Harry Potter Book 7 Theories

Is Dumbledore the heir of Gryffindor? We know Dumbledore is the only wizard Voldemort has ever feared. We also know that Voldemort is the heir of Slytherin. Could his fear of Dumbledore be because Dumbledore is the heir of Gryffindor? Here’s how this could be possible: 1. Dumbledore assures Harry [in HBP] that the only remaining relic from Godric Gryffindor is the sword, that it is safe in his possession, and that it is not a Horcrux. Perhaps the sword was a family heirloom or something, passed down from Godric himself. 2. We know that Dumbledore was in Gryffindor house when he attended Hogwarts. 3. Dumbledore is considered the most powerful, intelligent wizard of all, more powerful than Voldemort. Something must make him so powerful- perhaps his ancestry? 4. We don’t know much about Dumbledore’s past, we only know that he is a great wizard. We can maybe assume that he doesn’t have children, and therefore he is the last remaining heir? Just a thought I had. Also, it’s interesting that Rowling says it would be worth while to investigate Dumbledore’s ancestry.

-Theory by Susie

I know that Dumbledore can be wrong and that he is eternally optimistic about people’s character, but we’ve never been given the complete explanation for Dumbledore’s trust in Snape. If Dumbledore is so overly-optimistic about people’s character, why does he not trust Fudge or Scrimgeour? I believe that JKR could not tell us the real reason for Dumbledore’s trust because that trust is deserved, and when Snape finally shows his true colors, the reason for Dumbledore’s trust will also be revealed. 

- Written by forums member Albus-wan. 

 Cshelbythec has a different idea about why Dumbledore might trust Snape. 

Could it be possible that Dumbledore’s unwavering trust in Snape is the result of an unbreakable vow? When Dumbledore took Snape in, he [Snape] could have made an unbreakable vow never to truly return to Voldemort or betray Dumbledore. In doing so Snape would die if he was to break the vow and, therefore, Dumbledore would be able to trust Snape. 

Theory by Cshelbythec 

Traz-ak has yet another great contribution: “I have trouble with the idea that DD would order Snape to kill him. No, I understand that DD is not afraid of death (and I take big issue with the constant insistence that DD’s alleged ‘pleading’ for his life being such a strong reason for why DD clearly wanted Snape to kill him because I don’t believe that DD was actually pleading for his life in any case, but… I’ll get into that momentarily). I just have trouble with the idea that DD would instruct someone to commit murder after he himself went into such detail with Harry about what a terrible effect murder has on the soul — ripping it into pieces. I have a hard time seeing DD inviting Snape to do such a thing. Now, I understand there are also some good arguments to this… DD knew that Draco was supposed to kill him, and so he probably would find it preferable for Snape to do the killing rather than Draco, who is still more or less of an innocent soul right now.”

This is what I think happened: Snape told Dumbledore about the Unbreakable Vow he made with Draco’s mother. Dumbledore, knowing what breaking an Unbreakable Vow would cost and having a soft spot for all of his students, couldn’t let his former student die for being a ‘good’ spy for Dumbledore’s Order of the Phoenix.

But this is where one of the loop holes comes into play. In Chapter Two (”Spinner’s End”), Snape says, “He [Voldemort] intends me to do it in the end, I think. But he is determined that Draco should try first…”

But to try is not to succeed! Snape promised to complete Draco’s task if he failed, so when Draco didn’t kill Dumbledore, Snape took a swing at it.

So far, we know that Draco, or Snape, was supposed to try to kill Dumbledore, but wait - we all read the part where Snape casts the Killing Curse on Dumbledore, so that means that he died, right? Wrong!

In the first book, the first thing that Snape tells his students is that he can teach them how to brew any potion imaginable and “even stopper death.”

Now, this leads us to the cave. Let’s face it, Dumbledore has been there many times before. No one can know their way around a place like that, I don’t care how good a wizard you are. Besides, isn’t it odd how Dumbledore has a knife in his pocket right when he needs it? After all, he is a powerful wizard, why would he need something as crude as a knife? Anyway, Harry and Dumbledore make it out to the island and find the stone basin full of green potion. Dumbledore then drinks the potion and there at the bottom sits the locket that is unfortunately a fake. But does anybody notice that basin doesn’t fill back up? So then, if the locket is a fake, that means the person who came and got the locket before Harry and Dumbledore (one Mr. or Mrs. R.A.B.) had to have drank the potion first, leaving the basin high and dry. Well, okay, now where did the green potion that Dumbledore drank come from? I believe that Dumbledore put it there himself, and the potion that he drinks is the potion that Snape says can “put a stopper on death”.

So here we have it, a way for Snape to try to kill Dumbledore and not succeed.

This plan allows Snape to keep his promise to help Draco, and it also allows Dumbledore to keep his promise of keeping Snape safe as long as he is a spy for the Dark Lord. So to quote Captain Jack Sparrow: “We’re all men of our word, really.”

So why does Dumbledore continue to let everyone think he is dead when he is not? I think that perhaps he wants Voldemort to think he is dead, as that may be the only way to make him fumble the ball.

I know there are flaws in my theory, so I would love to hear what everybody else thinks.

- Written by forums member That Old Black Magic

JcBHPfan agrees that Dumbledore is alive, but for different reasons.

I don’t think that Dumbledore is dead. In GoF, when the Avada Kedavra curse is used, the victim falls lifeless to the floor. In the graveyard Cedric falls to the floor with a shocked look on his face. When Dumbledore had the same curse put on him he was ‘blasted’ over the battlements to the ground below. Non-verbal spells were taught during some of the books. Snape could have been pretending to do the Avada Kedavra curse when actually he was thinking a different spell. Dumbledore and Snape may have done this to fool Voldemort into thinking he [Dumbledore] is dead so he can search for ways to help the Order without having to worry about Voldemort coming after him.