XD Very touchy topic but I'll take a stab at it...

Well, with me... when I first read the whole drama including the veil... I didn't understand one bit of it... {{Or maybe...I didn't want to understand it...}} Either way, it took me a good re-read or two to actually start brainstorming what it may be.

My theory goes a little bit like this...My idea of the Veil isn't really an end for Siry or a passageway to the "next" or to a "different" life" ... I've always thought of it as a little pause in Siry's life...I don't know if he'd be unconscious...in spirit form...or what he'd be doing during that whole time... but the point would be for him to return as the final battle begins to take place... in spirit form or otherwise…

That was the first theory I had and that's the one that's stuck with me. Over time, I have found many reasons that go against it {Mainly JKRs lil message saying he’s really “gone} and many think that I just want him to return...but I still think that he'll be there for the last battle… in some way.

So, I guess Liz was right...JKR is the only one who knows the answers... until then I'm keeping with this alleged theory of mine and keep hoping... no matter how many others doubt it…

That's really interesting, because just the other day a good friend of me and me discussed this very same theory that we made up, although we didn't think about what he's doing until he returns. But we really believe that he will return in the final battle and I'm assuming that it won't be a spirit but a real person.

I think that the veil keeps people hidden and and they're just more or less stuck behind it. So I wouldn't say that you're dead when you go through it, you're just gone for a while.

Earlier we already discussed days when it could be possible for people to return from behind the veil and I still think that Halloween and July 7 are possible dates. But it's very unlikely that the final battle takes place on one of these days.

I do believe, or want to believe, that Sirius will come back but only in spirit wise. Not to change the subject, because I am still discussing Sirius and the veil, , but I believe Sirius to come back with Harry using the two-way mirrors, eventhough one is slightly damaged. Thus, if that happens, maybe JK will have Sirius discuss what exactly the veil is and what happened when he disappeared. I think this would be the only way to discuss the veil unless we return back to my rope theory!!

Jo might be saving that for Book Seven. Arrghhh – She'll torture me into insanity one day, that one. Maybe the Ministry is trying spells on the veil. Maybe there have been extremely brave volunteers to, who agreed to go in....

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Originally Posted by Cat I also thought as alternative that the space behind the veil is some sort of never ending plane. A space which is unplotable and the people inside it have no sence of where they are are that others are with them.

Interesting. Could be. It might be a never-ending, bottomless pit. Maybe, as I'm sure I said earlier, Sirius will think of all that his life has been, ponder on both the good and bad aspects of it. Regrets, regrets, regrets. But I still can't find a theory sufficient enough to explain the voices - Unless it really is a connection to the "other" world where Sirius meets with the dead. And only those who have seen death can hear those voice – in other words, only those who have been as close as possible to death without actually being the one to die can hear those voices.

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Originally Posted by Chris Loving all your discussions. Does anyone have an idea of where the veil might come from? I believe it was stated that the Department of Mysteries studies ancient and yet unbeknown magic, but still... how might they have come across the veil? The idea of isolating such a powerful artifact in itself is rather odd... and already seeming to cause unhappy accidents =/

Chris – You can say that again. Unhappy incidents is right. *keels the Veil* I've no idea where the Veil might have come from. Maybe it was used by the Dark Side? But that seems a bit far-fetched to me. It could have been that some unlikely spell went completely wrong and something happened to a normal veil. Again, I feel it is a far-fetched and unlikely theory. The third explanation I can come up with is that it is one of those highly eccentric objects about whose origin wizard kind has no idea whatsoever. It just exists, they've come across it, they've found it's dangerous, eccentric – And now the yare trying to find out what it is.

Maxie

Yeah, I really never thought about that. I don't know about everyone else but the DOM was nothing short on suprises... I think that it just sort of appeared. I can't really picture anyone actually thinking of making it as mysterious as it is and plotting it there but anything possible. I agree with SMaxie... I think it just sort of appeared after so much magic being transformed in and out of that place...

But...who knows?

Ahh yes!! You our minds yet again! Philosopher Stacey has arrived!!

Well, if thinking about the veil in biblical terms, it leads to what is called Beyond the Veil, or more or less, the spirits of the world of the dead, ghost! I have heard that in some aspects that people who try to make contact with the dead are getting themselves into the dark arts which is forbidden and looked down upon. I have been sitting here trying to contemplate why the veil would end up at the ministry. I believe that I have read that it has been there for quite a large amount of time but we need to think about it this way.

The veil was placed within the “Room of Death” for a reason. Someone thought it to be a dangerous and an unfit artifact within the wizarding world and therefore it was placed within the Department of Mysteries. Now, does Remus know more about this veil than what we believe? He obviously had heard of it before and knew that Sirius was….don’t make me say it…gone once he passed through the fluttering curtains.

I need to ponder about this some more because there has to be some kind of mythical legend here that JK has used with the veil. She has used Greek Mythology on a lot of other things and I wonder what type of mythology she has bestowed upon us with the veil.

How could I have missed your post, Lissy? And I thought I'd read everything. I even missed some of the posts after yours. *headwall* :Anyways – rotfl: *wipes away tears* You've made me laugh my head off – Literally.

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Originally Posted by Tina I can't really picture anyone actually thinking of making it as mysterious as it is and plotting it there but anything possible.

Me neither. I think that Voldemort might be after the Veil too, just like the Prophecy - He's probably really eager to penetrate its secrets and find as much about it as he can. He might try to take it from the Ministry by force. *Bad Voldy * Anything can happen in Book Seven - Voldemort might try to use it as a Weapon. Maybe it will somehow help Harry defeat Voldemort - But I have yet to work out how the last theory, the one of the Veil helping Harry to put an end to Voldemort's end, could be a possible.

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Originally Posted by Stacey The veil was placed within the “Room of Death” for a reason. Someone thought it to be a dangerous and an unfit artifact within the wizarding world and therefore it was placed within the Department of Mysteries. Now, does Remus know more about this veil than what we believe? He obviously had heard of it before and knew that Sirius was….don’t make me say it…gone once he passed through the fluttering curtains.

Good point there, Stacey. I've wondered about that - About how Remus was so sure that Sirius was dead. But I concluded that the Veil is probably known to every skilled wizard and that it's an international Wizarding phenomenon – They're experimenting with it, wanting to know more about it – Just like we Muggles experiment with this and that.

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I need to ponder about this some more because there has to be some kind of mythical legend here that JK has used with the veil. She has used Greek Mythology on a lot of other things and I wonder why type of mythology she has bestowed upon us with the veil.

Mythology – That rings a bell. *pets Stacey* Jo has used it plenty of time. Maybe, just maybe…I'll have to do a bit of research for that.....

Maxie

I think its a portal to some strange land

Portal? It could be, but I'm not so sure what you mean by "strange land." Does a bottomless pit in which Sirius keeps falling and falling with flashbacks from his life revolving in his mind count as a strange land? If yes, then I agree the veil is a portal to a "strange land." If you mean he's dancing bananas with the Munchkins in the Land of Oz I'm not so sure.

Maxie

I agree with those that believe the veil conceals a higher knowledge or another dimension.

• The ancients used to cover the deads with a veil
• Hera's (greek goddess)emblems was a crown and a veil (she was the goddess of marriage and birth)
• In greek mythology it's portrayed as a magical item that saves you from death and injury (Ino gives Odysseus a veil for protection so he can go back to Ithaca)
  
  
• The veil is also an emblem of chastity...
• Nereids (sea nymphs) sometimes hold—rather than wear—arching or billowing veils, probably representing the waves of the sea
• The Orai guard Mount Olympos with a dark veil and open and close the gates of the sky for the other immortals as they travel to and from their domains

Generally the veil symbolizes: innocence, birth, death, the unknown, a great power, covers something holly and sacred!!!

I found something about the Egyptian Goddess Isis (the mother of all gods) and Veil which is very interesting
When Isis died, she was buried in a grove near Memphis. Over her grave was raised a statue covered from head to foot with a black veil.
And underneath was engraved these divine words:
"I am all that has been, that is, that shall be, and none among mortals has yet dared to raise my veil.
Beneath this veil are concealed all the mysteries and learning of the past"

I don't know if this helps it's a lil contradictory!!!!
I have to search other mythologies too!!!

That is awesome information. Thank you! That last part seems to be exactly where we are heading witht his discussion, and I think it's possible that JK is also heading there.

I thought that the voices were of the other people lost behind the veil. They are so confused and lost for where they are that they mutter without knowing they are.

Ooooh – Thanks for finding that out, Siriana. *huggles* Jo might be headed in that direction, like everyone else said.

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Originally Posted by Cat I thought that the voices were of the other people lost behind the veil. They are so confused and lost for where they are that they mutter without knowing they are.

Ermmmm – Well, I have a different theory though. This one seems a tiny bit incomplete – I mean, what are they doing behind their in the first place? This is very confusing – We could theorize about it for years on an end. However, it will definitely be interesting to see what Jo has in mind. I do think she took some help from the Egyptian Mythology.

Maxie

That's an interesting thought....I always thought that Sirius would go wherever it is where they choose weather or not to become a ghost. The voices though, the thought that only those who have seen death can hear them, that's interesting...

I thought the voices were sort of like this, people lost behind the veil rather than those that have died in general. I really need to re-read this book AGAIN....but I don't have the time, especially since I already have a whole list of books to read

That's what I thought too. These people are behind there and talking amongst themselves, I'd say. And they can only be heard by those who have seen death themselves (like it works with Thestrals).

That makes me think of something else, Kalaya - Was he asked if he wanted to be a ghost or not? I don't think so, not with the circumstances involved. But still.... Intriguing huh?
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