What happens after death - Portraits

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 167243

---  "rlace2003" <rlace2003 at ...> wrote:
>
> >> Goddlefrood:
> >> It is one of the continuing mysteries of the series.
> >> ... The portraits, so JKR tells us, repeat 
> >> catchphrases only, more or less, from when they were
> >> alive. My opinion, fwiw, is that the portrait that 
> >> we have seen the most of in the series to date
> >> (Phineas Nigellus) does rather more than simply 
> >> repeat catchphrases.
> 
> > zgirnius:
> > I tend to agree abd Phineas. He even appears to take
> > completely independent actions on his own initiative 
> ...
> 
> 
> Ryan:
> 
> Agreed.
> 
> I tend to think the portraits are some of the sloppiest
> writing JKR has done.  If she intended to portray them
> ... as doing nothing more than repeating catchphrases, 
> then I think she's failed.
> 
> The portraits (especially the ones in the Headmaster's
> office) certainly seem to be self-aware.  ...  And, they
> clearly interact with each other and their surroundings.
> 
> Given that, I'd say the portraits are sentient beings, 
> ...

bboyminn:

While JKR hasn't spelled it out in detail, she clearly 
makes a distinction between 'portraits' and 'HEADMASTER
Portraits'. Headmaster's leave a faint imprint of them
selves at Hogwarts. That 'faint imprint' gives them a 
level of realization that is not found in the typical
portraits. You will notice that all the seeming 
sentient portraits have indeed been Headmaster portraits.
All the seeming non-sentient, like Mrs. Black, have NOT
been Headmaster portraits. 

Again, JKR hasn't really made this distinction clear, but
I think given what we see in the books and what she has
said in interviews, it can reasonably be deduced.

Just passing it along.

Steve/bboyminn