The DoM Room, HBP & Book 7

[Alz]

So, we all remeber the locked room in the Department of Mysteries in OoTP ...
Was there any details we can take from HBP that might shed light on it's role in book7?

I think many people speculated it was important that Harry couldnt get in - anything to make you feel it is less important now?

[Fortescue]

JKR was asked a question regarding that room, and said "no comment," so I'd assume we will see the room again and Harry will get to enter it. I think the room is still important, but might not come into play until the end of the final book.

[Sirius Potter Fan]

Didn't Dumbledore say at one time that they studied "Love" in the DoM? I always thought that was where they did it. and we are told that it is indeed his greatest strength against Voldemort. I'm shure it will come into play.

[Hermione]

There could be anything behind the locked door. Storage of old wizarding relics (horicrux alert!), Auror training, study of love, literally anything. I think we may have to wait this one out as the possibilities are so endless.

[Alz]

Yah it is a real pandora's box this one .. I suppose that is why I wondered if anyone had any new thoughts based on HBP ...
You know, I cant help but wonder ... JKR said that the MoM were studying death via the veil - what if they did retrieve a horcrux and that is what they were using as part of the study - and also might explain why the door was locked up so well ... just a thought ..

[Fortescue]

Yah it is a real pandora's box this one .. I suppose that is why I wondered if anyone had any new thoughts based on HBP ...
You know, I cant help but wonder ... JKR said that the MoM were studying death via the veil - what if they did retrieve a horcrux and that is what they were using as part of the study - and also might explain why the door was locked up so well ... just a thought ..

But if a bit of Voldemort's soul was locked up in the room of love, wouldn't that kill his bit of soul since he is completely evil and can't stand the power of love as was noted when he possessed Harry? It would seem that if there was a Horcrux in there, just the fact that it was there would destroy it.

I can see the room being useful to Harry if all the Horcruxes were destroyed, and then he somehow lured Voldemort in there and did away with the last bit of his soul by drowning him in love. :p

[Alz]

Wait - I must have missed the bit that said that room was full of love .. :confused:
I think many people have speculated it - but I have always argued how can a room be filled with love?
It's not like love is something physical you can trap and store ...
Whatever is inside that room might be an object that is love personified ... but to have a room filled of an emotion - how would JKR even begin to describe that?
If it is love - it will be expressed in an item, image - well just something!

[bajab]

There is a room in the Department of Mysteries,' interrupted Dumbledore, `that is kept locked at all times. It contains a force that is at once more wonderful and more terrible than death, than human intelligence, than the forces of nature. It is also, perhaps, the most mysterious of the many subjects for study that reside there. It is the power held within that room that you possess in such quantities and which Voldemort has not at all. That power took you to save Sirius tonight. That power also saved you from possession by Voldemort, because he could not bear to reside in a body so full of the force he detests. In the end, it mattered not that you could not close your mind. It was your heart that saved you.'

Pretty much tells you the room is full of love.

I think the room will feature very prominately in the fight against Voldy and the dementors.

[Alz]

I have this discussion elsewhere I think - prolly in the OoTP forums ...
I wont re-iterate it here because it would detract from the thread - but let me give you a quick response ...
Love is something Harry has that Voldemort doesn't - although implied it isn't stated that the room is love - and in essence how would JKR even begin to write a room full of love?
I think the room contains an object or something physical - something that embodies Love or is the total sum of it - but to have a room filled with love - well it is a contradiction.
Agreed we will see Harry unlock that room - disagree there will be a warm pink 'mist' oozing love around - there will be an object, presence or even person ... that would be more attainable for JKR to write.

[kashlie]

Blaise you have made me think of something the opposite of the Dementors. As they can suck the happiness out of people, perhaps this 'love' sucks all the sadness. I don't know why something like that would be locked up, and the Dementors not, but I guess there needs to be a balance. Hence the Ministry trying to control the Dementors. And too much love could be a bad thing.

I agree it is most likely an object. It seems that it does pulsate, though. It is definately emitting its power, but it cannot penetrate the doors or walls. Either there is a spell to prevent that from happening, or it is not real 'love'.

[Hermione]

Whatever is inside that room might be an object that is love personified ... but to have a room filled of an emotion - how would JKR even begin to describe that?

I think she already has Blaise. Madam Puddifoot's was filled with love, that is until Cho and Harry arrived. :D

There is a room in the Department of Mysteries,' interrupted Dumbledore, `that is kept locked at all times. It contains a force that is at once more wonderful and more terrible than death, than human intelligence, than the forces of nature. It is also, perhaps, the most mysterious of the many subjects for study that reside there. It is the power held within that room that you possess in such quantities and which Voldemort has not at all. That power took you to save Sirius tonight. That power also saved you from possession by Voldemort, because he could not bear to reside in a body so full of the force he detests. In the end, it mattered not that you could not close your mind. It was your heart that saved you.'

Pretty much tells you the room is full of love.



I disagree, I think it tells us there is a room in the DoM filled with love, but we don't know it is the room we are refering to.

I think they may study the effects of love, subjects on which love played a role but I don't see them storing love. Scientists can study cancer without having vats of cancerous cells in their labs.

This still leaves the querstion how does one store love, other than inside a person? And what is behind that door?

[Alz]

Agreed with both Kasher and Mere here ...

I think that the contradiction of having something so free and pure closed up and behind a locked door suggests it cannot be vapour d'amour :D
There is something in there - something that might even bring out the love in anyone it comes into contact with ... say almost like a boggart - you look at it - it appears as something that brings nothing but feelings of love and happiness out of you - perhaps that is how you kill a boggart - you show it the exact opposit of itself :p
I think it is possible in Harry's case that the object could appear as his parents, Dumbledore , Sirius - in fact all the people he lost but indeed loves above all else - if you shove Harry and Voldemort in there with something of that power - i mean, you dont need a drawing!