"Why didn't Dumbledore try to kill Voldemort...?"

[Rob]

No: HPFGUIDX 113493

Harriet:

> JKR says that that is one of the two questions that people should 
ask 
> but haven't asked.  Well, I feel the reason why people haven't 
asked 
> it is because the answer is given to us in the Prophecy in Book 5...

Rob:
It was my understanding that the question she's never asked is "Why 
didn't LV die" when he cursed Harry.

Harriet:

> JKR  tells us that only Harry can kill V and D knows it.  I feel 
that 
> D is stalling when he stands up to V in the MoM, when he tells V 
that 
> there are things "worse than death".  He can only defend Harry by 
> putting things in the path of V's would-be death curse.  We all 
know 
> that D cannot kill V.

Rob:
I'm not sure he was just stalling...

Harriet:

> Maybe what JKR is referring to pertains to the things that V did to 
> himself to try and gain immortality.  I feel that Harry may be the 
> only one who could penetrate this "wall" that may be surrounding V.

Rob:
... but I agree with you completely here.  Those changes are alluded 
to in CoS when Harry says to Tom Riddle, "No one knows why you didn't 
die," or something to that effect.  Also in CoS DD describes how Tom 
Riddle went through so many transformations that he was barely 
recognizable when he resurfaced as LV.  LV also refers to these 
changes during the big exposition part near the end of GoF.

Rob "I'll flog this theory 'til I'm dead or proven wrong!" 
Kristjansson