Boo!, Exploring the Ghosts of Hogwarts |
 Nov 1 2009, 10:04 AM
Post
#11
|
|
Transfiguration Today's Star Reporter  Posts: 2,027 Joined: 3:59pm May 15, 2008 Location: Sunny Phoenix, Arizona("It's a Dry Heat!")    |
Great Questions, Healer One!
And Kudos to all you posters thus far--very interesting discussion thus far. I guess I'm a bit late, but I want to look at the first question anyway: Who is your favorite ghost? Why? What does that ghost contribute to the Hogwarts experience? Why do you think they picked Hogwarts as their eternal home? (Or did they ‘pick’ it? Do you think there is another magical mechanism that ties them to Hogwarts?) This is really hard! Since I'm affiliated with Ravenclaw, I'm inclined to go with the Grey Lady. We now know that in mortal life, she was Helena Ravenclaw, daughter of Rowena, ( Has anyone else wondered about them having the same last name? This indicates that either Rowena was an unwed mother, or that she kept her maiden name even after marriage, which would have been very much ahead of the times then) and that Helena stole the Diadem and was tracked down in a forest in Albania by the Baron who loved her, and when she rejected him, he killed her, and then himself, thus earning himself the nickname of the Bloody Baron. Of course, since the Diadem was hidden in the forest, it remained there until a certain Dark Wizard tracked it down(perhaps with help from the Bloody Baron, hmmm?) and turned it into a horcrux. Of course Helena would pick Hogwarts as her home--it's where her mummy was, and even though she had done something very, very wrong, she would still feel attached to Hogwarts. I've also wondered about that group of gloomy nuns who were at Sir Nick's Deathday party. What on earth could have happened to them that caused them to become ghosts? I'm tempted to guess that they might have been attacked and killed in their convent, such things not being unheard of in the Dark Ages, especially with all of the marauding tribes coming over to England for plunder. Monasteries and Convents were easy targets for Vikings, for example, as many of them were prosperous but also being peaceful, would have been easy picking for pagan war-mongers. -------------------- "And now, Harry, let us step out into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure."
Phoenix avatar courtesy of ofenjen; thanks to atschpe for help |
 |
  
 
|
|
Nov 1 2009, 03:51 PM
Post
#12
|
|
The Boy Who Lived  Posts: 106 Joined: 12:45am August 22, 2005 |
I must say Nick's Deathday party was really ... er ... interesting. Apart from the cold and the rotten food it was kind of fun. Nick's always been my favourite ghost too, so it was great to see some of his history that day.
-------------------- Thanks to Makani for the art work, and to kiwi228 for the animation of this avatar!
|
|
|
|
|
Nov 1 2009, 04:06 PM
Post
#13
|
|
Triwizard Champ of the Lily and Stag Inn  Posts: 2,040 Joined: 8:34am April 9, 2008 Location: Swimming in lunacy   |
QUOTE(Fricka @ Nov 1 2009, 03:04 PM)  Has anyone else wondered about them having the same last name? This indicates that either Rowena was an unwed mother, or that she kept her maiden name even after marriage, which would have been very much ahead of the times then Perhaps Ravenclaw was her married name. I'm inclined to think your second option is correct though. Keeping your maiden names isn't such an odd thing to do in those times though. If the woman came from the more wealth/influential family it's quite the custom in European standards for her to keep her maiden name. Who is your favorite ghost? Why? What does that ghost contribute to the Hogwarts experience? Why do you think they picked Hogwarts as their eternal home? (Or did they ‘pick’ it? Do you think there is another magical mechanism that ties them to Hogwarts?) My favourite ghost would be Moaning Myrtle. No particular reason other than I just love her moaning  Adds such comedy to the scenes.Also its very interesting that she actually chose to haunt Olive Hornby but it was out of her control to continue doing that and she, a ghost, was force to obey rules created by man. -------------------- |
|
|
|
|
Nov 1 2009, 04:59 PM
Post
#14
|
|
Pimply Posts: 37 Joined: 12:08am October 29, 2005 Location: Watching Harry Take a Bath |
QUOTE(Sirius_Craic @ Nov 1 2009, 09:06 PM) Who is your favorite ghost? Why? What does that ghost contribute to the Hogwarts experience? Why do you think they picked Hogwarts as their eternal home? (Or did they 'pick' it? Do you think there is another magical mechanism that ties them to Hogwarts?) My favourite ghost would be Moaning Myrtle. No particular reason other than I just love her moaning Adds such comedy to the scenes.Oh that's right, let's all laugh at Myrtle and her moaning!! How would you like to spend nearly all your time in a toilet? Let's all go and see Myrtle looking miserable, it'll be soooo much fun!! --------------------  |
|
|
|
|
Nov 1 2009, 05:02 PM
Post
#15
|
|
Voldy's Most Precioussssssss Posts: 57 Joined: 11:31am March 8, 2007 |
Is the ickle, bitty, baby moaning again? If I could crucio a ghost I would.
-------------------- Avatar art by Makani
|
|
|
|
|
Nov 1 2009, 05:04 PM
Post
#16
|
|
|
Pimply Posts: 37 Joined: 12:08am October 29, 2005 Location: Watching Harry Take a Bath |
Waaaaaaahhhhhh
-------------------- |
|
|
|
|
Nov 1 2009, 05:10 PM
Post
#17
|
|
Ex-Potions Master Posts: 148 Joined: 8:08pm May 18, 2006 |
Myrtle, cease your wailing at once! Bella, you would Crucio a slug if you thought you could hear it scream, now do everyone in the room a favour and shut your mouth. Your incessant screeching is giving me a migraine.
-------------------- Avatar art by Makani
|
|
|
|
|
Nov 1 2009, 05:12 PM
Post
#18
|
|
|
Voldy's Most Precioussssssss Posts: 57 Joined: 11:31am March 8, 2007 |
Slugs scream? Perhaps not, watch them sizzle is quite possible.
*laughs wildly* -------------------- Avatar art by Makani
|
|
|
|
|
Nov 1 2009, 10:32 PM
Post
#19
|
|
DDD's Protege Posts: 313 Joined: 10:49am March 13, 2009 Location: On the Horizon |
Why do you think they picked Hogwarts as their eternal home? (Or did they 'pick' it? Do you think there is another magical mechanism that ties them to Hogwarts?)
QUOTE(Sirius_Craic @ Nov 1 2009, 04:06 PM) My favourite ghost would be Moaning Myrtle......... Also its very interesting that she actually chose to haunt Olive Hornby but it was out of her control to continue doing that and she, a ghost, was force to obey rules created by man. Interesting point, Sirius_Craic -- Myrtle was sent to Hogwarts. I wonder if the House ghosts were sent there as well. It's interesting that Sir Nicholas became a ghost because he was afraid of death, yet aren't Gryffindors particularly brave? Maybe he was sent to be at Hogwarts with the Gryffindors to learn a thing or two from them. Similarly, it was not very wise of Helena Ravenclaw to steal her mother's diadem in an attempt to make her smarter. Perhaps she was sent to Hogwarts to get some wisdom from the generations of Ravenclaws there. And I'm thinking that it is not very Slytherin-like for the Baron to commit suicide. I can't remember if we know the Fat Friar's history, so I don't know if this theory applies to him. But maybe the Hogwarts ghosts were there because it was thought that they still had something to learn. We never see the ghosts sporting a wand. Do you think they maintain their magical powers as a ghost? I don't think the ghosts can carry anything, really. And I don't think that they can still do magic. Do they ever go outside Hogwarts? Well we know that Myrtle can go and have a swim in the lake, even though she is restricted to Hogwarts. So maybe they can leave the school but not the grounds. What do you think is the difference between the 'imprint' of the wizard/witch as a ghost VS as a portrait? A ghost is said to be an imprint of the witch/wizard's soul. I think a portrait is a magical object, and does not really contain any actual part of the witch or wizard except perhaps whatever memories the artist endowed it with. Do you think Voldemort will come back as a Hogwarts' ghost? QUOTE(blue_dreamer @ Oct 31 2009, 04:26 PM) JKR stated that wizards become gohsts if they are afraid of Death. Voldemort was certainly afraid of Death so he would fit the criteria in that sense. However, my bet it is that it depends how much of 'human' that gohst has been: ie, did the Horcuxes destroy Voldemort so much that he became irrecognisable as a human, therefore would not turn into a gohst? While it would seem to fit the story, I hope it wouldn't happen becuase otherwise Voldemort would not be gone, he would probably taunt Harry for the rest of his days, so in that regard it would detract from the story. I agree; it seems like Voldemort has the prerequisite emotional state to become a ghost, but doesn't have enough soul left to actually make it as one. I'd like to think of his miserable self suffering along desperately trying to make it happen, though. -------------------- "Only love...can leave such a mark / But only love...can heal such a scar" -U2 |
|
|
|
