Some of it is the degree of set up. IMO, more of it is the emotional set-up and pay-off. Even if there's a deep technical explanation, if the result is an, "Oh, sorry about your emotional trauma, Harry. Not dead," it feels kinda ass-pull-y, even if it was built in from the get-go.

eta: the thing about Gandalf is that he is, but, he's kinda not, too. I mean, it's the same guy, but he's not the same as when he left. He achieved a higher level of wizard-ness, or whetever.

there's ways to make it work though... this year's wesleycrusher is that Harry thinks Dumbledore is alive and keeps finding clues and nobody believes him

but I still think he's dead

this year's wesleycrusher

Bwahahahahaha!!! LOVE it.

I think DD is dead because the argument Hagrid overheard makes no sense if they were going to pull a fake out. The only explanation would be that Snape doesn't know it's going to be a fake out either.

Anyone else hoping that when Harry visits Godric's Hollow (that's Harry's parents house, right?), he finds something with his mother's hand writing and realizes she's the one who put the notes in his potions book. Yes I may have drunk the kool-aid on this one, but it would certainly be the one thing that could get Harry to start re-thinking Snape's role in EVERYTHING (although Harry's stubborn enough to probably believe Snape stole the book from Lily at some point).

I think it would be cheating for DD not to be dead. I realize that there's a mention of the phoenix at his funeral, but I think (hope) that this is not some clue that DD will come back. Plus, DD has said in the past that he does not fear death (I think he said: "to the organized mind, death is the next great adventure") and him coming back would undermine that lesson.

I do wonder just how interactive his portrait will be. I also wonder who the new head will be -- I think it's possible that the Ministry will want someone more loyal to it than McDonagall -- and how DD's portrait will "serve" the new headmaster/mistress as it is bound to do.

I also think that some of HPVII will be at the Ministry -- in that room with the veil that Sirius fell into. It seems like such an odd way to kill someone without some further payoff.

I also think that some of HPVII will be at the Ministry -- in that room with the veil that Sirius fell into. It seems like such an odd way to kill someone without some further payoff.

Ugh, I'm still angry. Most anti-climactic death since Kirk fell down and went boom in GENERATIONS.

Even if DD is alive, she won't bring him back until the very, very end. So in either case, Harry's going to be operating without a net in HP7. I also think that despite all the talk about no Hogwarts, there will be school and Harry will pull a Buffy and not show up for a few weeks and then someone will drag him in.

I'd love for that someone to be Molly.

Somewhat random question: have we ever seen any indication of what sort of education wizard kids get before age 11? They clearly all come to Hogwarts knowing how to read and write, but without much exposure to the Muggle world, so they can't have just been going to local elementary schools. Are there a bunch of small wizard elementary schools all over the place? Are they all just taught at home? I can see problems with either of those setups.

No, Hil, we haven't. I've had those questions, too. Because we haven't been told, I've assumed teaching/absoption of knowledge at home.

Lucky for you, Hil, I just read JKR's FAQ on Sunday.

[link]