Confused. WAS: Re: CHAPDISC: HBP24, Sectumsempra

[Eddie]

No: HPFGUIDX 161356

> surabhithesingdan:
> I never thought in my life that prof. Snape would be the half blood
> prince. I am in a real confusion that whether Snape or Draco attacked
> DD and killed him. I don't think that DD is dead.

Eddie:
Sorry, but the canonical information seems clear that Snape really
killed Dumbledore.

First, here's the quote from Half Blood Prince:
[begin quote]
Snape raised his wand and pointed it directly at Dumbledore. "Avada
Kedavra!" A jet of green light shot from the end of Snape's wand and
hit Dumbledore squarely in the chest.
[end quote]

The light came from Snape's wand.  So Snape, and not Draco, is the
attacker.

Second, JKRowling confirmed that Dumbledore is really dead.  See
http://www.quick-quote-quill.org/articles/2006/0802-radiocityreading2.html
for the whole interview, but here's the juicy part:
[begin quote]
JK Rowling: But I see that I need to be a little more explicit and say
that Dumbledore is definitely ... dead (crowd gasps). 
[end quote]

OK, that aside, I _DO_ have one lingering question about Dumbledore's
death.  Start with the quote:
[begin quote]
Harry's scream of horror never left him; silently he was forced to
watch as Dumbledore was blasted into the air. For a split second, he
seemed to hang suspended beneath the shining skull, and then he slowly
fell backward, like a great rag doll, over the battlements and out of
sight.
[end quote]

Why was Dumbledore blasted into the air when every other AK death
we've seen, the victim just crumpled to the ground?  Why was this one
different?

Eddie