Spinner's End

[houyhnhnm102]

No: HPFGUIDX 156815

KJ writes:
 
> I don't see how Snape could be a substituted person.  
> His part has been carefully protected from giving us 
> that impression, unlike Tonks, who is very suspicious.  
> There were numerous hints in the book and the poly-juicing 
> of Crabbe and Goyle, who I think were the red herrings. 
> JKR says that we will see DD in action in book 7, but 
> that he will not do a Gandalf. We also know that DD was 
> forcing Snape to agree to something he did not like. We 
> have also been told that DD's family is important in the 
> coming book, and she does not specifically mention 
> Dumbledore as the person who died in book 6.  I am 
> wondering, as a result of these latest posts, if perhaps 
> Dumbledore has already died as a result of his wounds, 
> and was replaced temporarily by Aberforth. Assuming Snape 
> was able to fake the AK, and Aberforth survived, we will 
> see him again in book 7, but Dumbledore will still be dead. 
> DD did seem somewhat crankier in book 7, God knows he had 
> reason, but maybe it wasn't him. DD would be the last 
person in the world to be suspected of being someone else.

houyhnhnm:

Aberforth!  That's an interesting possibility I hadn't 
considered.  I *have* wondered if Dumbledore was already 
dead before the scene on the tower.

I agree that it would really demolish Snape's character 
if the powerfully magical wizard and healer who emerged 
in HBP turned out to be ... well, Dumbledore.  It's not 
what I *want* to see happen and I don't really think it's 
too likely.  That potential scenario interests me, though, 
because I don't see anything in the book that absolutely forbids it.

I have been bemused by the assumptions people were ready 
to leap to after the Richard and Judy Show interview in 
June and again recently after Rowling's remarks in NYC 
and it has got me to thinking about assumptions people 
take for granted in the books.

So I am trying to look at *all* possibilities because 
that will make the surprise coming in book 7 all the more
enjoyable.  I think the ending is going to throw everyone 
for a loop.