Albus Dumbledore

Template:HP character Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore is a fictional character within the Harry Potter series written by British author J. K. Rowling. He is the headmaster of the fictional wizarding school Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for the majority of the series and founder of the "Order of the Phoenix", an organisation dedicated to fighting the main antagonist of the series, Lord Voldemort.

In the first two film adaptations of the series, Dumbledore was portrayed by actor Richard Harris. Following his death shortly before the release of the second film in the series, the role was re-cast with Michael Gambon, who has portrayed the character in the subsequent films.

About the Character

Development and Name Origin

The books describe Dumbledore as a classic wizard; rather tall, with a thin build and very long silver hair and beard, a long crooked nose, and half-moon glasses. Some critics have noted strong similarities between Dumbledore and the classic wizard Merlin.

Appearance

Dumbledore is described as tall and thin, with long silver hair that looks long enough to tuck into his belt and a long beard. He has twinkling, blue eyes, a very long and crooked nose (looking as if it had been broken at least twice, and one of these was violently caused by his brother Aberforth) and long fingers. He wears half-moon spectacles. Also, in his younger years, he is described as having auburn hair. He once claimed to have a scar above his left knee, the cause of which is unknown, in the shape of a map of the London Underground.

He is usually seen in sweeping robes ranging in colours and patterns which often include stars and moons.

Personality and Other

Throughout the series, Dumbledore is portrayed as a wizard with modern/reformist ideas about blood purity and the rights of Muggles, as well as those of part-humans and non-humans. Dumbledore does not give importance to the so-called "purity of blood" and believes that an individual's choices reflect one's character, rather than one's birth, blood or family, saying "it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be". Voldemort angrily refers to Dumbledore as "that champion of commoners, of Mudbloods and Muggles". Unlike most wizards, Dumbledore is not afraid to refer to Voldemort by name (and attempted to persuade others to call him by his 'proper' name, Voldemort, during the First War) and instead addresses him as "Tom" when confronting him.

Characters in the books often remark that his greatest weakness is his willingness to trust those who may otherwise be considered untrustworthy. This trust is often criticised by those around him, but due to his wisdom, is rarely questioned. He is frequently shown to have a great sense of humour, and often has a whimsical sense about him, especially during conflict, which can often infuriate those who are at odds with him. He is hardly ever impatient, and is always calm. He always makes a point to be polite, even to those whom one would consider his enemies. He is a great lover of music, calling it "A magic beyond all we do [at Hogwarts]".Template:HP1

Dumbledore is also known to love sweets, magical and non-magical. When Dumbledore is first introduced in the novel, he is seen eating sherbet lemons (lemon drops in the United States version). Dumbledore's sweet-tooth is such that he usually sets the password for the gargoyle guarding his office door to be the name of various sweets of his likings. (Cockroach Cluster was the office password during Harry's fourth year, Acid Pop during his sixth.) In Philosopher's Stone he mentions to Harry that he dislikes Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans after coming across a vomit-flavoured one 'in his youth' and that the deepest desire of his heart (revealed via the Mirror of Erised) is to have a pair of woollen socks, as "one can never have enough socks." However, this has been proven to be false. In the seventh novel, Harry realises that he and Dumbledore see the same things in the Mirror: their families. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, it is revealed that he is a fan of knitting patterns and Muggle magazines and that his favourite jam flavour is raspberry. While a brilliant and wise wizard, Dumbledore is portrayed as very eccentric; for example, in the first book he announces that he would like to say "a few words" to the school, and then pronounces: "Nitwit, blubber, oddment, tweak."

Magical accomplishments and skills

At a young age, Dumbledore always showed great magical abilities and in his N.E.W.T.s, "...did things with a wand [the examiner had] never seen before".

Dumbledore is famous as an alchemist who has worked with Nicolas Flamel, the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone ("Sorcerer's Stone" in the US), and is credited with discovering the twelve uses of dragon's blood. He is known to be able to conjure Gubraithian fire (magical everlasting fire). He is also capable of conjuring a Patronus, one that takes the form of a phoenix, a recurring symbol in the books. Dumbledore is also famous for publishing several articles of his in Transfiguration Today, Challenges in Charming, and The Practical Potioneer. He served as the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot and Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards. Although he was offered the position of Minister of Magic several times Dumbledore never fully trusted himself in a position of power after what happened to his sister Ariana.

His weapon of choice seems to be fire. In his duel against Voldemort in the fifth novel, he used a fiery rope; when he displayed his Wizarding powers to young Tom Riddle, he did so by setting Riddle's wardrobe on fire; in the cave that hid Voldemort's locket Horcrux he also used fire to hold off the Inferi. Dumbledore has devised a method of sending messages to other people using a Patronus Charm, a skill he has taught only to members of the Order of the Phoenix. His Patronus takes the form of a Phoenix, and his faithful long-time animal companion is a Phoenix, Fawkes. These birds are associated with both fire and death and life. He has claimed to be able to become invisible without using an invisibility cloak. (Though some fans believe that he simply used a Disillusionment Charm.) Dumbledore is also skilled in Occlumency and Legilimency.

Dumbledore places great emphasis on memories; he uses them both as a weapon and as a means of research. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince he uses his Pensieve to show Harry many people's memories that he has collected about the history of Tom Riddle and how he became Lord Voldemort, as well as the events leading up to the creation of the Horcruxes. Also, in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Harry stumbles across the Pensieve for the first time. This is where Dumbledore first explains it to Harry and how it works.

Dumbledore speaks Mermish, Gobbledegook and understands Parseltongue.

In an interview Rowling commented:

Immense brainpower does not protect you from emotional mistakes and I think Dumbledore really exemplifies that. In fact, I would tend to think that being very, very intelligent might create some problems and it has done for Dumbledore, because his wisdom has isolated him, and I think you can see that in the books, because where is his equal, where is his confidante, where is his partner? He has none of those things. He’s always the one who gives, he’s always the one who has the insight and has the knowledge.

However, Dumbledore sometimes seems the opposite of reckless. He often hesitates to act until he is certain: for example, allowing Snape to return unchallenged and teach at Hogwarts.

Rowling has said that Dumbledore is primarily self-taught, although he "had access to superb teachers at Hogwarts." Rowling also said that as far as his education is concerned, "Dumbledore's family would be a profitable line of inquiry".

While he is by no means vain, Dumbledore also exhibits no false modesty, readily acknowledging that he is unusually intelligent and an exceptionally powerful wizard. He admits a number of times to Harry Potter in their occasional meetings in Half-Blood Prince that he makes mistakes, and since he handles more important issues than most men, his mistakes "tend to be correspondingly huger."

The Elder Wand

Further information: [[:The Elder Wand]]

During the later part of his life, Dumbledore holds possession of the Elder Wand. The Wand is one of the Deathly Hallows, and it is said that no one is able to defeat its master while the wand is still in its master's possession. It was previously owned by Gellert Grindelwald, and Dumbledore duels with him and wins, gaining possession of the wand. However, it is unknown how Dumbledore is able to defeat Grindelwald, as the Elder Wand is supposed to allow the owner to be invincible in a duel, but that gives us an idea of how powerful he actually is. After Dumbledore's death, the wand is entombed with him. When Lord Voldemort discovers the location (and nature) of the wand, he opens Dumbledore's tomb and claims the wand for himself. Voldemort, thinking that he will gain control of the wand, kills Snape, whom he believes to be the wand's current master. However, Dumbledore is disarmed by Draco Malfoy in Half-Blood Prince before being killed by Snape. Because of this, the wand's loyalty transferred to Draco, instead of dying with Dumbledore because Snape and Dumbledore planned Dumbledore's death. When Harry disarms Malfoy in Deathly Hallows, he wins the wand's loyalty for himself. The wand is said to be extremely powerful and is able to do things that other wands are unable to do, such as fixing Harry's broken wand.

In actuality, the Elder Wand does not make its owner invincible in battle, rather it is often noted to be the most powerful wand in existence. Evidence of this is given when Harry was able to repair his holly wand using the Elder Wand at the end of the seventh book. A feat that was "impossible", according to Mr. Ollivander, the wandsmith from Diagon Alley.

Pre-publication History

Birth and Adolescence

Albus Dumbledore was born to Percival and Kendra Dumbledore in 1881. Three years after his birth came his brother Aberforth and after him, his sister Ariana. Three Muggle children attacked Ariana, then six years old, after they saw her using magic. As a result of this attack, she became mentally ill for the rest of her life. Most of the time she was harmless, pleasant, and scared, but sometimes she suffered uncontrollable outbursts of aggression. Albus's father, Percival, attacked the three young Muggles in retaliation for the attack on his daughter, and was sentenced to Azkaban for life. To prevent Ariana being admitted to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, Kendra moved the family to the village of Godric's Hollow, and her illness was concealed. Neighbours assumed that Ariana was a Squib.

When Dumbledore attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he befriended Elphias Doge, who was generally mocked due to his greenish face, legacy of his having previously contracted dragon pox. During his education at Hogwarts, Dumbledore was known as the most brilliant student to have ever stepped into the school. He won many awards and became well connected with the most notable wizards of the day; e.g. Nicolas Flamel, Bathilda Bagshot, Adalbert Waffling. His essays and research found their way in newspapers such as Transfiguration Today, Challenges in Charming, and The Practical Potioneer. His house affiliation is that of Gryffindor. This information was given to Harry Potter by Hermione Granger in Philosopher's Stone on the Hogwarts Express. Furthermore, in the film version, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Dumbledore tells Harry that he set a curtain on fire in the Gryffindor dormitory.

He was joined by his brother, Aberforth, who proved to be quite different from Albus, not possessing the extraordinary magical talent - while Aberforth settled matters with duels, Albus settled with discussion. When Ordinary Wizarding Levels came about in his fifth year, the elderly Griselda Marchbanks, Head of the Wizarding Examinations Authority, who personally examined the school-age Dumbledore for his Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests in Charms and Transfiguration, remarked to Dolores Umbridge that the young, talented Dumbledore had "...done things with a wand I'd never seen before."Template:HP5 When Dumbledore and Doge left Hogwarts, they planned to take their "then-traditional" tour of the world. On the eve of their trip, the 18-year-old Dumbledore suffered the death of his mother Kendra, killed by Ariana, who was on one of her outbursts.

Dumbledore and Grindelwald

Because Dumbledore's parents were absent (his father being in Azkaban and mother deceased), Albus became the head of the family and it became his duty to put food on the table (they were not left with much gold). He was forced to remain in his house with his sister Ariana while Aberforth completed his education. Soon later, a young and equally talented man, arrived in Godric's Hollow to live with his great-aunt, Bathilda Bagshot, author of A History of Magic. The young Dumbledore became friends with Gellert Grindelwald after they were introduced to each other by Bagshot, and together they dreamed of ruling the world "for the greater good" by uniting the legendary Deathly Hallows.

Both wizards had the idea that the Wizarding world should take its rightful place on top of the Muggles, and both believed that wizards should rule over them and put them in their rightful place amongst the entire world. Dumbledore would later remark that his conscience was only soothed with the hollow phrase "for the greater good," and that deep down he knew what Gellert Grindewald was (but was still taken with his abilities and ideas at the same time, while being isolated at home with parental responsibilities). Even if they were forced to destroy a few along the way, it would be " For the greater good " and that the sufferings and losses would be rewarded a hundred-fold in the end. However, Dumbledore's thirst for power and knowledge also led to the neglect of his own family. Because both needed to travel to gain followers, Dumbledore planned on taking Ariana with him while Aberforth left to attend Hogwarts. Two months into the friendship, Aberforth approached both and told Albus that he could not take Ariana for she was not fit to handle all the pressure that would insure upon her. Grindelwald told Aberforth that he was a stupid boy who would stand in the way of his brother; once the new wizarding world order took place, Ariana and wizards worldwide would not have to hide, for the Muggles would be taught their own place in the world. Grindelwald used the Cruciatus Curse upon Aberforth and all three began to duel. During this Ariana became enraged and tried to help, but she ended up dead: one of their curses rebounded, hitting and killing her. For the rest of his life, Dumbledore felt guilty, never certain whether it was his own curse or another that had actually killed his sister.

Grindelwald stormed back to Bagshot's home and departed to begin his own rule. Meanwhile, a funeral was set for Ariana. Aberforth became enraged during the service and punched Albus in the nose, breaking it, giving its known crooked appearance. Albus later felt great remorse for his mistakes during adolescence. As a result of them, he felt that he was not to be trusted with power and, as a result, never took the position of Minister of Magic, despite having been offered several times.

Career

Dumbledore returns to Hogwarts as professor of Transfiguration, and later becomes Deputy Headmaster of Hogwarts, in which capacity he also served in recruiting students for the school.

Dumbledore finally defeated the now-Dark wizard Grindelwald, who had come to possess the Elder Wand. This is known because it is mentioned on Dumbledore's Chocolate Frog Card and in discussions about Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. After Grindelwald's defeat, Dumbledore became true master of the Elder Wand, which has been his wand until his death, regarding it as the least of the three Hallows, and the only one he was fit to wield. His Frog Card also states that he, along with Nicholas Flamel, dabbled in alchemy and that he discovered the 12 uses of dragon blood. In addition to this, it is known that he has held the posts of Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot and Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards. In the course of his life, Dumbledore continued to refuse the position of Minister for Magic (it is mentioned in the first book that he was requested for the office before Fudge came to power). He held the Order of Merlin, First Class, for Grand Sorcery.

Dumbledore and the Rise of Lord Voldemort

Further information: [[:Lord Voldemort]]

Further information: Death Eaters

Further information: Order of the Phoenix (organisation)

One of Dumbledore's tasks as a teacher at Hogwarts was to find the young wizard Tom Marvolo Riddle and offer him a place at Hogwarts. Riddle was living in a Muggle orphanage, and while he had discovered some magical abilities, he did not know that his mother had been a witch. At that time, Dumbledore was much younger and had auburn hair and beard; for his trip to the Muggle world, he wore a plum-coloured velvet suit. While visiting the orphanage, Dumbledore told Riddle about Hogwarts and how he was different. While Dumbledore was impressed by Riddle's abilities, he was troubled by the boy's admitted fondness for inflicting pain and never trusted him fully. Years later, Riddle attempted to gain a teaching post at Hogwarts, but Dumbledore first persuaded the current headmaster, Armando Dippet, to refuse Riddle's request, and he himself refused a second request several years after that. By this time, Riddle had declared war on his former mentors and adopted the name that would strike fear into the hearts of the wizarding world for years to come: Lord Voldemort.

Taking matters into his own hands, Dumbledore formed the Order of the Phoenix. Throughout Voldemort's ever growing power, the Order fought against Voldemort's forces of Death Eaters and other followers. Throughout the struggle, the Order suffered immensely terrible losses which included the Longbottoms (Neville Longbottom's parents), Gideon and Fabian Prewett (Molly Weasley's brothers), and more famously the Potters.

During an interview with Dumbledore for the post of Divinations teacher, Sybill Trelawney revealed the prophecy regarding Voldemort's fall on one stormy night in the Hog's Head Inn. Supposedly, the prophecy was partly overheard by Severus Snape, who reported what he had heard to Voldemort, although this is questionable, as the accounts of the event do not seem to agree. While Dumbledore maintains that Snape was discovered eavesdropping by Aberforth (Dumbledore's brother and the barman of the Hog's Head Inn) and that Aberforth removed Snape from the building after hearing the first half of the prophecy, Trelawney later recounts in the sixth book that Snape was removed after she spoke the prophecy. Voldemort interpreted the prophecy as referring to Harry, and as a result killed his parents, James and Lily, while trying to kill Harry. By acting upon the prophecy, Voldemort marked Harry as his equal.

Before the murders of the Potters, Dumbledore asked to see the Invisibility Cloak , suspecting it to be part of the legendary Deathly Hallows. When James died, Dumbledore kept the cloak and decided to pass it on to Harry Potter, James's son.

When Harry's parents were killed and Voldemort was rendered to a feeble form, it was Dumbledore's decision to place the now-orphaned Harry in the home of Vernon and Petunia Dursley, knowing that Harry would be protected by the special magic caused by his mother's sacrifice, after he evoked the magic of the bond of blood and Petunia Dursley sealed it by accepting Harry into her home. This old magic of binding love made touching Harry unbearable for Voldemort.

Appearances

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Dumbledore as portrayed by the late Richard Harris

In the very beginning of the series in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Dumbledore arrives at number four, Privet Drive in Little Whinging, Surrey, to leave baby Harry upon the doorstep of the Dursley residence with a letter explaining the situation. He departs with the final phrase, "Good luck, Harry."

When Harry arrives at Hogwarts, Dumbledore receives the students with his annually welcoming speech forewarning that the Forbidden Forest is forbidden to all students, that no magic is allowed between classes as well as other items purchased from Zonko's Joke Shop. Other announcements included: Quidditch teams' tryouts and new additions to the staff. Later on in the book, Dumbledore tells Harry about the secrets of the Mirror of Erised and that when he looks into it, he sees himself "holding a pair of thick, woollen socks." However, he, like Harry, sees his family alive and united. He also is responsible for somehow enchanting the Mirror so that it hid the Philosopher's Stone (if one who wanted the stone for personal gain looked in the mirror, he or she would see him-or herself using it to obtain gold or attain immortality. If one who wanted to find the Stone to keep it safe looked in the mirror, he or she would actually receive the Stone). He is called out to the Ministry of Magic by a false message on the night when Professor Quirinus Quirrell, Harry, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger enter the dungeons to retrieve the Stone, but realises during the trip that he is needed at Hogwarts and returns in time to rescue Harry from Quirrell and Voldemort. He also has a final conversation with Harry after the events down in the dungeons and tells him that he is too young to comprehend that information about why Voldemort attempted to kill him.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Dumbledore again asks whether Harry has "...anything [Harry]'d like to tell me" after the attack on Justin Finch-Fletchley. He suspects that Tom Riddle is somehow involved in the attacks on the students, as he says, when asked who is the culprit, "not who, but how?". A younger Dumbledore appears in Riddle's diary, when Harry sees his memory, and asks Riddle if there's anything he knows about the attacks on the students. During the last half of the novel, Dumbledore (for the first time) is dismissed from Hogwarts by the governors. Lucius Malfoy had persuaded (through threats) the school's other eleven governors to suspend Dumbledore as Headmaster in the wake of attacks by a basilisk in the school when the Chamber of Secrets had been opened. Dumbledore is reinstated when the governors discover that Ginny Weasley was taken into the Chamber of Secrets and Lucius is found to have coerced the other governors into suspending him. Malfoy was removed from post of Hogwarts' governor when Dumbledore returned. After the events down in the Chamber of Secrets, Dumbledore awarded Harry and Ron Special Awards for Services to the School. He also states to Harry that he can speak Parseltongue because Voldemort transferred some of his powers unintentionally to Harry the night of his parents' murders and that he is in Gryffindor because of his "choices that determine who we really are."

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

In the third instalment, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Dumbledore is forced to accept dementors onto his school's grounds for the protection of his students from Sirius Black, the supposed killer that had escaped from Azkaban. After Black's breach into Hogwarts, Dumbledore ordered to close every entrance to the school and grounds. After Harry falls off of his broomstick during a Quiddich match because of the dementors, Dumbledore becomes uncharacteristically angry at them and uses his wand to cause Harry to magically levitate safely to the ground. Later in June, Dumbledore suggests Hermione Granger use her Ministry-approved Time-Turner to go back three hours to save Buckbeak the hippogriff and Sirius from their unjust executions.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Dumbledore looking pensive.

In the fourth instalment, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Dumbledore introduces the Triwizard Tournament. He also serves as a judge during the entire event. When Harry's name comes out of the Goblet of Fire, Dumbledore is not enraged but remains calm, simply asking Harry whether he had himself, or had asked an older student to submit his name. When Harry answers no, he believes him. Unlike in the book, in the film version Dumbledore (played by Michael Gambon) seems rather mad and even takes Harry by the shoulders and violently shakes him when asking him the question.

By the end of the book, Dumbledore's fears are answered when Harry returns from his encounter with Voldemort clutching the dead body of Cedric Diggory and when Alastor Moody (actually being impersonated by Bartemius Crouch Junior through Polyjuice Potion) takes Harry away from Dumbledore and to his office inside the castle. Dumbledore immediately becomes suspicious and heads straight towards Moody's office with Minerva McGonagall and Severus Snape. Dumbledore blasts Moody backwards away from Harry looking extremely enraged; without a smile, without a twinkle in his eyes and with cold fury in every line in his ancient face. In other words " . . . more terrible than [Harry] could ever imagine". He then gives Crouch Jr. Veritaserum and interrogates him; Crouch confesses everything from his escape from Azkaban to the plan to bring Harry to Voldemort, which leads to his rebirth. Afterwards, Dumbledore listens to Harry's eyewitness account about Voldemort's return accompanied by his godfather, Sirius Black. At the end of that night, he sends Harry to Hogwarts' hospital wing for a dreamless rest. Harry though only wakes up later to find Cornelius Fudge in the wing arguing with McGonagall and Dumbledore, the latter of whom enters into an argument with the Minister about the situation of Voldemort's return and the consequences that would follow should Fudge remain ignorant.

In the end, Fudge and Dumbledore "part ways" and he sends Rubeus Hagrid and Olympe Maxime off on their "mission", Sirius to restart the Order, and Snape to return to Voldemort. At the end of the year, Dumbledore gives a eulogy to Cedric and tells the students of Hogwarts that Lord Voldemort has finally returned.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore is demoted from Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, voted out of the Chairmanship of the International Confederation of Wizards, and stripped of his Order of Merlin, First Class -- all in the summer of 1995 due to his speeches regarding the return of Voldemort. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Magic does everything they can to discredit him and Harry Potter, mainly through the Daily Prophet. He made short stops at number twelve, Grimmauld Place (now headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix) and never asked to see Harry. On August 12, Dumbledore enrages Fudge when he stops by at Harry's hearing with a witness (Arabella Figg) to ensure that he is not expelled. While Harry feels better when Dumbledore assists him, he becomes annoyed to the point of being angry that the headmaster refuses to speak or even look at him.

During the following year at Hogwarts, the Ministry passes Educational Decree Twenty-two, allowing Fudge to place Dolores Umbridge (after Dumbledore failed to find a suitable candidate) to the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Through her, Fudge slowly gains power over Hogwarts and Dumbledore, whom he fears is building an underage wizard army to overthrow the Ministry. Dolores forbids practical defence practice in her classes forcing Harry, Ron, and Hermione to form Dumbledore's Army with fellow friends. It is when the D.A. is discovered by the Ministry that Dumbledore, choosing to accept responsibility, falsely claims that the organisation was his own subversive creation, and allows himself to be removed as headmaster (for the second time) rather than allow Harry to be expelled. He seemingly destroys his office with blasts of magic and disappears with a flash of flame with Fawkes the phoenix. Umbridge then takes up as headmistress. But before his departure, Sybill Trelawney is sacked by Umbridge and replaced by Dumbledore with Firenze, which enrages Umbridge as she hates half-breeds.

Dumbledore is not heard of in the book until he arrives in the Department of Mysteries to aid the Order in the battle against the Death Eaters, during which Sirius Black is killed by his Death Eater cousin Bellatrix Lestrange. Dumbledore then saves Harry from the Avada Kedavra curse conjured by Voldemort and proceeds to engage in a ferocious duel with the Dark Lord. After Voldemort Disapparates, Dumbledore sends Harry to his office via a Portkey. He returns to his office half an hour later after telling Fudge what happened and being reinstated as headmaster. Dumbledore explains to Harry that it was his fault that Sirius died during the battle. He also tells that he committed a grave mistake of not telling Harry sooner about why Voldemort decided to kill his parents and proceeds to show him the prophecy made to him by Professor Trelawney. Finally, he concludes by telling Harry that Voldemort chose him as his equal and that one must kill the other in the end. He also tells Harry that he never confided in him or made eye contact at all that year because he was afraid that if Voldemort suspected that Harry and Dumbledore had any relationship other than teacher-to-student, he would use his mental connection to Harry to force Harry to be a spy, or would place Dumbledore in a position where he would have to kill a possessed Harry. Finally, Dumbledore explains to Harry that he made Ron the Gryffindor prefect instead of him because he felt that Harry had enough responsibility to go along with that year.

Dumbledore is also reappointed Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, regains the Chairmanship of the International Confederation of Wizards, and re-awarded his Order of Merlin, First Class.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

In the sixth book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Dumbledore, now realising the significance of communication with Harry, spends more time with him than in any other book. Dumbledore fetches Harry from Privet Drive and takes him to persuade Horace Slughorn to join the Hogwarts staff - his right hand, Harry notices, is shrivelled and black. He then afterwards leaves Harry at the Burrow. During the school year, Dumbledore meets with Harry in his office to teach him of Voldemort's past because he tells Harry that it is of immense importance. Through their lessons, they visit the thoughts of others, which contained important information about the life of Voldemort, leading to his genocidal rise to power. It is learned that Voldemort created six Horcruxes to gain immortality and that they must all be destroyed before Harry goes after the final piece of Voldemort's soul that resides in the Dark Lord's body. Dumbledore tells Harry that if he finds a Horcrux, Harry can accompany him to obtain it.

Harry also repeatedly warns Dumbledore that another student, Draco Malfoy, is working for Voldemort in most of their lessons. Dumbledore refuses to take any action against Draco, and instead tells Harry that he already knows more about what is happening than Harry does. Draco makes two ill-conceived attempts to kill Dumbledore during the year, but on each occasion a student is injured instead. The first attempt involves a cursed necklace, the second a bottle of poisoned mead. Both times Harry attempts to warn Dumbledore that Malfoy is responsible. Dumbledore also refuses to share Harry's distrust of Snape, now the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, even after being forced to admit that Snape had been partly responsible for the death of Harry's parents, having been the one who passed information of the prophecy to Voldemort.

Harry suspects that Malfoy is working on something in the Room of Requirement but he cannot enter it. When he tries to warn Dumbledore again, his concerns are seemingly ignored.

By the end of book six, Dumbledore and Harry set out to the cave where Dumbledore believed resided the Horcrux. When they enter the antechamber, Dumbledore feels around the walls until finally finding the entrance. He realises what he must do to gain entrance and splatters his own blood onto the wall. When they enter, he again feels around the darkness until he finds a chain leading to a tiny boat. Both enter and voyage through the dark lake. When Harry spots human corpses in the lake, Dumbledore calmly responds that "it is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more" and that Voldemort fails to understand that there are worse ways to destroy a man than by simply killing him. They reach the lake and find the Horcrux's container. Dumbledore then tells Harry that the only way to retrieve it is to drink the potion inside and so he proceeds to do so. When he can no longer drink himself, Harry obeys Dumbledore's orders and forces it on him; Dumbledore begins to scream, seemingly enduring mental torture. After the potion is finished, he weakly requests water. Harry conjures some that disappears when it touches Dumbledore's lips and so Harry is compelled to retrieve water from the lake. The Inferi, as magically enchanted corpses are called, rise from the lake and proceed to seize and drag Harry into the icy depths of the lake. But Dumbledore suddenly recovers and conjures a fire lasso around them. Dumbledore takes the locket within and both make their way back out of the cave and back to Hogwarts (Harry splatters his own blood and Apparates both back).

When they return, Madam Rosmerta informs them that the Dark Mark was conjured over the Astronomy Tower and both Harry and Dumbledore set off on Rosmerta's brooms towards the tower. When they arrive, they find it empty. Hearing footsteps approaching from inside the tower, Dumbledore uses the split second of time before he is disarmed by Draco Malfoy to immobilise Harry, who becomes a silent and invisible witness to the events. Dumbledore, being weakened after drinking the potion left by Voldemort while obtaining the locket, merely converses about Malfoy's plot to kill him. While talking to Malfoy, Dumbledore reveals that he knew it was him behind the two earlier attempts. Malfoy also reveals to him that his main plan was to use a magical cabinet already inside Hogwarts to transport Death Eaters into the castle. The attackers entered the castle while Dumbledore and Harry were away finding the Horcrux. Several other Death Eaters enter the tower and try to persuade Draco to kill Dumbledore. When Malfoy is unable to murder him, Snape appears and immediately performs the Killing Curse on Dumbledore.

Death

Dumbledore made a terrible error by placing a cursed ring on his right hand, sometime between the fifth and sixth book; the ring held the Resurrection Stone, which Dumbledore hoped to use to allow him to apologise to his sister and parents, forgetting the curses that must be on the ring. Severus Snape was called by him to help lift the curse that night. However, when Snape arrives and assesses the curse, he tells Dumbledore he has less than a year to live - Snape has done all he can, but this particular curse will eventually spread and kill him. This is when Dumbledore asks Snape if he would, when the time comes, kill him, as it would be "less humiliating." Severus agrees, only because he told Dumbledore he would do anything for him, but later he doubts whether he really will end the Headmaster's life. Dumbledore later discovers that Voldemort has assigned Draco Malfoy to the task of killing him. As Draco's soul is still pure, Dumbledore implores Snape not to allow Malfoy to proceed with the murder and that he should take the headmaster's life himself if the situation arises. On the night of his death, Dumbledore offers him and his parents protection with the Order of the Phoenix. Malfoy refuses as he is joined by other Death Eaters. They encourage Malfoy to kill Dumbledore when Snape enters the scene. Snape is obligated to perform the task he promised Dumbledore he would. After Dumbledore pleads with Snape that he fulfil his promise, the latter casts the Avada Kedavra Curse and ends the headmaster's life, sending his lifeless body falling to the ground below.

Funeral

Dumbledore's funeral is attended by students, teachers, members of the Ministry of Magic, giants, ghosts, centaurs, merpeople, and others who wish to pay their respects. Shrouded in purple velvet, he is entombed in a white marble sarcophagus beside the lake at Hogwarts, and it is said that he is the only headmaster to be buried on the school grounds. Upon his burial, Fawkes was singing a sorrowful song, lamenting his master's death.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Further information: [[:Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]

After coming across conflicting stories about Dumbledore's childhood and rise to the position of Hogwarts headmaster, accompanied by his several notable achievements along the way, Harry begins to doubt the Dumbledore he thought he once knew. When frustrated, he often finds himself angry at Dumbledore for making his quest for the Horcruxes difficult and not relaying enough information. Trying to piece together the true story of his disturbing past, Harry finally learns from Dumbledore's own brother the true hardships of his youth.

Harry also learned how he injured his hand and the truth about his death. He discovered the second of the Deathly Hallows: the Resurrection Stone, the stone fixed in Marvolo Gaunt's ring. Rather than immediately destroying the Horcrux inside, Dumbledore, as weak and as eager to overcome death as any mortal (he wished to bring back his loved ones), placed the ring on his finger and was almost killed by the curse placed upon it by Lord Voldemort. Though Severus Snape managed to contain the curse to the hand Dumbledore had put the ring on, he told Dumbledore that it was almost certain that the curse would kill him within a year. Upon hearing this news, Dumbledore asked Snape, in an act of mercy, to kill him when the opportunity presented itself, already aware that Lord Voldemort had commanded Draco Malfoy to accomplish the same task.

In the Flesh

Dumbledore appears one last time to Harry Potter towards the end of the book, after Harry is struck with the killing curse, in a great hall that appears similar to King's Cross station. Finally explaining the truth about the link between Voldemort and Harry, Dumbledore explains that it was Harry, in his selflessness, who could be the true 'Master of Death', able to unite the Deathly Hallows, because he was the master of his fear of death (what Harry fears is fear itself, in the form of dementors). Harry comforts Dumbledore as he confesses all of his many regrets. Dumbledore then informs Harry of the choice he still has; of moving on to the next life or returning to his body to face Voldemort one last time. Before Harry departs, he asks Dumbledore whether this final meeting was all just in his head. Dumbledore answers that of course it is happening in his head, but asks why that would make it any less real. After returning from death and defeating Voldemort, Harry has a short conversation with Dumbledore's portrait in the Headmaster's office about the the deathly hallows, The Invisibility Cloak, the Resurrection Stone and the Elder Wand, during which Harry informs Dumbledore that he plans to reseal the wand inside the deceased headmaster's tomb [Back where it came from]. In the epilogue, it is revealed that Harry names his second son Albus Severus Potter after Dumbledore and Snape.

Name

Dumbledore's full name is Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, as he states during the fifth book in the series, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The name "Dumbledore" is an old Devon word for "bumblebee" and was picked by Rowling because she imagines him wandering around the castle humming to himself.

Family

Main article: Dumbledore family

Film portrayal

In the film adaptations of Philosopher's Stone (2001) and Chamber of Secrets (2002), Dumbledore was played by Richard Harris, who died in 2002 of Hodgkin's lymphoma. Michael Gambon was recast as Dumbledore for Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), Goblet of Fire (2005), and Order of the Phoenix (2007).

Originally, it was expected that Harris would play Dumbledore throughout the entire series, but after Harris' death he was replaced by Gambon. Patrick McGoohan was originally offered the role for the first movie before Harris, but turned it down due to health reasons. Harris mentioned that he was originally not going to take the role either, since he knew his own health was in decline. He accepted because his then-10-year-old granddaughter threatened to never speak to him again if he did not take it.

External links

• JK Rowling quotes about Dumbledore at Accio-Quote.org
• Dumbledore's page at the Harry Potter Lexicon
• Alohomorra - Alohomorra's page on Albus Dumbledore

• Albus Dumbledore on Harry Potter Wiki, an external wiki