Portraits & Photographs

[sbursztynski]

No: HPFGUIDX 190472



--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Joey Smiley" <happyjoeysmiley at ...> wrote:
>
> > 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 :-)

Sue:

Or Dumbledore, for that matter. His portrait is issuing orders to Snape all through Deathly Hallows.
>