Albus Dumbledore was the Headmaster of Hogwarts and was offered the position of Minister for Magic several times. Incidentally, Dumbledore was the only wizard Voldemort ever feared.
Along with the whole of the wizarding society, we were looking up to Dumbledore for leadership and advice, but unexpectedly, his death came too soon. Or maybe not?
Contents
How Did Dumbledore Die?
Dumbledore died on the top of the Astronomy Tower, killed by Avada Kedavra curse performed by Severus Snape.
Throughout Harry’s sixth year at Hogwarts, unbeknownst to everyone except Snape and Dumbledore himself, there were several failed attempts on Dumbledores life.
The cursed neckless and the poisoned mead were both sent by Draco Malfoy. When Malfoy cornered Dumbledore at the Astronomy Tower, he had the chance to kill him personally, but Malfoy wasn’t brave enough. The task then fell to Snape, just like Dumbledore planned.
Why Did Dumbledore Die?
In the aftermath of Dumbledore’s death, we can rewind the scene and think of the reasons why Dumbledore had to die.
There were several reasons, and although nothing was confirmed, we can make assumptions based on the events that followed.
A deadly Curse from Marvolo’s Ring
Hunting Horcruxes was one of the tasks Dumbledore took upon himself, and as a clever and competent wizard, he was successful.
He traced down one of the Horcruxes, the Marvolo Gaunt’s Ring, which happened to be also a Hallow, a Resurrection Stone. Dumbledore was tempted, more than likely, to see his family once again, and he put the Ring on.
Although he was aware the Ring might be cursed, more than likely suspecting it from Voldemort, or feeling the Dark Magic around the Ring, the temptation to use it was greater.
As claimed by Snape, the curse was extraordinarily strong, and even though Snape trapped it in one of Dumbledore’s hands, Dumbledore was dying.
Answering Dumbledore’s question about how long the old wizard has, Snape stated that Dumbledore only had about one more year to live.
Keeping Snape’s Cover
In the end, we learn that Dumbledore’s phrase “for the greater good” is still ever-present. He even applied it to himself when he decided that Snape had to kill him.
Knowing he would die regardless, Dumbledore formulated a plan that helped Snape gain more trust within Voldemort’s Inner Circle and kept any doubt Voldemort might have at bay.
Considering, that Snape took an Unbreakable Vow and was under constant scrutiny from Bellatrix Lestrange and other Death Eaters, Sape didn’t have much choice on the matter.
By allowing Snape to kill him in front of other Death Eaters, Dumbledore helped Snape keep his cover.
Elder Wand Secret
Dumbledore knew that the Hallows were not merely a myth but a real thing. Over the years, he pursued the Elder Wand, and at last, he was its master after winning it from Gellert Grindelwald.
He knew that Voldemort set out on the same quest, and Dumbledore tried to protect the Wand from him.
The plan was to let Snape kill him and hopefully cancel the death toll of Elder Wand. Dumbledore hoped that by surrendering to Snape, he could make the Elder Wand as normal, as an ordinary wand can be.
When Did Dumbledore Die
Some sources state that Dumbledore died 30th of June 1997. Doing simple math from when Scrimgeour met Harry on Harry’s birthday, and Hermione stated that the Ministry had 30 days to review Dumbledore’s will, it will be perfectly acceptable.
However, reading chapter 30 of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, we learned that all lessons and examinations were suspended following Dumbledore’s death.
We all deduced from the previous books that the examinations were held in the first two weeks of June, and students left for home in the third or fourth week of June.
Saying that Dumbledore died 30th of June would mean that all the exams (including Ginny’s O.W.L’s) were held sometime in July. This is rather late for the exams in our opinion, and considering other students still had lessons, when would their exams be?
We think that Dumbledore died sometime at the end of May or maybe during the first week of June.
Conclusion
The death of Dumbledore, even though unavoidable, came as a bit of a shock to us.
Dumbledore died on the Astronomy Tower because he believed his death would help the cause. He was dying from a dark curse and knew he didn’t have much time left.
Therefore he planned to make the most of it, fortifying Snape’s position with Voldemort and ending the bloody reign of the Elder Wand.