It's more complex than that....

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 164838

> Steve/bboyminn:
> "Dumbledore is giving me a lot of trouble". I don't think for a 
> minute that this means that Dumbledore is not dead.  I'm sure he is 
> quite dead, but I always expected him to be in the last book even 
> if he is dead. Harry's parents are dead and they have made several 
> appearances in the Series.
> *(snip)*
> In some way the wise old now-dead mentor alwasy finds a way to
> make his presence felt, but that doesn't mean he will be jumping
> out from behind the curtain saying "Just kidding".
 
> Ceridwen:
> Maybe he'll jump out from behind the curtain and say 'Phoenix, you 
> know, back from Beyond'.  ;)

Jen: Hehe, like that one.  I do expect the phoenix imagery to mean 
something about the way Dumbledore died, that yes he's physically 
dead but not completely behind the Veil or he can cross back and 
forth.  Not a ghost in that sense because he has no fear of death and 
they can't get behind the Veil.  The information from Nick may be in 
there for Harry/Sirius, but also to distinguish how people become 
ghosts so Dumbledore can explain why he's not one.  

Ceridwen:
> Spirit presence like the Priori Incantatum (that was the GoF 
> effect, wasn't it?) or like Obi-Wan Kenobi is possible, but perhaps
> a bit cheesy and 'been there, done that'.

Jen: Yeah, it's been done.  It's so useful though!  And JKR will have 
some fascinating explanation for why Dumbledore was the first to 
achieve this ancient magic.

If not that option, there could be a time-travel feature on Ron's 
watch and Dumbledore might be safe to contact, the Trio could be seen 
by him without a negative impact on the time/space continuum because 
Dumbledore will wisely recognize they are from the future.

Ceridwen: 
> Good catch, Steve!  I'm up for hearing anyone's take on this.  I 
> doubt Pensieve memories because, in my opinion, leaving something 
> like that or a letter lying around is just begging for the Bad Guys 
> to find it.  

Jen:  There is one safe place for a letter and many people have 
speculated that Petunia still has Dumbledore's original missive under 
the creaky stair.  It's not safe for *long* granted, but long enough 
for Petunia to have a change of heart and let Harry read it. 

But a letter....that's not enough of a presence even though this idea 
is on my list of 'really hope it proves true' in DH.

Another thought:  Aberforth's memories would be safer for learning 
historical infomation.

Ceridwen:
> We don't know how much a portrait could recall from its subject's
> life, so that's hit or miss (but I'm sure JKR can pull it off).  

Jen:  I'm not big on the portrait, it does seem limited and 
technically the headmaster portrait serves the head.  So there's a 
conflict of interest there since McGonagall has all kinds of 
questions, too.  That could be fun, will the Dumbledore portrait 
require reigning in from the others if he doesn't want to tell 
McGonagall information or instead helps Harry?!?  All in all the 
portrait doesn't seem the best way for Harry to learn information, or 
maybe not the *primary* way.  

Jen, knowing JKR's imagination far surpasses her own and she'll find 
a way. ;-)