Dumbledore's Portrait : Can it speak? Will it be able to help Harry? v2

[gyllyweed]

If Phineus has the ability to recognise that his great-great grandson is dead, and report it to someone. DDs' Portrait will be able to register facts, and respond.

The headmasters' portraits worked together. So I wonder if they are bound to eachother. Do they have to help eachother?

Does a headmasters' orders only good as long as they are alive? or in power? Could a headmaster give and order to do something in the event of something happening. Could Dumbledore have told them to do such and such if he dies or is gone...?

Could DD's protection or aid for Harry or something else still be in place?

Also, OotP Ch 37 Pg 826 Phineus left his portrait to (Harry thought) to go tell Grimmauld Place. But it only tells us that is Harry's guess. It doesn't confirm it, so maybe there is a possibility that Phineus didn't go to Grimmauld Place. Maybe he went to tell someone else.

[jordmundt6]

Registering facts and responding like an echo is not the same as having Dumbledore's experience and memory and strategic skills. It's the personality, but not the entire person.

[gyllyweed]

The portrait doesn't have to have all DD's exp. or knowledge, just specific info or ideas.

[jordmundt6]

But that's too advanced--the best ones have general attitude and personality, Dumbledore wouldn't have been able to cram ideas about horcruxes into his portrait self.

[gyllyweed]

but what if he didn't have to cram a whole bunch in his portrait, just one specific idea, or info, or mindset. JKR said herself (in some quote from Edinburough something) that a portrait repeats certain catchpraises. Maybe DD will set a catchpraise that will be usefull, or be a password.

[jordmundt6]

But that raises the question of who paints the paintings and how precisely they are enchanted--I think that the catchphrases are designed to capture their personality, not convey specific messages.

[SusanBones]

I think Dumbledore's portrait will say something helpful to Harry, but I don't anticipate great bunches of information to come from him. It could be something as simple as, "We know Voldemort liked to vacation in Majorca", or "Death Eaters gather on the full moon", or some such thing. But those words could bring a clue to help Harry solve a puzzle.

[Mr_Watson]

I'm pretty sure the portrait can talk. I mean, all the other portraits can talk, so why not Dumbledore's? But the problem is, even if his portrait CAN talk, Harry said that he has no intention of returning to Hogwarts:

"I can't bear the idea that we might never come back." she said softly. "How can Hogwarts close?"
"Maybe it won't," said Ron. "We're not in any more danger here than we are at home, are we? Everywhere's the same now. I'd even say Hogwarts is safer, there are more wizards inside to defend the place. What d'you reckon, Harry?"

"I'm not coming back even if it does reopen," said Harry.

He decided to go back to the Dursleys, like Dumbledore told him to, and he's off to find the horcruxes. No time for Hogwarts.

[SusanBones]

Harry said that he wouldn't go back to Hogwarts. I got the impression that he meant he would not return as a student. He certainly could be called into the Head Master's office for a chat. He spent a lot of time with Dumbledore the lastyear of his life. There may be a reason that Harry wants to go to Hogwarts, or MGonagall wants to talk to him.

[jordmundt6]

Or maybe he'll discover that one of the Horcruxes is hidden at Hogwarts and he'll HAVE to go back. That seems like the only way JKR could keep Hogwarts as a major part of the plot--not that she has to, but it seems like her best option if she decided to incorporate the school into a major section of the book.

[Mr_Watson]

Well, I always thought Gryffindor's sword is a Horcrux

[potatoesrock]

I'm pretty sure that it can speak. After all, why would all of the other headmaster's portraits be able to speak and his not? Dumbledore's portrait may help Harry emotionally, or help inspire Harry, but as for Dumbledore ever truly coming back to help him, no. It's not going to happen.

On a different note, what happened to Fawkes at the end of HBP? Maybe Dumbledore will help Harry in the end through Fawkes!

[jordmundt6]

Um, sorry Mr. Watson. I'm a little tired. Is that supposed to be a joke? Dumbledore wouldn't stoop to create one, and I don't think godric Gryffindor would either. Even if he considered it feasible, I don't think he'd consider it necessary. As for Voldemort--I gather from the discussions that Harry and Dumbledore have in HBP that the sword has already been checked for Horcrux enchantment. Plus, Voldemort would have had no way to retrieve the sword from the hat to use in a Horcurx creation.

[Ryan_Harvey]

I don't see why it would not be able to talk and help the order...The other portraits in Dumbledores office were always talking and even helping the order at some points! Why wouldn't Dumbledore be able to do the same? It really bugged me in the end of HBP when Harry was thinking of all the things he wanted to ask Dumbledore but will never get it ask him now?! If he is like the other portraits there is no reason why Harry shouldn't be able to ask him anything is there? All the other portraits can still think and speak for themselves!?
Just my thoughts!

[PhoenixFire_DA]

I think Harry will have to return to Hogwarts, even if not as a student. Although I did post in another thread that he might still return to school, but that's a long story! LOL

There's just too much at Hogwarts that may be useful, if not absolutely necessary. Dumbledore's portrait may very well contain some useful information, even if it's only a clue of where to look next. Remember, Dumbledore was the most powerful wizard of all time, with the possible exception of Voldemort, himself. Even if the portraits are only shadows of the man they mirror, Dumbledore could very well have created some kind of magic or enchantment that allowed him to leave information for Harry in his portrait. I'm one of those who believes that Dumbledore knew throughout all of Half-Blood about the plot to kill him and I think he made certain preparations. Why not an enchantment from the greatest wizard ever that allows his portrait to lend Harry some aid?

PS:Hogwarts may very well still contain other reasons for Harry to return. He may need training or advice (McGonagall, Flitwick, Slughorn, Pomfrey, etc). He may need to use the library to search for clues or information. He might want to get his potions book from the RoR. Also, Tom Riddle created at least 1 horcrux while at Hogwarts...for all we know there might be another Horcrux hidden at the school or maybe clues left behind in the RoR or Chamber of Secrets?

[dubbleB]

I think a wizzard as popular as Dumbledore would have portraits in many buildings so Harry won't necessary have to come back to Hogwarts to talk to him . I think Dumbledores next great adventure will be visiting all his portraits and giving advice to the order and Harry and gathering information for the order . I do believe his portrait will have all the knowlidge but he wont have any magical powers

[Mr_Watson]

Originally Posted by jordmundt6

Um, sorry Mr. Watson. I'm a little tired. Is that supposed to be a joke? Dumbledore wouldn't stoop to create one, and I don't think godric Gryffindor would either. Even if he considered it feasible, I don't think he'd consider it necessary. As for Voldemort--I gather from the discussions that Harry and Dumbledore have in HBP that the sword has already been checked for Horcrux enchantment. Plus, Voldemort would have had no way to retrieve the sword from the hat to use in a Horcurx creation.

No man, I thought that Voldy made it when he was in Hogwarts.

"So," said Harry, "the diary's gone, the ring's gone. The cup, the locket, and the snake are still intact, and you think there might be a Horcrux that was once Ravenclaw's or Gryffindor's?"
"An admirably succinct and accurate summary, yes," said Dumbledore, bowing his head.

I always thought that the sword was a horcrux, because that's the only thing(except the Sorting hat) left of Godric Gryffindor. So Voldy could've made it into a horcrux. And he didn't have to pull it out of the hat, it was on display in Dumbledore's office. I'm strongly against the theory that Dumbledore has horcruxes...

[gyllyweed]

I don't see DD making a hx. he would't kill Voldy at the MoM. He also told him there is worse things than death. DD also said that "to the well ordered mind, death is the next great adventure. So I would be very disappointed if JKR wrote about a DD hx.

I totaky see Harry going back to HW for some reason. My minds eye sees Haryy walking down empty corridors, and hearing every noise in the emptiness of what is the place he considers home.

[90cw11]

doesnt anybody think that itwould be a tad obvious if dumbledore was able to communicate with harry through a portait? i think JKR has a little more up her sleeve than that.....

[90cw11]

does anybody no if portraits (i had dumbledores in mind) can do magic?

please continue.......