Thoughts on Portraits

[juli17 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 164939

 

zgirnius:
Just a small contribution to the discussion: there aren't  other 
copies of the person in other portraits. There's one, and he moves  
from portrait to portrait. If Phineas Nigellus is at Hogwarts, 
there's a  picture sans occupant hanging at 12 GP.

This is first introduced in PS/SS  when Harry gets a Chocolate Frog 
Card of Dumbledore, which shortly  thereafter becomes blank. "You 
didn't think he sticks around all the time,  did you?" (or words to 
that effect) are what Ron says to Harry.
 
 
Julie: 
Which makes me wonder if the more interesting question about
Portrait!Dumbledore is just how many portraits he has, and where
they are. Besides dispensing advice to Harry (even if he is only  an
imprint of his former self, he still retains some of the wisdom  he
gained in life), his greater presence in DH may be in relaying 
criitcal information back and forth. While it wouldn't be  particularly
intriguing for him to do so between known locations (Hogwarts,
Order Headquarters) and wizards (from McGonagall to Harry,
say), Portrait!Dumbledore is likely to be as withholding as the
original if he deems it necessary. Will we immediately know
where all of the portraits are located? Why do I suspect not?
 
For instance, someone mentioned that Abelforth might have a
portrait of Dumbledore. This could be one way for Abelforth to
make his presence known in DH, if Dumbledore is relaying 
information from him, perhaps even without identifying who is
giving him said information. If Portrait!Dumbledore vouched for
the person providing the information, it's likely that information
will be accepted, his "mistaken" trust in Snape notwithstanding.
 
And speaking of Snape, if he is DDM he will need a way to
get information to the Order while keeping his identity a secret,
unless he wants a one way trip to Azkaban (at least until and if
he is cleared of Dumbledore's "murder"). What if he has access
to an undocumented portrait of Dumbledore? It's certainly one way
for him to pass on critical information about Voldemort and the
DEs.


So how many portraits of Dumbledore exist? Where are they?
And will one or more of them remain "hidden" until some point
late in the book when its location will be revelatory? 
 
Julie



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