Dumbledore Dead?, Dumbledore Options

[RSchlaf]

Yea I know J.K. Rawling said dumbledore was dead, but can we really be sure? There are some gaping holes in that part of the book. First of all Dumbledore flew off the bridge. Supposedly when the killing curse was used the person is just meant to die, not be blasted back. What about what lestrange said, you have to really mean it to use the unforgivable curses. What if snape and dumbledore planned this part all along, he could have used a silent curse to send him down there and somehow have a "replacement" body. OR Couldn't dumbledore maybe have a horcrux that we don't know about. He could be just waiting untill the end of book 7 to come back in that depleted form of himself to somehow help harry defeat voldemort.

[Arsi]

I seriously want Dumbledore to come back, but when she said that "he is dead". You must take it that he really is dead.

Though you never know exactly how much information that the painting in the office has, Harry could come and talk with him for continuing lessons and so on.

Dumbledore is gone, but not forgotten. He could be back as the painting or some sort of delayed message sent to Harry, or any number of things. I do not think that Dumbledore is completely gone from the series just yet.

[RSchlaf]

So... if he has a horcrux he wouldn't be alive right now, kinda, he would be in the woods biding his time, waiting untill the right time to become alive with the right methods, to help harry.
Goin far out, maybe take over some willing body, like Snape, to help kill big V with harry.

[gazbo-s]

DD would NOT have a horcrux. As it says on more than one occasion in the HBP, to make a horcrux requires the ultimate act of evil - to deliberately murder someone and split your soul. We have no evidence that DD has ever killed - deliberately or not (as he says in OOTP there are worse things than dieing). I cannot believe, knowing as much as we do from the first 6 books of the character of DD, that he would make the one thing that he seems to detest so much - remember, he has banned all works which relate to horcruxes from the school. And finally, DD is NOT afraid of death, unlike LV - to him it is just the next great adventure.

[tealinkea]

dumbledor's dead (IMG:style_emoticons/default/weeping.gif)

[TheBoyWhoLived]

Well, i think he is dead were just going to have to accept the fact that he is, he's just one character i think he won't come back

[harry potter guy]

dumbledore is dead. jk rowling said so herself in the interview. and his picture was in his office on the wall so he is 100% dead.

[RSchlaf]

dead or not. He is going to play a role in this book somehow. Harry needs help, and dumbledore is going to be a key in helping harry. If not still alive he will have left clures for harry to follow or something to help him out tremondously.

[TheBoyWhoLived]

I agree he does need help, but you know when people say "I'll always be by your side" or "Watching you" maybe that's how it'll be for Harry Potter

[Zola231]

Here is my view why i think Albus Dumbledore is not dead:

Harry and Dumbledore are up on the top of the tower underneath the Dark Mark. Harry is wearing his invisibility cloak, Dumbledore ordered him to put it on before they mounted their brooms to ride to the top of the tower. Harry hears footsteps and looks around, but Dumbledore orders him with a gesture to retreat. Harry draws his wand and backs away:

The door burst open and somebody erupted through it and shouted, "Expelliarmus!" Harry's body became instantly rigid and immobile, and he felt himself fall back against the tower wall, propped like an unsteady statue, unable to move or speak.(HBP pg 584/545)

It's interesting to note that things are happening so fast, even Harry is momentarily confused:

He could not understand how it happened -- Expelliarmus was not a Freezing Charm -- Then, by the light of the Mark, he saw Dumbledore's wand flying in an arc over the edge of the ramparts and understood... Dumbledore had wordlessly immobilzed Harry, and the second he had taken to perform this spell had cost him the chance of defending himself. (HBP pg 584/545)

Why did Dumbledore freeze Harry? Harry was already invisible to their attackers and in no danger.

The only explanation could be that Dumbledore already knew, had already planned, that he would eid this night (or appear to eid), and not only did he not want Harry to become involved and possibly be injured himself, he needed Harry to be a witness, to be able to tell everyone else what happened.

Dumbledore might have also promised Snape that he would make sure that Harry would not be able to interfere, knowing how Harry feels about Snape and what Snape was about to have to do.

The supposition that it was Dumbledore's plan to do this all along is supported by the fact that he acted so quickly to do it, almost without thinking, when Draco burst in on the scene.

Harry's own assumption that the Freezing Charm was done by Dumbledore is supported by the fact the curse lifted when Dumbledore left the tower minutes later.

[WickedWitchOfThe...]

Yes, Dear. And every bit of that has been part of an argument stating DD is alive for a year now. Unfortunately, Jo just confirmed recently that DD is in fact Dead, Gone, Deceased, No more, AWOL, Departed, Finished and every other synonym that I can't think of. Winning a bet for me and keeping my confidence in her storytelling alive. I hate to say it. I really do! I loved DD and still do. But, being that I was prepared for him to go so that Harry may do what he needs to do without any hope of some sort of rescue from DD, it makes it much easier to bear.

[gazbo-s]

I know everyone wants to believe that DD isn't dead, but JKR has specifically stated that he is dead - and as she herself has stated she has never knowingly lied when asked a question - she may have evaded answering, or even have said something which was perhaps not fully true as it turned out, but this would be an absolute lie - she knows what is going to happen and to say something as openly as this and then to turn around and say "Fooled you!" would just not be in character.

DD is dead. He is not coming back. He had to die to enable Harry to move on. He knew he was dieing from the beginning of HBP - the blackened hand is evidence of the severe nature of the injury he had suffered in recovering the ring Horcrux. He also needed to die to save Malfoy and Snape. He willingly gave his life to save others because (as he himself said) he is not afraid to die, and sees death as the "next great adventure". He froze Harry to achieve two things - to ensure that Harry did not interfere with his plans (ie. his death) and to ensure that Harry did not interfere and put himself in danger (as DD had said earlier Harry was the most important one, because he is the only one who can finally defeat LV). Yes there are problems with the death - the colour of the light and the fact that DD was flung over the parapet, but at the end of the day he is dead.

[i]edited: Sorry Wicked Witch, you must have posted as I was writing my reply!

[Zola231]

But who can argue against my theory? That is the last bit of idea i have left to support DD is dead.

[WickedWitchOfThe...]

But who can argue against my theory?

I can! I've been doing it for over a year now, lol. But just for argument's sake.....

Why did Dumbledore freeze Harry?

To ensure that Harry didn't do anything stupid. DD knows Harry just as well as we do and knows that Harry wouldn't have just stood by and let DD talk to Draco. He knows that Harry would've interfered before they could've even said "hello", so to speak. Besides, I really feel that a part of it was so that Harry could see a different side of Draco. And it did work. Harry came away from all that with a different opinion of Draco than before he saw him up on that Tower. True, he still thinks Draco's a great big prat. But, he does know that there is more to Draco. He saw it when eavesdropping on him in Myrtle's bathroom and he saw more of it when up on that Tower. I think Harry, though still hating Draco, would never be able to really harm him now. At least, not to a point where it would be irreversible. It gave Harry a bit of understanding about his enemies. DD gave it to him up on that Tower and while having his Riddle History lessons with Harry all year long. A fantastic quality that DD himself posessed and one that he would've really wanted Harry to have as well.

P.S. No problemo, gazbo-s! ;)

[Hermione@13]

I wish that DD will come back, but that would be too fairy-tailish for me! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/weeping.gif) DD is dead and we must face the facts. His portrait is in the office, everyone saw his dead body, and Snape did Avada Kedavra on him, so we must all assume that he is DAAD. (I forgot who made up this abbreiviation, but it mean Dead As A Doornail). I also believe that DD Immobilized Harry to ensure that he doesn't interfere and get killed instead. DD must have sensed someone was going to do or he might've done it just for the safety of Harry because they all need Harry to destroy V. I believe that Snape is working for V, so I don't believe they all planned it. There are a few possibilities, but the most obvious is: he did it because of the Unbreakable Vow that he did with Narcissa. I believe this is too obvious to be right, but Jo always suprises us on every corner. This is sort of OT, but I think Fawkes will play an important role n the future. Possibly, helping Harry with Voldemort because Fawkes has helped Harry in CoS. I got remembered of that because of the "Pheonix" in the flames. What I want to ask is, why did the tomb catch on fire. Is it a tradition in the Wizarding World? Is it just for the special people, like Dumbledore? I think I find this relevant in DD's death and in the future.

[gazbo-s]

I still firmly believe that Snape is not loyal to LV, he is loyal to DD (or as loyal as someone who only looks out for themselves can be (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) ). He made the UV with Narcissa without knowing the full facts of what Malfoy had to do, and then when he found out he argued with DD because DD said that he had to go through with it and ensure that Malfoy suceeded if DD couldn't talk Malfoy round (which he was about to do until the DEs appeared). Snape did not want to kill DD (the argument that Hagrid overheard part of) but DD (who knew he was dieing anyway because of the curse which damaged his hand) insisted that he did it. Hence the look of revulsion and hatred on Snape's face when he AKd DD - not hatred of DD but hatred at what he had to do. And if Snape was truly evil would he have stopped during his escape to give hints to his master's enemy as he did with Harry?

Ultimately, DD is DEAD. JKR has said so herself and who can argue with her.

[Dijares]

Dumleore is definitely dead, as JKR has said in a recent interview while in New York City. You can see our report on it here.

Or, here is the quote:

Q: Recently in an interview, you stated that 2 major characters would die. Are you including Dumbledore in that or are these 2 characters in addition to Dumbledore? (paraphrased)

JK: When faced with questions like this I remember a quote from the author Germaine Greer: ‘Every writer has to have a chip of ice in their heart….’ I think you may have just ruined my career. I really can’t answer that question as it would give away too much plot. But let me just say that you shouldn’t expect Dumbledore to do a Gandalf.

Later in the same interview...

Q: Although you have shown us throughout the series that Snape is an unlikable person, we have always truly believed that he is essentially one of the good guys. Dumbledore has vouched for him repeatedly. Our theory is that Dumbledore and Snape were working together and that Dumbledore can’t really be dead. That it is a ruse. Is Snape Good or Bad? (paraphrased)

JK: (After much uncomfortable body language and hemming and hawing) …(unable to hear much of her first statements)….but let me say this finally…Dumbledore is definitely dead. (Outcries from the audience, although those sitting next to me were silent….I believe from the shock of her admitting this once and for all! JK then continued on in a consoling voice) I am aware of a website that states dumbledoreisnotdead. I think that all of you need to move through the 5 stages of grief and this is my way of helping you to get past Denial. I don’t know what’s next, it may be Anger. In that case, perhaps I should leave. (paraphrased)

There you have it, straight from the horse's, or rather author's, mouth. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Jlobel]

when she says she doesnt want to give to much of the plot she pretty much said shes including dd in the plot in the last book in some way

[gazbo-s]

I think that is a given - he cannot NOT be in the last book, but he will not be a living person - maybe his portrait, maybe his memories, maybe letters/clues.