The unknown factor...... The apparent ease at which DD was killed.

[coldsliversofglass]

No: HPFGUIDX 150764

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "David" <eastbaydavej at ...> 
wrote:
> 
> One thing that has always bothered me about DD's death was the 
> apparent ease at which it happened. Granted the stuff he had to 
> drink in the cave was not very healthy, but you would think that a 
> man of his experience and stature, let alone knowledge, wouldn't be 
> defenseless. Nor, would you think that he could have misplaced his 
> trust in Snape THAT badly. Sure, he has said himself that he does 
> make mistakes, and in his case, they tend to be rather large ones, 
> but for some reason I just don't buy it.

> Here is my theory... Both Snape and DD knew what was going to 
happen and that in order to get Snape back into the 'fold', they put 
into motion of series of events that would culminate in the ultimate 
sign he was back to the death eaters... the murder of DD himself. 

CH3ed wrote:
>>The ease of DD's death was what really jarred me when I first read
>>HBP too. I expected DD to die in this book but not in this fashion.
>>I thougth it would be something spectacular. But then this maybe
>>what JKR wanted to convey. Even the great men among us are human and
>>are not bullet-proof. Afterall, JKR isn't a mollycoddler. To me,
>>having DD dies from a simple AK by someone perceived by most to be
>>ordinary and inside his own school, makes the death more real. Even
>>the strongest and healthiest person can die from the flu or other
>>unspectacular means.

coldsliversofglass:
I think that the ease of DD's death foreshadows what's to come.  

I mean, Dumbledore and Voldemort are considered the two most powerful 
players, right?  Now DD has just been AKed.  What could that imply 
about Voldemort?  I'm not saying that it's going to be easy to kill 
Voldemort, but the fact that Snape could so easily kill Dumbledore 
serves as a reminder that Voldemort's downfall might not come through 
some great and dramatic battle, but rather a more subtle 
confrontation.

Also interesting is the fact that it was Snape who wound up killing 
Dumbledore.  Snape-the man who joined the Death Eaters, betrayed them 
to work as a spy, betrayed the Order by killing Dumbledore-at least 
that's how it'll appear to the Order-now has an excuse to return to 
the Death Eaters.  It seems to make sense that Snape should go to 
Voldemort since Snape did just kill the one man Voldemort was 
actually afraid of.  I assume Snape has to put Draco somewhere, but 
now the Order has someone standing awfully close to Voldemort (I'm 
assuming Snape's going to return to Voldemort, and not go somewhere 
else).  Wouldn't it be ironic if the man who killed Dumbledore also 
plays a huge role in killing Voldemort?    

The other thing that strikes me is that-sad as DD's death is-I think 
he had to go.  Otherwise, Harry remains a figurehead for the Order.  
With Dumbledore dead, Harry can actually step forward as a leader, or 
at least play a more active role in his own fate.

coldsliversofglass