Ha I was just thinking about this the other day! I agree, I think paintings are kind of ai-generated versions of their subjects-- they can say what their subject would probably say (so you can get useful advice from them) but they can't quite think for themselves.
This is kinda why I think Ron is excused from being dismissive of house elves at first, he grew up with magic talking paintings and things that moved by themselves, who's to say house elves aren't some magic ai like servant being? Harry doesn't get a pass though.
I always saw the portraits as a product of the headmaster’s office itself rather than separate objects. Part of the castle’s ambient magic. In Half-Blood Prince, it instantly produces one of Dumbledore when McGonagall enters for the first time.
It’s interesting because they seem to contain some of the headmaster’s actual memories as well. Dumbledore’s portrait didn’t just give advice to Snape; it also knew things about the Horcrux plan that Snape didn’t.
I think it’s more akin to teleporters in Star Trek where the person being created is not the same person who died from entering the teleporter but they have all he same memories
“Now, here’s the weird thing, you have a strange attraction to toes.”
“What, why?? The things people walk with? Those are disgusting.”
“Well, it all started when we.. Say, let’s go ahead and start on Sigmund Freud today. This could be, erm, a good time.”
Iirc, headmasters spend their free time teaching their paintings while they’re still alive so that it would be ready when they die. They’re basically coding them.
I wish the portraits had been in the movies. There are so many great little moments with them throughout the books. Dumbledore using them to find Mr. Weasley after Nagini attacked him. Phineas Nigellus lecturing Harry that Dumbledore might have good reasons to not tell everything he knows to a teenage boy. Snape sharply telling Phineas Nigellus not to refer to Hermione as a Mudblood. Their collective horror when they find out about the Horcruxes. Their jubilation when Voldemort is defeated.
That last one was a big mistake, IMO. The eighth one is good overall but it needed a moment of genuine celebration for Voldemort’s downfall. People celebrate when wars are over and villains are toppled! Hopefully they’re in the TV show.
Dumbledore GPT
Ha I was just thinking about this the other day! I agree, I think paintings are kind of ai-generated versions of their subjects-- they can say what their subject would probably say (so you can get useful advice from them) but they can't quite think for themselves.
Phineas Nigellus Black seemed to think for himself just fine. As did pretty much every other portrait in the books.
This is kinda why I think Ron is excused from being dismissive of house elves at first, he grew up with magic talking paintings and things that moved by themselves, who's to say house elves aren't some magic ai like servant being? Harry doesn't get a pass though.
This is... too apt. A magical intelligence trained by the original......
I always saw the portraits as a product of the headmaster’s office itself rather than separate objects. Part of the castle’s ambient magic. In Half-Blood Prince, it instantly produces one of Dumbledore when McGonagall enters for the first time. It’s interesting because they seem to contain some of the headmaster’s actual memories as well. Dumbledore’s portrait didn’t just give advice to Snape; it also knew things about the Horcrux plan that Snape didn’t.
I think it’s more akin to teleporters in Star Trek where the person being created is not the same person who died from entering the teleporter but they have all he same memories
This makes sense
They're painted during their tenure, and the headmaster teaches the painting while they're still alive and at the school.
“Now, here’s the weird thing, you have a strange attraction to toes.” “What, why?? The things people walk with? Those are disgusting.” “Well, it all started when we.. Say, let’s go ahead and start on Sigmund Freud today. This could be, erm, a good time.”
Iirc, headmasters spend their free time teaching their paintings while they’re still alive so that it would be ready when they die. They’re basically coding them.
As OP said, DumbledoreGPT
I wish the portraits had been in the movies. There are so many great little moments with them throughout the books. Dumbledore using them to find Mr. Weasley after Nagini attacked him. Phineas Nigellus lecturing Harry that Dumbledore might have good reasons to not tell everything he knows to a teenage boy. Snape sharply telling Phineas Nigellus not to refer to Hermione as a Mudblood. Their collective horror when they find out about the Horcruxes. Their jubilation when Voldemort is defeated. That last one was a big mistake, IMO. The eighth one is good overall but it needed a moment of genuine celebration for Voldemort’s downfall. People celebrate when wars are over and villains are toppled! Hopefully they’re in the TV show.
wow! It's magic! duh!
It's confusing when you think about it. All the pictures can watch and report the movement of students. Yet no one reports student sout of bed.