"The consequences of our actions are always so complicated, so diverse, that predicting the future is a very difficult business indeed...."

Dumbledore pg. 426, Prisoner of Azkaban

When asked in a recent interview: "Which character [do] you find yourself identifying with most when you're writing or when you're reading what you've just written?" J.K. Rowling responded: Probably Harry, really. Because I have to think myself into his head far more than any of the others because everything is seen from his point of view.*

I . Harry's Point of View

When they arrived on the tower Dumbledore, sensing approaching danger, places Harry safely out of the way unable to move a muscle and hidden by his cloak.

Harry watches in horror as Severus Snape kills Dumbledore using the Avada Kedavra curse. The curse strikes Dumbledore directly in the chest and propels him off of the tower. Dumbledore then presumably falls to the ground dead.

After the battle with the Death Eaters is over, Dumbledore's body is found and protected by Hagrid. That Hagrid should be the only person involved in recovering the body and carrying it off is notable because of what Dumbledore said in Sorcerers Stone. "I would trust Hagrid with my life." pg14.

We witness the funeral of the great wizard and the magical appearance of his memorial tomb. The great phoenix sings its lament and flies off never to be seen again.

If Dumbledore did die that night several questions come to mind.

• What happened to Dumbledore's wand?
• Why did Snape's Avada Kedavra curse propel Dumbledore over the tower wall?
• Although Dumbledore was able to fly a broom to the tower and perform the magic that protected Harry, why was he too weak to defend himself ?
• Why did Dumbledore place Harry into suspended animation able to watch in horror but unable to raise a finger to help?
• And finally, what about Dumbledore's portrait in his office? If it were truly a portrait of the deceased headmaster it surely would have offered some acknowledgment to Harry.

Before I discuss the "incident" from other viewpoints I would like to call your attention to various events occurring earlier in book 6 which may provide clues to what actually happened the night Dumbledore "dies."

• Slughorn fakes his death by smearing the walls with blood and turning himself into an armchair.
• Snape enters into an unbreakable magic contract with Narcissa Malfoy.
• Harry saves Ron by using a beazor.
• Students are taught to issue magic commands silently.

Let's examine two alternate viiewpoints of what happened that day.

Melissa Anelli: OK, big big big book six question. Is Snape evil?

JKR: Well, okay, I'm obviously -- Harry-Snape is now as personal, if not more so, than Harry-Voldemort. I can't answer that question because it's a spoiler, isn't it, whatever I say, and obviously, it has such a huge impact on what will happen when they meet again that I can't. And let's face it, it's going to launch 10,000 theories and I'm going to get a big kick out of reading them so [laughs] I'm evil but I just like the theories, I love the theories http://www.quick-quote-quill.org/articles/2005/0705-tlc_mugglenet-anelli-1.htm

Suppose that Snape did not kill Dumbledore. This raises two questions. Why did Snape pretend to murder Dumbledore and secondly, how could he perform the Avada Kedavra curse without killing the intended victim?

If, as I suspect, Dumbledore hatched a plot to fake his own death who better than Snape to perform the legerdemain necessary to convince the wizard world -- especially Voldemort -- that he, Dumbledore, is gone for good.

Snape knows he is essential to the execution of Dumbledore's plan. All the taunting and anger Snape exhibits towards Harry is mostly an act to convince the Malfoys and other Death Eaters that Snape is one of them.

Dumbledore never waivers from his trust in Snape. Let's look at some evidence of Snape's loyalty and examine a clue provided by Rowling in book 6 (Half-blood Prince).

Regardless of what Harry feels about Snape, Snape always endeavors to protect Harry and support Hogworts and its headmaster.

• In Sorcerers Stone Snape counters Quirrel's attempt to throw Harry from his broom.
• In Book 3 (Prisoner of Azkaban) Snape (although completely wrong) rescues Harry, Ron, and Hermione from the "villain" Sirius Black and the dementors.
• One of the more interesting examples of Snape's loyalty to Dumbledore occurs in Book 4 (Goblet of Fire). Snape accompanies Albus and Minerva to Mad-eye Moody's / Barty Crouch Jrs. office. Harry is about to be dispatched by Barty Crouch Jr. to gain the favor of his lord and master, Voldemort. As Harry waits he notices three faces in the foe-glass behind the grotesque figure of Crouch. He sees none other than Snape along side Dumbledore and McGonagal. As if to reinforce this clue Rowling shifts her description from Dumbledore to Snape as they enter Moody's office. "Snape followed him, looking into the Foe-Glass, where his own face was still visible." If the Foe-Glass is honest, and if Barty Crouch Jr. were to have seen Snape's face he would assume that Snape was his enemy and therefore the enemy of Voldemort as well.
• Finally in Book 5 (Order of the Phoenix) Snape informs Dumbledore of Harry's plan to confront Voldemort at the Ministry of Magic. If Snape were a Death Eater in Voldemort's thrall it is very likely that he would simply let Harry stumble into this trap and be disposed of by Lucius Malfoy and his gang.

Although impossible to be sure of Snape's true allegiance, Rowling leaves us one clue which may bear upon this issue -- that is the unbreakable magic vow introduced in Chapter 2 of Book 6. What if Snape and Dumbledore are also bound by such a contract? If so, it would explain Snape's hand twitch during the ceremony overseen by Bellatrix as-well-as the argument between Snape and Dumbledore overheard by Hagrid.

Some argue that the unbreakable vow forces Snape to kill Dumbledore if Draco cannot. But we have learned that powerful wizards can overcome such magic. The Goblet of Fire is confused by Barty Crouch Jr. and allows Harry to enter the triwizard tournament. Rowling hints that unbreakable vows can be undone when she says "....just like every other kind of magic within the books, Veritaserum is not infallible." (Rowling's web site.) It is also interesting to note that in Snape's conversation with Narcissa and Bellatrix it is never explicitly stated what Draco's "deed" actually is. Snape tells the sisters that he knows "of the plan" which is far differnet than knowing what the plan entails. For instance, if Voldemort told Draco to get rid of Dumbledore then Snape, taking the command litterally, did just that. (Voldemort may have meant "kill" when he said "get rid of" but since Snape was not directly given the order he may be able to interpret the command as he wishes.) Finally, why exactly did Snape's hand twitch when Bella consummates the last part of the vow? Only Rowling can (and probably will) tell us that.

Some theories. I believe that Snape turned against Voldemort when a relative or close friend of his was killed by Voldemort. He then went to Dumbledore for protection and swore his fidelity -- biding his time for revenge. I wonder how R.A.B. might play into this scenario. Could R.A.B. be a good friend of Snape's killed by Voldemort. Or is it possible that there is some relationship between Snape and Lily Evans? The letters in "Severus Snape" can be rearranged to form "Perseus Evans"! Dumbledore said to Harry at the end of Year Three, "Pettigrew owes his life to you. You have sent Voldemort a deputy who is in your debt... Trust me... the time may come when you will be very glad you saved Pettigrew's life." Didn't James, Harry's father, save Snape's life ... and by informing Voldemort about the prophecy Snape condemned James to death? Dumbledore states that "when one wizard saves another wizard's life, it creates a certain bond between them." pg. 427, POA. Could one of these reasons compel Snape to protect Harry and turn against his old master Voldemort.

It could be for one of the reasons above that Dumbledore has always trusted Snape and why he was not able to provide details of their relationship to Harry. Dumbledore needed to say no more than "Severus" when they confronted one another high on the tower -- Dumbledore was signaling Snape to go ahead with the prearranged plan because he was ready. Also it is quite probable that two wizards adept at Legilimency can converse silently -- their conversation unheard by anyone near them.

The other question I would like to answer is how could Dumbledore survive the Avada Kedavra?

In the wizarding world we have learned that words alone are insufficient to cause the desired result. For instance to truly hurt someone with the Cruciatus curse -- as Harry discovers with Bellatrix's help in Order of the Phoenix -- you must seriously intend to inflict pain on your victim. As "Moody" comments to his class in Goblet of Fire "Avada Kedavra's a curse that needs a powerful bit of magic behind it -- you could all get your wands out now and point them at me and say the words, and I doubt I'd get so much as a nosebleed." (pg 217)

If Dumbledore wished to fake his death, ONLY Snape would be capable of pulling it off in front of witnesses (like Death Eaters). We know from Snape himself that he has been putting on a very convincing act. "It is an act that is crucial to success, Draco!" said Snape. "Where do you think I would have been all these years, if I had not known how to act?" Perhaps as Snape utters the deadly command he is not thinking of Dumbledore, his apparent hatred is directed at Voldemort instead or is it an award winning act. In a fraction of a second he issues a second but silent command causing Dumbledore to fly off the tower and disappear from view unscathed. Once out of sight Dumbledore can perform the magic necessary to manage a soft landing, retrieve his wand, and transmogrify some inanimate object into a suitable likeness of himself to appear dead and broken on the hard stone of the castle courtyard. He then could place the locket next to his simulacrum and disappear taking his 12-handed watch and wand with him.

The effect of the Avada Kedavra curse has been described 3 times¹ in the series and in all cases the victims simply fall to the ground where they stand. They are not flung backwards by the force of the curse. It is curious then that, in this instance, Snape's curse has the effect it does -- unless something else is going on.

If these assumptions are correct Snape is walking a fine line. On one hand he must fulfill his promise to Narcissa to protect her son and carry out the mission if Draco fails. On the other he must honor his commitment to Dumbledore. I will leave it to you, dear reader, to decide to whom Snape is loyal. In any case, for Snape to return to Voldemort as he must do is reason enough for him to declare to Harry "Don't CALL ME COWARD!"

For another point of view explaining Snape's actions read the article at http://www.hp-lexicon.org/essays/essay-shaken-not-stirred.html.

Rowling: ".... Dumbledore does express the regret that he is, always had to be, the one who knew and who had the burden of knowing [the entire prophecy]."*

Dumbledore is the conscience of the wizard world. The ministry of magic is in crisis and burdened by numerous specific rules whereas Dumbledore is guided by larger principles. He can see the bigger picture: Dementors are pure evil; all sentient beings must be treated with respect; power corrupts; take joy in the small things; love is the greatest magic of all, and so on.

As Harry's 6th year begins, Dumbledore realizes that he must leave Hogwarts in order to battle the dementors, Death Eaters, etc. and help Harry defeat Voldemort. By remaining at Hogwarts as headmaster he places the school at risk (a target for the enemy). He also knows that Harry must become independent of him. So what to do? Perhaps the pre-school meeting with Slughorn gave him the idea to fake his own death. Out of the spotlight Dumbledore could take on the tasks described without interference from the Ministry (whose new boss is no better than the old). I don't believe Dumbledore plans on really dying because his death leaves too many loose ends -- like the flavor of his favorite jam -- a clue that Harry would do well to remember.

By now it should be abundantly clear that Harry cannot defeat the enemy alone. Even with the help of Ron and Hermione the odds of surviving are extremely low. To give Harry the chance he needs, Voldemort and the Death Eaters must be attacked from without by Dumbledore and from within by Snape (and perhaps Wormtail)

Why does Dumbledore leave the school with Harry on the day Draco plans to help the Death Eaters attack? I believe that Dumbledore takes Harry to Voldemorts's hidden lake to accomplish several objectives.

1. By leaving the school Dumbledore provided Malfoy the opportunity to unleash his plan.
2. By taking Harry with him, he insures that Harry will not interfere with Malfoy and perhaps he may learn several important lessons.

To retrieve the Horcrux Dumbledore must drink the poison protecting it. I think he was aware of this type of protection and he may also have known that the horcrux was already gone. Why else would Harry find the locket later beside Dumbledore's body were it would be noticed, instead of hidden in his pocket? I doubt that it simply fell out.

Although apparently poisoned two other possibilities must be taken into account.

1. The liquid Dumbledore imbibes is a poison but he has brought an antidote -- perhaps swallowing a beazor while Harry is preoccupied by inferi (living dead) or
2. The liquid is not a poison since the magic charms protecting the horcrux must have been broken by R.A.B.

In either case Dumbledore acts as if he has been poisoned. In doing so he can recruit Harry to do things he would otherwise question. For example, even though Harry is not 17 yrs. old, Dumbledore wants him to apparate, a skill necessary for his survival -- and what better teacher than necessity. Once successfully back at Hogsmede they discover the dark mark over one of the castle's towers. With this to stimulate him Dumbledore appears to recover a bit -- enough to fly by broom to the rescue. If he were really poisoned it seems improbable that he could make such a journey -- especially since he recently needed Harry's help to apparate. As he told Harry before they left to find the Horcrux, the school was well protected and in this crisis his patronus² could quickly alert one or more members of the Order long before he could arrive by broom.

I was very surprised on my first reading to find that the greatest wizard alive, although very ill, could be so easily disarmed by an under age wizard such as Malfoy (unless he wanted to be).³

I believe Harry was meant to listen to the conversation between Draco and Dumbledore (without interfering) so that he might understand how difficult it is to kill someone. He discovers Malfoy is not a killer at least not yet.

Some question whether or not Dumbledore was aware of Draco's plot. I believe he was quite knowledgeable and had been informed by Snape or by other independent means. The following exchange between him and Draco is very telling. "You don't know what I'm capable of," said Malfoy more forcefully. "You don't know what I've done!" "Oh yes I do," said Dumbledore mildly. "You almost killed Katie Bell and Ronald Weasley. You have been trying, with increasing desparation, to kill me all year...." H-BP pg 585

After the other Death Eathers burst in Dumbledore must stall until Snape can arrive and carry out the enchantments they had planned.

 Since all this is theoretical I feel the concerned reader should search out other equally convincing but opposing arguments concerning the action in question such as: http://www.livejournal.com/users/garlandgraves/3409.html?page=11

Although it appears that Dumbledore died, there is substantial evidence to support the possibility that he survived -- possibly wounded so badly that only a phoenix song could revive him. If only Dumbledore's portrait could talk? A good sign that it doesn't actually because in Harry's world it should.

Rowling: They think Dumbeldore's a goner. Well, I will say that I have actually never said that a major character is going to die. Dateline NBC, July 17, 2005.

Since writing this article I did a search to see if anyone else has touched on this topic. I was not disappointed to find that David Nagore has dedicated a website to this question. His response can be found at: http://www.dumbledoreisnotdead.com/ and a similar conclusion can be found at: http://www.snitchseeker.com/vb3/showthread.php?threadid=26862

 It is also important to the story to know that books 6 and 7 should, according to Rowling, be considered one. JKR: "So much that happens in 6 relates to what happens in 7, and you really sort of skid off the end of 6 straight into 7....although there is, ... an ending that could be seen as definitive in one sense, you very strongly feel the plot is not over this time and it will continue. "*

Rowling: "There is plenty to guess at... at least one thing I think people will probably deduce, there is a mystery left at the end [of book 6], but I think they might already know the answer if they think about it." Ireland On-line, 17 July 2005

² "Members of the Order use their Patronuses to communicate with each other. They are the only wizards who know how to use their spirit guardians in this way and they have been taught to do so by Dumbledore (he invented this method of communication). The Patronus is an immensely efficient messenger for several reasons: it is an anti-Dark Arts device, which makes it highly resilient to interference from Dark wizards; it is not hindered by physical barriers; each Patronus is unique and distinctive, so that there is never any doubt which Order member has sent it; nobody else can conjure another person's Patronus, so there is no danger of false messages being passed between Order members; nothing conspicuous needs to be carried by the Order member to create a Patronus." (Rowling's web site)

³If Dumbledore had not planned to fake his own death and saw the dark mark over the Astronomy tower it is very likely that he would have signaled members of the Order that Hogworts was in trouble using his patronus and certainly Fawkes would instantly come to his aid. That neither of these occurred is evidence that Dumbledore did not want their help. Oh, and by the way, Hogwarts is home to over a hundred house elves. If needed they should be able to stop a dozen Death Eaters. Their absence during the fight is interesting.