albus dumbledore

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Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore (1881- June 1997) was the Head Of Gryffindor House, Transfiguration Professor, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Order of Merlin, First Class, and finally the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. He was considered by most to be the most powerful wizard of his time.

Contents [hide]
1 Biography
1.1 Early Life
1.2 As Hogwarts Headmaster
1.3 As Leader of The Order of the Phoenix
2 Accomplishments and skills
3 Appearance
4 Dumbledore and Harry Potter
5 Role in the series
6 Etymology
7 Traits and Personality
7.1 Humour
8 References
9 External Links


[edit] Biography
[edit] Early Life
Little is known about Dumbledore's early life. He was born in July or August 1881.[1] His brother, named Aberforth, also was a member of the Order of the Phoenix, and was prosecuted in the Wizengamot for "practicing inappropriate charms on a goat". Aberforth is currently the bartender at the Hog's Head in Hogsmeade.[2]

Albus Dumbledore began his education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in approximately 1892, and was placed in Gryffindor. His extraordinary magical talents were apparent from an early age, as later described by the elderly Griselda Marchbanks, Head of the Wizarding Examinations Authority, who personally examined the school-age Dumbledore for his N.E.W.T.s in Charms and Transfiguration. Marchbanks recalls that the young, talented Dumbledore had "done things with a wand I'd never seen before."[HP5]

Dumbledore's family history is marred by tragedy. His sister, Ariana Dumbledore, was viciously attacked at an early age by three Muggle boys who were scared of her magical abilities; Dumbledore's father, Percival, attacked the Muggle boys and was sent to Azkaban for the rest of his life. Meanwhile, Dumbledore's mother, Kendra, locked Ariana up to prevent her from being sent to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. After the attack, Ariana was not sane, and her magic was uncontrolled and dangerous. Eventually, she ended up killing her mother around the time of Albus Dumbledore's leaving Hogwarts, just before he had planned to tour the world with Elphias Doge.

As a result, Dumbledore was forced to stay home and take care of his brother and sister. He explained that as a young man, he expected bigger and better things from wizardry. He regrettably neglected his duty to his family and instead pursued powerful ideas about the world, including the Deathly Hallows, with Gellert Grindelwald. He and Aberforth ended up in an argument over Albus' neglect of Ariana. When the argument became more heated, Grindelwald attacked Aberforth with the Cruciatus Curse, and a duel ensued. Albus rushed to protect Aberforth, and curses were cast in every direction amongst the confusion. A Killing Curse hit Ariana; though the caster was unknown and the targeting was purely accidental, this haunted Dumbledore for the rest of his life and was one reason he sought the Deathly Hallows.

An unknown time, Dumbledore returned to the school as Professor of Transfiguration. He later became Deputy Headmaster, in which capacity he also served in recruiting students for the school. Most prominent among the students he recruited was Tom Riddle, who would eventually take the name Lord Voldemort.

In 1945, Dumbledore defeated and imprisoned the now-Dark wizard Grindelwald. Eventually he was appointed Headmaster of Hogwarts.

Dumbledore became the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot and Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards. He was removed from these posts during his conflict with the British Ministry of Magic under Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge, but was reinstated when the Ministry was forced to concede that he had correctly warned that Voldemort had returned. He holds the Order of Merlin, First Class, for Grand Sorcery.

Dumbledore refused the position of Minister for Magic at least four times (he was requested for the office before Fudge came to power), believing that lust for power was his own tragic flaw.

[edit] As Hogwarts Headmaster

Dumbledore and FawkesDumbledore began his career at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as a teacher in the subject of Transfiguration. His students over the years included Tom Riddle, later known as Lord Voldemort, and Rubeus Hagrid.

Dumbledore's final years at Hogwarts were rocky due to political circumstances.

The death of a student Cedric Diggory during the Triwizard Tournament compelled Dumbledore to announce the return of Lord Voldemort. The news of Lord Voldemort's return was not well received and Dumbledore was removed from the position of Headmaster and forced into hiding. The position of Headmaster was then temporarily held by Dolores Umbridge. In due course, Dumbledore was taken seriously and reinstated as Headmaster only for the Second War to break out in Britain.

[edit] As Leader of The Order of the Phoenix
Dumbledore has been credited as the founder of the Order of the Phoenix to combat the army and chaos created by Lord Voldemort. He was known to be a strong leader and significant contributor to the fight against Voldemort until his untimely demise.

Notable members of the Order included the Weasleys, the Longbottoms, the Potters, Hermione Granger, Mundungus Fletcher, Severus Snape, Alastor Moody, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Nymphadora Tonks.

[edit] Accomplishments and skills
"You know, Minister, I disagree with Dumbledore on many counts ...but you cannot deny he's got style..."
―Phineas Nigellus to Cornelius Fudge[src]

Albus Dumbledore and Elder WandDumbledore is famous as an alchemist who has worked with Nicolas Flamel, the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone. In the book of Philosopher's Stone we see the Mirror of Erised. Though in the book it is not told what Dumbledore sees in it, in a recent web chat Jo Rowling revealed that what Dumbledore sees is in fact: His mother and sister living, his father free and living and his brother on once more established terms with him. Dumbledore is credited with discovering the twelve uses of dragon's blood. He is also capable of conjuring a Patronus, one that takes the form of a phoenix.

His weapon of choice seems to be fire. In his duel against Voldemort 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, without actually burning anything; in the Cave he also used a vast amount of fire to hold off the Inferi. He is known to be able to conjure Gubraithian Fire (magical everlasting fire). His pet Fawkes is a phoenix, which dies and is reborn in flames

Dumbledore has devised a method of sending messages using a Patronus Charm, a skill he has taught only to members of the Order of the Phoenix. He has claimed to be able to become invisible without using an Invisibility Cloak. Dumbledore is also skilled in Occlumency and Legilimency. He can also produce magic without the use of a wand, and is incredibly skilled at nonverbal use of magic.

He also is capable of sensing magical energy, and the one who cast it. He can lift any charm put on Hogwarts (though this is probably a privilege given to Headmasters, rather than specific to Dumbledore). At the age of 64, he had enough power to defeat the mighty wizard Grindelwald, who at the time had far greater power as he was wielding the Elder Wand. Though he died at 116 years of age as a result of a killing curse cast by Severus Snape, it is questionable how long he would have lived if he were to reach the point where he dies of old age, due to the fact that he was currently dying of a separate curse, and was incredibly old.

Dumbledore is also skilled at conjuring objects. He also has several personal spells. One that stuns several people, and bears the sound of a gunshot, which he used both in his office when the Fudge Ministry attempts to arrest him, and at the Department of Mysteries. He also uses a spell that pulls a running death eater back to him with no effort in the Department of Mysteries.

Dumbledore places great emphasis on memories; he uses them both as a weapon and as a means of research. 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, when Harry stumbles across the Pensieve for the first time and is found in it by Dumbledore, he explains to Harry what it is and how it works.

Dumbledore can speak Mermish, the language of the Merpeople,[HP4] as well as Gobbledegook. He can recognise Parseltongue, the language of snakes, as he demonstrates while he and Harry are inside Bob Ogden's memory; he is able to quote verbatim a Parseltongue phrase uttered by Morfin Gaunt in a later memory.[HP6]

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 the sixth Harry Potter book of the series that he makes mistakes, and since he is rather more clever than most men his mistakes tend to be "correspondingly huger".

[edit] Appearance

Albus Dumbledore at the start-of-term feast 1993.
Dumbledore is tall and thin, with long silver hair and a long beard. He has blue eyes, which usually twinkle with kindness and mischief, but during the few times we see him angry they burn with a cold blue fire that makes even Lord Voldemort falter. Dumbledore has a very long and crooked nose (looking as if it had been broken at least twice) and long fingers. He wears half-moon spectacles. He once claimed to have a scar above his left knee, of which provenance is unknown, in the shape of a map of the London Underground.

Considered the most powerful wizard in the world, Dumbledore is benevolent and eccentric, an archetypal good wizard in the style of Merlin. It is said that he is the only wizard Lord Voldemort ever feared.

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 frequently sets the password for the gargoyle statue guarding his office door to be the name of various sweets. He told Professor McGonagall in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone that he is rather fond of sherbet lemons. He dislikes Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans after coming across a vomit flavoured bean in his youth. He is a fan of knitting patterns and once told Harry that one could never have enough woolen socks. His favourite flavour of jam is raspberry[HP6].

While he had been repeatedly offered the post of the Minister for Magic, he had firmly refused to leave Hogwarts.

Dumbledore was murdered by Severus Snape in Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts. Dumbledore planned for his death a year ahead of time with Severus. J. K. Rowling confirmed this at a charity reading on August 2, 2006. (Although there was a small but out-spoken group of fans who disputed his death before it was confirmed in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.) He is survived by his brother, Aberforth Dumbledore.

[edit] Dumbledore and Harry Potter
It was Dumbledore who arranged for the infant Harry Potter to be rescued from the cottage at Godric's Hollow where Harry's parents had been murdered. He then left Harry in the care of Harry's Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon in Surrey. Throughout Harry's years at Hogwarts, Dumbledore provides Harry with protection and guidance, and supplements Harry's schooling with additional training and information as he feels it is important. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Dumbledore admits to Harry that he has also withheld from the boy knowledge of a prophecy spoken to Dumbledore by Sybill Trelawney which marked Harry as the only wizard who could destroy Voldemort.

His unwavering determination to pursue the fight against Lord Voldemort leads him to break with the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge in The Order of the Phoenix and to be temporarily removed from his position as Headmaster of Hogwarts when control of the school is given to Dolores Umbridge, an appointee of the Ministry.

By the sixth book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Albus Dumbledore takes on the role of providing Harry with additional insights into the origins of Lord Voldemort. He does this largely through the use of the Pensieve. He entrusts Harry with the task of getting a final, crucial memory from Horace Slughorn regarding Voldemort's knowledge of Horcruxes. It is in the destruction of one of these Horcruxes that Dumbledore's hand is seriously and permanently injured. Harry and Dumbledore forge a bond in The Half-Blood Prince that is sorely tested in a cave where a horcrux is supposed to be hidden. Harry, who has promised faithfully to follow Dumbledore's instructions, has to force Dumbledore to drink liquid from a goblet that is nearly fatal to Dumbledore just to get a Horcrux.

Also, in the sixth book, Albus continually reminds Harry that love is the greatest magic of all and then shortly there after, immobilises Harry to save him before he dies.

In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry's soul goes to a place where Dumbledore talks to him, and reveals that Harry was a seventh Horcrux that Voldemort accidently created, and that Voldemort was unaware of said creation. He also answers other questions, after which Harry goes back to the physical world. Dumbledore was well known for his steadfast championing of Harry.[3]

[edit] Role in the series
Dumbledore is clearly one of the most important characters in the Harry Potter books, as much for the significant role he plays in the fostering and education of Harry Potter as for his leadership in the struggle against Lord Voldemort.

Drawn from the archetype of the wise old wizard, Albus Dumbledore is reminiscent of characters such as Merlin from the medieval tales of King Arthur, of Gandalf from the more recent Lord of the Rings trilogy, and, to a lesser extent, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda of the Star Wars films. Yet J.K. Rowling has nevertheless created a character that lives with his own literary life.

In this series, Albus Dumbledore takes on the role of the mentor or teacher, and although there are obviously many of those at Hogwarts, Harry is more attached to him than any other. The teacher must help their pupil to grow and learn as much as they can, but eventually, the pupil must make the journey without their teacher, just like, as previously mentioned, Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Dumbledore: "It was foolish of you to come here tonight, Tom. The Aurors are on their way."
Voldemort: "By which time I shall be gone, and you...shall be dead."
― Dumbledore and Voldemort[src]
.
[edit] Etymology
Rowling stated that 'Dumbledore' is an old 18th century English word meaning 'Bumblebee', and that she imagined him flitting about the castle humming to himself.

Dumbledore's given names could be interpreted as representing the four primary divisions of the British Isles:

'Albus' may be the masculine form of "Alba", an ancient name for Scotland; It is also a Latin word for white, traditionally representing the forces of Good.
'Percival' is a legendary Arthurian knight from Wales involved in the Grail quest. In Le morte d'Arthur by Thomas Mallory, Percival is both hero of the quest for the Grail and narrator of the tale, as is the case for Dumbledore in parts of the story. It is a name which presumably comes from his father. Percival is also a name from old French meaning 'pierce the veil'. Percy Weasley's full name is Percival, indicating they are related; Dumbledore once had auburn hair as well.
'Wulfric' is an Anglo-Saxon name found in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and could be representative of England. Wulfric translates literally as "wolf-power", and is reminiscent of another similar name, Beowulf, which means "powerful wolf-bear". The legendary hero Beowulf slew the monster Grendel as a youth, a name similar to Gellert Grindelwald, the dark wizard Dumbledore defeated in his own youth. Beowulf was fatally wounded by a dragon in a sea cave, and the only one who would help him was his squire, an orphaned son of some loyal followers. This is a parralel to Dumbledore's life, as he was mortally injured by the potion protecting the fake Horcrux in a sea cave as well, and the orphaned son would of course be represented by Harry.
'Brian' is the name of the legendary Irish high-king and hero Brian Boru who defeated the Vikings at the Battle of Clontarf near Dublin. Dumbledore himself was a veteran of many wizarding battles against the forces of Darkness.
[edit] Traits and Personality

Albus DumbledoreOne of Dumbledore's dominant traits is his ability to always give someone a chance if he believes that they are good-intentioned. He hires Sybill Trelawney, for example, to teach Divination even though her abilities as a seer are scant because he recognizes that she does possess a real, if highly sporadic, gift of prophecy. Similarly, Rubeus Hagrid is allowed to become Hogwarts gamekeeper after he is expelled when he has no family to turn to, and Remus Lupin, a werewolf, is given a place as a pupil despite the potential backlash from parents were they to find out.

However,one of the most significant aspects of Dumbledore's character is his unwavering trust in people. His knowledge of people's true personality appears to go beyond being simply a good judge of character. Despite Snape's background as a Death Eater, and despite strong incriminating evidence, Dumbledore trusts him with many important tasks.

As a supremely talented wizard, Dumbledore shows numerous examples of extraordinary powers, such as his battle with Voldemort and rescue of Harry from Voldemort's power in the fight in the Ministry of Magic at the end of Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts. His abilities as a wizard are combined with a cunningness and subtlety of mind that allows him to comprehend human nature and, where he can, turn the better aspects of humanity (love, loyalty, friendship and forgiveness) to Voldemort's disadvantage. Yet despite his many talents and accomplishments, Dumbledore is never in the least arrogant, self-important or pompous and in this he stands in contrast to many of the other characters, from Cornelius Fudge to Voldemort himself.

Dumbledore's one flaw, as he explains to Harry in 1997[HP7], is his desire for power. Although he only ever desires to use this power for good, as he explains to Harry, those best suited for power are those who do not desire it. Ultimately this desire would lead to his downfall, when he attempts to wear Gaunt's Ring and finally unite the Deathly Hallows he receives the curse which was placed on the item which will ultimately kill him, leaving his arm black and withered.

Dumbledore was gay, and in love with Gellert Grindelwald.[4]

[edit] Humour
Dumbledore is known for his odd displays of his whimsical sense of humour.

In his first appearance at the start-of-term banquet in Harry's first year, Dumbledore stands and says he would like to say a few words: "Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!" He then promptly sits down.

Dumbledore's humor is sometimes considered inappropriate by some of the other teachers. A notable example of this was when he was telling the school about The Triwizard Tournament, and the Weasley twins shouted "You're joking!" This prompted Dumbledore to begin telling a real joke, before he was brought back on course by Minerva McGonagall

His legendary sweet tooth and use of treat names for his personal passwords add to this sense of whimsy. It is this humour, and the love of the goodness of life behind it, that places everything in its proper perspective and gives purpose to the battle against the evil that Voldemort represents. Birth name: Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore (OP8) (Name meanings).
Other names: Voldemort refers to him as "that champion of commoners, of Mudbloods and Muggles" (GF33).
Birthdate: 1881 (JKR), probably in July or August. This date supercedes Jo's statement in 2001 that Dumbledore was "about 150 years old" (Blue Nose Day) and fits better with the dates that appear in Book 7. Regarding his month of birth, Rita says that Dumbledore was "nearing" his 18th birthday when he left Hogwarts in June, but was still 17 when he met Grindelwald (DH18). Basically, at some point during Grindelwald's stay at Godric's Hollow Dumbledore turned 18, so the month of his birth appears to be July or August.
Deathdate: June, 1997 (when he was killed by Severus Snape), but 1996 according to Rowling's Wizard of the Month declaration (JKR). Is this date from Rowling's website a typo, or intentional? We're hoping that Rowling will let us know someday.

FAMILY
Ancestry: Half-blood (his mother Kendra was Muggle-born) (DH8).
Mother: Kendra Dumbledore, accidently killed in 1899 by her 14-year-old daughter Ariana, who was mentally unstable.
Father: Percival Dumbledore, imprisoned c.1890 at Azkaban for an attack on Muggles when Albus was about 10 years old.
Siblings: Younger brother Aberforth (born 1883 or 1884) and sister Ariana (born 1884 or 1885, died 1899); both brothers are haunted by their sister's accidental death (DH3).
Location of childhood home: Mould-on-the-Wold until the attack on his sister, then Godric's Hollow.
Pet: Fawkes, a phoenix.

APPEARANCE
Eye color: blue.
Hair color: white (originally auburn).
Other characteristics: Scar in the shape of the London Underground above his knee (PS1). After summer of 1996 [Y16], withered, blackened right (wand) hand (HBP3).
The ring: "It was large, rather clumsily made of what looked like gold, and was set with a heavy black stone that had cracked down the middle." Worn on Dumbledore's left hand beginning at about the same time he injured his right hand (HBP4).
After the potion: His face is damp and as pale as an Inferi. The corners of his mouth twitch.

Descriptions from the books:
"He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice."(PS1)

"He wore half-moon glasses, had along, crooked nose, and flowing silver hair, beard, and mustache."(PS6)

"Professor Dumbledore, though very old, always gave an impression of great energy. He had several feet of long silver hair and beard, half-moon spectacles, and an extremely crooked nose. He was often described as the greatest wizard of the age, but that wasn't why Harry respected him. You couldn't help trusting Albus Dumbledore..." (PA5)

The silvery light from the Pensieve illuminated Dumbledore's face, and it struck Harry suddenly how very old he was looking. He knew, of course, that Dumbledore was getting on in years, but somehow he never really thought of Dumbledore as an old man (GF30).

After the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, something injured Dumbledore's right (wand) hand. It was "blackened and shriveled; it looked as though his flesh had been burned away." (HBP3)

DUMBLEDORE at HOGWARTS
First year: 1892.
House: Almost certainly Gryffindor. Hermione tells us (PS6), and he can wield Gryffindor's sword (DH33).
School awards, etc.: "Examined him personally in Transfiguration and Charms when he did N.E.W.T.s ... Did things with a wand I'd never seen before ..." �Griselda Marchbanks (OP31). "Head Boy, Prefect, Winner of the Barnabus Finkley Prize for Exceptional Spell-Casting, British Youth Representative to the Wizengamot, Gold Medal-Winner for Ground-Breaking Contribution to the International Alchemical Conference in Cairo." (DH18)
Career: By c.1938 he was Hogwarts Transfiguration professor (CS17); Hogwarts School Headmaster c.1955 until his death.

The Headmaster's Office: See Headmaster's Office.

Name Meanings
"Albus" Latin for 'white,' especially the flat white of stones or clothing. "Albion," an ancient and poetical name for Britain comes from the same root.

"Percival" Knight of King Arthur's roundtable who was granted a glimpse of the Holy Grail. Albus shares this name with his father and Percy Weasley.

"Dumbledore" 18thC Eng. word for 'bumblebee.' Rowling says she imagines him wandering around the castle humming to himself. Interestingly, the word "dumbledore" has another possibly important meaning. In an e-mail, Christopher Woosley writes:

"Although not widely known, an alternate meaning for the word Dumbledore is a style of hat the was made semi-popular in London in the 1880s-1890s. Taking this meaning into account, Albus Dumbledore's name would have the meaning "White Hat." As I'm sure you know that is a term for the hero or protagonist of a story. Mrs. Rowling named her great champion of good "White Hat"...I ran across this alternate meaning while researching a paper on British literature of the 19th century."
"Wulfric" Anglo/Saxon. 'wolf power' or 'wolf ruler.' Also, a 12thC British hermit saint known for his miracles and prophecies.

"Brian" This may be a reference to "Monty Python's The Life of Brian," poking fun at the pretentiousness of all of his other names.

SKILLS, DEVICES, ETC.
Wand: The Elder Wand, one of the three Deathly Hallows (DH).
Other devices:

Put-Outer, aka Deluminator (PS1)
Watch with twelve hands and little planets instead of numbers (PS1)
Mirror of Erised (PS12)
unnamed delicate silver instruments (CS12, OP)
Pensieve (GF30)
Peverell ring (HBP4)
Skills:

Alchemy
Transfiguration
some Legilimency (OP38)
Can cast spells without a wand
Can become invisible without a cloak (PS12)
Can send messages with his Patronus (GF28), a phoenix (JKR)
Spoke Mermish (GF26), Gobbledegook (DH) and Parseltongue (HBP10, DH), as well as speaking a language that Harry did not understand (HBP26).
Socks: Likes a pair of warm socks. [Essay: Thoughts on Socks]
Favorite foods: sherbet lemons (PS1), Cockroach Clusters, hot cocoa, raspberry jam, Acid Pops.
Organizations & affiliations: Order of Merlin, First Class, and Grand Sorcerer; Founder and Secret Keeper, Order of the Phoenix (OP6); Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards (temporarily "voted out" OP5); Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot (temporarily demoted OP5).
Also famous for: Defeating the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945; discovering the 12 uses of dragon blood.
Patronus: Phoenix. Performed Patronus Charm during Quidditch match in 1993 [Y13], but shape was indistinct (PA9). Performed again in 1995 [Y15], when it was described as a "ghostly bird" (GF28). JKR confirmed that Dumbledore's Patronus is a phoenix (EBF 2004).
Worst fear/memory: Probably his sister's accidental death, based upon what he said under the influence of the Horcrux potion in the cave.
Incarceration: Fudge and Dolores Umbridge attempted to arrest him for illegally forming an army, but were unsuccessful (OP27).
Gringotts Vault: 713 (high security); contained the Philosopher's Stone (PS5).
Enjoys: Knitting patterns (HBP4), chamber music and tenpin bowling (PS6).

Chocolate Frog Card

ALBUS DUMBLEDORE
Currently Head master of Hogwarts.

Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel.

Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.


MYSTERIES & MISCONCEPTIONS

Where did he go after being removed from his post as headmaster of Hogwarts in 1993 [Y13] and again in 1996 [Y16]?
How did he know James & Lily had been killed so quickly after it happened? How did he know Lily had invoked "ancient magic" with her sacrifice? (He must have known because he instructed Hagrid to bring Harry to Privet Drive).
Dumbledore did not work on the Philosopher's Stone with Flamel, or more precisely, he didn't work on the Stone which has kept Flamel alive for six hundred years (since Dumbledore hadn't been born when that Stone would have had to have been created). The card simply says that he was Flamel's partner in alchemy, not that Dumbledore had anything to do with that Stone.
DUMBLEDORE on FILM
Dumbledore was played by Richard Harris in the first two films. Harris died some time after the second film and the part was played in the subsequent films by Michael Gambon.


Richard Harris (left) and Michael Gambon (right) as Dumbledore.

Other pages on Dumbledore

Profile of Albus Dumbledore
Quotes by and about Dumbledore (books 1-6)
Timeline for Dumbledore
Essay: Thoughts on Socks 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", a fictional organisation dedicated to fighting the main antagonist of the series, Lord Voldemort.

Rowling's elderly headmaster at St Michael's Primary School, Alfred Dunn, is claimed as the inspiration for Dumbledore.[1][2]

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.

Contents [hide]
1 Character background
1.1 Early life and family
1.2 Dumbledore and Grindelwald
1.3 Dumbledore and the rise of Voldemort
2 Appearances
2.1 First three books
2.2 Fourth and fifth books
2.3 Sixth book
2.4 Final book
3 Attributes
3.1 Outward appearance
3.2 Personality
3.3 Sexuality
3.4 Magical accomplishments and skills
3.5 Name
4 Film portrayal
5 References
6 External links



Character background

Early life and family
Albus Dumbledore was born in 1881[3] to Percival and Kendra Dumbledore.[4] 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. 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, Kendra moved the family to the village of Godric's Hollow, and her illness was concealed. Neighbours assumed that Ariana was a Squib.

When Albus attended Hogwarts, 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. 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.

He was joined by his brother, Aberforth, who proved to be quite different from Albus, not possessing the extraordinary magical talent. When Ordinary Wizarding Levels came about in Harry's fifth year, Griselda Marchbanks, Head of the Wizarding Examinations Authority, remarked that the young Dumbledore had "...done things with a wand I'd never seen before."[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, accidentally killed by Ariana, during 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 Gellert Grindelwald arrived in Godric's Hollow to live with his great-aunt, Bathilda Bagshot, author of A History of Magic. The young Dumbledore fell in love with Grindelwald, 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. 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 hundredfold in the end. However, a discussion between Albus, Aberforth and Grindelwald led to a duel that resulted in Ariana's death. 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, in Ariana's funeral, 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, because of this, never took the position of Minister of Magic, despite having been offered several times. Dumbledore retured to Hogwarts as professor of Transfiguration, and most likely later became Deputy Headmaster of Hogwarts as 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. 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.

While speaking at Carnegie Hall on October 19, 2007, J.K. Rowling was asked by a young fan whether Dumbledore finds "true love". Rowling said "Dumbledore is gay" and "fell in love with the charming wizard Gellert Grindelwald but when Grindelwald turned out to be more interested in the dark arts than good, Dumbledore was terribly let down and went on to destroy his rival." That love, she said, was Dumbledore's "great tragedy." The audience reportedly fell silent after Rowling's revelations, then erupted into applause.[5][6][7]


Dumbledore and the rise of Voldemort
Further information: Lord Voldemort
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. 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 Potters. 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

First three books

Dumbledore as portrayed by the late Richard HarrisIn 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 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.[8] He also is responsible for somehow enchanting the Mirror so that it hid the Philosopher's Stone and that only someone who looked into the Mirror and whose desire was "to find the Stone...but not use it" would actually receive it. 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.

In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Dumbledore 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, 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.

At the beginning of 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 that book, 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.


Fourth and fifth books
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) becomes rather angry and man-handles 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 Barty 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 to save Harry and to interrogate Crouch. Afterwards, Dumbledore listens to Harry's eyewitness account about Voldemort's return. 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 Cornelius Fudge. In the end, Fudge and Dumbledore "part ways" after an argument about the situation of Voldemort's return and the consequences that would follow should Fudge remain ignorant.


Dumbledore as portrayed by Michael GambonIn 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 is almost stripped of his Order of Merlin First Class, due to his speeches regarding the return of Voldemort. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Magic does everything they can to discredit him and Harry, mainly through the Daily Prophet. At the beginning of the book, 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.

Dumbledore is not heard of again in the book until he arrives in the Department of Mysteries to aid the Order in the battle against the Death Eaters. He 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 told Fudge what happened and is reinstated as headmaster and retrieves all his distinctions. Towards the end of the book, Dumbledore explains to Harry that Voldemort chose him as his equal and that one must kill the other in the end.


Sixth book
In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, 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. 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. Harry also repeatedly warns Dumbledore in most of their lessons that another student, Draco Malfoy, is working for Voldemort. Dumbledore refuses to take any action against Draco, and instead tells Harry that he already knows more about what is happening than Harry does.

By the end of book six, Dumbledore and Harry set out to the cave where Dumbledore believed a Horcrux resides. In the cave, Dumbledore drinks a potion inside the Horcrux's container; while drinking it, he begins to scream, seemingly enduring mental torture and being weakened. After the Inferi try to seize and drag Harry into the icy depths of the lake in the cave, 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 Hogsmeade. 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. In the tower, Dumbledore merely converses about Draco Malfoy's plot to kill him. 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.

It is revealed in the final book that Dumbledore made a terrible error by placing a cursed ring on his right hand, sometime between the fifth and sixth book, forgetting the curses that must be on the ring. The ring held the Resurrection Stone, which Dumbledore hoped to use to allow him to apologise to his sister and parents. Severus Snape was called by him to help lift the curse that night. However, when Snape arrived and assessed the curse, all he can do is contain the curse; Dumbledore knows he has little more than a year to live. 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.

Shortly after his death, Dumbledore's portrait magically appears in the Headmaster's office. His funeral is attended by students, Hogwarts teachers and staff, members of the Ministry of Magic, 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.


Final book
Rowling used several chapters in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to reveal two main matters concerning to Dumbledore: his early life and his death. After coming across conflicting stories about Dumbledore's childhood and rise to the position of Hogwarts headmaster, 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 the true hardships of his youth from Aberforth and from Albus himself.

Dumbledore appears one last time to Harry Potter towards the end of the book, after Harry is struck with the killing curse. Rowling used that conversation to reveal the truth about the link between Voldemort and Harry. The boy 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. After returning from limbo and defeating Voldemort, Harry has a short conversation with Dumbledore's portrait in the Headmaster's office about the fate of each of the three Deathly Hallows. In the epilogue, it is revealed that Harry names his second son Albus Severus Potter after Dumbledore and Snape.


Attributes

Outward appearance
The books describe Dumbledore as a classic wizard; 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.

Some critics have noted strong similarities between Dumbledore and the classic wizard Merlin,[9][10] as well as Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings.


Personality
Throughout the series, 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 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 makes a point of politeness, 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]".[HP1]

In Philosopher's Stone he mentions to Harry 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. 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."

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 refused several times the position of Minister for Magic. He held the Order of Merlin, First Class, for Grand Sorcery.


Sexuality
On Friday October 19th, 2007, J.K. Rowling announced at a book reading in Carnegie Hall, New York City that Dumbledore was in fact gay. She then explained that Dumbledore was smitten with the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald, whom he defeated long ago in a battle between good and bad wizards. "Falling in love can blind us to an extent," Rowling said of Dumbledore's feelings, adding that Dumbledore was "horribly, terribly let down." [11] [12]


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, and is credited with discovering the twelve uses of dragon's blood. He is also capable of conjuring a Patronus, one that takes the form of a phoenix[13], a recurring symbol in the books. 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 weapon of choice seems to be fire. In his duel against Voldemort in the fifth novel, he uses a fiery rope; when he displays his Wizarding powers to young Tom Riddle, he does so by setting Riddle's wardrobe on fire; in the cave that hides Voldemort's locket Horcrux, he uses fire to hold off the Inferi. He is also known to be able to conjure Gubraithian fire (magical everlasting fire). He has claimed to be able to become invisible without using an invisibility cloak. Dumbledore is also skilled in Occlumency and Legilimency. Dumbledore is an expert at transfiguration too, having taught the subject prior to becoming headmaster. He frequently creates complex objects like sofa chairs out of thin air (or from less comfortable chairs). In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix film, Dumbledore transfigures thousands of pieces of glass into sand in moments. Dumbledore speaks Mermish, Gobbledegook and understands Parseltongue.[14]

In an interview, Rowling commented:[citation needed]

" 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".[citation needed] 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 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."


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.[15]


Film portrayal
In the film adaptations of Philosopher's Stone (2001) and Chamber of Secrets (2002), Dumbledore was played by Richard Harris, who was expected to play Dumbledore throughout the series. However, his death in 2002 of Hodgkin's lymphoma placed Michael Gambon in the role for Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), Goblet of Fire (2005), Order of the Phoenix (2007), and Half-Blood Prince (2008).

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 never to speak to him again if he did not take it.[16]


References

JKR on Dumbledore (Accio Quote!)