ah....
Sometimes we are faced with problems that no one can help us with. That no one can actually guide us. I know that JKR had lost a number of people prior to and during the writing of the Harry Potter series.

I think the death of Dumbledore was to show the resilience of Harry, Ron & Hermione. That with a good friendship you can get through the most heart-breaking circumstances. Even when there seemed to be no other way out.

My father died a few years ago. It deeply affected me. In life we don't often get the choice of multiple alternate father figures to fill that role.

While I was absolutely heartbroken when Dumbledore died. I cried. I even got angry that there was no one left to show Harry the way, to really guide him and assist him... I do think that the Deathly Hallows wouldn't have been what it was had Dumbledore lived.

The camping out in a tent stuff wouldn't have been so lost or bewildering if we had the safety net of knowing that Dumbledore is still living.