Patronus characteristics (was Re: Cheating)

[juli17 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 146526

Ceridwen wrote:

The  nagging problem for me in a Patronus being sent is, Dumbledore is 
shut up  in a tomb.  If he's sending a Patronus, and he's alive in 
there, it  stirs all the ancient fears of being buried alive.  Of 
course, with  Dumbledore, there will always be some out, some secret 
passage or some way  for him to not be stuck in there with life 
draining away (can one Apparate  from inside a sealed tomb?).

It is a curious thing, and it was  mentioned for a reason, either to 
give a more mystical send-off for DD, or  to set something up for book 
7.  I don't think this has been  discussed very much.  At least I 
haven't seen much  mention.




Julie:
I think it was mentioned for a reason also, and I also think it  will set
up something in Book 7. We don't yet know everything about how
patronuses work. So do we know that Dumbledore couldn't have 
arranged to send/release his patronus at some point after his death?
(I am one who firmly believes Dumbledore is truly dead.)
 
Speaking of how patronuses work, we just found out in HBP that
a wizard can change his/her patronus, when Snape commented on
Tonks' changed patronus. I think this fact was also included for a 
reason, one which will be revealed in Book 7. 
 
If we put these two separate facts together--that a wizard can change
his patronus, and that a phoenix (which happens to be Dumbledore's
patronus) appeared to fly away from Dumbledore's funeral, then we 
can speculate that perhaps Dumbledore released/sent his patronus  
(in essence, *willed* his patronus) to someone else. If that is what  we
see happening at the funeral, the most likely recipient would be  Snape.
One other real possiblity is Abelforth, but Snape as the recipient is 
much more dramatic and fitting--if he's DDM of course--and explains
JKR's refusal to name Snape's patronus because "it would reveal too
much." It would also provide a way for Snape to communicate with
Harry in Book 7 without revealing his true identity.
 
I know there are logistics problems to be addressed, like why Harry
would trust a patronus he didn't recognize, even if it was a phoenix.
(one guess: Dumbledore's portrait might tell Harry he sent his  patronus
to a close ally, and that Harry should trust any information from  that
patronus.) And again, we don't know everything about patronuses,  so 
there is room to speculate freely ;-)
 
Julie 
 


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