Peeves

Template:HP character Peeves is a fictional poltergeist who haunts the wizarding school Hogwarts, in the novel series of Harry Potter written by British Author JK Rowling. Peeves's appearance is exclusively in the novel series and the video games, even though plans for his appearance were made for the films; however, the plans were discarded as the film-makers did not see his character as important enough.

Being a poltergeist, Peeves is a spirit rather than a physical being, but very different from the ghosts for which he is mistaken occasionally. Peeves's existence is essentially the embodiment of disorder ("an indestructible spirit of chaos" ), where he is observed to constantly cause it.

Appearance and abilities

In appearance, he is a small man with a mischievous face, dressed in wildly coloured clothing. He is capable of flight and intangibility. Like ghosts, he is also capable of invisibility, however he is usually observed to take physical form. Peeves is also seen to have the ability to manipulate objects; a trait not possible with ghosts.

Peeves derives joy from mischievous acts, causing more of disruptions rather than actually being violent and dangerous. As a "spirit of chaos," it is his entire purpose to cause disorder, break things, and be as annoying and disruptive as possible.

Demeanor

Peeves does not listen to Hogwarts prefects (to Percy Weasley's great displeasure), teachers or anyone else, with the exception of the headmaster of the school, Albus Dumbledore, and the ghost of the Slytherin house, the Bloody Baron. When Harry impersonates the Baron while under the Invisibility Cloak in The Philosopher's Stone, Peeves becomes very frightened and wastes no time obeying Harry's command to leave, thus demonstrating his obedience toward the Bloody Baron. Argus Filch, who is usually left with cleaning up the messes and damage Peeves causes, is his nemesis and works continuously to try to get Peeves thrown out. This, combined with Fleur Delacour's statement that a poltergeist at her school would be expelled 'like zat' seem to indicate that someone, the Headmaster perhaps, could remove Peeves forcefully. However, Rowling has stated in an interview that not even Dumbledore would be able to rid Hogwarts of Peeves.

However, J.K. Rowling has suggested that Peeves is a permanent fixture of Hogwarts castle, and cannot be gotten rid of entirely. She once described him as being "like a bad plumbing problem," and said that Dumbledore can occasionally get Peeves to halt or reduce his mayhem because "he's better with the spanner than most." Peeves is vulnerable to magic, in Book 6, chapter "Elf Tails", Harry uses magic to glue Peeves's tongue to the roof of his mouth, after which Peeves angrily departs. In Book 3, Remus Lupin also uses magic to teach Peeves a lesson by making the gum Peeves was stuffing into a keyhole shoot back out and up the poltergeist's nose.

Peeves is not completely chaotic nor without loyalties. During Dolores's attempts to take control of Hogwarts in Order of the Phoenix which were met with passive insurrection, he actually shows respect for his fellow troublemakers Fred and George Weasley and takes their words ("Give her hell from us, Peeves.") to heart as they flee the school, marking possibly the only time Peeves ever obeys a student, let alone salutes one.

This is immediately followed by his finest hour; his destructive tendencies shift into overdrive and he goes on a rampage, with acts ranging from juggling burning torches over the heads of students, to dumping a bag of tarantulas into the Great Hall during breakfast, and even flooding the entire second floor of Hogwarts by pulling out all the taps in the bathrooms. When not causing mayhem, Peeves floats after Professor Umbridge and blows raspberries every time she tries to speak. It appears that Peeves is actually on friendly terms with the strict Professor McGonagall during this time, due to their common enemy; when the poltergeist attempts to loosen a chandelier from the ceiling, the Head of Gryffindor House is seen to mutter to him in passing, "It unscrews the other way."

When Umbridge attempts to sneak out of Hogwarts, she runs into Peeves before she can make good on her escape. She is chased out of the castle by the poltergeist, who alternately whacking her with a cane and a sock full of chalk. Nobody, not even the staff, makes any real attempt to come to her aid. Professor McGonagall was heard to lament that she would chase after Umbridge herself, but was not able to, because Peeves had borrowed her walking stick.

Peeves is only briefly depicted in Deathly Hallows, where he is seen in the battle of Hogwarts, dropping Snargaluff pods onto Death Eaters and singing a victory song at the end.