Slughorn and Dumbledore: possible motive

[hermionegallo]

No: HPFGUIDX 138223

hg had written (snipped):
The idea that Dumbledore's death was faked hasn't been warmly 
received on any board, so I've been "in the closet" on this one.  

Kris:
> I change my mind daily of the fate of DD... so don't
> feel bad about throwing this idea out... I think it is great!

> Some of the things that made me think of DD faking:
> 
> 1) He is not buried in the earth. Very Christ-like (and like Aslan 
from Chronicles of Narnia) he is laid on a stone table... possibly to 
be reborn/ressurrected?
> 
> 2) DD directing Harry before school year begins to always keep his 
invisiblilty cloak with him. I can't help but believe that it is 
knowing that the time will come that Harry must be an *invisible 
witness* able to report back the "murder".
> 
> 3) DD stuns Harry on the top of the tower ensuring that he is a 
witness, as well that he doesn't misinterpret what is being acted out 
in front of him and interfere.. and mistakenly attack Draco or Snape 
(whom DD is being very careful to protect).


hg:
Good points all.  The rebirth idea has always made me twitchy, but I, 
like you, am not ruling anything out.  My favorite idea, as I said 
earlier in this thread, is that Slughorn faked Dumbledore's death.  
(In that post, I enumerated several stand-out moments that could 
indicate this.)

I also sometimes go for the idea that I should just read it straight, 
that JK put in SO many indicators that he must have died, because so 
many readers tried to reason that Sirius was still alive.  It 
sometimes seems it'd be such a blow to so many readers that 
Dumbledore did fake it, like too much of a surprise.

For an intriguing alternate theory, which has a lot of merit, look at 
post 135604.  It's under my poster name, but it's actually my 
husband, kneazle24 (I left the board open to show him a post and he 
was in a hurry).  The idea is brilliant (that Dumbledore has been 
taking Felix); it makes a lot of sense across the board, and if it 
didn't directly interfere with Slughorn faking Dumbledore's death, 
I'd endorse it wholeheartedly.  (As it stands, I'll do it half-
heartedly!)

As for the cloak, what bothered me was that he instructed Harry to go 
get it when they met just before the cave scene, when he was supposed 
to have it on him at all times.  And immobilizing him to prevent 
any "heroics" is pretty suspect, especially when he's so vulnerable.  
Both of these items could be explained by the faked death scenario or 
the Felix scenario.

In any regard, I think we're supposed to read the end very 
carefully.  Which side of the fence will you be on tomorrow, Kris, or 
will you still be astride it, like me?!  Thanks for your post.

hg.