Half Blood Prince (warning: spoilers)
WARNING: SERIOUS HARRY POTTER SPOILERS!!! There are many big questions raised by Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince as we prepare for the, probably long, wait for book 7. My biggest is this: will Albus Dumbledore ""pull a Gandalf" and return more powerful than before? I suppose it is possible. I believe it's doubtful for the following reasons. First of all, Gandalf is not a man, he's a member of the Maiar, a class of spirits who serve the powers of Middle-Earth known as the Valar. Thus he is immortal, and when he "dies", or falls as the Elves say, he is merely re-clothed with a new body and sent back by the Valar with more powers to finish his task. On the other hand, Dumbledore is most definitely a man albeit one with great powers of magic. This is a fundamental difference between Tolkien's world and Rowling's. In the world of Harry Potter, mortals can perform magic. The men and hobbits of Tolkien's Middle-Earth can only in an extremely limited way use magical objects. Magic, a term that Tolkien did not particularly like, is otherworldly in the case of the Maiar. There are also a number of other reasons. Dumbledore stresses many times to both Harry and Voldemort that they are mistaken if they believe that death is the worst fate for a human or even that it is a complete misfortune. From the end of the first book when the impending demise of Nicholas Flamel is treated to Book 6 in the discussion of the unnatural immortality provided by horcruxes, this has been a theme of death as a transition. This agrees with the belief of Christians that "Life is changed, not taken away" (from the "Mass of the Dead".) Harry's bravery, his lack of fear of death, is his most highly praised attribute and the mark of Gryffindor house. It seems as if Voldemort's fear of death has driven him to use horcruxes, unnaturally dividing and corrupting the possession which humans should most value: his immortal soul! For these reasons I do not think Dumbledore will be brought back to finish the task - that task now belong solely to Harry. However, I can see it possible that Rowling could stage some type of twist where we discover that Snape used some type of false curse. But I think that Dumbledore's death scene, coupled with the "Unbreakable Vow" which we know Snape has made is meant to demonstrate beyond doubt that Dumbledore was really killed with Avada Kedavra. Many Harry Potter fans long to see Dumbledore be somehow not dead. Dumbledore's death seems like defeat for the side of good and victory for Voldemort. This desire is so great that some readers on some blogs have abandoned all sense and suggested that Dumbledore might have availed himself of horcruxes as well. This would necessitate Dumbledore committing the horrific act of murder, not merely killing, but the killing of an innocent! I surely these readers should come to their senses and come to accept the above-mentioned assertion that death is not the worst thing, but the disregard of the soul for a corrupted form of existence. Readers should also take heart that Dumbledore will still be around to some degree - yes, in the pictures in the headmaster's office! Also - what about the chocolate frog cards? These are, of course, more like the "imprints" left behind by the ghosts at Hogwarts than the actual person. |
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