Harry Potter Fans: Is Dumbledore Alive?

Since Dumbledore was hit with Snape's unforgivable Killing Curse in The Half Blood Prince there are still many people who believe that the great wizard is not really dead. It is painfully obvious at the end of Book 6 that Harry believes Dumbledore is dead, not the least of which is that he saw Snape kill him in cold blood with his own eyes. How is it even possible for Dumbledore to have survived? And if he did survive - why is he pretending to be dead?

First of all there are a great many reasons to support those who believe he's dead. Dumbledore put Harry in a Full Body-Bind , paralyzing him under his Invisibility Cloak, just before his confrontation with Draco Malfoy. The second that Snape's curse hits Dumbledore the Full Body-Bind is lifted. In order to break the spell it must be lifted. Nobody broke the spell on Harry so it makes sense that when the spell's caster died, Dumbledore in this case, the spell was immediately broken.

Dumbledore's loyal phoenix, Fawkes, abandons his perch in Dumbledore's office when his master is hit with the Killing Curse and sings a woeful tribute as he circles the grounds. If Dumbledore were truly alive Fawkes would have felt it and would not have reacted this way. Then later Harry notices that Fawkes has left the school grounds and knows somehow that he has gone for good. If Dumbledore were truly alive Fawkes would have remained at the school waiting for his master's return.

There is also Dumbledore's office to consider. When Dolores Umbridge takes control over Hogwarts in The Order of the Phoenix she is not allowed to enter the Headmaster's office. The doors become magically sealed. At the end of Half Blood Prince when McGonagall is appointed Headmistress the office grants her permission to enter because she is now the rightful owner. The portraits on the walls of the office also tell the tale of Dumbledore's demise. For Dumbledore's portrait to appear with all of the other long gone Headmasters he must certainly be dead.

Now let's take a look at the reason how he could actually be alive! The fact is that Harry saw Snape deliver a Killing Curse straight into Dumbledore's chest. Or did he? When Snape's curse hit Dumbledore he was launched into the air, was suspended for a moment and then dropped. But that's not the way Avada Kedavra has ever worked in the entire series. There is always a flash of green light, a loud rushing sound and the victim just drops to the ground and dies. It's almost as if what Dumbledore was hit by was a very powerful Expelliarmus since it flung him over the battlements. Simply put - Avada Kedavra doesn't launch it's victims. It drops them. So either Snape didn't really deliver the Killing Curse or Dumbledore found a way to block the unblockable curse.

And how about Fawkes? Sure he did his woeful lament and took off from Hogwarts but does anyone really believe that he just sat around waiting for Dumbledore to die? Fawkes has always been there when Dumbledore (or Harry!) needed him and now when Dumbledore needs him the most we're supposed to believe that he just hung out in the office? He took the Avada Kedavra for Dumbledore in the Ministry of Magic in Order of the Phoenix but he just didn't feel like getting up that night to go bail him out again? Not likely.

Ok so he's alive. But why is he faking his own death? The simplest answer is that he's doing it to protect Harry. Perhaps he believes that the best way to defeat Voldemort is for Voldemort to think he's already dead and therefore no longer a threat or protection for Harry. Voldemort's guard will be down. The question remains is if the Order know he's alive. It's doubtful he told anyone about this plot or it would risk his secret getting out.

There are convincing arguments pointing to Dumbledore's death but there are equally valid points leading us to believe he may be alive. Harry thinks he saw Dumbledore get hit with the Killing Curse but when you dissect the attack it just doesn't add up. Fawkes left Hogwarts when his master 'died' but didn't bother to help when he was needed? Who's to say he didn't just fly off to some rendezvous point where Dumbledore had previously told him to go? And the best way for Dumbledore to fight his opponent is for him to think he was already dead.