[HPforGrownups] Re: Dumbledore in book 7

[Ronin_47]

No: HPFGUIDX 164899

--Maria wrote-

<SNIP>
>>>Since DD will be in book 7, would anyone care to give their theories
> or guesses as to which form DD will be? Will he be in a ghost form,
> which I doubt, or reborn DD like the phoenix, which is also doubtful 
since Jo said DD will not pull a Gandalf?
> >>

--Sam wrote-

<SNIP>
>>>My guess would be the Chocolate frog Cards. They are small, portable 
>and DD mentioned that he didn't want to be taken off of them (right 
>before Harry's trial I think). 

>>> 

--Ronin's Comments-

I don't think DD will be a ghost because I don't believe that someone of DD's character would choose that existence. The portrait of DD could be useful, but it is only an impression of what he was in life. It may make commentary on occasion and may act as a spy or messenger, but won't be able to give Harry support in the final battle or much guidance along the way.

Chocolate frog cards would be too convenient. As far as I know, they have less capability that even the portraits, but they are portable. I don't recall any of the cards ever speaking though.

Somebody mentioned the pensieve. This is where I think DD will play a part in DH. Much the same way as a parent with a terminal illness would make recordings for their newborn baby. As the baby grows, it can watch the recordings and get a sense of who it's parents were, learn life lessons that the parent left behind or just to know that they were loved, etc.

I don't think DD left the messages in the pensive for just anyone to see, but would have stored them in vials (as he did in HBP) so that Harry could see them at the right time. He could've left them at 12 Grimauld Place, since Kreacher was sent to Hogwarts and Mundungus would not disturb them.  The vials would contain whatever DD thought was important to Harry's success. They could be more memories about Voldemort, memories of why he trusted Snape, advice about destroying the horcruxes or where they may be or even lessons in powerful magic.

This is based on the premise that DD knew he would die and was preparing for it as I believe was the case in HBP. His hand was not healing well and every time we saw him, he seemed more tired and weak. There are also several comments made throughout HBP, where he talks about his age, mortality and weaknesses, etc.

I believe DD would have wanted to pass on as much as he could to help Harry and this would be the best way to achieve that.

The phoenix theory is also very intriguing. It's mentioned so frequently throughout the series that it must fit in somehow. But I don't see DD being reborn and just turning up somewhere in all of his glory. The phoenix is reborn from it's ashes, but is reborn as a baby. Maybe DD is going to rise from the ashes, but as a baby which will need to grow to maturity before he can do anything to help the order. This would be DD's back up plan in case Harry had failed. 

Like Lord Voldemort, Dumbledore seemed to be quite taken by the search for immortality. He knew about horcruxes, but wanted to find an alternative way that didn't require such dark means. So, he studied the old magics, the phoenix, maybe some of the things in the DoM, such as the "thing" which turned the DE's head into a baby's head, etc. He also knew about unicorn's blood and helped Nicholas Flamel with the Sorcerer's Stone. It's safe to say he had an interest in the subject and it's quite possible that he intended to exercise one of his theories.

These are my thoughts and ramblings on the matter of Dumbledore in book 7.