Who killed Dumbledore? WAS: Re: Karmic justice in Potterverse again.

[zgirnius]

No: HPFGUIDX 144961


> > Pippin:
> > Harry is not competent to determine the cause of death by an 
> > examination of the body, nor is he competent to determine whether
> > an avada kedavra curse has been effective. 

> Alla:

> And you are saying that the most LOGICAL conclusion for the person 
> who observed  the murder would be to look for a posible trick? Why 
> would this person do it, if all evidence of the crime ( or whatever 
> everybody interprets it as) is right there?

zgirnius:
Yes, but Pippin's original point (unless I am getting confused...) 
was that we do not KNOW Snape killed Dumbledore, which is not the 
same as saying that Harry is being reasonable when he draws this 
conclusion. There are certainly POSSIBLE scenarios in which Snape did 
not do the deed, so this would seem to be right.

Not that several have not been already proposed in the many related 
threads we have had since HBP came out...but:

Snape shows up on the Tower, sees a weakened Dumbledore, and 
interprets his initial plea as a suggestion he come closer and 
Legilimens. He does, but gets nothing much coherent, just some vague 
images of Dumbledore apparently in great distress, being fed some 
green potion by Harry. He is repulsed by what he sees. Then 
Dumbledore repeats his plea, and 'the lights go out'. Snape 
recognizes the moment of brain death. Seeing the opportunity to  
establish his bona fides with Voldemort and hide Dumbledore and 
Harry's mysterious activities, Snape casts the Avada Kedavra. 
Dumbledore's dead body is blasted into the air and falls to the 
ground. 

I'm not saying this happened, but I see no reason to suppose it 
couldn't have.

(Credit for this cute theory must go to Red Hen...my personal 
favorite Snape did not kill Dumbledore theory, since having Harry do 
it instead is certainly interesting. Though I personally do think 
Snape did it.)