Re: Dumbledore's "“peaceful expression”? (was: Dumbledore's pleading)

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 141784

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "nkafkafi" <nkafkafi at y...> 
wrote:
Potioncat:
> > But I agree with Carol. What ever happened, DD died in a state of 
> > peace. He's apparantly satisfied that whatever he asked of Snape 
> > will be done or was done. It is not the expression of a betrayed 
> > man who is surprised at the AK; or of a regretful man who is 
> > disappointed he won't be helping Harry with horcruxes; or of a 
> > frightened man who is worried about the safety of his students. 
> > It is significant that he looks as if he is sleeping, peacefully, 
> > at rest.
 
> Neri:
> I just hope all the readers realize that the above isn't canon, but
> one possible interpretation of it. The canon is:
> 
> ************************************************
> HBP, US ed, Ch. 28, ,pp. 608-609:
> Dumbledore's eyes were closed; but for the strange angle of his arms
> and legs, he might have been sleeping. Harry reached out, 
straightened
> the half-moon spectacles upon the crooked nose, and wiped a trickle 
of
> blood from the mouth with his own sleeve. Then he gazed down at the
> wise old face and tried to absorb the enormous and incomprehensible
> truth: that never again would Dumbledore speak to him, never again
> could he help...
> ************************************************

Geoff:
True. But, as has been pointed out more than once, there are 
differences to previous descriptions of AK victims....

'The police had never read an odder report. A team of doctors had 
examined the bodies and had concluded that none of the Riddles had 
been poisoned, stabbed, shot, strangled, suffocated or (as far as 
they could tell) harmed at all. In fact, the report continued, in a 
tone of unmistakeable bewilderment, the Riddles all appeared to be in 
perfect health - apart from the fact they were all dead. The doctors 
did note (as though determined to find something wrong with the 
bodies) that each of the Riddles had a look of terror upon his or her 
face - but as the frustrated police said, whoever heard of three 
people being frightened to death?'

(GOF "The Riddle House" p.9 UK edition)

'Cedric was lying spread-eagled on the ground beside him. He was dead.
For a second that contained an eternity, Hary stared into Cedric's 
face, at his open grey eyes, blank and expressionless as the windows 
of a deserted house, at his half-open mouth, which looked slightly 
surprised.'

(GPF "Flesh, Blood and Bone" p. 553-54 UK edition)

Unlike Dumbledore, none of these people could be described as if 
they "might have been sleeping". The Riddles are terrified, Cedric is 
uncomprehending, Dumbledore appears asleep. Can we draw any 
conclusions about what caused Dumbledore's death?

An AK or not an AK? That is the question. Whether tis nobler in the 
mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune or to take 
arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing be a DDM!Snaper.

(with apologies to the Bard!!)

Referring back to Wormtail's spell, valky wrote:

"The swishing in the case of Cedric, I'd then say, is the sound of
Pettigrew raising the wand in congruence with the order of the
description."

Where else have we had a sound effect of someone rasing a wand? It 
seems to run counter to other descriptions.