But if my theory is correct Dumbledore's soul remained in the corporeal world until the end of his funeral ceremony. Harry thought he saw a phantom phoenix rise from Dumbledore's body laying in state.
"Harry though, for one heart-stopping moment, that he saw a phoenix fly joyfully into the blue, but next second the fire had vanished." (Pg. 645 HBP)
We know Dumbledore's patronus is a phoenix. Is the soul of a wizard and his patronus related? If so one must wonder why Dumbledore's soul remained behind until his funeral was complete.
Apparently a wizard's patronus is able to change as a person matures. Snape's comment to Tonks makes this clear.
"'I was interested to see your new Patronus....' 'I think you were better of with the old one,' said Snape." (Pg 160 HPB)
We are also informed by Dumbledore that the members of the Order can communicate using their patronuses. This is a fail-safe way for them since Deatheaters are unable to hinder the passage of a patronus. Why?
Perhaps to be a true Deatheater a Wizard may be required to purposely kill another human being thus ripping their soul apart at least once.-- an act so contemptible that they lose the ability to conjure their patronus or even interact with another's patronus. Snape was able to intercept Tonk's Patronus meant for Hagrid. Might this mean that Snape is no longer a deatheater or never truly was one.
A host of other questions may be solved by knowing that a wizard's soul and patronus are linked. Inferi are souless bodies reanimated by a powerful wizard. Dementors are shredded souls unable to pass from the physical world to the spiritual one. Hogwarts's ghosts are souls afraid to move on to the world beyond.
If a patronus is a corporeal projection of a wizard's soul -- Harry does have a power which Voltemort can never have.
Could it be that while falling to his death Dumbledore was able to conjure his pheonix/patronus thus able, in some way, to carry out preparations for Harry's terrible task ahead.
July 21 is almost here. I can't wait to find out how wrong (or right) I am.