Warning: The next article comprises spoilers for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which got here out in 2005 and it’s best to completely have consumed by now.
Over the course of seven books and eight movies, Harry Potter‘s adventures packed in numerous twists, turns, spells, and double-crosses, however few parts shocked followers as a lot as Albus Dumbledore‘s demise on the climax of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
J.Okay. Rowling‘s wizarding saga was already taking a darker flip as Harry’s nemesis, He Who Shall Not Be Named, and his military of Loss of life Eaters publicly revealed themselves, however Dumbledore’s demise darkened the story additional, setting the tone for the ultimate quantity of the wizarding saga.
After the unlucky passing of Sir Michael Gambon, who faithfully portrayed Dumbledore since Prisoner of Azkaban, devoted Potterheads have begun to bask in previous recollections of the beloved fantasy franchise and meditated on Dumbledore’s unfathomable send-off.
That stated, it wasn’t simply the demise of the beloved character that was surprising, however the best way wherein he died. In a stand-off excessive up in a Hogwarts tower, it was Severus Snape who solid the deadly spell. The suspicions Harry Potter had lengthy held about his former Potions Grasp gave the impression to be confirmed in that second.
Why was Dumbledore’s demise such a shock?
The Hogwarts headmaster had been established as one of the vital highly effective characters within the Wizarding World. He had additionally acted as a mentor to Harry for the reason that younger wizard’s arrival in school, guiding Harry into the world of magic and serving to him uncover his household historical past in addition to the reality behind the return of the darkish wizard that Dumbledore insisted on calling by his precise identify: Voldemort.
From the outset, we knew that Dumbledore was greater than only a headmaster. Because the books progressed, we noticed his plots and plans develop together with Harry and his pals. It was Dumbledore who assembled two generations of the Order of the Phoenix to fight the darkish wizard’s Loss of life Eaters.
Within the build-up to Half-Blood Prince’s publication, there have been rumors that one of many collection’ major characters was going to die. Whereas many appropriately predicted Dumbledore’s demise, few anticipated occasions to unfold the best way they did. However Rowling’s tightly-plotted novels laid hints earlier than and after Dumbledore’s demise that proved it was unavoidable.
Why did Snape must kill Dumbledore?
Half-Blood Prince and the collection’ concluding quantity, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, provided a number of explanation why Dumbledore needed to die at this level within the saga ⏤ and why it needed to be Snape who solid the Killing Curse.
A curse on Dumbledore contributed to his demise
Firstly, Dumbledore wasn’t in the perfect well being, as Harry had suspected all through Half-Blood Prince. By Potter’s sixth 12 months at Hogwarts, he and Dumbledore had been actively attempting to find Voldemort’s Horcruxes ⏤ magical objects that carried fragments of the darkish wizard’s soul and guaranteed his immortality. Later, it was revealed that Dumbledore had already found the second Horcrux ⏤ Marvolo Gaunt’s Ring ⏤ and realized that it included the fabled Resurrection Stone. Dumbledore had looked for the Stone (one of many Deathly Hallows) for a few years, hoping to resurrect his household, together with his sister Ariana. Overcome on the revelation, Dumbledore slipped it on, a mistake the aged wizard later advised Harry proved that he was unworthy to unite the Deathly Hallows himself.
The ring cursed Dumbledore, leaving his hand wanting blackened and useless because it unfold. We later realized that Snape had managed to restrict the curse, though it was too late to save lots of Dumbledore’s life. Each males knew that he would have died painfully inside a 12 months, so Snape’s motion was really merciful.
Dumbledore’s demise saved Draco Malfoy’s soul
Dumbledore was a strong wizard, as Voldemort very nicely knew. When the 2 dueled in Order of the Phoenix, the darkish wizard had been pressured to flee. Sometimes, he dispatched a Loss of life Eater to do his soiled work, however in selecting Draco Malfoy to kill his rival, he set the younger wizard on a darkish path he’d by no means have the ability to depart. Dumbledore knew that if Snape took his place, he would save Draco’s soul.
Dumbledore’s demise helped launch the Elder Wand
The Elder Wand, one other of the Deathly Hallows, was essentially the most highly effective wand in existence. Handed on by battle, Dumbledore had commanded it for over 50 years after his defeat of Grindelwald in 1945. Voldemort knew that he couldn’t management the wand except his former headmaster was defeated. Dumbledore knew that he needed to keep away from defeat to make sure that the wand stayed out of the Darkish Wizard’s fingers. Occasions didn’t go as both of them deliberate.
Dumbledore’s quest for Voldemort’s Horcruxes had severely weakened the previous wizard. Earlier than Snape seized on Malfoy’s hesitation and killed Dumbledore, the younger wizard had already managed to disarm his headmaster. In doing so, Malfoy unwittingly turned grasp of the Elder Wand. The occasions of Deathly Hallows recommend that this couldn’t presumably be a part of Dumbledore’s plan, since it will definitely led to Snape’s demise as Voldemort sought management of the wand.
Nonetheless, this proved to be a misdirection that saved that energy from Voldemort’s grasp even after he had retrieved the Elder Wand from Dumbledore’s grave. Voldemort hadn’t realized that Draco had been in a position to disarm Dumbledore. Harry Potter later took management of the Elder Wand when he defeated Draco through the Battle of Hogwarts.
Dumbledore’s demise helped Voldemort belief Snape
Holding the Elder Wand out of Voldemort’s grasp was important, however essentially the most rapid concern was defending Severus Snape. Sure, Snape is later confirmed to be a double agent. Believing that the Darkish Lord was beginning to lose his belief in Snape, Dumbledore’s sacrifice offered the final word proof of Snape’s loyalty. When the headmaster pleads with Snape simply earlier than his demise, it convinces the reluctant wizard to stay to their plan and preserve the key protected.
In Half-Blood Prince, the act satisfied everybody ⏤ even us. It made much more sense when the id of the Half-Blood Prince was revealed shortly after Dumbledore’s demise. Because the son of the witch Eileen Prince and Muggle Tobias Snape, it was none apart from Severus Snape. Dumbledore’s demise might dominate the sixth e-book, nevertheless it was about Snape all alongside, and in the meanwhile, the plot to defeat Voldemort was protected with him.