Magical portrait (Harry Potter)

In the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, the subjects of magical portraits (even those of characters that are dead) can move (or simulate motion, at least within the two-dimensional plane of the picture), interact with living observers, speak, and demonstrate apparent emotion and personality. Some can even move to other portraits to visit each other, or to relay messages, or (if more than one painting of the subject exists) can move between separate locations via their portraits. Many such portraits are found on the walls of Hogwarts.

At least two portraits, that of The Fat Lady and of Ariana Dumbledore, can perform at least one action with a direct effect on the world outside the frame of her painting. The Fat Lady's portrait is the door that covers the entrance to the Gryffindor common room, and she can swing the portrait open or closed to allow or prevent entry. Ariana's was able to swing open revealing the secret passage from the Hog's Head Inn to Hogwarts that was created by Neville Longbottom using the Room of Requirement.

It is unknown how magical portraits come into being: whether they are produced by a painter or brought into existence by other means. Magical photographs with similar properties are created by developing normal film in a magic potion.

In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, soon after the death of Albus Dumbledore, Harry enters the Headmaster's former office to see a portrait depicting his late mentor – as he was prior to death – sleeping peacefully. This would suggest that Dumbledore's painting, at least, magically appeared, and was not painted in any mundane sense. It is however possible that a portrait was produced during Dumbledore's life, and installed in the Headmaster's office upon his demise, per Hogwarts tradition (Portraits in the Headmaster's office).

Thus far in canon, living persons have only been depicted in magical photographs; it is unknown whether it is possible to produce a magical painting of a living subject.

Portraits at Hogwarts

The Fat Lady

Template:HP Character The portrait of the Fat Lady is the door to Gryffindor Tower, which is hidden behind her painting. She will open it (sometimes grudgingly) when the correct password is uttered. She is often upset after being awakened. In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, she leaves her portrait in the middle of the night, locking Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville out of Gryffindor Tower. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the Fat Lady's portrait is slashed by Sirius Black and it is some time before she dares to guard Gryffindor Tower again.

The Fat Lady has no other known name, and it is unknown whether or not she is supposed to represent a real person.

She is often seen drunk with her best friend, Violet.

In the first film (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone) the Fat Lady is played by Elizabeth Spriggs. She does not appear in the second film. In the third film (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) she is played by Dawn French. She does not appear in the fourth or fifth films.

Sir Cadogan

Template:HP Character Sir Cadogan is an eccentric knight who believes himself to be a mighty warrior, shouting at passersby and challenging them to duels. He appears somewhat ridiculous, being unable to ride his horse and very bad at handling his sword, making him fairly reminiscent to Don Quixote.

According to chapter 31, "The Third Task", of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Sir Cadogan's portrait was already well-known at Hogwarts in Bill Weasley's day, but he first appears in the third book, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, when he leads Harry, Ron and Hermione through the Astronomy Tower to their first Divination class. He guards Gryffindor Tower during Prisoner of Azkaban when the Fat Lady is recovering from her encounter with Sirius Black. Sir Cadogan uses complicated passwords that he changes frequently, confusing and irritating the Gryffindor students. He is fired after he allows Sirius Black entry to Gryffindor Tower when Sirius reads the whole week's worth of passwords off a list stolen from Neville Longbottom. He also encouraged Harry Potter during the final battle of Hogwarts, where he charged beside him through portraits, yelling, "Braggarts and rogues, dogs and scoundrels, drive them out, Harry Potter, see them off!"

Violet

Template:HP Character Violet is a portrait in an antechamber off the Great Hall where Albus Dumbledore addresses the four Triwizard Champions. She listens to the whole meeting, and then visits the Fat Lady and tells her, as well as the other Gryffindor students, all about it. She again visits the Fat Lady at Christmas, when both women become quite tipsy after consuming several boxes of chocolate liqueurs. They also get drunk in Christmas of 1996, drinking through a vat of 500-year-old wine in a painting of some monks by the Charms corridor.

Portraits in the Headmaster's office

The portraits in the Headmaster's office depict all of the former Heads of Hogwarts. The portraits act to advise the Headmaster and are sworn to aid him in his duties. They include:

• Phineas Nigellus Black (Linked to Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place in London)
• Dilys Derwent (Linked to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries in London)
• Everard (Linked to the Ministry of Magic in London)
• Dexter Fortescue
• Armando Dippet
• Albus Dumbledore
• Severus Snape (Wasn't present when Harry returned to the office after Voldemort's death, but Rowling strongly implies that Harry urged, and was successful in his endeavor, that it be placed up soon thereafter )

Walburga Black

Template:HP Character Walburga Black was the matriarch of the House of Black, and unlike most members of the Black family, her name is not related to a star or constellation. She was born in 1925, to Pollux Black and Irma Black née Crabbe. She was the mother of Sirius Black and Regulus Black, and paternal aunt of Bellatrix Lestrange née Black, Andromeda Tonks née Black, and Narcissa Malfoy née Black.

After her son Sirius ran away from home, Walburga blasted his name off of the family tree that is displayed on a decorative tapestry in the ancestral Black family home at 12 Grimmauld Place, London. She also removed the name of her brother Alphard, who bequeathed money to Sirius, and that of her niece Andromeda for marrying Ted Tonks, a Muggle-born (her daughter, Nymphadora better known as Tonks was never added). Sirius hated his mother and the rest of his family for their fanaticism. He and his cousin Andromeda were rarities in the Black clan as Sirius once said that the Black family rarely produced people who were even "halfway decent". Walburga was a bigot who viewed Muggles and Muggle-borns with disdain. She supported Lord Voldemort, but changed her mind after she discovered what he was willing to do to get power. But it is assumed that she held the belief that Voldemort and the Death Eaters "had the right idea".

She died in 1985, but her portrait remained at Number 12, Grimmauld Place, attached to the wall with a Permanent Sticking Charm, where it screamed insults at the various members of the Order of the Phoenix, including her son Sirius, after they made the house their headquarters. In the portrait she appears as a hysterical woman in a black cap whose eyes are rolling and yellow-skinned face stretched taut.

Ariana Dumbledore

Template:HP character Ariana Dumbledore (c. 1885–1899) was Kendra and Percival Dumbledore's only daughter, and the younger sister of Albus and Aberforth. She is one year younger than her brother Aberforth. Her character was introduced in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Ariana's magical ability was impaired when three Muggle boys spied her magic; they first tried to get her repeat what they had seen, and upon her failure to recreate it, they tried to stop her from being "different". It is not clear from the book what form this attack took (it could be either a mugging or a molestation), but Percival was sent to Azkaban for tracking down and hexing the boys who traumatized his daughter. The trauma of the attack made Ariana too afraid to perform magic. For this reason, she was cared for in isolation by her family, primarily her mother and her brother Aberforth; Percival refused to explain why he attacked the boys, fearing that his daughter would be taken away to St. Mungo's. However, she was a naturally powerful witch and magical energy continued to build up in her.

During stressful periods of anger, sadness or fear this energy would burst out uncontrollably, causing violent explosions and curses. In one such outburst, Ariana accidentally killed her mother, Kendra. Her family was afraid of what the wizarding community would do to Ariana if she was discovered, since she would be seen as a dangerous threat to the International Statute of Secrecy and possibly as a murderer. She was accidentally killed, only a few months after her mother's death, when she tried to intervene during a fight between Albus, Aberforth and Grindelwald. Neither brother knew whose curse killed her, though it is implied that Grindelwald may have known, and Albus may have found out during their later encounter; as a result of this Albus' boggart became her corpse.

Her favorite brother Aberforth keeps her portrait on the mantel in an upstairs room of the Hog's Head Pub, the establishment he runs in Hogsmeade. The portrait plays a crucial part in the seventh book. A secret tunnel was created by Neville between the Room of Requirement and Ariana's portrait and was used first to get Harry, Ron and Hermione into the school, then to evacuate under-age Hogwarts students, and also as an entry route for Order of the Phoenix reinforcements, the other entrances to Hogwarts having been guarded by Death Eaters, Dementors, and dangerous jinxes. This portrait is able to move, apparently acting as a messenger between the Hog's Head and Hogwarts, though it does not appear to be able to speak as other portraits can.

Photographs

Wizarding photographs of people have similar properties to magical painted portraits: the figures within move about or even sometimes leave the frame. As with the paintings, the images of people in the photographs do not appear to age.

Moving photos also appear in wizard newspapers and other print media, as well as on Chocolate Frog cards. This is exemplified in Prisoner of Azkaban when pictures of Sirius Black are printed in The Daily Prophet newspaper. The magazine Witch Weekly also contains pictures of smiling and winking witches.

The images of people in photographs display little sentience. The subjects of some photographs can leave the frame, but no indication has been given that they are able to visit or communicate with other photographs or with people in the world, as is the case with their painted counterparts.

Others

A magical portrait in the British Prime Minister's office depicts a "froglike little man wearing a long silver wig", and is used by the Ministry of Magic to communicate with the Muggle Prime Minister of the day.

The kittens painted on china plates with which Dolores Umbridge decorates her offices at Hogwarts and within the Ministry of Magic move around and purr and mew audibly.

Role in the stories

Magical portraits (but not photographs) within canon universally show sentience and sapience, and most display personalities. It is unknown, thus far, if they are conscious and self-aware, or are merely enchanted to suggest so.

Portraits in canon are often treated impatiently and informally by students, an attitude which they show to no other denizen of their school. This attitude is exhibited outside the school also: in Grimmauld Place, Walburga Black's portrait is ignored, and the Order of the Phoenix is willing to stun other portraits in order to keep them quiet. Portraits are, however, accorded respect by Albus Dumbledore, who takes advice from the portraits depicting former Headmasters and Headmistresses in his office. He also speaks to them as he does to mortal humans: he has been shown to be respectful of the Fat Lady, and has brief conversations with the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black.

Portraits can also move between paintings, going wherever they like in the Hogwarts grounds. However, outside the grounds, portraits can only move to other paintings (of themselves) of with which they are linked, for example, Phineas Nigellus Black who has a painting in The Headmaster's Office and at 12 Grimauld Place. In "The Deathly Hallows" Harry asks Phineas Black to bring him Dumbledore's painting from Hogwarts through to the 12 Grimauld Place copy; this is when Black explains that paintings can only move out of Hogwarts into copies of themselves.

In "Deathly Hallows" Snape takes instruction and advice from Dumbledore's portrait; suggesting that portraits retain memories and personality, or can be enchanted to retain memories. Dumbledore's portrait also cries when it finds that Harry was successful in defeating Lord Voldemort, again suggesting that portraits keep the memories of those they are painted after.

Authorial statements regarding portraits have been vague. J.K. Rowling made a comment in an interview that a portrait is something like a faint imprint of the person in question, imitating the basic attitude and thought patterns of the person, though less realised than a ghost (ghosts, as Nearly Headless Nick explains, are the souls of wizards who feared to leave the world).

See also

• Portrait
• Painting