c - free() not deallocating memory?

Question

free(str);
printf("%d
", str->listeners);

The call to printf succeeds (as do any other calls to str's members). How is this possible?

Answer 1

Here's an analogy for you: imagine you're renting an apartment (that's the memory) and you terminate your lease but keep a duplicate of the key (that's the pointer). You might be able to get back into the apartment later if it hasn't been torn down, if the locks haven't been changed, etc. and if you do it right away you might find things the way you left them. But it's a pretty bad idea, and in the likely case you're going to get yourself in a heap of trouble...