As one of the people who said, energetically, "Phoenix!", I'd like to explain.

I really don't want Dumbledore back. You're entirely correct, Rowling's been good with hard truths, and Harry's got to be the one doing the heavy lifting, next book.

I just can't see all these mentions of a Phoenix and no payoff. It would make lots of sense if the phoenixed Dumbledore was Mysterious and Not All There or... something. Or a portrait. Or whatever.

(Although admittedly, the Phoenix in Rowling's world seems to mean something different from the usual mythology.)