Perhaps more meaningfully, it mirrors all of the times Harry has given Dumbledore his complete faith. For example, when Harry tells Dumbledore that Scrimgeour accused him of being "Dumbledore's man through and through."
"How very rude of him."
"I told him I was."
Dumbledore opened his mouth to speak and then closed it again. Behind Harry, Fawkes the phoenix let out a low, soft, musical cry. To Harry's intense embarrassment, he suddenly realized that Dumbledore's bright blue eyes looked rather watery, and stared hastily at his own knees.
The "musical cry" from Fawkes also serves as a skillful reminder of the other times Harry has shown Dumbledore this loyalty, as in the Chamber of Secrets.
"First of all, Harry, I want to thank you," said Dumbledore, eyes twinkling again. "You must have shown me real loyalty down in the Chamber. Nothing but that could have called Fawkes to you."
As Harry matures and grows more aware of the dark complexities of the war surrounding him, I imagine that his continued faith in Dumbledore grows more meaningful to the man, and perhaps more painful to accept, as he knows the sacrifice he expects Harry to make. This also twists the knife, when Harry realizes after Dumbledore's death that there is much he never knew about the great wizard.
This echoes Dumbledore's reassurance to Harry, as they journey to meet Horace Slughorn together, that he need not worry in his company:
Perhaps more meaningfully, it mirrors all of the times Harry has given Dumbledore his complete faith. For example, when Harry tells Dumbledore that Scrimgeour accused him of being "Dumbledore's man through and through."
The "musical cry" from Fawkes also serves as a skillful reminder of the other times Harry has shown Dumbledore this loyalty, as in the Chamber of Secrets.
As Harry matures and grows more aware of the dark complexities of the war surrounding him, I imagine that his continued faith in Dumbledore grows more meaningful to the man, and perhaps more painful to accept, as he knows the sacrifice he expects Harry to make. This also twists the knife, when Harry realizes after Dumbledore's death that there is much he never knew about the great wizard.
--AK