I was sitting here by my computer checking my email when suddenly a thought struck me!:o Is Dumbledore's grave empty because he's a ghost? It really made me wonder!:ermm: I bet I'm wrong and that this doesn't even make sense but I thougt it was brilliant!

It is a thought, but I voted "Not a Chance."

As the wise late Dumbledore said, "To the well organized mind, death is but the next great adventure." Based on this, it seems that Dumbledore was actually anticipating death, or at the very least was not intimidated by it. To him, choosing to be a ghost shows weakness and fear of changes. He is far above such things, and is not one to show his weaknesses (although, you can argue that he "pleaded for his life" on the Astronomy Tower, but that can be rebuttled ).

If Dumbledore really is gone for good, he should stay that way. It would not be a good twist in the book to have him come back as a ghost and aid Harry in defeating Voldemort. From here, Harry's on his own, and he is well aware of that.

I, for one, am still in the "denial" stage of grieving. I can't help but think that poor Alb-y is still out there...




_daviD

yeah. i guess you have a point by what dumbledore said about death being the next adventure. i have to agree with you that it would ruin the story if he came back as a ghost and helped harry. but i also believe that something has happened to him since he is not in his grave and that very well could be that he is a ghost. i wouldnt want him to help harry either but i think that him coming back as a ghost is a cance seeing as he did plead for his life on the tower. this topic is just a thought, and may not be likely, but its a slight slight possibility.

Well I said Good Question, he wont become a ghost im sure but he will be a portrait because he wanted to die, well didnt want to, but he wasnt afraid of death.. and people who are ghosts were.

Very Very interesting and good questions

My answer is Possibly yes he could be a ghost and only Harry,Ron and Hermione can see him? that is a possibility? Well he probably would have become a ghost to help harry to get the horcruxes

Is Dumbledore's grave really empty? Because I got the impression that, well, it's not. It's interesting if it were, though, so could you point me to a specific passage in HBP that says this? Thanks.

I answered "Not a Chance" by the way, because even Dumbledore is not foolish enough to be stuck in the world forever. Hehe

Not a chance. Remember what Nearly Headless Nick told Harry? Only those that are desperately afraid of death become ghosts, because they cannot bear the thought of leaving this world. Dumbledore never feared death, so he cannot possibly be a ghost. Sadly..

Not a chance.I totally agree with bluezz,Dumbledore never feared death.So i really don't think that he would be a ghost.

There is absolutley no way of Dumbledore coming back as a ghost. It's been mentioned here already that he didn't fear death. Isn't that the only reason why Nearly Headless Nick came back -- because he feared death?? I think that the only time we MIGHT see Dumbledore in the seventh book is in the Headmaster/mistress's office or in some old photographs.

Dumbledore a GHOST......? NOWAY........!!!!!!
Nearly Headless Nick tells Harry that very few would chose this path to linger around on earth after death and that would those would didnt want to die. but as all of us have seen in book 6 that Dumbledore invites death from Snape. So he is prepared for it, and as he had said in an earlier book to Harry that death would be but another adventure.....for a well prepared mind..........

I don't thing jDd will come b ack ads a ghost because he was never afgraid of deagth and saw it as the next big adventure

yes i think dumbledore was ready to go over into the next life, he found it exciting not frightening so i think that there is no chance of him coming back as a ghost, just as sirius didnt, they looked at it not as a bad thing, but a new adventure.

Yea, I agree. Dumbledore knew that he was going to die and he knew of the task LV sent Draco Malfoy to do, and he wasn't afraid of death so he would'nt become a ghost. But also I don't think DD is dead, but that is another topic!

I don't think Dumbledore is a ghost.
Do you remember what Nick Nearly Headless said?
Dumbledore surely wasn't afreid to die, not a wizard like him!

I voted "not a chance" Dumbledore was not afraid of death. And didn't Nearly Headless Nick say that people became ghosts because they wanted to stay on earth and not face death? I'm not sure I don't have my book, but I will look into it.

The only information we have on why a wizard becomes a ghost is from Nearly Headless Nick. Nick was not ready to die. Thus he chose his "feeble imitation of life." Does anyone believe that Dumbledore was not prepared "for the next great adventrue?"

Judging be the poll results and other posts, I would say that most people agree with this line of thinking.

I could linger on this question for a while.
I could say No - like most tohers. He, being Dumbledore, was not afraid of death. He was never afraid to die.
But then again, I could say Yes and here is why.
If I were to say yes, I could think for a moment and then believe my questioning.
Dumbledore, could have become a ghost so he could lead Harry once more to the right answer, merly watch over him.
He has always done that, always had one eye on Mr. Potter, so why should he not in the after life?

I never got the impression that his casket was empty. It is possible though because the casket was closed. The only wizards who come back as ghosts are the ones that are afriad to die according to Sir Nicholas. If Dumbledore returned as a ghost it would not be out of fear but perhaps the only way to help Harry. However, we know that he can help Harry as a portrait. We even learn that you can travel between your portraits no matter where they hang. I suspect DD will return to help Harry as a portrait because Rowling makes it a point to tell you that his portrait is snoring behind his desk when Harry, McGonagall, and the Heads of house are meeting in his office before the Ministry gets there.

have been thinking about that all weekend (i would have written a thread but i dont know how to). I have been thinking that DD could come back to harry and still help him out. That would be an easy option for JKR to take but it would seem logical. And i think that DD would make a greta ghost!

Not a chance. He is not that type of person. Death is the next great adventure to him. His job is done, he told Harry all he could.

Exactly right for the most part there! Dumbledore is not the person to be scared of Death and what lies beyond so a choice where you are bound to the Earth for all eternity would not be be an option. Although, the only thing I disagree with you on is that Dumbledore's job is over... will it ever be over until the dark lord is gone? It's sort of his life work you know? But as for Dumbledore telling Harry everything he could, I disagree, He and Harry could have spent 30 years training for the Final Fight with Voldemort and Dumbledore would probably still be able to teach him things...

~Albus

Yes, i think he is. Because i'm sure in an interview J.K said that Dumbledore was dead, but had a big envolment in book 7. So yeah maybe he is a ghost. Harry thought of it when it came to Sirius but maybe he'll dismiis that thought. And later on in book 7 he'll get a nice suprise.

no,i definitely dont think that he will choose to live as a ghost as in ootp nearly headless nick says that very few wizards choose to lead such life.
dumbledore was a great wizard and he will definitely not live that way...and concerning the "big involvement" n book 7 ,i think (its there in hbp) he will be present as apotrait in headmistress office..and try to help harry.....

~vidhi

His job is not yet over, however, he's not the person in charge anymore. The mantle has passed onto Harry and Dumbledore though dead can still help him from beyond. He doesn't need to be a ghost to do this, he could do it through his portrait or even in some manner through Fawkes. We still don't know what's up with Fawkes. Harry will always remember what Dumbledore told him and so Dumbledore would never be gone as long as he's not forgotten.

I think dd won't be a ghost because in book five, when Harry was talking to Nearly Headless Nick, NHN said that Sirius would never be a ghost...

And DD said that death was the next great adventure... Surely he'll want to take part in that?????

Dumeledore could become a ghost and help harry with voldemort but then when harry has to fight voldemort he will ask dumbledore to help him but dubledore will tell him that he has to do it himself..Thats my theory.

I think that is way to far fetched. I mean Dd has touched harry before and would have went through him! he would have been icy cold, also, I dont think ghost can do magic or drink things, how would Dd have dinkin the potion. Impossible.

I’m really sorry but I’m going to have to say not a chance. Dumbledore always said that death wasn’t the worst thing and that was the problem with Voldemort for he believed that death WAS the worst thing imaginable. Ghosts (as Sir Nick tells us) choose to stay as ghosts because they are afraid of death. Can you imagine after all the times Dumb has said that one flaw of Voldemort’s that he would go and become a ghost? And anyway, if he was a ghost, I think we would’ve seen his ghost before Harry came out of the full body bind curse.

I selected "other" because a strange notion popped into my head that may hold true. What if the DD that was killed by Snape, was not the DD that we know and love? I mean this... What if he was a "second" version of the real DD to throw Voldemort off? I read some very interesting theories about the concept of using a time turner and the paradoxes that will occur. So here's my theory.

DD knows he is to be attacked, Uses a time turner to go back in time a while. Hermione mentions in PoA that he is aware of the effects of meeting yourself in the past, but say he takes the risk. He goes back meets "past DD" and the two of them ride out the next few days/ weeks/ months whatever making sure that only one or the other is seen, but never both. Waits until the day he gets killed, and future DD is the one to take the blow. This way "past DD" is able to hide in secret for a while until after the funeral and then pop out when needed to help the Order secretly. Future DD is the one that has to go because if he pulls this off correctly, past DD BECOMES future DD anyways. So essentially just a shadow of DD was killed, not the one that has a chance to live. This clearly would change the future, but at this point in DD's mind there is not much of a future to preserve anyhow.

Any thoughts??

I don't think that Dumbledore will come back as a ghost. The only reason people become ghosts is if they fear death, right? I highly doubt and am almost certain that Dumbledore didn't fear death therefore I highly doubt that he'll come back as a ghost. We might see him in a painting but not as a ghost.

Nearly headless Nick said that he was afraid to die and chose to come back. Dumbledore was never afraid of death, so he wouldn't have chose to stay behind.

He didn't really have a purpose to, and would have "Gone on" in my opinion.

But that is my "Opinion" so yeah, feel free to think otherwise.

Id just like to point out that even if DD were a ghost, his body would still have to be in the grave.

Moon, you are exactly right! Dumbledore was not afraid to die. If he was he probably would have done something to Draco before Snape even got to him.

horcrux, is there a need for the body when one becomes a ghost?

keetedawn, while I really love to think your theory could be valid, hasn't JKR already come out and said that DD is dead? I think she has and that would make your theory invalid, unfortunately.

I don't think DD will come back as a ghost, but I do believe that he will still be of some help to Harry via his portrait.

I also want to point out that we actually have 2 people that have given us an answer to how people come back as ghosts, NHN as some have mentioned, but also Moaning Myrtle. She didn't come back because she was afraid of death, she came back to haunt Olive Hornby.

From COS US Hardcover p299


I believe that there is more than one way for someone to come back as a ghost, or at least JKR alludes to that, so while there is a possibility DD could come back as a ghost, I just don't think JKR will write it that way.

In my opinion, DD feels he has advised and taught Harry everything he can up until this point and now Harry needs to stand on his own 2 feet. Of course he will still need some assistance, but I think having DD be around too often would not help Harry but hurt him. He will lean too much on DD and not enough on his own capabilities. DD was not around helping Harry in SS, COS, or GOF when Harry met with Vapormort/Voldemort, but Harry was still able to come out of each of those situations alive. Harry had help in those situations, and I believe he will have help in the final battle, but it has rarely been from DD himself (exception being OOTP) and Harry finally needs to realize that.

dd will not come back as a ghost, he believes death is the next great adventure and harry has to start learning things on his own now, dd new he would die and he wasnt the least bit scared he was the greatest wizard of his time and being a ghost will show tht he is weak when he is not so he deffinatley wont be coming back as a ghost

Dumbledore eats sweets (Sherbert Lemons for example) and Ghosts can't eat, read Nearly Headless Nick talk about it during the Great Feast in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

He might come back as a ghost but I'd be very surprised since it would go against the entire character of Dumbledore. He said the unkown was all to fear in death, and if you read Nearly Headless Nick (I think he was the ghost) talking to Harry about why people become ghosts and what they are in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, it seems that ghosts are those who were too afraid of the unkown to go there.

That's my opion anyway .

Exactly what I think. Besides since when would DD be afraid to face the unknown?
Plus it would take away from the DH plot if Harry had DD to help. HArry and Co. have to figure this one out themselves.

It is very unlikely that DD will become a ghost because he does not fear death and he in a way kind of looked forward to it. But if he felt that his aid was still required to stop Voldemort than he would possibly become a ghost. But this is quite unlikely like I said.

"NOt a CHance."

I don't think DUmby will come back at all. And even if we will (which i dont think will happen), not as a ghost. Headless NIck said "very few wizards choose that path."

No, Dumbledore wouldn't become a ghost. Only people who are afraid of death, like Nearly Headless Nick become ghosts. Dumbledore was not afraid of death, so therefore he didn't become a ghost.

Not a chance that DD became a ghost!

DD was ready to die at any moment, because he always did the the painful things to himself. Also the line in PS/SS where DD said " that death to the well organized mind was but the next great adventure" or something like that, proves to me that DD was ready to die.

He can't be.Ghosts are people who were afraid to die,or something like that.DD was never afraid to die.He considered it as an adventure,never something to be scared of.