Dumbledore's death (was JKR's site up-date - Rumours Section)

[hickengruendler]

No: HPFGUIDX 127437


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "deborahhbbrd" <hubbada at u...> 
wrote:
 
> 
> Deborah, now:
> 
> A better place in whose opinion? Moaning Myrtle's? Any random 
Muggle 
> televangelist's?  I see no signs of DD experiencing any need or wish
> to opt out of life, however long he's been living it. 

Hickengruendler:

I don't think that's what Dumbledore wants right now, he seems to 
enjoy his life very much. Not to mention that he probably helps 
protecting a lot of other lives from Voldemort. But I do think he is 
prepared for it to happen: "For the well adjusted mind, death is 
nothing but the next great adventure". These are not the words of 
someone, who thinks that he'll live forever, or who wants to live 
forever. And as much as I pity (and like!) Moaning Myrtle, I don't 
think we are supposed to see her as a role model. ;-) Lily Potter, 
for example, didn't come back. 

On the contrary,
> he copes magificently with an extremely busy schedule, the parents,
> the staff, the students, the population of the Forbidden Forest, the
> portraits on his walls, the odd DE, LV past and present, the burden 
of
> his secret knowledge etc, etc - the old dear is having a wonderful
> time. And, as JKR informs us, humming cheerily to himself all the 
while!

Hickengruendler:

And that's exactly why I think he has to die at some point of the 
series. But despite of his failures in OotP, he is a very capable 
wizard and many people depend on him. And for the sake of the story, 
I just think it would be better if he's gone and said people fight 
the enemy alone (but still together). In other words, I think that 
for example Harry and Snape have to work together without Dumbledore 
telling them to do so. It's not just a question of the heroe losing 
his mentor (which is of course done in many other heroe myths), but 
also that Dumbledore's death would help the plot flowing. And I think 
he could be some help even from beyond the grave. He did hint at this 
in CoS. As long as the people in Hogwarts and the Order fight for his 
cause, I think he will be able to help them from the beyond one last 
time (although I have no idea how).


> 
> This 'leaving this world for a better place' idea is, IMO, a prime
> example of what I would not like the 'message' of the series to be,
> assuming that it will prove to have one and one only incontestable
> message. That this world is at some deep level unsatisfactory and 
not
> worth the effort and that our focus should be elsewhere.

Hickengruendler:

That would be true if it were Harry we were talking about, IMO. But 
Dumbledore has lived his life on this world. He tried his best to 
make Hogwarts a safe haven and a better world for everybody, even the 
outsiders. Dumbledore did face the problems from this world and he 
conquered many of them. And I think at the end of a very long day, he 
also deserves some rest.

Hickengruendler