The Eye of The Snake - Dumbledore's knowledge

[paintballdecoy]

Maybe he just had a feeling about something was wrong. Or he had to go to the bathroom, we know that he does take those mid-night strolls

[pandora315]

Here's my idea about wizards and age. I've mentioned it once before but I'll say it again. In GoF Fred, George, Lee and a couple other kids from other houses make an aging potion to "age" themselves up enough to compete in the tri-wizard. It would make sense that if there are aging potions there are also anti-aging potions. It wouldn't be like the elixer of life that made you incapable of dying, but it would slow down the aging process so that you live longer. Oh, and Hagrid looks younger than he is becuase he's half giant and age for giants seems to be different. (Moody says Hagrid, of course, looks the same as ever.)

[Herminny]

I'm sure that JK said ages ago that wizzards live longer than muggles. Maybe that extra someting that makes you a wizzard also makes u live longer like a genetic trait.

[Evil Wizard Petting Zoo]

Yeah, I bet its because they don't have to inhale all that pollution and spells don't cause cancer! Or maybe they do! Wands are the new cancer sticks! Pretty bad eh?

[Athena Appleton]

yeah.... I mean, wizard healers are able to fix just about everything, so you would either die of old age eventually (Flamel eventually died of old age) or in some other more traumatic way... I mean, we know that wizards can die young (Harry "should have" or "could have" died many many times)... but I think the fact that they have so many potions and other magical ways to heal, wizards don't die of "little" ailments that kill Muggles...

[Ferrus]

Its probably the case that wizards live longer because the live healthier lifestyles, and can get practically any desease cured at St Mungos...

[Alice I]

I agree with both Athena and The _Giant_Squid

If you can cure almost any illness and injury you are bound to live longer but I'll take it a step further:

After generations of this living longer through a cleaner lifestyle and really good healers people with wizard blood begin to become genetically predisposed to a longer life span.
Maybe even something along the line of the blood of Numinor(*sp) from LOTR.

[Athena Appleton]

makes sense... I'm not that familiar with LOTR, my husband is the Tolkien buff in our family... but that does make sense what you're saying

[Herminny]

You know how there are all those portraits in Hogwarts, do u think that they tell DD whats happening, thatz why DD knows whats up all the time.

[Ferrus]

Its a good point, all the portraits seem to be pretty comunicative with each other, and its an excellent way to know whats happening in the castle, after all Harry & co. never take the portraits into account when they are planning things or just talking in the corridors.

[Evil Wizard Petting Zoo]

You know how there are all those portraits in Hogwarts, do u think that they tell DD whats happening, thatz why DD knows whats up all the time.

That could definately be true. I remember reading somewhere where DD says that Harry is being watched more carefully than he knows. Maybe that has something to do with it.

[Athena Appleton]

I read a theory, and I believe it, that Dumbledore uses the ghosts and the portraits to "spy" on the students... that's mostly how he knows what's going on... I mean, there has to be SOMETHING informing him of what's going on, the person who is receiving the most protection in the school is the type who likes to get himself in trouble... they would need more creative ways of knowing what he's up to

[Jotomicron]

Yeah... I think it's that! Remember in OotP, when Phineas refuses to go to Grimmauld Place and the former Headmasters and Headmistresses said that they should answer the current Headmaster wishes?

All portraits could be (somewhat like the elves) bounded to DD.

[Athena Appleton]

I see what you're saying... I don't know about being "bound" to the current headmaster... I just read it, like, when you take on the position of headmaster, you realize that for all eternity, you are to be of help to whoever is in charge of the school... It's kind of an honor-bound thing, rather than a slave-bound thing...

[Evil Wizard Petting Zoo]

I agree with Athena, I think it has to be an honor thing for the portraits otherwise Umbridge would have been able to have a lot more help.