Fawkes possible absence (was: Magical animals in canon/ Fawkes and Snape)

[Ceridwen]

No: HPFGUIDX 166323

Marion:
> What if Dumbledore died months before of old age etc. His shoes are 
(literary) filled by somebody under Polyjuice, or even possibly Tonks
(metamorphmagus)... *(snip)*

Ceridwen:
I love the more extreme theories.  Okay, I am imagining Dumbledore 
dead early on, perhaps even before he meets with Harry at Privet 
Drive.  Or, perhaps this was the last we see of the real DD.  Okay, 
sell me.  *g*

Marion:
> So DD dies peacefully, surrounded by his nearest co-conspirators 
(Snape, perhaps McGonegal) and his body is placed under a stasis-
spell (hence his body looks so peaceful and undisturbed when 'found 
under the tower' after supposedly falling hundreds of feet...)*(snip)*

> When he dies, somebody else takes his place. Let's say, Aberforce 
under Polyjuice. Abe knows his brother well enough to mimick him. 
Besides, DD is 'ill' and often absent because of his 'withered 
hand'... The whole 'going to fetch the horcrux in the secret cave and 
feeding DD
poison' is *such* a set up. That locket is planted there by DD 
himself, aided by his longtime right-hand man Snape (who provided the 
eerily green goo) (and isn't it a *coincidence* that Snape just 
*happened* to cover Inferi in his lessons? Set up! I smell a set 
up!!) *(snip)*

Ceridwen:
I would say that this someone who takes DD's place has been out on 
trial runs before Dumbledore actually died.  If someone notices 
inconsistencies, the later appearance of the real Dumbledore would 
help to settle those uneasy feelings.

About the Inferi, though, I think Snape is teaching about them 
because the Ministry has put out a pamphlet during the summer which 
discusses Inferi.  The Inferi were used in VWI, and it is likely that 
they will be used again.  I am expecting an army of Inferi, or at 
least a small company of them, in DH, including some of our missing 
Order members from VWI.  There has been some discussion 
about "Ministry-approved" lessons in the discussion about Hagrid.  If 
the Ministry does indeed have a say about what the students will 
learn, then Snape, or whoever the DADA teacher is, will teach about 
Inferi if the Ministry says Inferi will be taught.  Just my own 
opinion there.  Doesn't mean it isn't convenient for the story.

I think the Inferi might have figured moreso in HBP, too, but this is 
my own little side trip, and would conflict with the idea under 
discussion.

Marion:
> And then it happens. The whole plan takes it's course. All 'DD' 
needed to do is wear a metal breastplate under his robes (AK's don't 
penetrate stone or metal, apparantly) get hit, fall dramatically out 
of the window, cast a cushioning spell, bugger off to the coldstorage 
where they hid the REAL Dumble's body, place the body underneath the 
tower and hide until the 'juice wears off.  *(snip)*

Ceridwen:
I've read ideas about a breastplate being used by the real DD on the 
tower, to explain the odd effects of the AK.  Several points here: 
First, we see DD (or 'DD') disarmed when Draco comes up to the 
tower.  Would a fake 'DD' know to have an extra wand in his (or her) 
robes?  Would this 'DD' have been carrying two wands during the 
entire course of the book since the real DD's death?  I can see a 
wizard or witch wanting to use his or her own wand, but needing to be 
seen with DD's if someone is indeed playing the part.

Second, the Polyjuice is a sticking point for me.  If Polyjuice was 
used, then when would the false 'DD' have refueled?  Unless the green 
goo included Polyjuice, it seems that DD and Harry spent too much 
time in the cave.  Whoever was Dumbledore would have changed back 
before they got back to Hogsmeade, in my opinion.

Reading the cave scene again, it's possible that the fake Dumbledore 
could have had a flask a la Fake!Moody, since the cave was so dark 
away from the goo - it was unnaturally dark, swallowing even the 
wandlight more than Harry expected.  At one point, he even runs into 
Dumbledore when DD stops to find the boat's chain.  And if the 
impostor is not really debilitated by the goo, he or she would have 
opportunity to take a swig on the way out of the cave, in that vast 
darkness.  So, I suppose fake!DD might have had a flask, but I'm not 
convinced of that.  Harry had to help 'DD' out of the cave, either 
for the set-up, or for real.  In planning, any conspirators in this 
switch would have to presume that Harry might feel a flask in 'DD's 
robes.

Of course, if Tonks is playing the part, given that a Metamorphmagus 
could physically imitate another person, then this has no bearing.

Third, weakest, and last, who would have helped the decoy switch out 
with the in-stasis corpse?  Snape is gone, McGonagall is fighting in 
the seventh floor hallway, and a known third party is posing as Dead!
DD (I guess they'd have to lay on the ground for a few minutes at 
least, in case a DE looks over the side of the tower).  A single 
person with a wand can of course Levicorpus a corpse.

But, if DD was surrounded by his nearest and dearest at his death, 
then that is at least the number of conspirators we have to take into 
account.  And the more conspirators there are on a given project, the 
less safe the secret is.

Would you be open to a suggestion of a Reanimated!DD?  Nothing Dark 
like the Inferi, of course.  It would make some sense (speculating 
here) that there are dark and light versions of many ancient spells, 
why not one to reanimate someone for a specific purpose?

Marion:
> Hey, it's not a bad theory. No worse than 'Snape is Fawkes' at any 
rate :-)

(actually, I would *love* it if Fawkes turned out to be Snape)

Ceridwen:
Hee!  If you think about it, this is really the last weeks of 
speculation about the series.  There will be no more books to look 
forward to after 21 July.  All that will be answered, will have been 
answered after that.  We might as well have some fun in these last 
weeks remaining!

I keep going back to the Polyjuice and wondering if Crabbe and Goyle 
are the only ones who are using it in HBP.  Then, there's Chair!
Slughorn to consider.  Nothing is as it seems, is everyone we see 
really who they are?  Or was this one huge Dark comedy of mistaken 
identity?

Ceridwen, enjoying these last frantic ideas very much.