Portraits, Paintings and Tapestries
At Hogwarts there are paintings of dead people, landscapes, maps, food, and folklore (the beautiful mermaid in the prefect's bathroom). The subjects in the paintings can move, talk, and interact with each other and the living people at Hogwarts. They can leave their portraits and go visiting. Also, if a wizard or witch's portrait hangs in more than one location, he or she can move between their portraits. However, the individuals in the portraits are not fully realized individuals, like the ghosts. After Dumbledore died, his portrait was magically hung in his office: "Dumbledore was slumbering in a golden frame over the desk, his half-moon spectacles perched upon his crooked nose, looking peaceful and untroubled" [HBP29].
Black, Phineas Nigellus - a former headmaster of Hogwarts who is dead (and said to be the least popular one that Hogwarts ever had); his full name is Phineas Nigellus Black; he is a clever-looking old wizard with a pointed beard; he is the great-great-grandfather of Sirius Black; his portrait hangs in both the Headmaster/mistress's office and number 12 Grimmauld Place, so he can travel between his portraits [OOTP6, 23, 37; HBP13, 17].
bowl of fruit - a painting of a giant bowl of fruit hides the entrance to the Hogwarts kitchens; to enter, tickle the huge green pear, which will squirm, chuckle, and suddenly turn into a large green door handle [GOF21].
Cadogan, Sir - the portrait of a feisty little knight with a huge sword and a little fat pony; his picture hangs in seventh floor landing near the South Tower; Sir Cadogan briefly guarded the Gryffindor common room when Sirius Black attacked the Fat Lady - he was the only painting brave enough to take the job [POA6, 9; OOTP12].
Derwent, Dilys [1741-1768] - a former headmistress of Hogwarts and a renowned Healer; she is dead; she has long silver ringlets; her portrait hangs in both the Headmaster/mistress's office and St. Mungo's Hospital, so she can travel between her portraits [OOTP22].
Dippet, Armando - a former headmaster of Hogwarts who is dead; he was headmaster before Professor Dumbledore and was there when Tom Riddle was a student; his portrait hangs in the Headmaster/mistress's office [COS13, OOTP22, HBP20].
Dumbledore, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian - a former headmaster at Hogwarts who is dead; he was one of the most respected and powerful wizards in the world; his portrait now hangs in the Headmaster/mistress's office [HBP29], in front of a secret vault in which was once hidden the sword of Godric Gryffindor [DH33].
Everard - a former headmaster of Hogwarts who is dead; his portrait hangs in both the Headmaster/mistress's office and the Ministry of Magic, so he can travel between his portraits [OOTP22, HBP29].
Fat Lady - she wears a pink silk dress; her portrait hangs over the entrance into the Gryffindor common room; when the student gives the correct password, she swings out her frame to allow admittance; she has been known to get a bit testy with people who wake her up for no good reason, and she wanders off late at night to go visiting, which makes it impossible to get back into Gryffindor tower. Violet, a painting of a woman that hangs in the antechamber off the Great Hall, is a good friend of hers; at Christmas time the Fat Lady and Violet got a bit tipsy on chocolate liqueurs; at Christmas one year, the Fat Lady and Violet drank their way through all of the 500-year old wine [PS/SS7; POA8, 14; GOF31; OOTP11; HBP14, 17, 18, 19, 23, 29].
food - paintings, mostly of food, line the corridor to the kitchens [GOF21].
Fortescue - a former headmaster of Hogwarts who is dead; he is fat and has a red nose; his portrait hangs in the Headmaster/mistress's office [OOTP22]; he actually took out an ear trumpet to hear Dumbledore's and Harry's conversation better [HBP23]. He may be related to Florean Fortescue, who ran an ice cream parlor in Diagon Alley [POA4] but was later murdered by Death Eaters [JKR/TLC Podcast].
gimlet-eyed witch with a stout birch-rod-like wand - a portrait of this former headmistress of Hogwarts hangs in the Headmaster/mistress's office [OOTP22].
Günther der Gewalttätige ist de Gewinner ("Gunther the Violent is the Winner") - a famous painting dated 1105 that shows the ancient German broom sport of Stichstock [QA].
landscape - the Fat Lady was seen running through a landscape painting on the fourth floor after Sirius Black attacked her [POA8].
map of Argyllshire - this painting is on the second floor, the Fat Lady fled there when Sirius Black attacked her portrait [POA9].
mermaid - this painting hangs in the prefects' bathroom; she looks like a mermaid of folklore, not the real thing [GOF25].
merpeople village - the edge of the village has a large rock with paintings of merpeople who are carrying spears and chasing the giant squid [GOF26].
monks, sinister looking - a painting of monks hangs in Hogwarts; Sir Cadogan ran through it on his way to North Tower [POA11].
monks, drunk - a portrait of these monks hangs at Hogwarts; the Fat Lady drank all of the 500-year-old wine at Christmas one year [HBP17].
soppy-looking witch in the middle of a meadow - one of Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-Bangs hit her portrait and she had to run into the portrait next door [OOTP28].
Violet - the Fat Lady's best friend, she was a wizened, pale old witch; her painting was in the small room off the Great Hall [GOF17; HBP17].
witches - several bewigged witches are in a portrait on the landing [HBP28].
wizard with walrus mustache - his portrait is next to Violet in the small room off the Great Hall.
wizards playing cards - one of Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-Bangs hit the portrait of a soppy-looking witch in the middle of a meadow and she had to run into this portrait [OOTP28].
wolfhound - Sir Cadogan stopped when he entered this painting with a large and angry-looking wolfhound in it [OOTP12].
women in crinolines - a painting of a group of women in crinoline skirts hangs in Hogwarts [POA6].
Tapestries
Barnabas the Barmy - this tapestry hangs on the 7th floor opposite the entrance to the Room of Requirement; in his foolish attempt to train trolls for the ballet, he gets clubbed over and over again by a troll [OOTP18, 21; HBP21].
tapestry - a tapestry hides the entrance to the staircase with the trick step [PS/SS9, GOF12]. There was another tapestry on the seventh floor corridor, at the top of a staircase, but it was turned to stone by Hermione in the Battle of Hogwarts [DH32].
|
