely dead.

Just a thought.

Steve/bboyminn