Portraits & Photographs

[Joey Smiley]

No: HPFGUIDX 190448

> mellaf88:
> > I agree with you and have wondered the extent of the paintings as well. At one stage, Harry walks into Dumbledore's office and interrupts a conversation (more than once I think...) between Dumbledore and the previous Heads. Does this imply that the portraits maintain a certain sentience? Would the same apply to busts, etc? The paintings have opinions, moods, habits but are they "shadows" of their lives or are they like a benign horcrux?
 
> Geoff:
> Surely this is a contradiction in terms. By definition, a Horcrux is created when a 
> murder is committed and the soul splits as a result.
> 
> You cannot have a "benign" murder so I would argue that a comparison of this sort
> is not accurate.

Joey:

I think what mellaf88 meant was that portraits *behave* like Horcruxes i.e. all traits of the "original base" are retained but they have their own independence. Since portraits are not made by means of a sinister act, I guess she qualified saying "benign" Horcrux. :-) 

And, I agree with her. That's how it indeed looks like. 

In fact, it seems odd that people of WW don't get their portraits in place before they die. It's hard to consider Phineas or Fat Lady dead, isn't it?

Cheers,
~Joey :-)