On August 2, 2006, at the second night of the Harry, Carrie, and Garp charity event at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, J.K. Rowling gave a reading from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and then answered questions from the fans.
Nine year old Cory Mayer from Bordentown, New Jersey, asked:
In a recent interview you hinted at two main characters dying and possibly Harry Potter too. Was Dumbledore considered one of the main characters or will we have the chance to see him in action once again? Since he is the most powerful wizard of all time and Harry Potter is so loyal to him, how could he really be dead?
J.K. put her head in hear arms and replied:
I feel terrible. The British writer Graham Green once said that every writer had to have a chip of ice in their heart. Oh no. I think you may just have ruined my career. Umm, I really can’t answer that question because the answer is in book seven but, you shouldn’t expect Dumbledore to do a Gandalf. Let me just put it that way. I’m sorry.
Then author Salman Rushdie and his young son came up to ask a question, to which J.K. reacted:
I’m not that sure this is fair. I think you might be better at guessing plots than most. But anyway, off you go.
Mr. Rushdie then asked:
Until the events of Volume 6, it was always made plain that Snape might have been an unlikable fellow but he was essentially one of the good guys. Dumbledore himself had always vouched for him. Now we are suddenly told that Snape is a villian and Dumbledore’s killer. We cannot, or don’t want to believe this. Our theory is that Snape is in fact, still a good guy, from which it follows that Dumbledore can’t really be dead and that the death is a ruse cooked up between Dumbledore and Snape to put Voldemort off his guard so that when Harry and Voldemort come face to face, Harry may have more allies than he or Voldemort suspects. So, is Snape good or bad? In our opinion, everything follows from it.
J.K. cautiously replied:
Well, Salman, your opinion, I would say is, right. But I see that I need to be a little more explicit and say that Dumbledore is definitely dead. And I do know – I do know that there is an entire website out there that says – that’s name is DumbledoreIsNotDead.com so umm, I’d imagine they’re not pretty happy right now. But I think I need – you need – all of you need to move through the five stages of grief and I’m just helping you get past denial.
This web site has been updated several times since it was created a little more than a year ago, just a few days after Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was released on July 16, 2005. But the site’s opening remarks have not changed since that first day. My first words were:
Dumbledore Is Not Dead! Well… maybe not. At least, I don’t think he is.
And I also said this:
All of the clues point to two possibilities, that Dumbledore’s not really dead, or at the very least, that Snape’s not really a Death Eater, and he killed Dumbledore because Dumbledore ordered him to, as part of a grand plan.
So, I’ve never claimed for sure that Dumbledore is not dead, just that there are lots of clues that make us wonder if it’s possible or not that he’s still alive, or that something else sneaky was happening up on the tower that night.
Most of all, I also said:
Think of this site as Half-Blood Prince therapy.
The most important aspect of the theories and clues on this site is that there’s more going on in Half-Blood Prince with the “death” of Dumbledore than meets the eye. And J.K.’s first answer to the question of Dumbledore all but confirms this. Even though J.K. is insisting that Dumbledore is dead, when asked point-blank about it by the little boy, J.K. answered:
I really can’t answer that question because the answer is in book seven…
That’s really important. Dumbledore is dead, but that’s not the whole story, because the answer to what is really going on with Dumbledore will be told in Book 7.
In addition, the second most important aspect of this site is the belief that if something is going on, Snape must be in on it, which mean’s he’s on our side. When Salman Rushdie asked:
So, is Snape good or bad? In our opinion, everything follows from it.
J.K. cautiously replied:
Well, Salman, your opinion, I would say is, right.
There you have it. It’s as not black and white as the ending of Half-Blood Prince would have you believe. Everything follows from whether Snape is good or bad, as we’ve been saying on this site.
By the way, it’s interesting to point out that Mr. Rushdie, who J.K. herself had just acknowledged to be “better at guessing plots than most”, described in his question almost word for word, this site’s theories about Snape.
So, what does that mean to us here at DumbledoreIsNotDead.com?
I’ve never claimed for sure that Dumbledore was still alive. It’s only that there are clues that make it possible to think he’s not dead, and even if he is really dead, perhaps thinking about these clues could make us all feel a little better about the terrible events at the end of Half-Blood Prince, which is what J.K. said she wanted.
And I think J.K.’s protestations aside that Dumbeldore really is dead, her comments pretty much confirmed that there was more going on up the tower that night than was obvious, and she said we’d find out more in Book 7.
It’s impotant to note that these new comments by J.K. don’t magically make all the clues we’ve uncovered go away, all of which lead to the conclusion, to which Salman Rushdie agrees, that Dumbledore and Snape were up to something.
Is Dumbledore alive? Is Snape on our side?
The answer is, it’s still up to you, as it always has been since the day we started this site, to read all the clues, go back into the books, examine all the evidence and decide for yourself.
And if this web site has any purpose at all, perhaps it’s most important purpose is to remind us that, no matter how the story turns out, to paraphrase Dumbledore himself, he will have only truly left our hearts when none here are loyal to his memory.
Welcome to Beyond Hogwarts!
Beyond Hogwarts is a site primarily about the Wizarding World, including the Harry Potter franchise and Fantastic Beasts but also covers a wide variety of other series including The Lord of the Rings.
You can also find news, editorials, features, list, and reviews for other movies, TV shows, and books!
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At a public reading in NY this summer (2006) JK Rowling did confirm that Dunbledore was dead. That seems to make it clear, on the other hand it seems very possible that he is dead but maybe not on a permanent basis…
I addition to all the posts here, there are more reasons to believe that Snape is in with Dumbledore. The certainty with which Dumbledore trusts him has to be based on more than meets the eye. Furthermore, and I don’t see this point brought up at all, but while Snape is deflecting Harry’s attacks close to the gates of Hogwarts, he takes the time to tell him why and how he is doing that. He then proceeds to further tell Harry how his attacks would be more successful. Something along the lines of (quoting from memory but hopefully accurately) “…deflected again and again until you learn to close your mind…”. What villain would actually give you the recipe to defeat him? What Snape does in the last chapters of the Half Blood prince, is basically to carry out what I believe Dumbledore ordered him to:
-Kill him or appear to kill him.
-Protect Draco (who we know is not a killer) by taking over the task for him and in doing so fulfill his unbreakable vow.
-Protect Harry (let’s not forget that he prevents one of the death eaters from further exercising the Cruciartix curse on Harry)
-Still manage to tell Harry how his attacks could be more effective, despite the fact that Harry’s attacks are against him!
Snape may not be a likeable character so far, but there is some profound reason (as of yet unknown) that puts him on the right side despite appearances. This makes me believe that although Dumbledore is currently dead, it may not be as permanent as it appears.
The last thing that raised flags for me is that whole deal with the locket. A powerful and accomplished wizard like Dumbledore (who picks up vibes where magic was performed like detecting the entrance to the cave, the chain holding the boat etc.) would have sensed that the locket was not a horcrux when he picked it from the bottom of the basin. Yet he did not say a thing. I am speculating that a switch was performed some time between when Dunbeldore falls out of the tower and when Harry gets to his body and picks up the locket he now carries with him. That is a further reason to believe that both Dumbledore and Snape performed some misdirection…
Has everyone forgotten that Dumbledore was professor of transfiguration? That to me seems to fit in very nicely with these theories and perhaps Padfoot and the lot are not the only unregistered animagi. Just a thought.
This website is full of amazing theories! I think Dumbledore is dead, but that Snape is good. Good work:D.
Oh Dear, it seems you have worked really hard, you really made us believe that AD is not dead and that Severus is on our said..
If this comes out to be true and an explanation to the drama is relly given in the book 7, i think you should be awarded.
We have to many unanswered questions at this time.
When we know Who Dumbledore really is/was or will be and his real relationship in this saga. Why did he always defend Snape and how does Snape fit into all this?
Rowling has stated, apparently finally, that Dumbledore is dead. Much is made in this site about Polyjuice Potion, and the possibility that someone else actually died on the tower. One suggestion I haven’t heard is that there is ANOTHER Dumbledore, his brother Aberforth. The barkeeper in the Hog’s Head is described as looking familiar, rather like our headmaster… Is it possible that Aberforth, for reasons of his own, took Albus’ place on the tower, and sacrificed himself. This would allow Rowling to confirm the death of a Dumbledore, but which one…
I am fully in favour of your site. After reading book six I indeed was upset, but after going through your site, has made me convince that Dumbledore might not be dead but now Jo has really DISAPIONTED me………seriously:(
i was also really upset after reading the half blood prince and you made me see that dumbledore hasnt left the ones who will remain loyal to him and death is a next adventure like he says in philosphers stone DA forever!
I, too, didn’t want to believe that Dumbledore was dead. My friend kept asking me after I read the book, “Was Dobby still following Draco Malfoy as Harry told him and Kreacher to do?” She kept reminding me how Dobby had said he would throw himself off the tower if he failed in his mission.
I had other questions after reading the book concerning the locket. The note says RAB and everyone focuses on that but what about what Dumbledore says to Harry as they are leaving the cave. He says, “I could not have done it alone.” He goes on to say that the placement of the horcrux was designed so that more than one person had to be there to force the other to keep drinking. However, the boat was only made for one wizard. If it was Regulus Black, who could be with him? Another underage wizard? or maybe even a servant, like Kreacher? Maybe Kreacher is hoarding it in the attic? All that stuff he had that Sirius thought belonged to his mother? Maybe Regulus told him to protect it?
It also doesn’t make sense to me that Dumbledore wouldn’t have noticed that it wasn’t real. Maybe this is how Snape proved himself before to Dumbledore — he knows about the horcruxes and has been reading Voldermort’s mind about their whereabouts. Could he and Regulus have searched for them together? WE know that Regulus was a Death Eater as well but wanted out as Sirius says that he was killed by Voldermort.
Also, there are so many mentions of Fawkes and the phoenix around Dumbledore’s funeral. Maybe The Order of the Phoenix is a clever name by JKR to refer to an order led by Dumbledore (maybe he is a phoenix — animagus) and it’s the same as having the name Dumbledore’s Army. Just as Fawkes dies, Dumbledore could be indeed dead until he rises again.
Sorry that this is a jumble of ideas but they all seem connected in my head.
I think we’re all overlooking an extremely important point. From what i read in the transcripts, Rowling said Dumbledore is dead but ‘not exactly’. So, maybe his body is no longer there, but his thoughts certainly could be. Remember all those portraits of headmasters on the wall of Dumbledore’s office? Dumbledore totally qualifies to be put on that wall and advise those who need his assistance! Furthermore, near the end, Harry said Dumbledore will only leave us when none here are loyal to him. Meaning, in my opinion, as long as there is a Hogwarts, there will be a wall of portraits, there will be Dumbledore! AD must have known this, so he told Snape to kill him and remain in good graces with Voldemort. It makes sense to me, anybody else?
JK’s “do not expect Dumbeldore to pull a Gandalf” is flawed from the start. Gandalf never did die. He did fell into the abyss and was presumed dead by the fellowship but nobody actually seen him dies. Therefore when Gandalf reappears he does not come from death but from the struggle with Balrog (I think that was the name of the monster, sorry no JRR Tolkien books around). Dumbeldore on the other hand is seen by everybody dead so he cannot perform a Gandalf – he has to perform something else in order to come back.
It almost feels too cute! Like the hint Dobby gave to Harry in book 2: when Harry asked if the warning is about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named Dobby said no but at the end of the book Dobby admitted he was giving Harry a clue, that it was Voldemort after all, but he could be freely named because he was not the dark lord yet when he made the diary
I totally agree with all of this. I am so glad this site was made. It all makes sense now. I was heart broken when I found out Dumbledore was dead. My friends at school were discussing it and they “accedentally”(one of my friends likes to spoil thing)told me Dumbledore would die, but when I read the book, it still hit me really hard in the face.I like that the people who made this site to ease pain. I feal much better about it and I thank the makers of this site.
In my opinion, I think mabey Regulus did find the horcrux because if we look back in Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix, Harry and all of his friend were cleaning out that room. While they were cleaning, Harry came across a locket that had the Black family crest on it, and if Im right, their crest was a snake very similar to Slytherin’s and it would be easy to think of it us merely rubbish. Plus, Sirius said Regulus was in very deep, or somthing like that, and was murdered. Sirius said that he did not know if Regulus was important enough to be personally murdered by Voldemort himself, but what if he did murder Regulus making his next horcrux? But I can’t say I agree with the fact of Kreacher protecting the locket because he was trying to get more items than just the locket, but this leads us to another question. Did Regulus, if he did find out Voldemorts secret, find more than one of the horcruxes? This may be why there is more than one item Kreacher is protecting, but I still highly doubt this.
I agree with Johnny. I think the portrait will help guide Harry. This may be a reason for Harry to go back to Hogwarts, but we can’t say that he will until the last book. I think that JK Rowling would not have mentioned this from the beginning if it did not have a really good meaning. Plus, the movies may not have the exact things from the book, but I’ll bet whatever is in the movie will be important for what comes in later, so think it will be important in the 7th book.
Well, before I get to far off subject, I’ll once again thank the makers of this site. You do deserve an award.
We enjoyed reading your obviously deeply thought out theories about dumbledore defying death! We are big fans of dumbledore and so have every right to say that we believe that he IS DEAD! BUT…. we also believe that snape is a ‘goody’ and that it is all part of a clever clever scheme, delicatly crafted by the master of wizardry himself, proffessor Albus Dumbledore, to carve Harry Potters quest to defeat the master of dark wizardy himself, Lord Voldermort (AKA Tom Marvolo Riddle).All cleverly linked together by the master of fine litriture herself Joanne Katheline Rowling(AKA JK ROWLING). Thankyou to you, the, in our opinion, master of all websites absolutely devoted to the master of books, Harry Potter, you have done a fine job at further uncovering and explaining the master of all mysteries, dumbledores TRUE fate at the end of the sixth volume of the thrilling adventures of Harry Potter, a young wizard thrown into the world of magic to discover his past, his present and therefore ultimately forming his future!
Your faithfully, two hopelessly devoted Harry Potter followers, in search of answers.
And in the words of Dumbledore himself…”The truth,” dumbledore sighed, “it is a beautiful and terrible thing,and should therefore be treated with great caution.” PG 216 LINE 18 of Harry Potter and the philosiphers stone. So remember fans out there, althouht this site provides a very convincing arguement for the mortality of Dumbledore, dont let your emotional attachment and grief shroud your judgement. Because he just might, really, although it hurts to say it, BE DEAD! Follow his advice in YOUR lives, and maybe one day, the world will live to the full, just as he did.
FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS, NEVER FROM OUR THOUGHTS… R.I.P Albus Dumbledore.
Deepest regards, Jessica and Natalie AGE 12
I have read over the clues on this site, and they seem very assuring that something is going on between Dumbledore and Snape, yet it just seems that in the past Dumbledore has always been there for Harry, and that Harry will need to complete the rest of his journey without adult help. In the cycle of a Hero’s journey, one key aspect is the loss of a mentor. I don’t know what to say on this issue for Harry’s need to defeat Voldemort without adult help and the need for the loss of a mentor, for while these clues are persuasive, it would seem that these elements would be important in the final parts of the story. Unfortunately, like JK said, we will only know in book 7.
Didn’t Dumbledore once tell Harry that there are fates worse than death? I can’t remeber the context. I don’t think Dumbledore would make a Horocrux. It isn’t in his nature, he is the source of good and hope. If he is alive it would not be by the same method as Voledmort.
To elaborate a bit on previously submitted theories: if Harry indeed somehow became a Horcrux through LV’s curse, his killing LV wouldn’t solve the entire problem, LV still wouldn�t be entirely dead. What if Neville – who also fitted the description in the prophesy – had to kill Harry (= the final remaining part of LV) in the end? Remember what Dumbledore said about Neville at the end of the first book, when he awarded him Gryffindor�s winning points: �It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies, but even more to stand up to your friends!� I always thought this a bit lame, but as a reference to a future heroic deed, it becomes much more meaningful. Harry might fit the description of the Horcurxes: as a Gryffindor, he would be something that ‘belongs’ to Goderic. Just a thought…
I think Harry probably is a decendent of Godric Gryffindor. However, I doubt he is unknown horcrux. JK can’t do that. Little kids all over the world look up to Harry, and if she made Harry something evil, they would be crushed. Besides that, remember how Voldemort reacted when he touched Harry in the first book? And how he couldn’t possess Harry for very long in the fifth? A piece of Voldemort’s soul couldn’t survive in Harry, if we are to go by the reaction of the rest of it.
Also, if Harry dies, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were riots in front of JK’s house. She can’t kill him, because that would crush so many people. Maybe a heroic death would be okay, but some of my friends have talked about a suicide(if he were a horcrux after all), and she really couldn’t do that- what a bad role model! No, Harry has to survive the last book, or else die a very heroic, tragic death after he succeeds in killing Voldemort.
Do you really think there would be riots? I think HP fans are better behaved than that…
I think that it would be rather anticlimatic if Harry were to die. JKR has been setting him up to become Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher since the first book, what with no teacher lasting more than a year and Harry being so incredibly skilled at it(O on his OWLS!). The DA was a definite giveaway, too.
mabye snape has some sort of love for dumbledore and dumbledore will come back in book 7 with a scar on his forehead
It is just too coincidental that Harry did not score an Outstanding in Potions and thinking he would have no chance at being a auror, but miraculously Slughorn is now the Potions teacher. His auror future is now assured.
If this is not a coincidence in JK’s plan, then that also means Harry will survive.
Mike
I don’t think that Dumbledore had planned his death, because that would mean that there is nobody left to protect Harry from Voldemort, since Dumbledore was the only one that Voldemort was afraid of, and if he did planned his one death that woul mean that he wanted Harry Potter dead and I don’t think he did!
Albus Dumbledore is one of my most beloved characters in the HP series and his� DEATH� made me very sad. I think I was so shocked by the end of HBP that it did not cross my mind that maybe something was going on! I closed the book and accepted the fact that he had died and that Snape was his murderer! Though I hated the idea that Snape was after all the evil wizard he always seemed to be.
You can imagine my great pleasure when I found this website. I read more or less all your comments and I think almost all are amazing. In fact one idea is so thrilling, that it hit me like a spell.
I think it was Laura on page 4 who first mentions Dobby and Kreacher. As I kept reading the comment my mind was going crazy. I ran, took out my copy of HBP and found the incident in the chapter �Elf tails� where Harry calls Kreacher and asks him to follow Draco Malfoy. As you remember Dobby accompanied Kreacher to watch out where Draco was going. It�s in this chapter where Dobby says, if he would do it wrong, he throw himself from the topmost tower. I did not even remember that I read that�.and I have read the HBP at least three to four times….!
Now why do I comment on this? Because I think that we all missed these �innocent words� from the house elf. I also read the chapter from Dumbledore�s funeral. Can you honestly say that you noticed that Dobby was not attending the funeral? We get informed one by one who was there. Apart of WHO IS WHO in the wizarding world, Jo lets us know in detail that the merpeople came to pay tribute to the late Headmaster. Then there were the centaurs who came to pay their respect. Even Hagrids half-brother Gwarp attended. Now PLEASE tell me where was DOBBY? Why was he not there? The elf who so respected Dumbledore? Remember what Albus Dumbledore told Harry in The Philosopher� Stone, when they were in front of the mirror ERISED?
I quote: �I� I see myself holding a pair of thick, woollen socks�. At the time I read that, I found that an odd answer. Now in COS Dobby is introduced and with what is he set free? With one of Harry�s socks! He warned Lucius Malfoy not to harm Harry, and that Death Eater backed away!
Now throughout the six books we always read about socks. Is that a coincidence or is there more behind it? Were these clues put there by Jo? Aren�t we told that elves have their own powers? I am beginning to believe that Dobby was also up in the Astronomy tower that faithful night.
What are your thoughts about this theory? I can�t wait to hear them.
Aren’t Dumbledore and his twin IDENTICAL twins? That would mean that they would have been split as a Horcrux would require from the moment of conception….killing wouldn’t be a necessity. It was a gift they were given at birth.
Someone please correct me if I’m wrong. I don’t believe the books say anywhere that Albus and Aberforth are twin brothers, let alone identical twins. They are simply brothers.
You are not wrong Dave, it is NEVER stated that Albus and Aberforth are twin brothers.
By the way I do not believe that Albus and Aberforth are one and the same person. Why do I say that? In OotP chapter nine, Moody shows Harry an old picture of the “ORIGINAL ORDER OF THE PHOENIX”. I quote: ” There’s me said Moody… and there’s Dumbledore beside me… budge along he tells the people on the old photograph and tells Harry “Thats Dumbledore’s brother Aberforth, only time I ever met him, strange bloke…
The statement about Dumbledore and socks is really interesting. It looks like a joke, but might be a hint.
Speaking of horcruxes, it is difficult to think of Harry as being a living horcrux, but maybe his scar is – or contains – a small horcrux. That would explain “mark as his equal”. Then, Voldemort wins on both sides: by killing Harry, Voldemort gets the prediction fulfilled, and if he fails, he gets back from the scar into Harry’s mind and body. In this case, the prediction is also fulfilled and Voldemort is still alive. But the trick doesn’t work: Voldemort attacks Harry, nearly dies, but not completely. Not being dead, he cannot get back from his horcrux and the only consequence of this is giving Harry’s scar a part of Voldemort’s spirit, and crushing most of Voldemort’s power. Then the only thing Harry can do is get read of his scar.
I have a few more suggestions:
First, the end of HBP looks like if Dumbledore wanted to give hints to Harry and nothing else. When he gets into the cavern, he seems to know everything about it. Then he drinks the potion and seems to lose entire control, but when the inferi get out of the water, he recovers immediately and get control of the situation (as if the potion was harmless). Upon the tower, he frozes Harry to make sure he doesn’t make any move, which means that he still have great power, even without his wand. Then he suggests that Malfoy could turn to the good side (maybe he already did) and prepares Harry’s mind to it. If Dumbledore is dead but has the power to be re-born like a phoenix, he might comme back under a new identity. Why not RAB? (the same if he used a time-turner) Anyway, Dumbledore cannot appear to Harry in his true identity until Harry learns how to close his mind to Voldemort.
Second, every situation, even very comic, seem to have a meaning. What about Dudley and Petunia? Dudley would not be treated differently if Petunia feared he would become a sorcerer: it is said some sorcerers never get their power. Petunia avoids every frustration until he turns to the age of sixteen or some (when she decides he should not eat that much). What if Petunia, Lili and Dudley (and Harry of course) are aparented with Voldemort, like being his daughters and grandson? Who really says “Remember my last”? It is never said Dumbledore does it and the voice is not recogniseable. There are still a lot of mysteries about Privet Drive.
Third, I cannot imagine Dumbledore told Harry the whole prophety, since he could reveal it to Voldemort. In the ministry of magic, Dumbledore appears just in time to silent the prophety, that nobody can hear of. Voldemort sacrifies several of his deatheaters to get the prophety. Bellatrix Lestrange is horrified when she realizes that the prophety has been broken. Dumbledore takes care of Trelawney, who is clearly not a bood teacher. All that shows that knowing the whole prophety is really capital. Voldemort’s failure to get it is probably a big issue.
i beleived when read in HBP when dumbeldore told harry that he will teach him private lessons i really thought that he will teach him the unforgivible curses so he can kill voldemort remember “either must be murderd by the hand of the other”
but then he didn’t, but he knew another spell to kill people sectumsempra. but don’t you think that jk rowling put that for an important part not just to show that harry is good at magic?
but if snape is in the bad side and he is with voldemort at the time harry makes the spell he would be able to heal it for him.
but i think the ministry will give harry liscense and permission for using the unforgivible curses. remember that harry always wanted to be an auror and there are many clues that he will be and in GOF the aurors are allowed to use the unforgivible curses.
plus remember when harry said if i die i will take with me as many death eaters i can and voldemort.
if you think that harry wouldn’t be able to know how to use them think again, malfoy could use them and if malfoy can ofcourse harry can.
To Ahmed:
Do you really think that Harry could use an unforgivable curse? What about him being full of love and all that? And I don’t believe Malfoy ever actually used one.
Also,I don’t think Harry would use sectumsempra again, as he was horrified by what it did to Malfoy. And who can say that that would actually kill Voldemort? Remember, Harry still needs to find and destroy all the Horcruxes.
Finally, Harry could not be a Horcrux because (I think I’m repeating another post here) Voldemort cannot stand to touch him. He might have gotten over that physical problem in the fourth book, but he still can’t possess him, as seen in the Order of the Phoenix. I think this rules out a part of Voldemort’s soul being inside Harry for sixteen years.
to dear Anna Maria:
well yes i beleive that harry could use them. voldy probably used them on the kids he tortured in the cave + i am sure that harry wouldn’t be horrefied if he used sectumsempra to voldy, and i think that sectumsempra will do a huge role in book 7 mostly because it had a whole chapter in HBP. and harry is going to use one of these spells to get rid of the dark lord if he fineshed destroying the horcruxes, maybe all of them are destroyed by now because voldy had many powerful eneyms.
Sure Harry can use Sectumsempra, but any skilled wizard would be able to heal that wound. Snape did so with no trouble at all. Lord Voldemort would be able to heal that with ease, he is, after all, the most powerful wizard currently alive, prehaps ever. And Sectumsempra was invented by a 15 boy! Surely the Dark Lord wouldn’t be defeated by a spell so weak, if he could be then he wouldn’t have lasted this long, any wizard with the lowest ability could have killed him.
I think it is more likely that Harry will invent some spell that will destroy Voldemort with love, rather than hate. After all, love is what makes Harry so special.
yes any wizard would be able to heal �t and yes it was invented by a 15 or 16 year old boy and voldemort would be able to counter it but voldemort didn’t ever see the spell and he might be suprised. as for anyone would kill voldemort long ago, they would have used it if they new the spell because no one really new this spell.
and i agree that harry would probably invent some spells.
i agree with ahmed that harry will use the unforgivible curses.
but i think harry will use sectesempra on death eaters, and yes it will have a huge role in book 7.
i also agree with claws that harry will create some spells with ron and hermione.
but i love the idea about harry using the unforgivible curses and dumbledore helping him while he is using his protrait or any other way if he is alive.
i love this site i wish it will still be opened after book 7 and i hope you get an award for this.
Yes, this site will continue after book 7. I’m sure there will continue to be many things we can discuss, about what happens in book 7, and unexplained things in Harry Potter’s world. That’s why it’s called Beyond Hogwarts.
How do you know that Voldemort has never seen Sectumsempra before? I mean, Snape invented it and he was(is?) a Death Eater, so I’m sure he used it at some point on some innocent person. Anyway, Voldemort has undoubtedly come up with more than his fair share of spells on his own (ex. the Dark Mark) and he should have no problem countering Sectumsempra. And Harry was really horrified after he did it to Malfoy, and I think there’s a quote in there that says something like Harry wouldn’t wish that on his worst enemy. I agree with Claws Black that Harry will have to come up with some way to use love against Voldemort, because that’s really his only weapon and apparently it’s the best weapon anyone could possibly have, according to AD.And as to Voldemort being surprised, I don’t think Voldemort would be surprised if Harry tried to do something evil, because that is just what he would do in Harry’s place. So Harry needs to come up with a way to kill him while remaining “pure”.
Well, we know Harry must battle Voldemort’s snake, since Harry knows that it contains a horcrux. Harry speaks parcel tongue, so it should be an outstanding scene. Since the snake is always close to Voldemort, I bet that is when he realized Harry is trashing his horcruxes. I bet the first horcrux Harry gets is the one RAB (Regulus Black) stole and brought to the Grimald Place (the necklace that they could not open in book 5), and he will need Kreacher to retrieve it.
My bet is that the minute Harry turns 17 he will be at the Dursleys, and a serious battle is going to occur.
The first thing we know about Dumbledore’s past is that he assisted Nicholas Flamel with attempting to defeat death. Coincidentally, his patronus is the phoenix, which is a creature that has defeated death though flames. Dumbledore caused young Voldemort’s coat to flame and the contents came to life. Somehow Dumbledore is going to defeat this death (not like Gandalf), and my bet is that Harry will be re-introduced with him through his brother, Aberforth (the bartender at the Hogshead Inn). Dumbledore told Harry, “for future reference, my favorite jam is raspberry (I think)”. This makes me think Harry will at first not believe it is Dumbledore until the raspberry password is used.
This next book is going to be awesome!
Well, Dumbledore will not pull a “Gandalf” eh? He is definitely dead? And by what exactly? How come the Avada Kedavra is so different in this story than it has been anywhere else? Why is Dumbledore not “scared to death” like all the other victims?
i a not sure that voldy didn’t see the spell before but why would snape use sectesumpra instead of avada kedavra.
and yes voldemort would probably block it and that’s my point when i said that harry will learn the unforgivable curses.
and who said harry wouldn’t use it on voldemort, every year harry want’s to torture him more and we know the sectesampra tortures someone and kill him soon. i know it said he wont use it on his worst enemy but i feel that it changed and yes there will be many battles in book 7 starting when he turns 17.
I still think that the draught of living death has some significance. Perhaps not necissarily in Dumbledore’s death, but in the seventh book perhaps. It just strikes me as odd that all other potions mentioned has had a use so far, but not that one. But I digress. I agree that Dumbledore as an animagus would be awesome, but I believe that the situation with Dobby would be far more likely. It intrigues me to the nth degree that he was not at the funeral, as well as being decidedly absent from following Malfoy as ordered. Though, an explanation would be that the pair of elves were a little while behind Malfoy and could not get past the Death Eater’s magical barrier once conjured.
please correct me if i’m wrong, but i think gandalf DID die and was sent back by the greater powers. he was also presumed dead by the fellowship which accounts for half the dead business of gandalf… but i think it can be fair to say that gandalf did die.
I would place my bets that Snape is a good guy. This makes the story more meaningful that even bad guys have a good side. This would also mean all the while Dumbledore has been right about Snape. Dumbledore is always right. On the fateful night when Dumbledore died, Snape has read his mind: Dumbledore asked him to kill him, and Snape did. It should be no problem for Snape despite his initial minute display of unwillingness, since Snape is a gifted and accomplished Dark Arts wizard and he can easily carry that intent to kill which is necessary to perform the Avada Kevdra curse.
I think Dumbledore is dead for sure. Jo has confirmed that. She mentioned this to those who are in denial. I don’t like Dumbledore dead either: he’s my favorite character, so full of wisdom and vision. I would say the Dumbledore-phoenix theory to be too wonderful as I believe the final book to have a totally twisted turn. But I believe Dumbledore has left some sort of help for Harry after he died. The invisibility cloak maybe, or Fawkes itself.
Seriously I think there are so many things to account for. How is the final book going to contain everything? Well the absurd ending would something be like this: all the 4 kids from Gryffindor will come out with a patronus each. Harry’s stag, Neville’s toad, Hermione’s cat and Ron’s rat. They will kill Voldy with these. Harry dies, Ron and Hermione becomes a pair who will reminisce their good friend. Ginny, being the 7th child, will possess extraordinary talent and wisdom and becomes the youngest headmaster of Hogwarts.
Is Dumbledore an Animangus? Is his animal a Phoenix? If it is, the Phoenix does die! It is reborn from the ashes. In which case she is right, Dumbledore is dead; but he also will be reborn!
It’s 4am and I just finished book 6. I was late to join in the fan club and just started reading book 1 after I finished grad school about 2 months ago. My boyfriend and I are both avid readers and trade books back and forth. When he discovered the empty hole in my life that was Harry Potter, he forced me to read the books. I was maybe 2 pages into book 1 when I forgave him.
After finishing book 6 this evening/morning/night, I left my boyfriends snoring body to come into the office and find solace. I googled for ‘dumbledore dead’ and found you all. I read something recently that stated that characters in books and movies trigger the same neurological response as friends in real life in the human brain. I guess that sums up Dumbledore’s death. You all have probably had a year to grieve and rationalize it, but thank fawkes that this site existed so I could read through the last year or so and feel like maybe I’m kinda normal for crying so hard at the death of a character who only exists in text (I haven’t seen any of the movies yet but they are netflixed and on their way).
The boyfriend claimed I am lucky as I will have much less time to ponder and wait for book 7 than he did when he finished book 6. I suppose he’s right. Thank you all:) I feel as foolish as a school girl but I also feel better. I think of Joss Whedon (creator of Buffy and the likes) as such a genius because he is never afraid to kill anyone, and that gets to the heart of you (but why or why… I am a leaf on the wind…:( ). JK Rowling is definetely the same kind of genius. Cheers!
TO: Mary Smith, San Jose
Welcome to the wonderful world of Harry Potter! I too came to HP late (after the 3rd book was published) because I foolishly thought it was a children’s book series. I quickly discovered, however, that while children can thoroughly enjoy the stories, the brilliance of the writing is in the subtle “hidden” storylines and the depth and complexity of the characters. I too am obsessed with the series, unfortunately, my husband still resists reading them so I am compelled to seek out others who want to willingly discuss the series in nauseating detail. HP has brought me so much joy (I reread the series twice while in graduate school) & this site showcases the broad-appeal of the story and the keen intellect of HP fans around the world. The HP bond displayed on this site represents a real-life version of the “International Magical Cooperation” talked so much about in GOF. After working your way through all of the posts on this site, you’ll probably be ready to start rereading the series again (and I’m sure that won’t be your last time). I am on the verge of starting the series again myself – prompted by some of the fabulous observations on this site. I am now obsessed with the clues regarding “Dobby” -I always thought it strange that Dumbledore stated that he would see himself holding “socks” if he gazed upon the Mirror or Erised (“desire” spelled backwards-took me a while to figure that one out [duh!]) – (also, why didn’t DD step in front of the mirror when Harry asked him?). DD also really defends house elves in OOtP, not to mention all of the other DD & Dobby clues mentioned elsewhere on this site. While I look forward to Book 7 so that some of these quetions are answered – I worry how she is going to explain so much in one final book. Therefore, I suppose we should enjoy the fun of speculation while we can! I look forward to your future posts as you fall deeper under the HP spell!
Hey, wait a minute! JKR said that Dumbledore wasn’t going to “do a Gandalf”! Gandalf does die- read the book, he dies and is sent back until his task is done! If Dumbledore doesn’t “do a Gandalf”, it either means he’s alive or he’s permanently dead- no coming back from the dead. All the evidence points to the fact that he’s alive! Or if he’s dead, JKR is really slipping up and leaving a bunch of holes in the story- and that’s not like her! He must be alive! I mean, she didn’t go right out and say “yes, he’s dead.” She said it criptically so that everyone will think she said he was dead, but she actually was saying that he is alive! It’s the same thing with fooling a lie detector- think of something that makes what you say true!
Dumbledore is not dead!
Ive read and read and i think that of myself i really know alot about Harry Potter and probably can guess what is going to Happen I think everyone is missing and looking over a crucial Player in Harrys Life and That is the man who fell behind the Tapestry Sirius BLACK
OK, maybe Sirius has something to do with it. I have personally been expecting Sirius to contact Harry in some way ever since he died. True, it is a strange way for him to die, and is sort of anticlimatic. But, Tony, how, exactly, do you think Sirius is going to help Harry? I’m just curious.
JK is a master of subtle hidden meanings and also of red herrings. One important thing I would like to address is why can’t Dumbledore be alive. All the way through the previous books she hints and leaves breadcrumbs for us to follow; in Philosophers Stone she mentions the Draught of Living Death which is a sleeping potion so powerful that it makes a person seem dead, this in itself would be a strong argument for Dumbledore to be alive but what makes it stronger is that in Half Blood Prince Horrace Slughorn actually makes an entire couldron (aswell as 3 other potions) which he shows to Harry and his class mates in the first potions lesson. Another point to mention which relates is how these potions were left in the open which enabled Crabbe and Goyle to steal some of the contents of another couldren, how hard would it have been for someone like Dumbledore to lay his hands on this potion if two numsculls like Crabbe and Goyle could manage it. In a more general view of this why would JK bring back this potion in this book, why? She does it to help give rise to the idea that Dumbledore is still alive, it is not a mere coincidence that this potion makes a reappearence as it is not a coincidence that Dumbledore drinks a potion while trying to retrieve the Horocrux in the cave!
Another interesting point to look at is the comment about Non-verbal spells. These are spells which can be done by thinking the spell instead of saying it, and these spells were a under lying theme all the way through the Half Blood Prince. Remembering this go back to The Goblet of Fire and the first Defence Against the Dark Arts class where Mad Eye Moody tells the class about Unforgiveable Curses, he tells them that each one of them requires someone to concentrate very strongly upon it and want to do it (also in Order of Phoenix Bellatrix Lestrange tells Harry when he performs the Cruciatus curse that you really need to mean it). Taking this into account it is safe to say that this is no mere weak theory, it may be a red herring left by JK but it seems all to plausible for it to be that. Does it not sound plausible that snape performed a different spell using the non-verbal technique, if he were not concentrating on killing Dumbledore then that spell would not have worked and the non-verbal spell would have. Only adding to this idea is the result of the spell, it is true that normally a person merely keels over when hit with Avada Kedavra but Dumbledore was blasted off the tower.
It is not just longing which makes me think that Dumbledore is alive it is by looking at the evidence which JK has left for us to find, some things are theory but some things like the different result of the spell is fact (it was different) and this should be enough for any Harry Potter fan to have doubts about whether or not Dumbledore is still alive. There are many other ideas to look at but this has to be one of the most plausible in my mind.
What if Dumbledore made a horcrux out of the dark wizard he killed and put it in Fawkes, and that’s why he’s so against horcruxes because he regrets making one himself. Now he know strengths of having one unblemished soul.
I doubt it. Through the Pensieve we have seen a DUmbledore fifty years ago and he seemed anyhting but the radical person who would create a horcrux. Horcuxes and Dumbledore are so opposites it doesn’t even seem in Dumbledore’s personality to do such a thing.