Harry's new protection- BIG spoiler

[Hermione]

In HBP it mentions several times that Harry is "Dumbledore's boy." In the end, at his funeral, Harry says he is Dumbledore's man through and though.

Could this possibly be some foreshaddowing? Perhaps Harry will get some sort of protection from Dumbledore, like the kind he got from his mother. I don't think it will be exactly the same branchof magic but something similar, something Voldemort will underestimate.

[Tonks]

This is definitely important because having Harry as "Dumbledore's man through and through" means that he even though Dumbledore is gone, he is as loyal to him as ever..

I don't know how much this will help Harry, but last time Harry showed such loyalty to Dumbledore, he received help from a certain pet phoenix - ;) I think there is a possibility that maybe Fawkes will continue to help Harry if he really needs it, because of such loyalty.

Um, I do think that Dumbledore ultimately died to save Harry and there has to be something said for his Freezing Charm which kept Harry invisible and out of danger while Dumbledore was unarmed. True, it did also make him helpless, but Dumbledore did it to keep Harry from harm ..

[Alz]

You know there is something in the way the new MoM said that - well just makes me get all suspicous ;)

Given on face value - it would be taken as a huge compliment to Harry - afterall Dumbledore was respected by nearly everyone and feared by the one man that pretty much everyone else fears!
I think Harry has the potential to almost assume that role by reputation and grooming Dumbledore applied to Harry ...
I think the phoenix is going to be huge in this - I think given what I read from JKR today - we are safe to assume that the phoenix will rise from the ashes again ;)

[Tinkerbell]

I think its also important as not many were aware that Harry was on the Astronomy Tower when the evil deed was done - did Dumbledore know that he could provide some additional protection to Harry and that is another reason he froze him so he would not intervene?

[Boing]

Agreed with Blaise (as we discussed), that comment about being Dumbledore's man through and through just sort of made me cringe. There's a small piece of me that still wonders about Dumbledore. I hope it's not a bad thing that he's his man through and through . . .

As for protection, it's completely possible Fawkes will come back. In the interview with TLC/Mugglenet that Hedwig posted, it seems that JKR told a little bit about Fawkes, but couldn't reveal everything, so that always points to something more in the next book.

[Tonks]

I think its also important as not many were aware that Harry was on the Astronomy Tower when the evil deed was done - did Dumbledore know that he could provide some additional protection to Harry and that is another reason he froze him so he would not intervene?
That's what I think too, Tink. Dumbledore knew that Harry was invisible and as such nobody would know he was there, but if he hadn't frozen him obviously Harry would have come to every defense against Dumbledore that he could have.. makes you wonder if Dumbledore really wanted to die here doesn't it? Even though he was mainly just trying to protect Harry and ensure his survival because he was the one who has the power to ultimately get rid of Voldemort..

In that way, it sort of does seem like Dumbledore died for Harry.. He was distracted while trying to protect him and that resulting in Draco being able to surprise and disarm him.. :( Sorry I think this might have been kinda off topic - :o

[gbogbo]

Along Tinkerbell's line of reasoning:

We know that when Lily was killed, her "choice" (as JKR puts it) and love for Harry transfered protection to him. In that sense, it is sort of an "anti horcrux": it transfers protection from death, but does not give immortality. It requires the death of someone who loves another just as a horcrux requires a death, but by requiring love, a greater power is achieved. It also requires a choice.

Was Dumbledore's final word, "Please", just such a choice? We know that Dumbledore loved Harry deeply. In fact, their discussion in the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter: The Last Prophecy, shows that this was Dumbledore's greatest weakness. Could Harry have been infused with even greater protection through Dumbledore's death?

And what about blood? We have: "I am speaking, of course, of the fact that your mother died to save you. She gave lingering protection he never expected, a protection that flows in your veins to this day. I put my trust, therefore, in your mother's blood....". Dumbledore also seems to have been directly involved in the final bond between Harry and Aunt Petunia: "She may have taken you grudgingly, furiously, unwillingly, bitterly, yet still she took you, and in doing so, she sealed the charm I placed upon you. Your mother's sacrifice made the bond of blood the strongest shield I could give you."

Was Dumbledore's death the final act of a great wizard weaving great magic? If so, then being "Dumbledore's man through and through" could be taken as literal. We had (1) a death, (2) deep love, and (3) a choice? The last is the kicker, was Dumbledore's final word, "Please", a reflection of choice? So, did Dumbledore make an "anti horcrux" of love to further protect Harry?

P.S. So what were those 12 uses of dragons' blood that Dumbledore discovered? Blood, odd that. Could these charms involving love and blood have been some of those?

[Alz]

See I think once Harry comes of age - 17 - he is considered a man and all those protections Dumbledore could have made were to keep him alive while he was still maturing ...
I don't think Dumbledore would have renewed the protection - what the stage did do was strengthen Harry's resolve and show once again there is nothing to be feared from death - and if the situation occurs where you can save more than one person, you lay down your life and don't go out kicking and screaming ...
I think Dumbledore was showing Harry his ultimate fate ...