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Reader Comments: (Page 25)

Dumbledore is not . He is, in the words of Miracle Max, only mostly . He and Snape are playing a very deep and dangerous game with the object of drawing Voldemort out, making him over-confident, and setting him up for Harry to destroy.

Voldemort does not fear Harry. The one time Voldemort and Harry faced off after Voldemort had regained his full power at the end of Goblet of Fire, Harry escaped with his life only because of the magical interaction between their wands, over which Harry had no control. But long before then, Dumbledore has suggested a plan to Snape to draw out Voldemort and put him off his guard. It requires that Dumbledore enter a state in which Voldemort cannot sense his presence or existence and believes beyond any question that Dumbledore is . Dumbledore chooses Snape because Snape has authentic Eater credentials, is truly remorseful about that time in his life, and is capable of occluding his mind even to Voldemort.

The plan is for Snape to appear to Dumbledore, believably and in front of witnesses. It must be in all ways an authentic assasination -- Dumbledore cannot know precisely when it happen or how. He can only know that Snape be the er, and he must trust that Snape do whatever it is that Dumbledore has arranged so that what looks like a ing curse, stops just short of it. He places his life in Snape's hands. And all the while, it is essential that Snape play himself deeper and deeper into the counsels of the Dark Lord. With this in mind, the odd events at the end of Half-Blood Prince begin to make sense:

-- Draco Malfoy has never shown himself to be much of a wizard, yet he easily disarms Dumbledore.

-- Dumbledore offers to hide Malfoy from Voldemort with this cryptic and unexplained passage: "He cannot you if you are already . Come over to the right side Draco, and we can hide you more completely than you can possibly imagine." (Note that Dumbledore says "we can hide you," not "I can hide you." This actually does suggest that someone other than Snape and Dumbledore knows what's going on.)

-- Snape doesn't take a moment to gloat before firing the fatal curse at Dumbledore, which seems out of character.

-- Harry thinks that Dumbledore pleads for mercy as Snape is about to him, which seems out of character for Dumbledore. Rather, what Harry hears as pleading is actually Dumbledore telling Snape that he must do it now, the time has come, and not to lose heart.

-- Why does Dumbledore immobilize Harry? Precisely because Dumbledore knows that Harry would otherwise stop Snape at this crucial moment from carrying out their plan.

-- Harry is trying as hard as he can to Snape. Snape easily parries the ly curses, but does not fire back.

-- Snape screams at Harry that Harry never be able to use an Unforgiveable Curse unless he learns to close his mind and really mean it. It sounds like a taunt but it's actually an essential lesson, delivered at a crucial moment. It is essential that Harry realize that even at the height of his own rage and hatred, he cannot destroy Snape and therefore certainly can't destroy Voldemort unless he learns what he must.

-- The Eaters escaping with Snape get Harry with the Cruciatus Curse, and Snape inexplicably lifts it and prevents them from ing Harry.

Severus is truly, however, a lonely and spiteful man shaped by an abusive childhood and a painful adolesence. His hatred of Harry for the sins of James is quite real. But why is he enraged almost beyond control when Harry calls him a coward? Let me suggest it is because for years, Severus has been living with the knowledge that if he is found out by Voldemort, what happened to Neville's parents seem like a day in the park.

Posted by ijb on June 7, 2007 11:33 AM

I strongly agree with the theory that Dumbledore is an animagus (perhaps unregistered?), moreover, a Phoenix. The relationship between Dumbledore and Fawkes is strong and repetitively mentioned in the books, and of course, if we want him back, could anyone find a better way to "reborn" Dumbledore?

Also, Harry almost saw a phoenix getting out from Dumbledore tomb flames, and, as many, I think he just saw Dumbledore!

And speaking of Dumbledore, it be crucial to the next book that little "incident" in GoF, "a gleam of triumph in Dumbledore's eyes" when he heard from Harry how Voldemort used his blood to return.

No, I don't think Dumbledore is the bad one! and of course, I don't even think Harry become as evil as Voldemort, as he was "marked" as an equal.

But I think that Dumbledore believed in that moment that Harry's blood would debilitate Voldemort, or would make him a little less "immortal". Or perhaps, Harry's blood would "pollute" Voldemort's blood with love or emotions!

Posted by Patricio from Buenos Aires on June 7, 2007 1:58 PM

I think that Dumbledore and Slughorn changed places while Harry was getting his cloak, just before he and Dumbledore went to the cave. You'll noticed clues suggesting that Dumbledore is moving as a much younger man, that his eyes appear green (they're actually blue) from the reflection in the cave, and that Harry doesn't recognize Dumbledore's voice when he screams.

Also, Dumbledore uses the word "Oho" which is typical of Slughorn. And why is it that we never heard from Slughorn after Harry got the memory from him? He only comes back into the story at the end of the book, after Dumbledore's "", looking sick and sweating... he and Dumbledore may have switched back by this time and now Slughorn is still recovering from the potion he drank in the cave.

I also think it's actually a werewolf bite Malfoy's hiding on his arm, not the Mark. Malfoy mentions Fenrir Greyback right after he showing "something" to Borgin of Borgin and Burkes. This also explains how Snape was helping Malfoy (because Snape also helped Lupin with a potion every month) and why Malfoy was looking sick and pale throughout the book. Now that Bill was bitten by Fenrir too, werewolves could very well play a big part in book 7.

Posted by Andrea on June 9, 2007 4:48 PM

Interesting comments Andrea. I am intrigued by the idea that Fenrir bit Draco. I find it possible although not probable. I don't think Draco would allow him access to his friends in the castle if he himself were destined to be a werewolf forever.

Posted by Kim from Manchester on June 10, 2007 6:11 PM

It is made clear that voldemort can do magic without his wand as a young boy. A wand is not absolutely essential to performing magic for a sed wizard, particularly for someone like dumbledore who is supposed to be the only person voldemort ever feared, so presumably his s level is comparable. This is notable because when snape s dumbledore it depends on dumbledore being powerless without his wand for the scene to ring true, but he is not actually powerless, he is letting it happen. Dumbledore is not , or at least not in the way we think he is.

Posted by michael from santa rosa, ca on June 10, 2007 11:47 PM

if we assume that voldemort made a horcrux by sharing his soul with nagini, then i think because of this, he has snake like features. so if dumbldore had made a horcrux by using fawkes, then that means that he would have been imparted with the power to be born again like a pheonix.

Posted by yasir from sharif on June 11, 2007 06:07 AM

Andrea - I agree with Kim saying it is possible, but not likely, that Draco got bitten by Greyback. Also, regarding the Horace/Albus switch, who was it, then that got ed on the tower if we see Horace as himself running back after the incident?

Posted by Monkeeshrines from orlando fl on June 11, 2007 06:53 AM

Interesting comment about the "Oho" Andrea. I never considered that it could have been Slughorn in the cave. I always thought that if it was anyone else, it was Snape. But I have noticed that JKR tends to repeat certain phrases in each of her books. For example, in one of the later books (can't recall right now) she repeatedly uses the phrase "what do they think they are playing at?" or something very close those words. I only noticed because I really didn't understand what she meant by that (I assume it is "who do they think they are fooling) and to my chagrin, I noticed it in the book more than once. So it could just be that "Oho" is popular word for HBP or it could very well be old Sluggy. I wonder if there are any more clues that it could be him...

Also, someone mentioned Slytherin's ring. Wasn't Dumbledore wearing it when Harry first saw it, then later on it was on a table in his office? I always wondered about that. Did I miss some additional mention of the ring? Yes, Dumbledore was wearing the ring when he and Harry convince Slughorn to teach at Hogwarts. But then in the House of Gaunt chapter, Harry is in Dumbledore's office and sees the ring sitting on one of the small spindle legged tables that hold the mysterious silver instruments. So obviously, Dumbledore got the ring off somehow...

Posted by Jennie from Beachwood NJ on June 11, 2007 1:31 PM

I've just realised something. im stu Romeo and Juliet at school and the friar gives juliet a potion to make her appear for 42 hours. she would not have pulse nor would she breathe. what if snape used a similar curse on Dumbledore. but if he does this, why does snape not drop ? at the begining he made the unbreakable vow, in which he vows to dumbledore if draco seems to fail. at the tower draco does seem to fail and thus snape must work the curse or ! so indications point to snape using avada kedavra. i honestly hope that Dumbeldore has not d, since he's my fav character after the weasly twins, but all evidence is to the contrary.

Posted by Vince from Portugal on June 14, 2007 12:11 PM

Someone said, "I think that Dumbledore and Slughorn changed places while Harry was getting his cloak, just before he and Dumbledore went to the cave... Dumbledore uses the word "Oho" which is typical of Slughorn... he and Dumbledore may have switched back by this time and now Slughorn is still recovering from the potion he drank in the cave."

If that's true, then what's the use of it? If they switched back before Harry and Dumbledore got to the tower, Dumbledore's still . Your theory seems more likely if they didn't switch back and Slughorn's now . Or maybe Harry went to the cave with Dumbledore but then they switched, so Slughorn's and the sick and sweating Slughorn is really Dumbledore recovering from the potion.
But after all it seems very unlikely to me.

Posted by Jiska from The Netherlands on June 14, 2007 12:28 PM

I think Snape intended to Dumbledore when he used the AK curse:
"Snape gazed for a moment at Dumbledore, and there was revulsion and hatred etched in the harsh lines of his face".

If Snape had actually used the AK curse, Dumbledore would have d from Snape's abhorrence for Dumbledore.

Posted by Elansargelmir from Boston, Massachusetts on June 16, 2007 4:29 PM

Oops, after reading Snape's clues, I change my mind about what I said in the previous post. Dumbledore doesn't sound like someone who's afraid of , and he would still portray equanimity even if his life is threatened.

Posted by Elansargelmir from Boston, Massachusetts on June 17, 2007 5:14 PM

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