Emmeline Vance: The Future Rosetta Stone

[Excerpt from the book “Defogging The Future” by Louis CasaBianca, an unauthorized speculation about book 7 of the Harry Potter series]

dtfcover

For centuries, one of the great mysteries in human civilization was Hieroglyphics, a form of ancient Egyptian writing that was used only for sacred purposes. Hieroglyphics were written with pictures and symbols that could stand either for letters, syllables or the actual object they depicted. Throughout Egypt there were (and are today) hundreds of temples, and almost all of them had (and have) entire walls covered with this beautiful sacred text. Scholars struggled for centuries to decipher the symbols with almost no progress, until a French military officer found a large piece of stone that had the same words written upon it in Greek, ordinary Egyptian script, and Hieroglyphics. That one artifact, a piece of stone the size of a large suitcase, was probably the single most important cultural relic ever found, and unlocked a thousand mysteries that would otherwise still be unsolved. (British readers, especially those in London, can see the Rosetta Stone for themselves. The Stone is one of the prize exhibits of the British Museum.)

While it may not be as difficult a problem as Hieroglyphics, we’ve got a thorny little mystery of our own in Severus Snape. Fortunately, we also have our own Rosetta Stone as well, in the form of Emmeline Vance.

Emmeline Vance appears in “Order of the Phoenix” for exactly 42 words, and yet she may very well be the key to understanding Snape, and therefore the key to understanding all seven books. This is all we ever see of Emmeline:

“Emmeline Vance — a stately looking witch in an emerald green shawl inclined her head”

OotP pg 49

“Now Emmeline Vance was on his right, her wand out, her head turning left and right…then she too swooped over him, to be replaced by Sturgis Podmore…” (OotP pg 57)

The next time we hear of poor Emmeline she’s dead, killed around the corner from the Muggle Prime Minister’s office. (HBP pg 14) Sixteen pages later Snape tells Bellatrix that he provided the information that led to her death:

“It led, as perhaps you have guessed, to the recent capture and murder of Emmeline Vance, and it certainly helped dispose of Sirius Black, though I give you full credit for finishing him off.”

HBP pg 30

So, where does this leave us? Well, according to both Snape and the Muggle Prime Minister, it sounds very much like Emmeline Vance is dead, and we actually hear Snape claim to have provided the information that led to her “capture and murder.” Note that what Snape says is much harder to explain away than if he claimed that he killed Emmeline all by himself. If Snape had said: “I alone killed Emmeline Vance,” it would be much easier to believe he faked her murder to keep his Death Eater credibility intact. Instead, he says that he passed information to Voldemort himself, and that Emmeline Vance was captured before she was killed. If Snape really did provide information to Voldemort and Emmeline Vance was killed as a result, that is very, very hard for the “Snape is fighting Voldemort” side to explain. Since I’m definitely on that side, let’s see how I do in explaining it. I see only two possibilities:

1. Playing at Draughts

Re-read the questions Snape asks Harry in their first-ever Potions lesson. (PS pgs 137-138) Snape asks about Wolfsbane, bezoars and the Draught of Living Death. As we’ve seen from the books, and as we’ll discuss later, both Wolfsbane and bezoars are very important in later volumes of the series. Given that, I think it’s almost certain that we’ll see the Draught of Living Death in Book Seven.

Snape mentions the Draught in that first lesson, and gives the (very simple) recipe as well. Do we ever see it used? No, we’re still waiting for that. Are we ever reminded of its existence? Why, bless my soul, we are. Not only does Harry brew it in a very long scene in HBP, but we just casually find out that it can be brewed up in an hour or so, and we also learn that Snape has found a number of improvements to the recipe that allow him to brew it perfectly. (HBP pgs 189-191) Well, as I have said before: Hmmm… We simply have to see the Draught again in Book Seven, and I think it’s possible if not probable that we’ll find out it was used by Emmeline Vance to fake her own death.

The major objection to this theory is simple and rather good: Emmeline Vance was captured before she was killed. Now consider the following passage from HBP. This passage was very different in the British and American editions of the book, with all of the bold text added later for the American version.

He cannot kill you if you are already dead. Come over to the right side, Draco, and we can hide you more completely than you can possibly imagine. What is more, I can send members of the Order to your mother tonight to hide her likewise. Nobody would be surprised that you had died in your attempt to kill me–forgive me, but Lord Voldemort probably expects it. Nor would the Death Eaters be surprised that we had captured and killed your mother–it is what they would do themselves, after all. Your father is safe at the moment in Azkaban…When the time comes, we can protect him too. Come over to the right side, Draco…you are not a killer…”

HBP pgs 591-592

Once again, the British version included only the second, third and the last two lines. Everything else was added to the American edition. There were other changes between the British and American versions, but the vast majority of them were tiny, a word here and there, or a “Britishism” altered. For some reason, JKR felt it was essential to emphasize what is said by the bold text: that Dumbledore was offering to protect Draco and Narcissa by faking their deaths. And take note of the following curious phrase:

“Nor would the Death Eaters be surprised that we had captured and killed your mother…”

HBP pg 592

That’s a rather strange choice of words, isn’t it? A close echo to how Snape described the death of Emmeline Vance:

“It led, as perhaps you may have guessed, to the recent capture and murder of Emmeline Vance.”

HBP pg 30

After spending the time I have reading the Potter series, I don’t believe in coincidences. I honestly don’t see how Snape could possibly get out of this one, or how Emmeline Vance can still be alive, but if I had to bet, I’d bet he was going to, and I’d bet she is.

2. Sacrifice, Willing or Not

There is another, much more unpleasant explanation for the death of Emmeline Vance, one that is very hard to imagine appearing in the Harry Potter series. As I have said repeatedly, I think we can dismiss the idea that Snape is a loyal Death Eater. Despite this, it’s possible that Snape did indeed provide the information that led to Emmeline Vance’s death, as a way of maintaining his cover and “proving” his loyalty to Voldemort. And he may have done that in an effort to protect Harry, since he knows Harry is the only person who can kill Voldemort, and Snape is best able to protect Harry from within the Death Eater camp. How’s that for twisted?

In the real world, when undercover agents infiltrate a criminal or terrorist organization, such a situation is the worst scenario they might have to face: the possibility that they might have to kill or fail to save an innocent in order to keep their cover or save their own lives. While such a situation has happened in the real world, I think that sort of scenario is just too harsh and adult for a children’s book. That’s just my opinion, however, and I don’t get to make that call. Whether or not such a cold-blooded act appears in Harry Potter is up to JKR, and dependent on how dark a character she wants to create. It’s possible, but I think having Harry helped and protected by a willing murderer is really pushing the line.

Emmeline, Part Deux

I’m sure that understanding Snape’s role in the death of Emmeline Vance will explain a great deal about Snape, and just might allow us to determine his loyalties once and for all. Unfortunately, the evidence we have now is insufficient to make any conclusions, and we’ll just have to wait until Book Seven to obtain the truth. I’d like to believe Emmeline’s death was faked, (and there’s the whole Draught of Living Death issue in favor of that), but there’s no real evidence that might point to her being alive. And just as Snape could have an evil motive for hating Voldemort, and just as Pettigrew could have had an evil motive for wanting to save Lily Potter, Snape could have deliberately caused the death of Emmeline Vance to deflect suspicion from him so he could continue to protect Harry and thereby kill Voldemort. As JKR no doubt intended, there’s no way to determine what Snape did or didn’t do.

Whatever the answer may be, I know (and I’m very glad) we’re going to find out in Book Seven. Our Rosetta Stone is going to be read sooner or later, and I’m certain we haven’t seen the last of Emmeline. Despite her tiny role the previous six books, Emmeline Vance is going to be enormously important in Book Seven. How she died, and who killed her and why, might be a mystery now, but at the end of the day the death of Emmeline Vance must and will be explained.

Share this article:
Louis CasaBianca
Louis CasaBianca

Louis CasaBianca is author of Defogging The Future, an extensively researched and wonderfully written book. You might not agree with every conclusion, but you will enjoy reading every word. .

Articles: 1
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

119 Comments
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Gaia
Gaia
17 years ago

WOW! In the Harry Potter series, things that were minor in the past had been pointed out later in the book and were usually a big part of the plot. This is another time that an event which only lasted around 40 words could mean where the story will end. This is amazing. If J.K. Rowling actually is going to point out this in the 7th book, I won’t be suprised. I never really paid attention to that, I would have skipped this if i wouldn’t have read this!

joe
joe
17 years ago

i have been considering this for a while, however who else could be a death-eater spy? how do we know there isnt another death-eater spy for dumbledore? and perhaps he “captured and killed” emaline, there are many possiblities, but i would like to say well done for noticing this, most people i ask have to re-read the book, and i bought the american copy because it has better detailing of events quite often, which is quite fustrating

Rane
Rane
17 years ago

Woah. I’m stunned by the authors ability to spot such small details. It makes sense, no question about it.

However… Why make such a fuss about a minor character such as Emmeline Vance? If this is how Joanne has thought as well, what role will Emmeline play?

huzaifah
huzaifah
17 years ago

i dont think its really a big thing, ok, maybe its a way to find out about snape but what else? i think that if it was part of the plan then emmeline would have appeared more than 42 words!

sydney marshall
sydney marshall
17 years ago

i disagree with huzaifah from london. If you consider that the bezoars and wolfsbane were only one sentence, and they play a huge part in other plots, why should emmeline be mentioned in more then 40 words?

Maxime
Maxime
17 years ago

I do think that you’ve got a point and maybe just because she was only mentioned in 42 words she is the perfect caracter to do so…

Laina
Laina
17 years ago

The thing that has always bothered me is that all the books seem to have something really important, really crucial in them when you go back and look at them. The best example is Chamber, my least favorite book. The diary was a horcrux, and we had no idea. That said, it really doesn’t seem like we’ve had anything that important come out of Sorcerer’s (I could make the same argument about Goblet, but that would be off topic). But now today I’ve heard about two things that could be really important: James Potter’s Invisibility Cloak (which Dumbledore passed on to Harry in Sorcerer’s) and the Draught of the Living Death. I don’t think Emmeline is important, but the Draught probably is.

I’m not really making conjectures here, just talking out loud.

Tim
Tim
17 years ago

I think the assessment that we’ll see significance given to both Emmeline Vance and the Draught of Living Death is definitely on the right track. Well done.

There’s something about the name “Emmeline Vance” that screams “I’m an anagram for something!”, or at the very least “I have secret meaning!” but I haven’t been able to figure out anything reasonable. I suppose that’s Rowling’s point. But it’s fun to speculate!

Kim
Kim
17 years ago

Taking off from the most recent comment, “Emmeline Vance” is, in fact, an anagram for “Menace Evil Men,” suggesting that she exists for that purpose.

Louis
Louis
17 years ago

Hey everyone, this is Louis, who wrote “Defogging the Future” and the article we’re all commenting on. Kim, that was BRILLIANT. “Emmeline Vance” is such an unusual name, and JKR loves anagrams so much (I AM LORD VOLDEMORT, for example), that I’m absoutely sure that anagram was intentional. With your kind permission I’ll include that comment in the next edition of “Defogging,” which goes to the printers in a week or so, and put in a line crediting you with that discovery. I’ll also send you a free autographed book for your great discovery. Tim gets one too for thinking of the idea. And thanks to everyone who commented, good, bad or otherwise. I really appreciate it.

Dave Haber
Dave Haber
17 years ago

I, also, am amazed! Keep these wonderful ideas coming!

Tim
Tim
17 years ago

Kim – Nicely done. I was using some web site that helps unscramble anagrams that I found with Google, but it wasn’t helping very much (it kept coming up with phrases involving the word “Cavemen”). So easy a caveman can do it?

And thanks, Louis. I appreciate it.

Emily
Emily
16 years ago

WOW! I never paid attention to Emmeline Vance before, I think I agree, she will play some role in DH.

mmc
mmc
16 years ago

She was in OoPh movie, perhaps this is foreshadowing, as she seems like she could’ve been cut if not important.

Elizabeth
Elizabeth
16 years ago

Something of interest regarding Miss Vance. Afer reading the theory I have to say that the idea of her faking her death is an interesting one. I was looking up the meaning of her name, apparently Vance can be viewed as either “From the Marsh” or “from the Fen” I must point out that on the Knight bus Harry met a witch that had green to her and she was called Madam Marsh. Connection there, probably not, but maybe a forshadowing of Miss Vance.

Also her first name means Whole or Universal. Something to look into there considering that this is the last book and the whole story is being completed?

As for her death, please note that Miss Bone’s death was discribed. Emmaline’s is not. Not a mention of what happened to her. Captured and killed, meaning they retrived the body. What’s interesting to me is one very small possiblity.

The polyjuice potion was used by Barty Jr.’s mom to take the place of her son. Could it be that someone took the place of Emmaline so that she could work behind the scenes? Perhapes as a guard for Draco? Remember what DD said, they could fake Draco’s death, hide him. At the end of the book we see Fawks flying away, then the strange thing rising out of the tomb in Fawks shape.

A possiblity is that Fawks may have gone where miss Vance was, or is, and that Snape would bring Draco to her. It’s interesting that she’s given a full on discription and then just killed. There’s something strange about that woman.

richie
richie
16 years ago

i think emmeline vance playing a really big role in book 7 seems kind of far-fetched. i could be wrong but i just dont think she is that important i think she is just dead. Although i definately think the draught of living death is going to come into play sometime soon though.

Joe
Joe
16 years ago

Also interesting that both Emmeline VAnce and Amelia Bones feature in the OotP movie…when other characters, like Cho’s friend Marietta have been cut…they must be important for future plot…

richie
richie
16 years ago

thats is not entirely true. i dont think emmeline vance is ever actually mentioned in the OotP movie. they never actually say its her, do they?

swati
swati
16 years ago

new jersy, i agree with you, i noticed only 1 witch who asked for the votes and i guessed she was Amelia Bones, no mention of Emmeline vance.

Joe
Joe
16 years ago

True, they don’t say it’s her…need to have a closer look at the cast list at the end I gues…who else would it be?

Luna
Luna
16 years ago

No, she is not actually mentioned in the OotP movie, but at least I don’t think she could be someone they just invented.

Joe
Joe
16 years ago

Just been to see the movie again…Emmeline Vance is there in the cast list at the end…the witch who was part of the group that went to rescue Harry from the Dursleys…along with Tonks. I didn’t look to see whether Susan Bones is mentioned too.

magar
magar
16 years ago

Don’t believe everything you read, folks. Recall: Dumbledore admits that the loss of Miss. Vance was terrible (HBP). I don’t think Dumbledore would hide that information from Harry after what happened in The Order of the Phoenix. I think it’s very likely that Miss. Vance won’t play any role in the Deathly Hallows. She could be just as JK Rowling says she is: Dead.

ahmed
ahmed
17 years ago

people, i don’t really understand this article or the comment above very much ( if u can explain it in an easier way thanx but if u can’t its ok with me).
by the way, this may not be useful but i think its better to search for things in “snape” not the charecter but the area in england because maybe there is something there that made JKR recognize it because she wouldn’t search for areas just because of a name. anyway this is just a thought.

Tim
Tim
17 years ago

To simplify the article down into one sentence:

JK Rowling doesn’t mention things accidentally, therefore, we can speculate on what significance the small character of Emmeline Vance could reveal in the larger picture of the story. Otherwise, why mention her at all?

annie
annie
17 years ago

And when Harry and Dumbledore are talking about latest events (when going to visit Slughorn), Dumbledore is very sorry about Bones’ death, but doesn’t mention Vance at all.

Lisa
Lisa
17 years ago

What about Dedalus Diggle? He is mentioned three times in PS/SS. The first time he is mentioned is by McGonagall when she says he was probably responsible for the shooting stars. Then when Harry is going through the people that seem to know him (before he finds out he is a wizard), a man in a violet top hat bowed to him in a store (also mentioned here is a women dressed all in green who waved to him…Emmeline maybe?) Then Harry meets Diggle on his first trip to Diagon Alley and Harry says that he has seen him before (the violet top hat probably sticks in his memory).

After all this, we don’t hear from Diggle again until Order of the Phoenix when he shows up with the advance guard. It could be a red herring, I know she loves to throw those out there, but maybe he means something to the final book too.

ahmed
ahmed
17 years ago

To lisa, i thought we read about diggle in the goblet of fire a couple of times, during the portkey with cedric and when they blamed harry for the evil mark.

P.S: thanx Tim for helping me understand the article better.

ahmed
ahmed
17 years ago

i just wrote a comment and i would like to apolegize because i made a mistake and thought that diggle was diggory. my fault.

leah
leah
17 years ago

ABSOLUTELY!
This is what I’ve been saying (about Emmeline) ever since I finished HBP. No one has been with me on it though. Thanks for saying what I’ve been thinking.

Now if you could only get people to start considering that Dumbledore had James’ cloak because he was giving it to Petunia to visit her sister (unbeknownst to Vernon!) Put it together with the creaky stair on Privet drive and you’ve got another possible piece of the deathly hallows puzzle!

Charlie Tarbox
Charlie Tarbox
17 years ago

As much as I really admire the work put into the quoted passages.. I disagree with the result of the research.

However… This led me to re re re read the applicable sections. Suddenly, I think an even more telling clue came from it.

Ask yourselves this.. “Is the Death of E. Vance more or less important to Valdemort than Valdemort remaining alive?” Assuming you answer that keeping Voldemort alive is the imiportant action, then consider this. 1. Snape treats Dumbledor’s curse damaged hand, and is informed of the nature/origin of the curse. This means that Snape knows that Dumbledore/the order are tracking down and destroying the Horcruxes. When he is listing those actions which make his the most loyal/important death eater to Bellatrix he OMITS this important piece of information. Why?

Because Snape really is working with Dumbledore and has never told Voldemort that the Horcruxes are in danger nor that Dumbledore has captured/destroyed one of them.

Instead, Snape says he revealed E.Vance’s location and led to her capture. I say ‘says’ because, in fact, Bella is unlikeley to have the status/courage to ASK Voldemort to check on Snape. Honestly, I believe that not only is Snape good, but that he did NOT actually lead to Vance’s murder and this is proven by the fact that he takes no credit for warning Voldemort about the Horcruxes.

ahmed
ahmed
17 years ago

how do we know that sanpe knows that dumbledore is destroying the horcrux or even knows that voldemort has horcruxes?

Charlie Tarbox
Charlie Tarbox
17 years ago

We know this from the following: (references to American Edition)
1. pg 503 ” had it not been…for my own prodigious skill, and for Professor Snape’s timely action when I returned to Hogwarts, desperately injured….
2. pg583 “Go and wake Severus…Tell him, what has happened and bring him to me”
3. 253 “Take this necklace to Professor Snape at once…”

When they are dealing with cursed items at Hogwarts it appears that clues for the cure will come from the cursed item itself. Harry saves the necklace to take to Madam Pomfrey as necessary for a cure, but McGonnagal has it sent to Snape rather than Pomfrey actually.
When Dumbledore returned with the damaged hand he had Snape treat it and must have had to share the entire circumstances with Snape for treatment.
When Harry and Dumbledore return to Hogwarts Dumbledore instructs Harry to go to Snape and to TELL HIM WHAT HAS HAPPENED. This would include.. “The headmaster and I went to look for a Horcrux, it was guarded in the following way, Dumbledore drank the potion, he then had the following symptoms etc etc”

If Dumbledore wishes Snape to know what happened with the Locket defences he must also have wished Snape to know the details about the Ring and its defences. (which we do not know actually). McGonnigal also recognizes that the object should go to Snape for analysis.

We are, after all, dealing with clues here and not revealed truths. However, I believe that these clues were intended by JKR to show Snape’s work for the Good Guys and not for Voldemort. There are other Snape clues, but they are not relevant to this thread.

Linda
Linda
17 years ago

I didn’t put too much value on Snape’s Emmeline Vance comment at the time, but notice he said ‘murder’, not ‘killed’ or ‘executed’. While I belong to the ‘Snape is Bad’ school (but beginning to change my opinion), Snape using the word ‘murder’ sounds like he disapproved of it.

Linda
Linda
17 years ago

It’s too bad we don’t know what happened to Snape’s mother, Eileen. It’s possible for Eileen Snape to have divorce Tobias Snape or maybe he died. Emmeline Vance can be rearranged to Eileen McMaven; maybe Eileen Prince Snape remarried to someone named McMaven. I checked Google and McMaven is a real surname.

As for Snape turning her in to Voldemort, maybe he hated her for allowing his father to verbally abuse them, maybe she was already dying and wanted to die for a good cause. It’s a bit extreme but stranger things has happened….

Rane
Rane
17 years ago

Linda – Sure, nice theory and all but to me, it’s a bit far fetched. But seeing as the book haven’t been released yet, no theory is actually wrong.

Something just popped into my head as we speak. I’d need to do some research into this but…

Have you noticed that many of the things, theories, people that turn out to be accurate seems to appear really early in each book. That sentence didn’t make much sense, but let me explain:

Book 1. The first teacher Harry himself meets is Quirrel. He turns out to have Riddle sticking out the back of his head.

Book 4. Alastor Moody is again one of the first teachers to be mentioned (I believe). In neither of these two cases does Harry suspect the person, but another one who turns out to be innocent (Severus and Igor Karkaroff respectively)

Book 6. Severus Snape is in the 2nd chapter obviously on the “bad” side. At this point, we’re more inclined to believe that he is indeed a fellow playing for Dumbledores team. It turns out that he is the bad guy after all.

Harry also suspects Draco of being a Death Eater, something that no one follows him on. It turns out Draco infact is a Death Eater.

Yeah, I can admit that this is a bit blurry but if this is something that Joanne does on purpose, then I suspect that we’ll encounter the person, object, theory very early on in the 7th book.

Heather
Heather
17 years ago

Linda,
Your theory is wild…and yet i just can’t get it out of my head now. I almost want to take it a step further. let’s suppose Emmeline Vance was Snape’s mother–what if she switched places with Dumbledore? Let’s also suppose that she was just about to die herself, or perhaps she was very sick.

I know this is way out there, but in one of the earlier books (i’ll have to go back and check which one–i think 3), we heard an awful lot about switching spells, but we never saw anybody really switch.

What if she and Dumbledore switched places. it would be better than polyjuice–you need to keep drinking it. so Dumbledore and emmeline switch sometime during book 7. Emmeline is supposed to be dead (but now it’s Dumbledore as Emmeline–still alive and well hopefully). Remember, they can’t kill you if you are already dead. so know it’s the final hour on the astronomy tower, and snape has to kill Dumbledore (but it’s really his MOTHER and he knows it! yikes) that would certainly be cause for a look of revulsion.

One reason that i think it’s possible that Dumbledore was not really himself at the end of 6, is because when Harry was ranting and raving about “Snape” to Dumbledore before they left for the cave, he did not immediately correct harry with “professor Snape” as he had done in the past.

So now i’m thinking that maybe a switch took place. Yes, it’s way out there, but just a thought.

Happy New Year…looking forward to 7/07/07.

Linda
Linda
17 years ago

The more I think about it, the more crazier it becomes. One of the main problems with my theory is why the name change (It occurred to me after I clicked the Submit button). I’m withdrawing my Snape’s mom theory since I can’t come up with a reason why Eileen would go under the name Emmeline. Sorry for this crazier-than-usual theories.

However, what is Eileen Prince Snape had a sister named Emmeline…;)

Heather
Heather
17 years ago

yes, it too think the theory is a bit crazy. but i don’t put it past JKR too have mislead us into believing that one or more of the characters is really dead. I am not conviced that Emmeline Vance is dead (or Dumbledore for that matter). In fact, there may be a few people “undercover” and working for Dumbledore under the guise of being dead. Those few words from Dumbledore about how they can’t kill you if you are already dead keep coming to mind. And why mention Emmiline Vance in the first place–there is no such thing as a coincidence with JKR.

Heather
Heather
17 years ago

just to be clear, i really do not think snape’s mom was emmeline vance.

neve
neve
17 years ago

i was wondering if someone else thought of this… during his dicussion with narcissa and bella (well i think its in this conversation…) Snape says something like Dumbledore has sustained injuries because of weaker reflexes during his last battle with Voldy. He must’ve known the injury wasnt at all due to the battle (the one in MoM) because he was the one to treat Dumbledore. Doesnt this also points to snape being a good guy?

Tasmeeah
Tasmeeah
17 years ago

This is really interesting actually! I can’t beleive I didn’t notice this before! There are so many mysteries behond Harry Potter which is why I love them. I guess we will have to wait and find out. JKR is such a great author! I never even gave a thought that a character like Emmeline Vance may have been that important. This might mean that other characters are important. CAN’T WAIT TILL JULY!

Sonya
Sonya
17 years ago

“In the real world, when undercover agents infiltrate a criminal or terrorist organization, such a situation is the worst scenario they might have to face: the possibility that they might have to kill or fail to save an innocent in order to keep their cover or save their own lives”

Well I am sorry to say this but if that above statement is true and your hypotheis is correct about emmeline Vance, taking into account that Dumbledore is definately dead as to what JKR has said, Snape has done BOTH those things. So yes, it would appear in a Harry Potter book.

Also JKR has told us that Snape really is not a nice man and there is a lot more to him than meets the eye. So anything is possible for him and for that matter, for JKR to write in Harry Potter.

Anonymous
Anonymous
17 years ago

in the article it talks about the draught of the living death. maybe that is what is in the bowl in the cave because dumbledore kept saying things about how he wanted to die after he drank it. you would also think voldemort would want that so the person would be like “asleep” so voldy could see who it was and THEN kill him while he was ‘asleep’ or maybe still begging for death. too much talking about ‘death’ in the cave then that article… too suspicious…

Mikey
Mikey
17 years ago

It’s been suggested in postings within quite a few topics that Dumbledore may not have in fact been Dumbledore during that fatefull night on the astronomy tower.

Here’s some evidence to support that it is indeed the same Dumbledore all along, and also a piece of prose that endears Dumbledore to me.

When Dumbledore first set out with Harry to meet up with Slughorn he says that he doesn’t believe Harry will be in any danger. Why? Dumbledore replies simply “You are with me”

Later when Harry gets Dumbledore out of the cave and is about to apparate both of them back to Hogsmead Harry pleads with Dumbledore not to worry. Dumbledore responds “I am not worried, I am with you.”

To me this is quintessential Dumbledore through and through. [bless his wizarding soul].

Michael
Michael
17 years ago

Also, while Emmeline is the subject of this article, is there any doubt that Romilda is the daughter. Romilda is the one who tried to “acquire” Harry with a love potion and is mentioned quite often in HBP.

Does it seem strange that Harry was to be the victim of a love potion while it appears that Voldemort was born from the method?

Dave Haber
Dave Haber
17 years ago

I’m not sure what you mean there, Michael. Romilda’s last name is “Vane”, not “Vance”. You can’t infer from their names that Romilda is the daughter of Emmeline Vance.

Eric
Eric
17 years ago

Anagrams for Emmeline Vance:

Menace evil (or vile) men

there could be some latin anagrams, ego non dice

Kevin
Kevin
17 years ago

Aren’t there about 10-15 characters in the books that are only mentioned once or twice? Could they ALL be clues?
I’m horrible at word games. I don’t like these kinds of clues…;-(

Kylie
Kylie
17 years ago

I’d never thought that the drought of living death might be what Dumbledore drank in the cave. Possible… Unless the draught works fast. I also think there is more to Emmeline Vance than meets the eye, and whoever pointed out that Dumbledore said to Harry he was sorry to hear about Madam Bones, but didn’t mention Vance, was on to something.