[Not A Snowbird]

Good theory.

I do think Dumbledore is dead because he's now a portrait in the Headmaster's office. But I'm open to Snape having set it up with him.

[kingu]

I do think Dumbledore is dead because he's now a portrait in the Headmaster's office. But I'm open to Snape having set it up with him.

Missed that one - had to go back and re-read the scene (a hard trick, since my 12 year old didn't want to let go of the book) - you're right, Dumbledore is on the wall. But one thing that the author has been careful to explain is that photos and portraits are not the people they portray, simply the capturing of a similarity of how they were when that photo or portrait was produced.

A good example of how this works is all the photos and portraits of Lockhart that Lockhart kept in the Dark Arts classroom.

I wouldn't be shocked if it was a stunt put together by Snape and Dumbledore, and I wouldn't be shocked if it wasn't a stunt and Dumbledore is dead.