He knew one thing only, and it was beyond fear or reason: He was not going to die crouching here like a child playing hide-and-seek; he was not going to die kneeling at Voldemortโs feet . . . he was going to die upright like his father, and he was going to die trying to defend himself, even if no defense was possible. . . .
J. K. RowlingYou can exist without your soul, you know, as long as your brain and heart are still working. But youโll have no sense of self anymore, no memory, no . . . anything. Thereโs no chance at all of recovery. Youโll just โ exist. As an empty shell. And your soul is gone forever . . . lost.
J. K. RowlingOdd words floated back to them over the hundreds of heads. "Nobility of spirit"..."intellectual contribution"..."greatness of heart"...It did not mean very much. It had little to do with Dumbledore as Harry had known him. He suddenly remembered Dumbledore's idea of a few words, "nitwit," "oddment," "blubber," and "tweak," and again had to suppress a grin.
J. K. Rowling