Ghosts????

[paintballdecoy]

Yeah, but just about everything has been told through Harry's eyes, even though it was third-person... we never know exactly what Hermione, Ron, Snape, Dumbledore, etc. are thinking, only what Harry thinks they're thinking.

Sorry about the double post.....but....

Wouldn't it be awesome if each book came out later from different points of view, very interesting to read what Dumbledore is thinking, or what Ron or Hermione

[Athena Appleton]

About the ghost issue, I really think it's very clear in OotP, when Nearly-Headless Nick and Harry are talking about "how do you become a ghost" that it has to do with just being afraid to face what lies beyond this life you know. I know in other legends and stories, it's whether you had a particularly gruesome death, but I think that Nick explains it very well and very clearly that it's a choice you make at the point of death whether you want to "walk into the light" or remain on earth.

Wonder how would go for Sirius, though, who really didn't get the chance to decide, as instead of actually dying, he was sent through the veil (possibly alive)... *shrug* dunno...

Wouldn't it be awesome if each book came out later from different points of view, very interesting to read what Dumbledore is thinking, or what Ron or Hermione

ahhh... I don't really think so... i think it would be boring and trite...

If J.K. Rowling were to do something like that, I think it would seem as though she were trying to cash in on the Harry Potter series some more, and I don't have much respect for people who do that. I don't like the fact that almost every movie these days that had a remotely successful run now have a sequel... I think that if she were to do something like that, it would basically be her milking Harry Potter for everything it's worth.

[pandora315]

About ghosts- there are a few types of ghosts in the harry potter serious. We know that its possible to make plans in advance to leave traces of yourself (and also through dark magic to become human again after ghost form) Nick did it and Vodemort did it as well. Myrtle, at the very last second of her life, was so determined to pay Olive back that she became a ghost, and Peeves is a ghost who seems to thrive on tricking people. We also have the ghosts of Cedric, Frank, Bertha, and Harry's parents who make and appearance to heplp someone in need. We also have yet to find out more about the Fat Frier, The Grey Lady, and the Bloody Baron. Anybody have ideas on them?

The other thing that I have to say concerns the comment about JK writing more novels from other charaters point of view. I think JK has statd numerous times that one of the main reasons she writes (aside from fulfilling a personal need) is just to see people reading. I think there will always be a curiousity and a demand for her writing, and although yes, I'm sure she would stand tomake more money, she would be fulfilling people wants at the same time. You can't criticize someone just because their gift can earn some money. While anyone else can have any opinion they like,mine is that as a writer you write what is in you to write because you have to, not because you want to make a paycheck.

[Alice I]

Pandora 315 wrote:
Peeves is a ghost who seems to thrive on tricking people.

I was pretty sure that it was stated in the books that Peeves is not a ghost, but a poltergiest. That is why he can pick things up and throw things where the ghosts can not.

[Athena Appleton]

About ghosts- there are a few types of ghosts in the harry potter serious. We know that its possible to make plans in advance to leave traces of yourself (and also through dark magic to become human again after ghost form) Nick did it and Vodemort did it as well.

This is a minor detail, but I don't think Nick "made plans" ahead of time to be a ghost... I think, at the moment of death, he panicked, and now he's a ghost..

Myrtle, at the very last second of her life, was so determined to pay Olive back that she became a ghost,

true 'nuff

and Peeves is a ghost who seems to thrive on tricking people.

very slight difference, Peeves is a poltergiest, not a ghost. What the difference, I do not know, and if someone DOES know, please tell me! Aside from picking things up, Peeves can also apparently wear real clothes (I think he's wearing a regular hat at some point, maybe the Deathday party?)

Also, why does Dumbledore allow Peeves to stick around, when he most likely has the power to banish him (after all, living people banished Myrtle to her toilet)? Does Dumbledore keep Peeves and the other ghosts around as semi-spies (like DD has eyes all over Hogwarts with them?), or does he realize that Peeves and the others could be valuable allies, but dangerous enemies (Peeves works against Umbridge... in fact, it's the only time he works "with" anyone)? Any thoughts?

We also have the ghosts of Cedric, Frank, Bertha, and Harry's parents who make and appearance to heplp someone in need.

They weren't ghosts, they were shadows that held a likeness in body and character to the person, but if Priori Incantatum hadn't worked in the way it worked with the wands being brothers and all, then they wouldn't have shown up.

We also have yet to find out more about the Fat Frier, The Grey Lady, and the Bloody Baron. Anybody have ideas on them?

I'll do some research, but the only theories I've heard about them is that they resemble real people in history... but I'll have to read my trusty theories book before remembering who they were.

The other thing that I have to say concerns the comment about JK writing more novels from other charaters point of view. I think JK has statd numerous times that one of the main reasons she writes (aside from fulfilling a personal need) is just to see people reading. I think there will always be a curiousity and a demand for her writing, and although yes, I'm sure she would stand tomake more money, she would be fulfilling people wants at the same time. You can't criticize someone just because their gift can earn some money. While anyone else can have any opinion they like,mine is that as a writer you write what is in you to write because you have to, not because you want to make a paycheck.

I certainly hope J.K. Rowling continues to write, because I think she's a genius, and that would come across in any book. However, I would hate for her to keep doing the Harry Potter thing long after the seventh book because after she's already stated that she's doing seven Harry Potter books, and the story will be finished, to continue writing Harry Potter books would be hanging on to past success. I hope she continues to write books, and I'll buy them, read them, and probably love them because I like her writing... I just don't want to be reading about Harry when he's thirty years old (she's stated in an interview that she has a problem with authors who freeze their characters in one age)...

[Amon Rê]

STANDING OVATION (sp?) for Alex and Athena...yes Peeves is a Poltergeist..which made me mad when he was left out of the movie...but I guess JK okay'd it...not to sure about the using the ghosts as spies...I mean it's as if Dumbledore knows without having to ask anyone...maybe he just didn't want to kick them out?!?

[Athena Appleton]

thanks!

It bothered me, too, that they didn't have Peevsie in the movie... but I wonder what they'll do if they actually get around to making an OotP movie and Peeves is a major character in the downfall of Umbridge?

My theory about Dumbledore not kicking them out is still that the reason he knows everything without having to ask is that, in his office, he gets "briefings" from the portraits, ghosts and teachers... the ghosts can get from place to place quicker (they can go through walls, and therefore, so "as the crow flies" rather than through all the corridors) so they'd be excellent "spies" (I hate using that word, though, it makes them seem bad) for the Headmaster of such a huge school.

[Nobby]

Athena said

very slight difference, Peeves is a poltergiest, not a ghost. What the difference, I do not know, and if someone DOES know, please tell me!

I was curious so i looked up the meanings of ghosts and Poltergeists

ghost

a disembodied soul; especially : the soul of a dead person believed to be an inhabitant of the unseen world or to appear to the living in bodily likeness

supposed spirit remaining after death: the spirit of somebody who has died, supposed to appear as a shadowy form or to cause sounds, the movement of objects, or a frightening atmosphere in a place

the spirit of someone who has died, esp. one that is believed to have returned to earth to haunt a place or living people.

Poltergeist

A ghost that manifests itself by noises, rappings, and the creation of disorder.

a noisy usually mischievous ghost held to be responsible for unexplained noises (as rappings)

noisy spirit: a supposed supernatural spirit that reveals its presence by creating disturbances, for example, by knocking over objects

I think the main difference is that a poltergeist is just an extremely mischevious ghost. therefore Peeves is a ghost in his own right and probably just wears clothes to amuse himself or others. that must mean that Peeves to had a reason to remain on Earth! interesting eh .. i love to find out!

[Athena Appleton]

Hmmm... thanks for looking that up, but it created more questions in my head...

Peeves is a poltergiest, apparently humans can see Peeves. The definition you gave, though, sounds more like a poltergiest is rarely seen, just the effects of the poltergiest is seen (example, students would see water balloons shooting at them, know from past experience that it's Peeves, but not actually see Peeves tossing water balloons...)

The deal about the clothes, though... I don't think the regular ghosts can do that, so there must be something more physical about Peeves than about the regular ghost...

Also, a ghost is a formerly-living person... can a poltergiest be just that, or are they also formerly-living people?

[Emma'I'm a real witch']

[Poltergeist

A ghost that manifests itself by noises, rappings, and the creation of disorder.

a noisy usually mischievous ghost held to be responsible for unexplained noises (as rappings)

noisy spirit: a supposed supernatural spirit that reveals its presence by creating disturbances, for example, by knocking over objects

As a complete 'Most Haunted' fan, aswell as a fan of all things paranormal, I can say that it such circles it is generally believed that poltergeist's are spirit energies from the spirit world who have never taken a human form.

[Athena Appleton]

Okay, thanks...

Does that kind of explain why Peeves can wear regular clothes, then? The other ghosts wear the clothes they died in, but since he never lived, so he never died, he can "fill out" regular clothes? *shrug* I'm having trouble picturing Peeves... If y'all have ever seen the Casper movie with Christina Ricci, I kinda picture Peeves as the little skinny long mean ghost...

[paintballdecoy]

I always thought that a Poltergiest was a dead child, who played tricks and pretty much be terrible to people. Hopefully not, but maybe some ghost who are mischevious are classived as poltergiest, and ghost who aren't are called ghosts.

[Athena Appleton]

hmmm... thing is, Rowling sometimes uses typical legends and myths about certain things, but some things she doesn't... For example, Moody isn't quite like what I would expect a werewolf to be like...

I personally don't feel like a poltergiest in her books ever lived... like a poltergiest is just that, not a former-human

[Emma'I'm a real witch']

The word poltergeist is orginially german and is translated as noisy ghost. I think this generally means that it is only poltergeists who make noises throw things etc, the other ghosts at Hogwarts just tend to float around and can talk to people. Only Peeves makes a nuisance of himself, this is why he is the Poltergeist.

I think I saw Peeves as sort of the court jester type, none of his behavior seems really nasty, just mischievious (sp )

[Athena Appleton]

by saying I "see him" as one of the three mean ghosts in Casper, I just meant that's how I picture him in my head when I'm reading about him... they didn't have any definate form and they didn't wear clothes, like regular ghosts do in the HP books... But even without having a humanistic form, they have faces and body types...