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Reader Comments: (Page 20)

Dumbledore tells Harry that there is no spell or potion to reawaken the (somewhere in the first book, i think) so i don't think that Dumbledore is alive.

Posted by Neva Telling from London, England on June 26, 2007 3:23 PM

I have had a theory for awhile now, that somebody is an animagus who can turn into a spider, and was with Harry in his cupboard on and off for the years he was growing up. Then I saw this in OOTP, and we know that Jo chooses her words carefully.

Paperback OOTP page 643 says "He walked in a twitchy manner that recalled a spider" speaking of Snape.

Just something to consider.

Posted by Amy S. from P. Kentucky on June 27, 2007 3:40 PM

many people on this site, including me, have expressed the opinion that Albus Dumbledore is not and that he come to the aid of Harry. Most of the people who have expressed this opinion believe Dumbledore is not because he had created a horcrux. Assuming that this is right, Dumbledore did not intend to , unless of course he had an other magnificent plan in his mind, so that makes Snape a traitor and a Voldemort's man "through and through".

Posted by Prongs from Athens,Greece on June 28, 2007 12:59 PM

I think that dumbledore is , there are no spells to rewaken the , and Dumbledore said himself " is but the next great adventure," so it would be an insult to his memory to try and bring him back.

Posted by emma on June 28, 2007 4:33 PM

I've given much thought on this subject and two things really come to mind that I feel might answer this question. The first thought is the picture on the wall appears in the Head Masters office, but Dumbledore is described as sleeping. The other is the White Tomb that didn't form until his body was engulfed in flames. We know that Albus loved Phoenixes, and his pet was not an owl, or a cat, or a rat, or a toad, etc. It's a phoenix! I cannot imagine a better way to bring Albus back than a rebirth from his own ashes just like Fawkes! Remember Albus telling Harry, "Pity you had to see him on a BURNING day"? There in lies the writers way to bring Albus back from the . The Phoenixes Lament! You can disagree with this all you want, but, JK has always used major symbolism in all she has written. The clues are there in every book, along with all the foreshadowing.

Posted by Eric on June 29, 2007 1:57 PM

I think that the reason that Dumbledore has full confidence in Snape no longer being a Eater is because Dumbledore had Snape make an Unbreakable Vow that he would never go back to the dark side except as a spy, on Dumbledore's behalf. An Unbreakable Vow of Loyalty to Dumbledore would ensure that Snape do as he’s ordered even if it comes to actually having to him, especially if it came between his life and a students. Therefore making anything that Snape does now good or planned by Dumbledore including his own .

It did say that Hagrid had overheard both Snape and Dumbledore arguing in the Dark Forest about something, although it didn’t say what, I think that Dumbledore was making Snape promise or possibly making another vow, that if it where to come between his life and a students’, that Snape would save the student, at all costs, instead of his. Which would also explain the look on Snape’s face when he ed Dumbledore it was a “look of disgust” which he would have if he were being forced to do something he didn’t want to do.

So in all,I think that Snape is good and that Dumbledore knew what he was doing. He knew about the Vow Snape made to Narcissa and by he would be saving both Snape and Draco. If Snape really was on Voldemorts side and planned on returning to him after finishing the job for Draco he wouldn't have taken Draco with him back to the Dark Lord, knowing that he would be ed for failling his mission (which is what Snape, Dumbledore, and Narcissia are trying to avoid). Instead, he would have grabbed Harry when he was chasing the both of them or dragged him out of the Tower after ing Dumbledore and then Apparated with him and taken him to the Dark Lord. But since he didn't, and he just proceded on getting away, it leads me to think that it was Draco's life he was more focused on saving.Which was the part he had to play, and that Harry (not knowing of Snapes and Dumbledores plan) misunderstood the situation and as usual acted on his impulses/making incorrect assumptions without giving any question or thought to what actually happened.

To end this, Snape is misunderstood and Harry blames him for what he thinks was a cold blooded . What's worse is that Harry told the Order that it was Snape that ed Dumbledore with the assistance of Draco. And now Snape and Draco be hunted by the Order (who, like Harry, didn't know of Dumbledore's plan with Snape) and I wonder if they, like Harry, won't give them a chance to explain what really happened, they might just first (on impulse, because everyone in the Order were under his leadership, and in rage of his sudden betrayal instead of capturing him they may just him and maybe Draco too) and then ask questions later, figuring that they wouldn't tell the truth anyway. Or they wouldn't trust them, afterall, Dumbledore did,and look where it got him. Is most likely how they'd see it.

Posted by Heather from Charlevoix, MI on June 30, 2007 02:50 AM

I don't know how people can still view Snape as evil... I mean, look at all the times he's saved Harry or has done something good for Dumbledore or the school. Saving Harry once would have been enough to fulfill a life he owed to Harry's father. But he saves him many of times. In book 1, he says a countercurse for Harry's broom and tries to get to the bottom of who's terrorizing the school (letting the troll in, stealing the stone,etc.) In book 3 he saves Harry, Ron, and Hermione from Lupin when he becomes a werewolf, putting his own life at risk to save the children, not to mention trying to track down a wanted er who is thought to be going after Harry. In book 6 he doesn't allow the other Eaters to Harry, and he doesn't grab Harry and try to take him to Voldemort or anything, in fact, he even stops a Eater from using the Crucio curse and torturing Harry although it wouldn't him and earlier he had also saved Dumbledore's hand when he tried to destroy the horcrux and it went wrong, if he were bad then he wouldn't have helped him and Dumbledore would have just d then. In that book, he s Dumbledore (I believe on Dumbledore's own orders) and manages to save Draco. He's doing good for everyone even if no one is recognizing him for it. Don't forget about the role he played in the 2nd and 4th book, he sticks up for Harry saying that maybe he was just there at the wrong place and time. And in the 4th he was trying to find out who it was behind everything. And for my biggest proof yet: even though Snape is Sirius’s enemy (he’s tried to Snape in the past and would have succeeded had it not been for James) he still sends the Order after him when Harry told Snape about how “Padfoot” was in trouble (and although he pretended that he didn’t know what Harry was talking about) he still relayed the message to the Order. Therefore helping one of his worst enemies, which means he can’t be completely bad. He could have gotten even with Sirius right then for all the cruel stuff that he and James had done to him in the past, but he didn't. Which shows to me that even though at times Snape seems to be downright nasty and heartless, there must be some good in him somewhere and I think it may be shown a little more clearly before the end.

Posted by Heather from Charlevoix, MI on July 1, 2007 01:14 AM

He's bound to return as a ghost. It's simple and logical.

Posted by Elvis from Ireland on July 3, 2007 05:19 AM

I think that even if snape is evil that does not mean that he change his mind in the last book I mean he is already in the order of the phoenix. it is not like he stay evil forever. Like Wormtail. Wormtail tell harry that he does not have to the living thing that holds a horcrux to destroy it. I bet that in Book 7 there be a great fight and right after Harry finds out that he is a hrocrux of Voldemort that he for sure have to himself so that Voldemort won't take over the wizarding world. Wormtail step up and tell Harry that he infact not have to himself to finish off Voldemort. And Snape probably in the attempt to save Harry from Lord Voldemort because he pay the price for having to decide what is right and what is easy. Like Dumbeldore says.

I on the other hand am not sure weather or not Dumbeldore is . But I do think that Harry is right Dumbeldore only have d when there is no one left to follow him. I also think that a great wizard like Dumbeldore has a few Horcruxes himself. But then again Dumbeldore would'nt so I have more of a mixed feeling towards the whole event. I seriously cried when I read that Dumbeldore d by falling of the 500 ft. tower. But then again I think that Snape cast a different spell but said different words. I mean you can cast a spell without saying anything. I bet you can cast a spell while saying different words. I do not think that Fawkes the Phoenix would ever make a mistake of thinking that his master would ever be gone when he was'nt. When the Lament stops I believe that Fawkes is in the marble tomb with dumbeldore. OR I think Fawkes find a new owner with Harry. And I think the Fawkes save Harry in the battle by healing his wounds if he has any. And if Phoenix tears have healing Power maybe harry should drink some. OR Harry should drink some Felix right before the battle because then he could be lucky for the battle at the end of the series.

And once the book has been read and the last 2 movies watched we still be Harry Potter fans united as one under Dumbeldore's Army. We never forget these books that have taken a decade of our lives and they never leave our bookshelf so that they can be sold for money. We always remember this series. And I always have the Harry Potter collection of things that remind us of the wonderful books and the entertaining movies. Although they should'nt have taken out Hermionie's house elf things in the 4th movie.

Posted by Hermionie from Macomb MI on July 3, 2007 09:35 AM

Well... ALL the portraits spend most of their time pretending to be asleep.... we cannot say that the Dumbledore Portrait is, as yet, any different. How about the chocolate frog cards? (it was only in the film in which Dumbledore left the card though)

Heather... such a good summation! Of course Snape is 'painted into a corner'.. about the only thing he can do to convince Harry that Harry has (as always) misunderstood and drawn the wrong conclusions about Snape, is to for Harry. Sadly I expect that the Potions Master do just that. Somehow he leave the entire story for Harry to finally understand how much Harry has misunderstood and owes to Severus Snape.

Posted by Charlie Tarbox from Gettysburg, Pa on July 3, 2007 6:04 PM

I don’t think that Snape is bad, in that he’s not totally with Voldemort. But he’s not good either because I don’t see him as Dumbledore’s man the way Harry is. In his actions, Snape seems most like an opportunist, he is for himself first and foremost, even though his action might have contributed toward a good outcome. He’s not for Harry, unless Harry can do something for him, which may come to pass in book 7.

I came to this conclusion after rereading the Spinners End chapter in HBP, when Snape responds to Bellatrix’s 3rd degree. I was particularly interested in his answer to her charge that he should have ed Harry given that he was in proximity to him at Hogwarts for 5 years. He gives the obvious answers: Dark Lord wants Harry for himself and if he ed Harry, then that would blow his cover with Dumbledore. But the final reason he gives is the most interesting to me: Snape wanted to check out Harry, believing along with other Eaters, that he might be the new Dark Lord and someone they might considering following, after Voldemort disappeared.

Another thought struck me: perhaps Snape’s wish is to be the new Dark Lord, assuming that Harry vanquish Voldemort in accordance with the prophecy.

Finally, Jo has cautioned readers not to be too optimistic about Snape and suggested that like Draco, the actor who portrays the character generates more sympathy from readers than the character deserves.

Posted by Ellen from Pasadena CA on July 4, 2007 12:29 AM

i think we need to examine more closely what the phrase "pull a gandalf" really means. perhaps truly he did not , but he does say that he was "sent back". and also, if dumbledore intended to , it would not have been a "gandalf" because gandalf did not WANT to , and it was not HIS choice to come back either.

but perhaps J K Rowling just meant in the general sense of simply comming back to life, although by now she should know that anything she says, especialy relating to something as important as dumbedore's "" be analyzed and passed around, so she should know to be careful about what she says by now, and not say something she doesn't mean.

i would like to put forth that too many of our theories feel to much like us trying to come up with any possibly way to reconcile with ourselves what happened, because in essence it just doesn't feel fair, like in the princess bride when the kid thinks buttercup has married humperdink and just can't accept it (luckily it wasn't true) because it WASN'T FAIR. maybe Rowling's trying to tell us that too, that life isn't fair. that some of the wrong people .

and as a plot device, dumbledore needed to be out of the way. that's the way it works. he plays the role that obi-wan, merlin, gandalf, all those guys play. the wize old wizard dude who teaches the main character. but like all the others, this kind of mentor needs to be out of the way (usualy pretty early on) in order for the hero to continue alone and figure things out for themselves.

but it also must be remembered that although this pattern of the mentors off like that rather early on in the hero's journey, they're often not gone for good. Gandalf comes back. Obi-wan also figures out a way to cheat and appear to luke offering continuing guidence. merlin is not , simply locked away under ground, behind a rock, in an invisible tower forever, eaving arthur to fend for himself. Merlin is the one all those other guys are based on, and he's the one whose gone most compleatly. maybe the writters who coppied this idea, like us, just thought it wasn't fair to get rid of the mentor like that so they found ways to "cheet " while still keeping the basic principles.

the clues surrounding dumbledor's cannot be ignored. fawx not saving him, the beging, etc etc. something wierd was going on.

i would like to put forth a theory which i came up with after reading a few unconected clues on some sight or other. is dumbledor an animagus? does he turn maybe into, what else, a pheonix?

Posted by Raven on July 4, 2007 08:18 AM

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