Dumbledore's Drunken Dream

[Tonks]

No: HPFGUIDX 151052

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "the4bodingdawn" 
<the4bodingdawn at ...> wrote:
>
--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "the4bodingdawn" 
<the4bodingdawn at ...> wrote:
>
> I've been trying to make sense of Dumbledore's rantings as he was 
forced to drink the cave's potion. I have not run across any 
theories as to what was going through his mind at the time. If this 
has been debated elsewhere can someone direct me to the information?
> 

Tonks:
Here is a recent post by Randy that mentions the same idea that I am 
about to put forth:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/151029

Some of us think that the potion in the cave is the liquid in a 
pensive. And a pensive stores memories.  I have suggested that what 
DD is drinking is the memories of mankind. He drinks 12 cups. The 
cup is given him by Harry. When finished he said "water".

If DD is seen as a Christ figure then in this scene he is taking on 
the sins of mankind.  12 is the 12 tribes of Israel, which symbolize 
the whole of humanity. And JKR has said that Harry is "everyboy", 
which can also mean "everyman".  It is very telling, I think, when 
DD ask for water, because when Jesus hung on the cross he said "I 
thirst".  I think there is an intended parallel there.

Before I came to this interpretation, I had at first thought it 
might be the memory of Tom Riddle when he was a boy and took those 
other kids to the cave and he met some terrible entity there.  And 
later I pondered if it might be Snape's memory of the night of the 
Potter's murders.  Others have said that it could be the memory of 
Tom senior before he was killed when his parents were being tortured 
by Tom Jr.

Tonks_op