The Lightning-Struck Tower
Harry Apparates a weakened Dumbledore back to Hogsmeade. Collapsing, Dumbledore tells Harry to get him to Severus Snape. Madam Rosmerta runs up, reporting that the Dark Mark is floating over Hogwarts. She lends them brooms, and they fly to the Astronomy Tower, with Dumbledore mumbling incantations to allow them through Hogwarts' protective spells. Harry fears for his friends' lives.
As they land atop the tower, Dumbledore orders Harry to fetch Snape, but hearing footsteps in the stairwell, Dumbledore freezes Harry under his invisibility cloak. Draco Malfoy bursts through the door and disarms Dumbledore. Draco reveals his task is to kill Dumbledore, and it was he who helped the Death Eaters invade Hogwarts via a repaired Vanishing Cabinet. It is the same cabinet Montague was shoved into the previous year. The connecting Vanishing Cabinet is at Borgin and Burkes; Montague was stuck between them, sometimes hearing what was happening at the school, sometimes what was occurring at the store, until he finally managed to Apparate out. Draco also controlled Madame Rosmerta using the Imperius Curse; that was how he poisoned the bottle of mead Ron drank, and how Katie Bell got the cursed necklace.
Malfoy and a disarmed Dumbledore speak on the tower for quite a while as battle rages beneath them, and Malfoy seems to become more and more reluctant to kill Dumbledore; however, he believes he has no choice, as his and his mother's lives are at forfeit if he does not. Dumbledore calmly reasons with the frightened and conscience-stricken Malfoy to abandon his mission, promising protection from Voldemort for him and his family. Malfoy falters, apparently about to accept Dumbledore's offer. However, as he is lowering his wand, four Death Eaters arrive: Amycus and Alecto Carrow, Fenrir Greyback, and one other. Their taunting cannot spur on Draco to kill Dumbledore; Fenrir volunteers, but is restrained by the fourth Death Eater. Harry hears yelling from below, heartened that the Hogwarts defenders are undefeated, only walled off. Snape appears and pauses to survey the situation. Dumbledore calls his name softly, almost pleadingly. Snape momentarily gazes at Dumbledore, his face an expression of revulsion and horror, then points his wand directly at Dumbledore's heart and executes the killing curse, hurling Dumbledore's lifeless body upward in the air, over the parapet, and to the ground below.
Perhaps the greatest mystery in the entire series at this point is, did Snape actually murder Dumbledore or did they have some prearranged plan? There is evidence to support either conclusion, and despite Dumbledore's unwavering trust in Snape, his loyalty remains questionable to Harry and to readers. Regardless, it appears that Snape had little choice; he must either kill Albus Dumbledore or die, since he is bound by the Unbreakable Vow to protect Draco Malfoy and complete his mission should Draco fail. Although many readers may believe that if Snape was truly loyal to Dumbledore, then he should have willingly sacrificed himself to protect him and Harry, yet Snape does not. It is possible that Snape and Dumbledore were communicating with each other using Legilimency, and Dumbledore's pleas may represent a request for Snape to sacrifice him to protect Harry and allow Snape to remain in the Dark Lord's favor, implying that Snape might play a key role if Harry is to destroy the Dark Lord. These speculations, and whether or not Dumbledore was actually dead, were hotly debated by readers until the release of the seventh and final Harry Potter book.
It is possible that although Snape killed Dumbledore, he did not actually murder him. That is, there may have been a prearranged agreement that Snape would kill the Headmaster if events deemed it necessary to protect the Order's mission. Indeed, during their confrontation on the Astronomy Tower, it is almost as if Dumbledore was pleading with a conflicted Snape to curse him. In a previous conversation between them, Snape was overheard telling Dumbledore that he would refuse to do something, to which Dumbledore insisted he must follow through. This may have been a reference to Snape's Unbreakable Vow that would require him to kill Dumbledore if Draco failed.
Dumbledore seems either to have been intending to die or was taking a tremendous gamble. The Death Eaters were able to quickly conjure an impenetrable barrier on the stairway, which begs the question why Dumbledore did not react similarly after hearing footsteps on the Astronomy Tower staircase. This would have allowed both Harry and himself an opportunity to escape, but instead he chose to incapacitate Harry, preventing him from intervening and allowing himself to be disarmed by Draco Malfoy, an unqualified wizard. He was either expecting (or planning) to be killed by either Draco or Snape, or he hoped to turn Malfoy over to his side.
As they land atop the tower, Dumbledore orders Harry to fetch Snape, but hearing footsteps in the stairwell, Dumbledore freezes Harry under his invisibility cloak. Draco Malfoy bursts through the door and disarms Dumbledore. Draco reveals his task is to kill Dumbledore, and it was he who helped the Death Eaters invade Hogwarts via a repaired Vanishing Cabinet. It is the same cabinet Montague was shoved into the previous year. The connecting Vanishing Cabinet is at Borgin and Burkes; Montague was stuck between them, sometimes hearing what was happening at the school, sometimes what was occurring at the store, until he finally managed to Apparate out. Draco also controlled Madame Rosmerta using the Imperius Curse; that was how he poisoned the bottle of mead Ron drank, and how Katie Bell got the cursed necklace.
Malfoy and a disarmed Dumbledore speak on the tower for quite a while as battle rages beneath them, and Malfoy seems to become more and more reluctant to kill Dumbledore; however, he believes he has no choice, as his and his mother's lives are at forfeit if he does not. Dumbledore calmly reasons with the frightened and conscience-stricken Malfoy to abandon his mission, promising protection from Voldemort for him and his family. Malfoy falters, apparently about to accept Dumbledore's offer. However, as he is lowering his wand, four Death Eaters arrive: Amycus and Alecto Carrow, Fenrir Greyback, and one other. Their taunting cannot spur on Draco to kill Dumbledore; Fenrir volunteers, but is restrained by the fourth Death Eater. Harry hears yelling from below, heartened that the Hogwarts defenders are undefeated, only walled off. Snape appears and pauses to survey the situation. Dumbledore calls his name softly, almost pleadingly. Snape momentarily gazes at Dumbledore, his face an expression of revulsion and horror, then points his wand directly at Dumbledore's heart and executes the killing curse, hurling Dumbledore's lifeless body upward in the air, over the parapet, and to the ground below.
Perhaps the greatest mystery in the entire series at this point is, did Snape actually murder Dumbledore or did they have some prearranged plan? There is evidence to support either conclusion, and despite Dumbledore's unwavering trust in Snape, his loyalty remains questionable to Harry and to readers. Regardless, it appears that Snape had little choice; he must either kill Albus Dumbledore or die, since he is bound by the Unbreakable Vow to protect Draco Malfoy and complete his mission should Draco fail. Although many readers may believe that if Snape was truly loyal to Dumbledore, then he should have willingly sacrificed himself to protect him and Harry, yet Snape does not. It is possible that Snape and Dumbledore were communicating with each other using Legilimency, and Dumbledore's pleas may represent a request for Snape to sacrifice him to protect Harry and allow Snape to remain in the Dark Lord's favor, implying that Snape might play a key role if Harry is to destroy the Dark Lord. These speculations, and whether or not Dumbledore was actually dead, were hotly debated by readers until the release of the seventh and final Harry Potter book.
It is possible that although Snape killed Dumbledore, he did not actually murder him. That is, there may have been a prearranged agreement that Snape would kill the Headmaster if events deemed it necessary to protect the Order's mission. Indeed, during their confrontation on the Astronomy Tower, it is almost as if Dumbledore was pleading with a conflicted Snape to curse him. In a previous conversation between them, Snape was overheard telling Dumbledore that he would refuse to do something, to which Dumbledore insisted he must follow through. This may have been a reference to Snape's Unbreakable Vow that would require him to kill Dumbledore if Draco failed.
Dumbledore seems either to have been intending to die or was taking a tremendous gamble. The Death Eaters were able to quickly conjure an impenetrable barrier on the stairway, which begs the question why Dumbledore did not react similarly after hearing footsteps on the Astronomy Tower staircase. This would have allowed both Harry and himself an opportunity to escape, but instead he chose to incapacitate Harry, preventing him from intervening and allowing himself to be disarmed by Draco Malfoy, an unqualified wizard. He was either expecting (or planning) to be killed by either Draco or Snape, or he hoped to turn Malfoy over to his side.
No comments:
Post a Comment