(born c.
1845 ) is a fictional character in
J.K. Rowling 's ''
Harry Potter '' series.
Dumbledore has been the headmaster of
Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry for many years and is considered one of the most powerful
Wizard s in the world. Benevolent, slightly eccentric, and powerful, he resembles an archetypal
Good wizard in the style of
Merlin or
Gandalf . He is sympathetic to
Harry Potter's difficulties, and, as such, occasionally allows the young wizard more leeway than he would with others. It is said that he is the only wizard
Lord Voldemort ever feared.
Dumbledore is described as being tall and thin, with long hair and beard. He has blue eyes, a very long and crooked nose, and long fingers. He wears half-moon
Spectacles . He is also described as being very well-dressed in magnificent robes. He claims to have a scar above his left knee, its provenance unknown, which happens to be a perfect map of the
London Underground .
Dumbledore's
Chocolate Frog card mentions that he enjoys
Chamber Music and
Ten-pin Bowling . The card also reveals that he has a great affinity for sweets, magical and non-magical, and has frequently set the password for the
Gargoyle guarding
His Office Door to be the name of various sweets. He tells
Professor McGonagall in
Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone that he is rather fond of Sherbet Lemons, but it is a known fact that he does not enjoy Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, losing his liking for them after coming across a vomit flavoured one. He is also a self-stated fan of knitting patterns, and once told Harry that one could never have enough socks.
The name Albus is from the Latin word ''albus'' ("white"), a frequently used symbol for good; "Dumbledore," which means "bumblebee," was picked by the author because she imagines him humming while strolling along the halls of Hogwarts. Additionally, a Dumbledoor is an insect which visits the
Shire each year in ''
The Lord Of The Rings '', as mentioned in the poem
Errantry by
J.R.R. Tolkien .
In the film adaptations of ''
Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone '' (
2001 ) and ''
Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets '' (
2002 ), Dumbledore was played by
Richard Harris , who died in
2002 of
Hodgkin's Disease . In ''
Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban '' (
2004 ) and ''
Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire '' (
2005 ), Dumbledore is played by
Michael Gambon .
Patrick McGoohan was originally offered the role before Harris but turned it down due to health reasons. All three actors are
Irish .
in
Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban .
Michael Gambon appears as Dumbledore in
Prisoner Of Azkaban ,
Goblet Of Fire , and has been cast for
Order Of The Phoenix which is due to premier July 13, 2007.]]
Comparatively little is revealed about Dumbledore's early history or family. At the time of the series, he is (according to an interview by Rowling) about 150 years old, meaning he entered Hogwarts as a student in the
1850s . His brother,
Aberforth , was once, and most likely still is, a member of the Order of Phoenix, and was once prosecuted in the
Wizengamot for "practicing inappropriate charms on a goat". Dumbledore is friendly with the barman in the Hog's Head Inn in Hogsmeade because it happens that the Barman is none other than his brother, Aberforth. Dumbledore's extraordinary magical talents were apparent from an early age, as later described by the elderly
Griselda Marchbanks , Head of the
Wizarding Examinations Authority , who had personally examined the school-age Dumbledore for his
N.E.W.T. exams in
Charms and
Transfiguration . Marchbanks recalled that the young Dumbledore had "done things with a wand I'd never seen before."
No information is known about Dumbledore's wand in the books though we do see his wand in
Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire quite a few times. It appears to be made of
Mahogany with orbs throughout the wand. Mahogany is well known to be excellent for
Transfiguration and makes a great tool for warding off the Dark Arts. As for the orbs, they greatly enhance the magical energy emitted from the wand as it travels through the wood. This wood or should we say ''wand'' well suits Dumbledore because he was in fact a previous Transfiguration Teacher in
Lord Voldemort's (Tom Marvolo Riddle) years at
Hogwarts and is greatly againts the Dark Arts. The orbs make his spellcating quite extrodinary.
Albus Dumbledore's House is uncertain. The only canon evidence given is a comment by Hermione Granger on her first day that "They say Dumbledore himself was in
Gryffindor ": given that at this stage Hermione Granger was somewhat uninformed (and even passes this information off as hearsay), it is unclear whether we are to trust it as a definite statement of fact. Many fans believe Dumbledore to have either been a Ravenclaw, or to have been mis-sorted into Gryffindor: this is based, however, upon fan beliefs regarding the characters of Houses, and cannot be taken as any more certain. Dumbledore claims to have set Harry's dormitory curtains on fire in his fourth year in one of the films: there is however no such comment in the corresponding book, leading to many fans dismissing it. Rowling has suggested that Dumbledore may be descended from Godric Gryffindor, but has not confirmed it; furthermore, descent from a Founder has not been conclusively proved to result in all descendants being members of the Founder's House.
Some time after his graduation from Hogwarts, Dumbledore returned to the faculty as Professor of Transfiguration, plus as deputy headmaster of Hogwarts and in this capacity also served in recruiting students for the school. He identified
Tom Marvolo Riddle and offered him a place at Hogwarts, glimpsing the true nature of the boy who was to become
Lord Voldemort . His keen observations of Riddle's student years led Dumbledore to influence Hogwarts' headmaster,
Armando Dippet , not to offer Riddle a faculty position.
In
1945 Dumbledore defeated the dark wizard
Grindelwald .
Dumbledore has held the posts of Chief Warlock of the about the return of Voldemort and subsequent requisite actions; he was reinstated as a member of the International Confederation of Wizards and Chief of the Wizengamot when the Ministry was forced to see their own error. It thus appears that the Wizengamot and International Confederation are in some way subordinate to the Ministry.
as Dumbledore in ''
Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban '']]
Dumbledore is widely famous as a legendary
Alchemist who has worked together with
Nicholas Flamel , the only known maker of the
Philosopher's Stone , and is credited with discovering the twelve uses of
Dragon blood (In an interview with
J.K. Rowling , she confirmed that one of the uses of Dragon blood is as an oven cleanser). He also defeated the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945 (who is not considered a Dark Lord, since the last Dark Lord prior to Voldemort was defeated 100 years before him), as stated on his Chocolate Frog card, undoubtedly increasing his popularity. In addition to these credits, he is known to be able to conjure Gubraithian Fire (magical everlasting fire). His
Patronus takes the form of a
Phoenix , a recurring symbol in the books.
Dumbledore also invented the method of communicating messages using a Patronus Charm, a skill he taught only to members of the
Order Of The Phoenix . He has claimed to be able to become invisible without using an invisibility cloak (although it may have been a
Metaphor ), and there are suggestions that he is capable of seeing through invisibility cloaks. 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 Pensive to show Harry memories that he has collected about Lord Voldemort, explaining from many different viewpoints the lifestory of the Dark Lord. One memory in particular is crucial to the destruction of the Dark Lork. He also uses memories, via his Pensive, to bring the dead back to life within the context of the memory. For example he uses the memory of a deceased relative of Lord Voldemort to show how ruthless he can be, even to his own flesh and blood.
Dumbledore can speak Mermish, the language of the Merpeople.
In an interview Rowling agreed with her interviewers that Dumbledore, albeit a genius, is sometimes very reckless, and that, "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, he almost certainly knows that Voldemort has perverted Quirrell from the moment that Quirrell leaves the Albanian forests (which Dumbledore monitors): but instead of challenging Quirrell immediately, and possibly saving him, he sets up the elaborate labyrinth trap to catch Voldemort, and thus dooms Quirrell). Caution seems to be Dumbledore's fatal flaw.
There has been much speculation about where Dumbledore learned it all - he is far more accomplished and far more knowledgeable than any other wizard. Rowling said that Dumbledore was 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, more profitable than sweet wrappers."
as Dumbledore in ''
Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets along with
Harry Potter played by
Daniel Radcliffe ''.]]
One of Dumbledore's tasks as a teacher at Hogwarts was to find the young wizard
Tom Riddle and offer him a place at Hogwarts. Riddle was living in a
Muggle orphanage, and while he had discovered some magical abilities, did not know that his mother had been a witch. Even at this early age, Dumbledore was concerned about Riddle's character, and was especially careful to watch his progress throughout his school years. Riddle attempted to get a teaching job at Hogwarts, but Dumbledore first persuaded the current headmaster, Armando Dippet, to refuse Riddle's request, and himself refused a second request some years later.
It was to Dumbledore that
Sybill Trelawney , subsequently appointed as professor of
Divination , revealed the prophecy regarding Voldemort's fall. The prophecy was partly overheard by
Severus Snape , who reported what he had heard to
Voldemort . Snape was discovered eavesdropping by the barman of the Hog's Head Inn , who removed him from the building (The Hog's Head). Voldemort interpreted the prophecy as referring to Harry, and as a result killed his parents,
James And Lily Potter , while trying to kill Harry.
Dumbledore has been instrumental in the struggle against his former student, working tirelessly against him with the Order of the Phoenix. When Harry's parents were killed, it was Dumbledore's decision to place the now-orphaned Harry in the safekeeping of
Vernon and
Petunia Dursley , knowing that Harry would be protected by the special magic caused by his mother's sacrifice.
Throughout the series Dumbledore is portrayed as a wizard with modern/reformist ideas about blood purity, and the rights of Muggles, 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 his character, rather than his birth, blood, or family, saying "it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be." Voldemort angrily refers to Dumbledore as ''"champion of commoners, muggles and
Mudbloods ."''. Unlike most wizards, save
Remus Lupin ,
Sirius Black ,
Hermione Granger ,
Ginny Weasley , and
Harry Potter himself, Dumbledore is not afraid to speak Lord Voldemort's name.
Dumbledore makes the important discovery that Voldemort is attempting to achieve
Immortality by making
Horcrux es, one of which was Tom Riddle's diary, destroyed by Harry in ''
Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets '' . Dumbledore himself destroys a second Horcrux, an old ring, and is seriously injured in the process during the summer after Harry's fifth year. Dumbledore and Harry set out to recover a third Horcrux near the end of the sixth year, but Dumbledore is gravely weakened in the attempt, and is killed by
Severus Snape upon their return, during the battle of Hogwarts. .
Dumbledore was twice dismissed from his position as Headmaster, the first time during Harry's second year at Hogwarts, when
Lucius Malfoy "persuaded" the school's twelve governors to remove him in the wake of attacks by a
Basilisk on people in the school. He was subsequently reinstated after Harry killed the basilisk. Later, Lucius was found to have threatened the other governors into removing him as headmaster.
In Harry's fifth year,
Dolores Umbridge was appointed by the Minister for Magic,
Cornelius Fudge , to oversee activities at Hogwarts, after Dumbledore and Harry tried to convince the Wizarding world that Voldemort had returned. Harry and other students organised a club called "
Dumbledore's Army " to learn defensive magic. Dumbledore was compelled to flee Hogwarts after lying to Fudge and Umbridge about the nature of Dumbledore's Army to protect Harry. Dumbledore was reinstated after Voldemort launched an attack on the Ministry of Magic.
Dumbledore's death is foreshadowed at the start of
Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince , where he first appears with a burnt and blackened hand, a result of his recovery and destruction of a ring that was an heirloom of Voldemort's grandfather
Marvolo Gaunt and was serving as one of Voldemort's Horcruxes. On that occasion, Dumbledore was saved from death by the intervention of
Severus Snape , though the injury shows no sign of improvement throughout the year that passes in the sixth book.
Dumbledore was repeatedly warned by
Harry Potter that another student,
Draco Malfoy , was working for Voldemort. Dumbledore refused to take any action against Draco, and instead reassured Harry that he already knew more about what was happening than did Harry. Draco made two (arguably halfhearted) attempts to kill Dumbledore during the year, but on each occasion a student was injured instead. The first attempt involved a cursed necklace, the second a bottle of poisoned mead. Both these attempts were secondary to Malfoy's main plan, which was to repair a broken magical cabinet already inside Hogwarts, and use it to transport Death Eaters into the castle. There was a similar cabinet in Borgin & Burke's shop, and there was a magical passage between them. The attackers were able to enter the castle through the other cabinet while Dumbledore and Harry were away, attempting to find and destroy another Horcrux. Dumbledore was injured, possibly fatally, in this attempt as he was forced to drink a potion left by Voldemort and on their return he was surprised and disarmed by Malfoy. Malfoy found that he could not bring himself to kill Dumbledore, so instead
Snape used the fatal ''
Avada Kedavra '' curse against him.
Dumbledore's funeral is attended by students, teachers, members of the Ministry of Magic, giants, ghosts, centaurs, merpeople and others. Shrouded in purple velvet, he is entombed in a white marble tomb beside the lake at Hogwarts, and is said to be the only Hogwarts headmaster who is laid to rest in the school grounds. Upon his death, Fawkes, his pet Phoenix, mysteriously takes flight and departs from the school grounds. His portrait appears in the current headmistress's office alongside the former headmasters and headmistresses of Hogwarts, where he will presumably, like the others, give his aid to the current head of school.
Some Harry Potter fans have come up with various theories as to how and why they think he may have survived Snape's
''Avada Kedavra'' though it seems highly improvible that he survived. There are websites devoted to that cause
{Link without Title} .
