My thoughts on some things.......

[Mai de Jesus]

No: HPFGUIDX 148468

Hi! first timer here...

> Adzuroth:
> After reading Dumbledore's death scene a few times I couldn't 
> help but think that Dumbledore (DD) might have tried faked
> his death.  (SNIP)

Mai:
As much as I would like to have DD alive and hiding somewhere 
instead of dead and entombed, I still believe DD has truly passed 
on for two reasons:

1. In connection to the story line, as central character in the HP 
Series, Harry has to be the the big hero at the end of the story. 
I don't think this can be accomplished  unless characters who love 
& care for Harry and who will protect him from further suffering at 
all cost, are eliminated or at least incapacitated to assist Harry 
when the time comes for him to fulfill his ulitmate destiny. With 
this thinking, I am, as early as now, preparing myself for the 
deaths of a handful more of Harry's wizard friends including 
classmates, Hagrid, Remus, Tonks, Professor McGonagall and the 
Weaselys.

2. Also, I don't think she'll use this (dead, undead) lame plot. I 
don't think she'd like to give her readers false hopes or wrong 
signals. I remember reading her comment where she expressed concern 
over the tendency of people in one discussion group to call LV 
"Voldy", making him cute & cuddly instead of sinister. I think JKR 
would like to teach her readers early on and among others, the 
reality of death and loss and therefore when she kills off 
characters specially those that are well-liked or loved (eg, Sirius, 
Dumbledore) we can be sure that they're truly and forevermore, dead.

> Adzuroth:
> Oh yeah, one other little detail.  In the first triwizard challenge,
> why didn't Harry simply say "accio dragon egg" instead of "accio
> firebolt"?  Any of the champions could've done it since there was no
> mention of any spells preventing that.  If the dragon was holding
> onto the egg, all one had to do was distract it long enough for the
> dragon to take its claws off the egg, then nail it with the accio
> spell.

Mai:
Hahaha! I also have the same thought...but maybe beacuse Dragons are 
powerful magical creatures and nesting mother dragons are specially 
protective of their eggs, a summoning spell wouldn't have worked anyway?