Quick Questionnaire v1.1

[Zara]

No: HPFGUIDX 168602

> Dungrollin:
> 
> Yeah, I know. I think... I think what doesn't irritate me about the 
> ways we've seen of interacting with the dead so far (except for the 
> ghosts – I'll come back to them later) is that the portraits, the 
> Marauder's Map, the Mirror of Erised etc all have (kind of) 
parallels 
> in our world. Like watching a home video of a lost loved one, or 
> listening to an answerphone message they left on your machine that 
you 
> can't bring yourself to erase. It's still them, but not *them*. 

zgirnius:
The instance I was most thinking of, actually, was Harry being helped 
by the shades of James and Lily, who come out of Voldemort's wand as 
a consequence of the Priori Incantatem effect in GoF. Personally, to 
me this felt like a bit more than an old video or voice recording or 
photo. They came, suggested a course of action, and took actions of 
their own which helped Harry to escape. There was also a component of 
poetic justice in the scene, as the shades helping Harry and 
hindering Voldemort were all those of Voldemort's victims (Frank 
Bryce, certainly not a loved one of Harry, was the first out).

<snip quote>
Dungrollin: 
> I dunno. I'm probably rationalising. I can't shake the feeling that 
> she'd be undermining herself by allowing Harry to see Sirius again 
> before he dies.

zgirnius:
I just want to be perfectly clear here. I understand you are 
expressing a personal preference, about how you would feel/react to a 
particular plot twist and why, and I am not trying to change your 
mind. I simply find this discussion interesting, which is why I am 
keeping on. :)

That quote about the Mirror of Erised in PS/SS did not prevent her 
from bringing Harry's parents back again, to help him, in GoF. While 
Sirius's immediate killer was his cousin Bellatrix, surely he was a 
victim of Voldemort too. 

I guess my view is that in real life, people hold assorted beliefs 
about the afterlife and what happens to the departed after death. 
But, intending no disrespect to anyone's religious views, these 
beliefs are held as a matter of faith - the believers can't point to 
obvious, well-known phenomena that suggest (for example) some 
continuation of the consciousness after death.

In the wizarding world we have ghosts, we have the rare phenomenon in 
GoF (which, however, Dumbledore was certainly familiar with), and we 
have the Veil (Luna seems to know exactly what the voices she hears 
are). The dead cannot come back, but it seems to me a bit more is 
known about their final disposition, and in particular, the views I 
personally hold on the matter (death is the end of our consciousness, 
nothing lives on except our children, the works we leave behind, and 
the memories the living have of us) are rather contradicted by facts 
I could observe, were I a witch.

The possibility that Harry might once again see his loved ones, 
including Sirius, under some rare, special, and highly magical 
circumstances, would not seem to me a late and novel addition to what 
we have already seen. I would imagine that, were there to be such a 
scene in DH, it would be short and poignant. For example, there might 
be a time limit before Harry and/or Sirius would have to return to 
their proper places. Or the reunion could only be for a specific 
purpose, so they could not really take the time to enjoy one 
another's presence instead of the task at hand, or some such. 

I think the inclusion of ghosts, etc. in the story is a reflection of 
Rowling's own beliefs (influenced by her Christianity, no doubt, 
though I would not care to comment on their orthodoxy within any 
particular sect, being myself no expert). I don't think she believes 
in ghosts, just some form of an afterlife. However, by having these 
more tangible proofs of an afterlife in her world, she can show what 
she sees as the proper attitude towards death within a context in 
which her assumptions about it are factual. In the end, Harry may 
have seen some/all of his departed loved ones again, but (supposing 
he is not, himself, dead) he will have to go back to his life with 
some fond memories and the assurance (which in Real Life would be 
faith-based) that at the proper time, when his moment comes, he will 
be rejoining them.