Dumbledore's dispensability

[cindysphynx]

No: HPFGUIDX 39443

David wrote:

>We display a great deal of collective ingenuity to develop plot 
>twists over Avery, Lupin, Florence, etc, yet when it comes to the 
>final denouement, everything is assumed to run on cliched tramlines.
> 
> Why does Dumbledore have to be out of the way?  And if he is, why 
> does he have to be killed in a duel or (perish the thought) an 
>ambush?

Hey now!  Ambushes aren't cliche!  JKR hasn't given us a single 
ambush yet, so how can it rise to the level of a cliche.  True, some 
of us are fans of ambushes and have decided that it is canon fact 
that there was a big bloody ambush.  That's our, er instinctive 
subversive egalitarian humanistic reading of the text and so cannot 
be challenged.  ;-) 

But JKR herself hasn't given us a proper ambush yet.  Soon, but not 
yet.

So you want us to think outside of the box on Dumbledore's demise, 
eh?  OK, then.  What lethal things has JKR established in the 
wizarding world that haven't killed anyone just yet?

Here's a partial list:

Dragons -- There could be some plot involving the return of Norbert, 
who devours Dumbledore right down to the twinkle.

Werewolves -- Lupin, who we now know is Ever So Evil, could kill 
Dumbledore.

Giants -- I'd keep an eye on that Fredwolfa character.

The Giant Squid -- Come on.  The Giant Squid *has* to kill someone, 
right?

Miscellaneous Fantastic Beasts -- Lethifolds and the like.

House Elf revolt -- "We is going to kill you, Master Dumbledore, we 
is."

Skrewt attack -- Hagrid keeps one skrewt as a pet, which escapes and 
runs wild in the castle.

Aragog -- Aragog is seriously bad news.  He was going to eat Harry 
and Ron and Fang, so why not snack on Dumbledore instead?

I think that about covers it.  ;-)

Cindy (sad to admit that there is no river of lava or catwalk in 
canon)