It was recently discovered that one sentence from the American version of HBP does not appear in the UK version. This sentence is quite ...interesting and I thought we could discuss what it could possibly mean:

Very interesting omission indeed!! Accidental? Who knows. But it does change the feel of the conversation quite a bit. I took it when I read that part that Dumbledore was referring to the fact that a person loses part of their soul when they kill someone. Thus, "He cannot kill you if you are already dead." You've already sacrificed part of yourself by doing the act. Being a DE and killing is as good as being dead you might say. Your soul will never be complete again.

Now quite a different theory may refer to Dumbledore's death. Could this mean something there? He cannot kill you if you are already dead... Are we going to theorize that Dumbledore was hiding something? Perhaps Snape killing him was not what it appeared to be (which I felt anyway)? DD already seemed to be at the point of death due to the potion he drank. But I'm not sure that there were hints that he was already dead at that point. The painting of him appeared after, when MacGonagall took his office. Must read more...

I felt that could mean that he can't kill you if you're already dead; if you appear to be dead and Voldemort thinks you are, then he can't kill you. I thought of that because straight after that DD mentions putting him in hiding, which is what you'd do if you feigned someone's death. In which case, that could reflect on what happened to DD.

I took it to mean that if Voldemort thought Draco to be dead then Draco wouldnt have to worry about being killed by Voldemort.

I really don't know what this sentence means! it mad more sens without it! Then know it seem very importante"He cannot kill you if you are already dead." Does that mean Draco is believed dead? or that draco is really dead and he was a memory like Tom Riddle in the chamber of secrets or something? I personnaly think that the first proposition is better, but like they are links between the 2 books...

It's all very confusing, you see, because it implies that Dumbledore is suggesting feigning Draco's death.

Unless he means to turn the tables, and is speaking in his usual limericks... so you see, it raises more questions than answers.. o.O

I think it means Dumbledore at that moment getting ready to fake his own death. I can't believe I missed that sentence it is huge. Must complete rereading the sections first before I make a theory on what else it might mean.

Exactly. But what he says, "He can't kill you if you are already dead," seems odd when you take into account what happened next and the planned sense of it all.

Bingo; Andrew hit the nail on the head. It implies that death can be feigned in order to make Voldemort no longer need to 'kill' the person. You can't kill someone whom you already believe to be dead. Given what happens to DD next, that sentence can hold a lot of meaning.

Or Emma, it could mean Dumbledore has helped fake someone else's death and Voldemort is no longer trying to kill that person...or it could mean both. This is huge.

Well, he was implying that's what he could do for Draco which might mean he's done it in the past.

This is so infuriating! This totally changes my view on the events that occurred near the end of the book. Maybe, just maybe, Dumbledore isn't referring to himself; maybe he's helped a certain R.A.B... Either way, this totally changes everything.

it is a definate pointer on helping draco and hiding him but dumbledore hinting on his own death is plain wierd seeing dd had a pleading note in hs voice when he saw snape...........i certainly hope it was a faker but it'l ruin the tempo of the book!!

Dumbledore wouldn't plead for his life. "Death, to the well organised mind, is the next greatest adventure."

He cannot kill you if you are already dead.
Maybe Dumbledore already knew Voldemort wanted him dead so maybe he really did fake his death. Im going to go re read that part because i'm making myself more confused the more I try to remember how that whole part goes. . .

But he wanted Snape to remain on his side and thats why he pleaded with him. I really want to know whether Snape told DD about the Unbreakable Vow he made with Narcissa.

DD knew of the plan. He told Draco he knew about it but couldn't talk to him prior to their encounter because Voldemort would get it out of Malfoy.

The argument they had that Hagrid overheard more or less confirms that he did. Although I think DD and Snape made an unbreakable vow when he returned to the good side so that Snape would have no chance of returning to Voldemort properly without dying.

Wow.... Just, wow...

That sentence is in MY book (w00t, I'm a lucky American!) and I coudl have told you guys it was there... Looks like a pretty big over-sight to leave out an entire sentence...

I never really, you know, thought about it... "He cannot kill you if you're already dead" was something I forgot about after the real death occured.

For me, this just raises questions about how many times before Dumbledore has freigned someone's death! And, come to think of it, just how good it he at doing so?

JKRowling is probably laughing at us right now...

Cackling more like. ^^^

... or groan a bit! If this is an implication about faking death, and we wonder who DD has helped fake death before... Well... Let's think on that RAB again. Regulus Black is the front runner in the RAB theory, but he is supposed to be dead, right? Maybe not! (I could only wish it was his brother who faked his death *sniff*) Maybe DD makes a point of reforming ex-DE's?

yea i agree. i think he was thinking of hiding draco and his family until the DE's came i hate snape

Sirius would have no reason for his to be feigned. His death wasn't planned or anything. To feign a death you'd have to know there were plans for the person to die before-hand.

It's sort of like Slughorn in a way. When Harry and DD arrived he'd feigned a DE attack. Could also explain the disappearances of Ollivander and Florean and maybe the 'deaths' of Emmeline and Amelia.

I don't but that's a different can of worms.

But I said I could only *wish* that was the case! I know it wasn't planned! As for his bro... He could be an interesting position to do damage to Voldemort if Voldie thinks he is dead...

Oh wait, I see I goofed when I posted before... The 'maybe not' was referring to Regulus... I'll fix it...

my impression when i read that line was that Dumbledore meant Voldemort can't kill Draco if Draco joins the RIGHT side(meaning if he let go of his dark n evil side..like making that side of him DIE) then he will be safe, or at least safer because Dumbledore will give Draco protection. I donno just a thought.

heyyyyyy thats not fair!!!! i checked my book (and i live in canada but we get the UK version) and i dont have the sentence...but for some reason its kinda out of place there...i uno its just me

oh ya i forgot to add wut i think it means. to me it sounds like dumbledore was willing to fake draco's death but then whe goes on and says something like giving him protection and sending Order members...but that doesnt make sense if draco is *secretly* dead...