Character:Albus Dumbledore
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| Character profile | |
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| Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore | |
| Nicknames and aliases | Dubbledore, Dumby, Dumbly-dorr, Mr. Dumberton, Mr. Dunderbore, Mr. Brilliant, Your Headship, Professorhead |
| Birth | 1881 |
| Death | June, 1997 |
| Parents | Percival and Kendra Dumbledore |
| Sibling | Aberforth and Ariana Dumbledore |
| Blood status | Half-blood |
| Appearance | long, silver hair and beard (originally auburn); bright blue eyes; tall; thin; long crooked nose; half-moon spectacles |
| Pets | Fawkes |
| School | Hogwarts |
| House | Gryffindor |
| Hogwarts achievements | Hogwarts Staff |
| Patronus | a phoenix |
| Boggart | Ariana's corpse |
| Occupation | Transfiguration teacher and Head of Gryffindor; later Headmaster |
| Special abilities | possibly the most brilliant and accomplished wizard of the century; prodigious Transfiguration skills |
| Allegiance | Order of the Phoenix |
| Portrayer in the movies | Richard Harris (PS and CS) and Michael Gambon (PA, GF, OP and HBP) |
| First appearance in canon | The Boy Who Lived (PS) |
- "Albus" redirects here. Were you looking for Albus Severus, son of Harry and Ginny Potter?
This article is one of Christy's unfinished personal projects. Don't touch it unless you want to correct typos. She is very protective of her pages and may resort to violence to keep you away.
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore was one of the most brilliant wizards of modern times. He defeated the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, and founded the Order of the Phoenix during the First War against Lord Voldemort. Dumbledore was the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry until his death.
Characteristics
Physical
Dumbledore was a tall, thin man with waist-long silver hair and beard (PS1). As a teenager, he had elbow-length auburn hair, and sported a small wispy beard (DH13). In his sixties, as a teacher at Hogwarts, he had long auburn hair and beard (CS13). Albus had bright blue eyes, just like his brother Aberforth (OP16, DH2, DH28) and wore half-moon spectacles (PS1). His nose was very crooked due to a punch of Aberforth's (DH18).
Albus usually tucked his hair and beard into his belt. He had peculiar taste in clothes, often favouring purple robes and an overall extravagant appearance (PS1, HBP13). When travelling, he commonly wore a long black cloak and his pointed hat (HBP3, HBP25).
After his attempt to use the Resurrection Stone, Dumbledore's body was affected by a dreadful curse. Severus Snape managed to contain it to the Headmaster's hand (DH33), which became black and shrivelled (HBP4). In the afterlife, both his hands are undamaged (DH35).
Harry Potter's first years at Hogwarts
Harry's Hogwarts letter
When Harry Potter was about to turn eleven years old, Dumbledore gave Hagrid the task of delivering a Hogwarts letter to the boy. He warned Rubeus that there could be problems reaching Harry (PS4), and this was true (PS3). Hagrid finally managed to complete this task in a remote hut where Vernon Dursley had taken his family to escape the flood of letters.
After informing Harry of his acceptance at Hogwarts and delivering the letter, Hagrid sent Dumbledore an owl to notify him of this (PS4). He took Harry to Diagon Alley to buy school supplies; while there, he carried out another of Albus' orders: Hagrid showed a letter from the Headmaster to a Gringotts goblin and was allowed to transport the Philosopher's Stone out of vault 713 to Hogwarts.
In Diagon Alley, Harry bought his first wand, which, like Voldemort's, had a feather of Fawkes' tail hair (PS5). This amazed Ollivander, who immediately sent a letter to Dumbledore to notify him (GF36).
Harry's first year
After Harry arrived at Hogwarts, most teachers reported to Dumbledore that he was fairly talented, modest and agreeable. Severus Snape, on the other hand, complained that Harry was undistinguished, arrogant, attention-seeking and insubordinate. Upon hearing this, Albus pointed out that Severus saw only what he wished to see (DH33).
When Minerva McGonagall spotted Harry's Quidditch potential, she asked Dumbledore to bend the rule that forbade first-years from playing in the house teams. The Headmaster acquiesced, and Harry joined the Gryffindor Quidditch team shortly afterwards (PS9, PS10).
Dumbledore sent Harry the Cloak of Invisibility at Christmas, 1991, along with an anonymous note that read, "Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well. A Very Merry Christmas to you." That same day, Albus attended the Christmas feast, and used a flowery bonnet that he had obtained from a cracker instead of his usual hat. He sat at the High Table, and Harry saw him laughing at a joke Flitwick had just told him (PS12).
The following night, presumably with the use of a Disillusionment Charm (BLC), Dumbledore saw Harry showing the Mirror of Erised to Ron. It is possible that he had also seen Harry visit the room the night before. On Harry's third visit, Dumbledore revealed his presence, and explained to Harry the nature of the Mirror. He cautioned the boy not to search for it again, for it would be moved to a new location (PS12).
In November, Harry was injured during a Quidditch match (PS11), and Dumbledore decided to attend the next Gryffindor match (PS12). The Headmaster's presence intimidated Quirrell into not making another attempt to jinx Harry (PS17). Harry caught the Snitch, and Gryffindor won the match. Albus approached him after the victory and congratulated him for not brooding over the Mirror and for keeping himself otherwise busy (PS13).
Philosopher's Stone
Dumbledore collaborated with the alchemist Nicolas Flamel, the most recent known maker of the Philosopher's Stone, for many years (PS6). Flamel presumably entrusted the Stone to the Headmaster; it was kept in Vault 713 of Gringotts Wizarding Bank. Fearing for the Stone's safety, Albus ordered Hagrid to retrieve it on July 31, 1991, giving him a letter to present to the Gringotts goblins (PS5).
Hagrid got the Stone out of the bank hours before Gringotts was broken into for the first time in its history. Quirinus Quirrell, following Lord Voldemort's orders, managed to gain access to Vault 713, which was empty by then (PS8).
Shortly before this, Quirrell, who was the Muggle Studies teacher at Hogwarts (BLC), had returned from a year-long researching trip, in the course of which he had met Voldemort in Albania. Charity Burbage had presumably taken Quirrell's teaching post, and upon his return Dumbledore gave him the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher (PS5). However, the Headmaster was mistrustful of Quirrell, for some reason; in the beginning of the school year, he ordered Snape to keep an eye on Quirrell (DH33). Snape was thus able to hinder one of Quirrell's attempts to steal the Stone in the course of that school year (PS17).
Gringotts was said to be the safest place in wizarding Britain, second only to Hogwarts (PS5). Dumbledore planned the protection of the Stone; he asked some teachers—Sprout, Flitwick, McGonagall, Quirrell and Snape—to devise magical obstacles and safeguards set in the pathway to the final obstacle, designed by the Headmaster himself: the Mirror of Erised, which would only give the Stone to someone who wished to find, but not use it (PS14, PS17). Albus also borrowed Fluffy, a Greek three-headed dog, from Hagrid, to guard a trapdoor that led to the Stone (PS11); no one but the two wizards knew how to get past Fluffy (PS14).
In the beginning of the school year, Dumbledore announced to all students that the third-floor corridor—where Fluffy and the trapdoor were located—were off-limits (PS7).
At Hallowe'en, Quirrell let a mountain troll in the castle in order to try to get the Stone. The Headmaster immediately ordered all Prefects to lead students back to their dormitories (PS10). Snape guessed Quirrell intentions and followed him to the third-floor corridor; this prevented Quirrell from trying anything else (PS17). Severus continued to pressure Quirrell to give up on his designs towards the Stone in the following months (PS14).
One night, when Hagrid was in the Hog's Head playing cards, a stranger—Quirrell in disguise—approached him to play cards. During the course of the game, they talked, and Hagrid inadvertently revealed that music was the key to getting past Fluffy.
Shortly afterwards, Dumbledore received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic summoning him to London, and left the school. He warned McGonagall of his departure, announcing that he would return the following day. Meanwhile, Quirrell went through the trapdoor to get the Stone. Harry, Ron and Hermione did the same, convinced that the Headmaster's absence would be the perfect occasion for someone to steal the Philosopher's Stone. Before Harry crossed the final passageway that would lead him to the Mirror of Erised, he instructed Hermione to return and send Hedwig to Dumbledore (PS16).
When Hermione and Ron were running towards the Owlery, they met Albus in the Entrance Hall. He had quickly realised, upon arriving in London, that his return to Hogwarts was imperative. After asking the two students whether Harry had gone after Quirrell, he made his way to the third-floor corridor. Dumbledore arrived at the Mirror chamber just in time to pull Quirrell from Harry and to save the boy's life.
Harry spent three days unconscious in the hospital wing; according to Hermione, Dumbledore was extremely worried about him. The Headmaster was the first visitor he saw after regaining consciousness. Dumbledore informed him that Quirrell had been effectively thwarted, and the Stone, destroyed. Both Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel had decided it was for the best; they would use what little Elixir of Life they had left to settle whatever unfinished business they had before dying. Albus also revealed to Harry that the reason that Quirrell had been unable to touch him was Lily Potter's sacrifice.
Dumbledore and Harry talked about Voldemort. The Headmaster encouraged Harry to speak the Dark Lord's name, and warned him that Voldemort's return to power had merely been delayed, for he had not been killed.
Albus gave Hagrid a day off so that the gamekeeper could obtain photographs of Lily and James, and give them to Harry. He also ordered Pomfrey to let Harry leave the hospital wing to attend the Leaving Feast. In the Feast, Dumbledore gave last-minute points to Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville for the Stone incident, allowing Gryffindor to win the House Cup (PS17).
Lord Voldemort guessed that Dumbledore would have had the Stone destroyed, and decided to seek to regain his former body instead of hoping to achieve immortality (GF33).
Gilderoy Lockhart
Due to Quirrell's demise, Hogwarts once more lacked a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Rumours that the position was jinxed were starting to gain popularity. The only man who seemed willing to take on the post was Gilderoy Lockhart (CS7). Later that year, the Headmaster gave him permission to start a Duelling Club; Snape served as Gilderoy's assistant (CS11).
Unlike most of wizarding Britain, Dumbledore did not seem to believe Lockhart's tales of wondrous triumphs. Even though he tolerated the teacher's self-important suggestions and boasting (CS9), the ironic twist of fate that befell Lockhart in the Chamber of Secrets—losing his memory while attempting to modify Ron's with a broken wand—clearly amused Dumbledore, who noted that Lockhart had been impaled by his own sword (CS18).
The Whomping Willow incident
When Harry and Ron used Arthur Weasley's flying Ford Anglia to get to the school, Dumbledore confronted them about it. The Headmaster's evident disappointment made Harry feel dreadful. After Harry told him the full story, Albus announced that he would write to their families, and that he would expel the two boys if they did anything like that again (CS5).
Dumbledore's letter infuriated Molly Weasley, who sent a Howler to tell her son that Arthur had nearly died of shame after reading it (CS6).
The Chamber reopened
Full article: Chamber of Secrets
On Hallowe'en, 1992, Mrs. Norris was Petrified by the Chamber of Secrets Basilisk. She was left hanging in a corridor, with her tail wrapped around a torch bracket. Harry, Ron and Hermione were the first to find her; Harry had been following the voice of the Basilisk slithering behind the walls all the way from the dungeons, where Nearly Headless Nick's Deathday Party was taking place (CS8).
Dumbledore quickly arrived at the scene, followed by several teachers. He prevented Filch from attacking Harry, detached the cat's tail from the torch bracket and went to Lockhart's office along with Gilderoy, Argus and the Trio. McGonagall and Snape followed them.
Albus examined the Petrified cat, prodding it repeatedly. He attempted to use several spells on it, to no avail; after a while, ignoring Lockhart's suggestion that Mrs. Norris had been killed with the use of Transmogrifian Torture, Dumbledore announced that the cat had been Petrified with the use of advanced Dark Magic.
Filch accused Harry of cursing the cat, but the Headmaster stated that no second-year could have done so. Severus pointed out that the circumstances that had led Harry to the corridor were highly suspicious, and suggested that the boy should be banned from Quidditch until the truth was revealed. Dumbledore gave Harry a searching look, in all likelihood using Legilimency, stated that the boy was innocent until proven otherwise. He also promised to Filch that Mrs. Norris would be restored to full health as soon as Sprout's Mandrakes had grown enough to allow a Mandrake Restorative Draught to be brewed (CS10).
On November 8, 1992, another attack occurred: Colin Creevey was Petrified. McGongall found him on the stairs. Dumbledore, who had been on his way down to fetch hot chocolate, helped her carry Colin to the hospital wing. Albus managed to get the camera out of Creevey's stony hands, and opened it; its insides were completely melted.
This revelation confirmed the Headmaster's suspicions: he told McGonagall that the Chamber was open once more, and guessed that Colin had seen the Basilisk through the camera lenses. Albus knew that the culprit had to be Lord Voldemort, but could not fathom the method the Dark Lord was using (CS10); according to Dumbledore's sources, the Dark Lord was still in Albania (CS18). The Headmaster did not know that Voldemort had enchanted a diary he had used during his teenage years, transforming it into a Horcrux (HBP23). Lucius Malfoy had given the diary to Ginny Weasley shortly before the school year began (CS4, CS18), and the piece of Voldemort's soul hidden in the diary grew stronger as Ginny's trust in the diary increased (CS18, DH6).
According to McGonagall, when Albus realised that the Chamber was open, he considered closing the school (HBP29).
When the Basilisk attacked Justin Finch-Fletchley and Nearly Headless Nick, Harry was once more found near the Petrified bodies. Minerva McGonagall took him to the Headmaster's office, stating that the matter was out of her hands. This was the first time Harry saw the office; he met Fawkes, and the phoenix burst into flames moments later. Harry was terrified, but Dumbledore, who arrived shortly afterwards, explained that this was a Burning Day, and that the bird would soon regain its regular form.
Hagrid rushed into the office to tell Albus that Harry had been with him until seconds before Justin was found, and the headmaster calmed him down: Harry was not considered a suspect. Hagrid returned outside to wait (CS12)—he wanted to report to Dumbledore that someone was killing the Hogwarts roosters, and to ask permission to cast a protection spell around the hen-coop (CS11). Meanwhile, the headmaster asked Harry if he had anything to tell Dumbledore. Harry lied, and said no.
The Daily Prophet did not report the attacks; according to Draco Malfoy, Dumbledore was trying to conceal the events from the wizarding population (CS12).
After the third attack, on Hermione Granger and Penelope Clearwater, a curfew was set in place at Hogwarts. Evening activities were cancelled, and no one was allowed to wander around the corridors without a teacher. This forced Harry and Ron to use his Invisibility Cloak to leave the castle in order to talk to Hagrid. However, Cornelius Fudge and Dumbledore arrived at the gamekeeper's hut shortly after the boys. Harry and Ron hid beneath the Cloak.
Fudge stated that the attacks on the four Muggle-borns had forced the Ministry to act. Dumbledore reiterated his complete trust in Hagrid, and his belief that taking the gamekeeper away would change nothing; despite this, Fudge said that the Ministry had to do something about the Petrifications—Hagrid was to be sent to Azkaban as a precaution.
Lucius Malfoy entered the hut moments afterwards. He handed Dumbledore an Order of Suspension signed by all twelve school governors; the Headmaster had to step aside. This turn of events alarmed Fudge, who doubted anyone else could prevent the attacks if Albus had failed to do so. Hagrid angrily rushed to Dumbledore's defence, but the Headmaster ordered him to calm down. "You will find that I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me," he said, glancing at the corner where Ron and Harry were standing. "You will also find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it."
Lucius and Dumbledore left the hut, and were soon followed by Fudge and Hagrid. Before leaving, Hagrid dropped a clue to Harry and Ron: they should follow the spiders to find out more about what was happening at the school (CS14). The two boys followed this advice, and went to the Forbidden Forest to meet Aragog. The Acromantula confirmed that Hagrid had been innocent of the 1942 attacks.
With Dumbledore gone, an atmosphere of fear took over the school. Draco gloated that his father, who had never liked Dumbledore, had been responsible for driving the Headmaster away; he also suggested that Snape should apply for the position (CS15).
Ginny Weasley was eventually taken into the Chamber of Secrets (CS16). The board of governors heard rumours that Arthur Weasley's daughter had been killed, and eleven of its members—all save Lucius Malfoy—hurriedly sent owls to Dumbledore, requesting his immediate return. Several of them admitted that Lucius had blackmailed them and threatened to curse their families if they did not agree to suspend Albus in the first place (CS18).
Meanwhile, in the Chamber of Secrets, Tom Riddle would have regained a full corporeal shape—draining Ginny of her life force entirely—had Harry not intervened. Lockhart, Ron and Harry entered the Chamber (CS16), and Harry confronted Riddle, who revealed himself to be a younger Lord Voldemort. When Harry fiercely pointed out that Dumbledore, and not Voldemort, was the greatest wizard in the world, and that the Headmaster was not truly gone from the school, Fawkes came to his aid, bearing the Sorting Hat.
Riddle mocked Harry for the weapons that, according to him, Dumbledore had sent to the boy. He ordered the Basilisk to attack Harry; Fawkes distracted the serpent for a while but, on Riddle's orders, the Basilisk bit Harry above the elbow. Meanwhile, Harry had used the Sorting Hat to obtain Godric Gryffindor's sword, and killed the monster.
Tom forgot that phoenix tears were the only antidote to Basilisk venom, and did not prevent Fawkes from shedding tears over Harry's wound. Having regained his strength, Harry used a fang of the dead serpent to destroy the diary. Ginny regained consciousness, and Fawkes carried them all out of the Chamber of Secrets, leading the way to McGonagall's office (CS16).
Dumbledore and Minerva were in the office, along with Arthur and Molly Weasley. Harry told them what had happened in the Chamber, carefully avoiding mentions to Riddle or Ginny, for fear that she would be expelled; Albus guessed his concerns and asked how Voldemort had managed to use Ginny. Harry showed him the diary (CS18).
When the Headmaster saw the diary and heard Harry's description of the teenage Riddle's powers, he immediately understood the object's true nature; it confirmed his old suspicions that Voldemort had created one (or more) Horcruxes. The Dark Lord had intended the diary to be read someday, and used, in order to allow the Chamber to be opened once more. This carelessness—for in such a situation the diary could easily have been destroyed, as indeed happened–indicated that the diary had in all likelihood been the first and least noteworthy of Voldemort's Horcruxes (HBP23).
Albus asked Ginny's parents to take her to the hospital wing. She was not to be punished; according to him, many more experienced wizards had already been fooled by the Dark Lord. The Headmaster also asked McGonagall to go to the kitchens and have a feast prepared; the Petrified victims were due to awaken that same night.
"I seem to remember telling you both that I would have to expel you if you broke any more school rules," Dumbledore said to Harry and Ron. "Which goes to show that the best of us must sometimes eat our words." He gave them two hundred points each, and Special Awards for Services to the School.
Ron explained what had happened to Lockhart in the Chamber (CS18)—a Memory Charm had backfired (CS16)—and Dumbledore seemed amused; he asked Ron to take Gilderoy to the hospital wing.
Harry seized the opportunity to discuss his doubts regarding his placement in Gryffindor House; he confessed that the Sorting Hat had considered putting him in Slytherin, and that Riddle had noticed many similarities between Harry and himself—above all, the gift of Parseltongue, which had made many people believe that Harry was the heir of Slytherin.
Dumbledore explained that this was due to the fact that Voldemort had transferred a bit of himself to Harry on the night of October 31, 1981 (CS18). The Headmaster already suspected that Harry was a Horcrux at the time (DH35), but he did not mention this to Harry, preferring to refer simply to a transfer of abilities.
After noting that Harry had many of the characteristics that Salazar Slytherin prized in his students, Dumbledore pointed out that, despite this, Harry had chosen to be a Gryffindor, and this choice mattered far more than his abilities. The fact that Harry had been able to get Gryffindor's sword from the Sorting Hat that evening was proof of that.
Albus recommended that Harry should go to the feast, while he wrote to Azkaban to demand Hagrid's release. An advertisement in the Daily Prophet would also be necessary—there was yet again need for a Defence Against the Dark Arts professor.
Just as Harry was about to leave, Lucius Malfoy arrived, with Dobby in tow. He was furious to hear that Dumbledore had returned to the school; the Headmaster informed him of the governors' letters, and that Lord Voldemort had been the one to open the Chamber once more (CS18). Harry guessed that Lucius had been responsible for giving Ginny the diary in Flourish and Blotts (CS4).
Dumbledore guessed Lucius' intentions—to prevent Arthur's Muggle Protection Act from being approved by the Ministry—and warned him not to hand out any more of Voldemort's schoolbooks; Arthur would probably ensure that it would be traced back to Malfoy.
Lucius left the office. With Dumbledore's permission, Harry returned the diary to him, hidden inside one of Harry's dirty socks. Lucius angrily disposed of the sock, throwing it on the floor; Dobby caught it, and this freed the house-elf. Dobby was very grateful to Harry.
Albus eventually joined his students down in the feast; he announced that Lockhart would be unable to continue teaching due to severe memory loss, and everyone cheered (CS18).
Sirius Black's escape
Since Lord Voldemort's disappearance, Dumbledore had maintained that the Dark Lord was still alive. This did not disturb Fudge, the Minister for Magic who succeeded Millicent Bagnold; he was of the opinion that Voldemort was not dangerous without minions to do his bidding. For this reason, when Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban, Fudge was extremely worried. He mentioned his concerns to the Muggle Prime Minister (HBP1).
Furthermore, the Ministry worried about Harry Potter's safety; they feared that Black would want to take revenge on Harry for Voldemort's downfall. It was imperative, therefore, that precautions were set in place to prevent Sirius' access to Hogwarts.
Dumbledore grudgingly agreed with the Ministry's suggestion to place Dementors guarding every entrance to the Hogwarts grounds; the Headmaster did not like the creatures, however (PA4), and refused to allow them to enter the castle (PA9). Nevertheless, he was extremely concerned with Harry's safety, and as time went on Dumbledore presumably ordered the staff not to let Harry wander the corridors unaccompanied (PA9, PA16).
Professor Kettleburn, the Care of Magical Creatures teacher, announced his retirement to Dumbledore in the summer of 1993. The Headmaster chose Rubeus Hagrid—who had always coveted that position—to teach the subject (PA5). He also invited Remus Lupin to be the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, regardless of the fact that Lupin was a werewolf (PA18).
According to Remus, it was very hard for the Headmaster to persuade certain staff members of Remus' dependability (PA17). Without a doubt, no one opposed the appointment with more vehemence than Severus Snape, who believed that Remus' old friendship with Sirius would give Black an advantage, and a way into the Hogwarts castle (PA9). Snape reminded the Headmaster of these concerns several times during the following school year (PA9, PA18).
In the Sorting Feast, on September 1, 1993, Albus warned all students to beware of the Dementors. He also announced the two new teachers that would join the staff that year (PA5).
When Fat Lady's portrait was slashed, Dumbledore was immediately called to the scene, and ordered McGonagall and Filch to search the castle for the Fat Lady, who had abandoned her portrait out of shame. Peeves told the Headmaster the name of the culprit: Sirius Black, who had destroyed the painting in anger after she refused him entrance into Gryffindor Tower (PA8).
Dumbledore notified the Dementors of what had happened; they volunteered to help the search, and he refused categorically. He also sent the Gryffindor students to the Great Hall, instructing them to spend the night there and conjuring sleeping bags for them all. He asked the Head Students to watch out for any disturbances, and the teachers to search the castle.
Most Gryffindors fell asleep, with the notable exceptions of Percy and the Trio. At about three in the morning, Albus returned to the Great Hall. Sirius had not been found in the castle, and Sir Cadogan had temporarily replaced the Fat Lady in the entrance of Gryffindor Tower. She was found an Argyllshire map on the second floor; the Headmaster planned to ask Filch to restore her.
Snape joined Dumbledore in the Great Hall soon afterwards, reporting that he had futilely searched several areas of the castle. Severus asked whether the Headmaster had any theories regarding the method of Sirius' entrance, and Albus stated that he could think of several, but all of them were extremely unlikely. Snape bitterly reminded him of their conversation before the start of term, and Dumbledore reiterated his trust in Remus before leaving the Hall to inform the dementors that the search had produced no results .
When Dementors approached the Quidditch pitch during a Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff match, Harry felt their presence and fell fifty feet off his broomstick. Dumbledore ran to the field, furious with the creatures' appearance, and used a spell to prevent Harry from hitting the ground too hard. He used the Patronus Charm against the Dementors, causing them to depart from the pitch, and Conjured a stretcher for Harry, which he levitated towards the castle (PA9). Dumbledore's wrath ensured that the Dementors did not enter the castle again for several months; they complained to Fudge that the Headmaster would not allow them inside the grounds.
Fudge went to Hogwarts to dine with Dumbledore and discuss the matter of Sirius Black on December 18, 1993; before going to the school, the Minister had drinks with McGonagall, Hagrid, Flitwick and Rosmerta at the Three Broomsticks (PA10).
"You know, Cornelius, if you're dining with the headmaster, he'd better head back up to the castle," said Professor McGonagall.
Draco, Crabbe and Goyle, seeking to frighten Harry, dressed up as Dementors for the Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw match. McGonagall, indignant, gave all three detention; Dumbledore arrived moments later, and was presumably of the same opinion as Minerva.
Sirius Black gained entrance into Gryffindor Tower some time later, with the use of a sheet of passwords that Crookshanks had stolen from Neville Longbottom (PA13). The castle was thoroughly searched once more; the Fat Lady returned to her position, guarded by several security trolls (PA14).
Buckbeak
In Hagrid's first Care of Magical Creatures lesson, the hippogriff Buckbeak slashed Draco Malfoy's arm (PA6). The Malfoys were furious, and Lucius used his influence on the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures to ensure that Buckbeak would be executed. Dumbledore testified on Hagrid's behalf, and the half-giant was not held responsible for the event (PA11).
Albus also tried to defend Buckbeak, saying that the hippogriff was harmless. When all attempts failed and Buckbeak's death was scheduled, Dumbledore wrote to Hagrid, declaring that he wished to keep Hagrid company during the execution.
The Headmaster went to Hagrid's hut along with Fudge, Macnair and a Committee member (PA16).
The Time-Turner
Sirius met Harry, Ron and Hermione in the Shrieking Shack that evening. With the help of Remus Lupin, he convinced them of his innocence (PA17, PA18 and PA19). However, Severus Snape interrupted the gathering, and Remus' transformation into a werewolf caused Peter Pettigrew—Sirius' only hope for acquittal—to escape. Snape took the three children and Black to the castle (PA21).
Dumbledore spoke to Sirius, who revealed his story; the Headmaster was extremely impressed by the three Marauders' achievement—doubly so because they had hidden their Animagi status from Dumbledore (PA22). The Headmaster became convinced of his innocence. Fudge had already summoned Dementors to the castle; Albus knew that it would be impossible to prove Black's story in time to prevent the Dementor's Kiss from taking place.
In the hospital wing, Albus met Severus, who evoked Sirius' attempted murder of Snape at the age of sixteen. Dumbledore gave no conclusive signs of trusting Sirius, and insisted on being left alone with Harry and Hermione (Ron was unconscious); once Snape had left, the Headmaster quickly instructed the pair to use Hermione's Time-Turner, and gave them directions to the room where Sirius was locked. He reminded Hermione of the dangers inherent to time-travelling, and left the room, that he was locking the door at five minutes to midnight.
Harry and Hermione went back in time; they tried to free Buckbeak, but the Hippogriff did not wish to leave the gamekeeper's hut. Dumbledore bought them a few seconds by requesting Macnair, the executioner, to sign a form. The two children managed to take Buckbeak to the Forbidden Forest moments before the execution. Dumbledore was amused when he, Hagrid, Fudge and Macnair saw that Buckbeak was gone. He dissuaded Macnair from searching the woods for the creature, and entered Hagrid's hut, asking for tea or brandy.
Later that night, Hermione and Harry used the Hippogriff to fly to Flitwick's office; Sirius flew away from Hogwarts, riding Buckbeak (PA21).
Harry and Hermione met Dumbledore by the entrance of the hospital wing right after he had closed the door. He congratulated them on the success and locked them inside.
When Snape was informed of Sirius' escape, he was furious, and went to the hospital wing to accuse Harry of having somehow been involved. Dumbledore reminded Severus that the headmaster himself had left the hospital wing and locked it ten minutes previously; unable to figure out an explanation for Black's disappearance, Snape left.
Fudge recommended that Albus should be wary of Severus, who seemed rather unhinged. The Headmaster pointed out that Snape was simply disappointed, and asked Fudge to confirm that the dementors would be removed from Hogwarts (PA22).
Remus' departure
The Headmaster told Fudge that Remus had attempted to save the Trio the previous night, and Lupin was not punished. Severus Snape, who was extremely frustrated with the loss of the Order of Merlin that the Minister had promised to him and with Sirius' escape, did not take this well; he let slip to Slytherins during breakfast the next morning that Remus was a werewolf.
Lupin resigned, knowing that several parents would protest against having a werewolf teaching their children. Harry was devastated when he heard the news, and went to Remus' office to try to dissuade him; Lupin congratulated Harry on the powerful Patronus the boy had conjured the previous night, returned the Marauder's Map and the Invisibility Cloak to him, and said goodbye.
Dumbledore arrived shortly afterwards to inform Remus that a carriage was waiting for him. The two men shook hands, and Lupin left. Harry voiced his disappointment to the Headmaster, feeling that all the events of the previous night had been pointless, considering that Peter Pettigrew had escaped. Albus pointed out that the truth had been revealed, and Sirius, saved.
Suddenly, Harry remembered that Sybill Trelawney had made a prophecy during his final exams, stating that the Dark Lord's servant would set out to return to his master. Dumbledore was impressed, and wondered if he should increase her pay now that Trelawney had made two true prophecies. His confirmation that the prediction was legilimate shocked Harry, who felt guilty for Pettigrew's survival. The Headmaster reassured him, stating that James, in Harry's position, would have done the same for Wormtail (PA22).
Correspondence with Sirius
Over the course of the following year, Dumbledore constantly corresponded with Sirius (GF30). After Harry mentioned in a letter to Sirius that his scar had hurt during the summer of 1994 (GF2), Sirius decided to return to England (GF14). He informed Dumbledore about Harry's scar. The Headmaster suggested that he should hide in a cave by the mountains near Hogsmeade (GF30).
The 1994 Triwizard Tournament
Full article: Triwizard Tournament
Organising the Tournament
At some point in the summer of 1994, Dumbledore attended a conference of the International Confederation of Wizards. The event was reported in the Daily Prophet; Rita Skeeter wrote the piece, and called the Headmaster an 'obsolete dingbat' (GF18).
During the summer of 1994, Dumbledore also had many meetings with Igor Karkaroff, Olympe Maxime and representatives from the Department of International Magical Co-operation and the Department of Magical Games and Sports in order to organise a new edition of the Triwizard Tournament. They agreed to impose an age limit—all potential champions had to be at least seventeen years old—for the safety of the participants.
On September 1, 1994, during the Sorting Feast, Dumbledore introduced the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Alastor Moody, and announced that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup would not take place that year, due to the Triwizard Tournament that would happen after October.
The Headmaster warned underage students against attempting to fool the impartial judge that would select the champions, and stated that he would take the precautions necessary to prevent underage students from volunteering (GF12).
On October 30, 1994, Dumbledore waited for the Beauxbatons delegation along with all the Hogwarts students; everyone applauded when the newcomers arrived. He welcomed Madame Maxime and invited them all to enter the castle and warm up. He also offered Hagrid to take care of Beauxbatons' Abraxans. Albus also greeted Karkaroff, who arrived moments later (GF15).
Everyone went to the Great Hall for a feast. Karkaroff, Maxime, Barty Crouch, Sr. and Ludo Bagman sat on either side of Dumbledore as he presented the Goblet of Fire to all students. Albus stated that he would draw an Age Line around it to prevent underage students from adding their names. Fred and George Weasley tried to fool the line by taking Ageing Potion, but this did not work, and they sprouted beards when trying to add their names to the Goblet. The twins, like fellow students Summers and Stebbins, were sent to the hospital wing.
The Goblet of Fire
Full article: Goblet of Fire
At Hallowe'en, the Goblet made its choice, and Dumbledore announced their names after the traditional Hallowe'en Feast. Like everyone else, he was shocked to see that there were four, not three, Triwizard champions that year; Harry Potter, an underage student, had been selected as well (GF16). As soon as Harry's name came out of the McGonagall hurried to Albus and whispered in his ear. He bemusedly instructed Harry to join the other champions (GF17).
Bagman, Crouch, Dumbledore, Maxime and Karkaroff were to be the judging panel for all tasks of the Tournament (GF16). They, along with McGonagall and Snape, went to the chamber where all four champions were waiting. Karkaroff was especially offended to see that Hogwarts would have an extra chance to win the tournament, and Madame Maxime stressed that it simply could not happen. The Headmaster interrogated Harry, asking him whether he had put or asked someone to put his name in the Goblet of Fire. Harry denied this, and Albus was satisfied with his answers.
Maxime suggested that perhaps Dumbledore had made a mistake with the Age Line. He acknowledged this likelihood, but McGonagall refused to accept it. Bagman and Crouch, Sr. intervened to confirm that Harry was to compete in the tournament. Karkaroff was irritated; Moody joined the group minutes later, and taunted Karkaroff with contempt (GF17), reminding him that Moody had been the Auror responsible for his capture (GF30). Albus commanded Alastor to be quiet before he intimidated Karkaroff even more, and stated that they had no choice but to allow both Hogwarts champions to take part in the Tournament.
Mr. Crouch gave all champions brief instructions for the first task of the Tournament. Dumbledore reiterated his invitation for Crouch to spend the night at Hogwarts, like Bagman would, but Crouch did not stay. He also turned down the Headmaster's offer for a drink, as did Karkaroff and Maxime (GF17).
The Weighing of the Wands
Full article: Weighing of the Wands
Before the beginning of the first task of the Triwizard Tournament, Mr. Ollivander went to Hogwarts to carry out the required wand-weighing. He spoke with Dumbledore before the ceremony. Meanwhile, a photo shoot with the champions took place, and Rita Skeeter took Harry to a broom cupboard to interview him with the help of a Quick-Quotes Quill.
Shortly afterwards, Albus interrupted them. He brought Harry back to the room, and the ceremony took place. When Ollivander finished examining all the wands, the Headmaster recommended that the champions should go to the Great Hall for dinner. Bagman and Skeeter, however, insisted on a photo shoot with the Tournament champions and judges (GF18).
The first task
Full article: First task
Dumbledore watched the first task of the Triwizard Tournament. He awarded Harry nine for his performance against the Hungarian Horntail (GF20).
Dobby
Shortly after the first task, Dobby and Winky came to Hogwarts to ask Dumbledore for work. Dobby had been unemployed for two years (GF21); after leaving the Malfoys (CS18), he had decided to demand pay for his work. He said this to the Headmaster, who agreed to pay him.
Albus offered Dobby ten Galleons a week and weekends off, but the house-elf was horrified, and chose to receive one Galleon a week, and one day off per month. Winky, on the other hand, refused to accept payment, and was ashamed of being freed.
Furthermore, Dumbledore told Dobby that the age-old rule that house-elves should not speak ill of their masters was not particularly enforced at Hogwarts. According to the Headmaster, Dobby was free to call him a barmy old codger if he so wished. The house-elf later told Harry Potter that he had no desire to do so, for he was very fond of Dumbledore (GF21).
The Yule Ball
Full article: Yule Ball
Dumbledore attended the Yule Ball. He ate pork chops. He and Karkaroff discussed the secrecy with which the latter guarded the secrets of Durmstrang. Albus mentioned that he would not dream of presuming he knew all the secrets of Hogwarts—that morning, while looking for a bathroom, he had found the Room of Requirement (which was filled with chamber pots), but had been unable to find his way back to it.
When the Weird Sisters started playing, Albus danced with Madame Maxime. He later danced with Sprout as well (GF23). After the Yule Ball, Dumbledore spoke with Snape. Severus informed the Headmaster that the Dark Marks on his and Karkaroff's arms were growing clearer, a sign that seemed to indicate that Lord Voldemort was growing stronger. According to Snape, Karkaroff was planning on fleeing if the Dark Lord should arise once more. Albus asked whether Severus was planning on running as well; after hearing his negative reply, the Headmaster noted his bravery and mentioned that he sometimes felt that the Sorting took place too soon (DH33).
Rita Skeeter
After the first task, Albus forbade Rita Skeeter from entering the school grounds (GF21). Soon afterwards, she had an article published entitled Dumbledore's Giant Mistake; in the article, Skeeter revealed that the Headmaster had chosen Hagrid for the position of Care of Magical Creatures despite the fact that the gamekeeper was half-giant. Skeeter also accused Hagrid of terrorising his students, and mentioned the Headmaster's hiring of notoriously troublesome Alastor Moody to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts.
The article caused Hagrid to hide inside his hut. Dumbledore visited him there shortly before Harry, Ron and Hermione. He was still in the cabin when the three students arrived, and conjured tea for them all. Dumbledore refused to accept Hagrid's resignation, and showed him several letters from parents who remembered Hagrid from their days at school; these parents said that, if Hagrid were to be sacked, they would certainly complain. Albus also mentioned his brother Aberforth's controversial involvement with goats as an example of reaction to hostile press. Before leaving the hut, Dumbledore announced that he wished Hagrid to return to work on Monday (GF24).
The second task
Full article: Second task
Before the second task of the Triwizard Tournament, Dumbledore sent for the four people whom the champions would have to rescue from the Great Lake. Once they arrived at McGonagall's office, he cast a spell to put them to sleep, assuring all four that they would wake up once they were retrieved from the water (GF27).
Harry Potter was the first to arrive to the hostages below the lake. Fearing for their safety, he remained with them until Krum and Cedric had rescued Hermione and Cho. After this, he surfaced, bringing Ron and Gabrielle Delacour with him. Dumbledore and Ludo Bagman pulled Harry out of the water.
Albus spoke with the merchieftainess Murcus, who revealed the reason for Harry's delay. The judges deliberated and, with the exception of Karkaroff, found that his actions were proof of moral fiber. Harry was awarded forty-five points (GF26).
The third task
Full article: Third task
Dumbledore watched the third task of the Tournament. He was the first to meet Harry after the boy returned, clutching Cedric Diggory's body, from the Little Hangleton graveyard. Harry immediately informed the Headmaster of Voldemort's return.
Fudge joined them a moment later, and was stunned to see Cedric's corpse. Dumbledore convinced Harry, who was still dazed, to let go of the body; Fudge quickly announced to the onlookers that Diggory was ill, and had to be taken to the hospital wing.
Moody offered to take Harry away from the scene, and Dumbledore told him not to do so. Meanwhile, Fudge insisted that Albus should talk to Amos Diggory before the man saw Cedric's body. Dumbledore ordered Harry to stay put, and left. Moody led Harry away from the maze and to his office; Harry was too debilitated to resist him (GF35). After speaking to Albus, Mr. and Mrs. Diggory talked to Pomona Sprout, who, as Head of Hufflepuff, knew Cedric best (GF36).
Voldemort's return
Professor Moody
After the Quidditch World Cup incident and the disappearances of Bertha Jorkins and Frank Bryce, Dumbledore became extremely worried, and wary of Lord Voldemort's imminent return to power (GF28, GF30). He chose to hire Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, an old friend of his and a former Auror known for his paranoia, for the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Moody agreed to teach for one year, as a special favour to the Headmaster (GF14). However, unbeknownst to Albus, Voldemort had already made his way to Britain, with the help of Peter Pettigrew; he had gone to the Crouches' house and freed Barty Crouch, Jr.. Barty and Peter attacked Alastor's house on August 31, 1994. Barty replaced Moody with the help of the Polyjuice Potion, and kept him closeby under the Imperius Curse in order to interrogate him (GF35).
The fake Moody arrived at the school during the Sorting Feast, when Albus was halfway though his speech. Moody's appearance frightened most students, and only Dumbledore and Hagrid clapped to welcome him (GF12). At some point, probably before the beginning of term, the Headmaster talked to Moody about his teaching duties; among other things, Dumbledore mentioned that Transfiguration was not to be used as punishment for wayward students—a rule that Moody later disregarded, Transfiguring Draco Malfoy into a ferret (GF13)—and that Harry, Ron and Hermione thought of themselves as amateur investigators of sorts (GF29). Albus also decided that fourth-year students were to learn about the Unforgivable Curses, a subject normally taught only to sixth-years (GF14). On his orders, Moody placed all students under the Imperius Curse, and taught them how to resist it (GF15).
When the Triwizard Tournament began, Moody warned Dumbledore that, despite the Headmaster's high-handed behaviour, Karkaroff and Maxime wouldn't play fair when attempting to aid their champions. It was important for them to defeat Dumbledore, and to prove that he was fallible (GF20). Mad-Eye also insisted during the entire school year that Snape was not to be trusted. He searched the Potions master's office in search for suspicious items, using the fact that Dumbledore had asked him to keep an eye out for danger as excuse. The Headmaster was particularly eager to find out who had put Harry's name in the Goblet of Fire, endangering the boy's life (GF25).
Crouch, Jr. guided Harry in the first and second task, covertly helping him to overcome certain obstacles. The Death Eater knew that Dumbledore would be suspicious if Harry succeeded easily (GF35), so he manipulated Hagrid (GF19), Cedric (GF25) and Dobby (GF26) into giving Harry essential information. Crouch himself reminded Harry that he flew well, and that it would be possible to Summon the Firebolt in order to deafeat the first task Hungarian Horntail (GF20).
Barty Crouch, Sr.
When Voldemort and Peter Pettigrew broke into the Crouches' home, Crouch, Sr. was placed under the curse instead of his son, and the Dark Lord forced him to act as though nothing of the sort had happened. However, Crouch eventually started fighting against the enchantment; Voldemort realised that this endangered his plans, confined Crouch to the house.
One day, Crouch managed to fight off the Imperius Curse completely, and Pettigrew's negligence allowed him to escape his house. Crouch, Jr.—who was already at Hogwarts, impersonating Alastor Moody—was immediately notified of the escape. Crouch, Sr. went to the school, seeking to warn Dumbledore of what had occurred and to confess that he had helped his son escape Azkaban (GF35). He met Harry Potter and Viktor Krum in the Forbidden Forest. The effect of the curse made him somewhat delusional and confused, but he convinced Harry of the importance of bringing the Headmaster to his presence. In his fit of mania, Crouch also mentioned the Dark Lord's strenghtening and Bertha Jorkins.
Harry ran to Dumbledore's office, and left Crouch with Krum, who was wary of the old wizard's lunacy but agreed to wait with him. He met Severus Snape on his way there; Snape tried to prevent Harry from entering, claiming that Albus was busy. Despite this, Dumbledore met Harry in the corridor, and immediately followed him to the forest. There they saw Krum's Stunned body, but there was no sign of Crouch. Albus used his Patronus to send a message to Hagrid, and cast the Rennervate spell on Krum. Viktor woke up, and revealed that he had been attacked from behind.
Hagrid joined them moments later, and Dumbledore sent him to fetch Igor Karkaroff. Moody also arrived, claiming to have used the Marauder's Map to follow Snape's information that something had happened in the Forest (GF28). In truth, Crouch, Jr. had received Voldemort's message and killed his father, hiding the Corpse with the Cloak. After this, he had returned to the castle in order to meet Dumbledore a while later, making it seem like he had just heard the news (GF35).
Dumbledore ordered Moody to find Crouch (GF28). The Death Eater watched the Map to wait until everyone had returned to the castle; once this happened, he Transfigured the corpse into a bone and buried it in front of Hagrid's hut (GF35).
Meanwhile, Karkaroff met Albus, and was furious to hear that his student had been attacked. He accused the British Ministry of sabotaging the Tournament so that Hogwarts would win. He spat onto the ground near Dumbledore's feet, provoking Hagrid's fury; the half-giant slammed him against a tree, and commanded him to apologise. Albus ordered Hagrid to let Karkaroff go, and to escort Harry to Gryffindor Tower. The Headmaster warned Harry to wait until the following morning to send owls, and to stay in the Tower. Hagrid did as he was told, and left Fang with Dumbledore for protection (GF28).
Albus notified the Ministry of Crouch's disappearance. Fudge went to Hogwarts a few days later (GF29). When he arrived, Dumbledore had been using the Pensieve, and put it away without closing the cabinet where it was stored; this allowed Harry to have access to it after he left the office (GF30). Fudge insisted that Crouch must have simply gone insane and wandered away—either that or his disappearance was linked to the proximity of the Beauxbatons carriage, and of the presumably half-giant Madam Maxime. Dumbledore pointed out Fudge's prejudice, and the Minister in turn accused him of being overly tolerant due to his friendship with Hagrid.
Harry's arrival at the door of the Headmaster's office interrupted the discussion (GF29). Dumbledore instructed him to wait at the office while he, Fudge and Moody examined the part of the school grounds where Crouch, Sr. had disappeared (GF30).
The signs
Harry had decided to talk to Dumbledore because he had a vision during Divination class. In his dream, Harry saw Voldemort punishing Pettigrew for having let Crouch escape (GF29). While he waited, Harry saw Dumbledore's Pensieve in a cabinet, and entered it; he witnessed the trials of Bellatrix, Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange, Barty Crouch, Jr., Ludo Bagman and Igor Karkaroff. Dumbledore returned to the office in time to transport Harry out of the Pensieve after Crouch, Jr.'s trial. He demonstrated the object's functionality by transferring to it a memory of his discussion with Snape after the Yule Ball (GF30, DH33), and a memory of Bertha Jorkins during her Hogwarts years. He also added thoughts to the Pensieve several times during their conversation.
Harry told Albus about his dream. The Headmaster shared with him a theory according to which Harry's scar hurt whenever Voldemort was nearby, or felt a strong surge of hatred. He also shared his impression that the Dark Lord was growing stronger. Unlike the Ministry of Magic, Dumbledore suspected that there was a connection between three suspicious disappearances in the past few months: Frank Bryce, a Muggle who lived in Little Hangleton, Bertha Jorkins and Crouch, Sr. (GF30). Fudge disagreed with this hypothesis, and refused to see any links between these events (GF29).
Harry and Dumbledore briefly discussed the trials that Harry had seen in the Pensieve. The Headmaster asked Harry not to tell anyone about the Longbottoms' torture and madness. He also stated that neither Ludo Bagman nor Severus Snape had been accused of dark activity since the years following Voldemort's downfall. Harry asked what had led Albus to believe that Snape had turned against the Dark Lord, but the Headmaster chose not to disclose this information (GF30), as per Severus' request (DH33).
In addition to the disappearances, Dumbledore took into account Snape's warning that the Dark Mark on his forearm was growing stronger (DH33, GF30). According to Snape, all Death Eaters who had the Mark knew Voldemort was about to return because of this (HBP2).
Like Dumbledore, Sirius noticed the suspicious signs of Voldemort's return to power. This led him to travel back to England, and to hide in Hogsmeade. In a letter, Sirius warned Harry to go to Dumbledore immediately if something happened (GF14).
The graveyard rebirth
When Harry returned from the Little Hangleton graveyard, Dumbledore ordered him to stay by the maze while he spoke to the Diggorys. Moody led Harry away, and Albus realised that Crouch, Jr. was not Alastor Moody, but an impersonator. Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape quickly made their way to the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher's office. Upon his arrival, Albus Stunned the fake Moody. McGonagall tried to take Harry to the hospital wing, but the Headmaster did not allow her to do so; he insisted that Harry should stay to understand what had happened to him and why.
Dumbledore ordered Snape to fetch strong Truth Potion, and to bring the house-elf Winky from the kitchens; McGonagall was to go to Hagrid's hut and to take Sirius, who was waiting there in his animal form, to the Headmaster's office and return to Moody's office. Both teachers left at once, and Dumbledore turned his attention to the seven-lock trunk—the real Moody was hidden in the last compartment. Albus made his way down to the chamber where the unconscious Moody lay, and realised that Moody was weakened and controlled by the Imperius Curse. After ensuring that Moody was warm and out of immediate danger, the Headmaster examined the fake Moody's hip flask, and verified that it contained Polyjuice Potion.
Albus and Harry waited several minutes for the potion to wear off, and for Crouch, Jr.'s true form to be revealed. As soon as this happened, Snape and McGonagall returned, along with Winky. Severus recognised Barty at once, as did Minerva and Winky. Dumbledore fed Crouch three drops of the Veritaserum that Snape had brought, and used the Rennervate spell to wake him up. Barty confessed everything he had done the previous year, and how he had escaped from Azkaban (GF35). Dumbledore conjured ropes to tie Crouch, Jr. up and ordered McGonagall to guard him while Albus took Harry to his office. He also asked Severus to bring Pomfrey to care for Moody, and to fetch Fudge so that the Minister could question the Death Eater.
When Harry and Dumbledore arrived at the Headmaster's office, Sirius was waiting for them. Albus told him everything that Crouch, Jr. had said. Meanwhile, Fawkes flew from his perch to land on Harry's knee and sang a soft note. Sirius attempted to dissuade the Headmaster from questioning Harry, but Dumbledore thought it would not help Harry to postpone reliving the night's events. Fawkes' singing encouraged Harry to speak. When Harry mentioned that Voldemort had used his blood in the rebirth potion, Dumbledore looked triumphant for a second (GF36): he immediately guessed that this meant that Lily's protection would endure, and that Voldemort would not succeed in killing Harry (DH35).
Harry provided the Headmaster with a verbatim account of one specific sentence of Voldemort's—"I who have gone further than anybody along the path that leads to immortality"—that convinced Dumbledore that the Dark Lord had created several Horcruxes, as Albus had suspected since the destruction of Riddle's diary. No wizard before Voldemort had created more than one Horcrux. Dumbledore only obtained proof of the Dark Lord's intention to create precisely six Horcruxes in 1997, with the help of a memory of Horace Slughorn's (HBP23).
Dumbledore explained that the Priori Incantatem effect had occurred when Harry and Voldemort's wands—which had matching cores, Fawkes' tail feathers—had faced each other for the first time. Harry continued narrating what had happened in the graveyard, and Fawkes shed tears over his injured leg, healing the wound that the spider in the maze had inflicted on him. When Harry finished his tale, Dumbledore praised his bravery; he determined that Harry should go to the hospital wing, and drink some Sleeping Potion. Sirius transformed into his Animagus form to accompany Harry (GF36).
The beginning of the Second War
The graveyard aftermath
Harry's survival and the fact that he had returned from the Little Hangleton graveyard to inform Dumbledore of the Dark Lord's rebirth was a serious hindrance to Voldemort's plans. Voldemort hoped to keep his return a secret from the Hogwarts Headmaster for as long as possible. The information that Harry provided allowed Albus to reform the Order of the Phoenix within an hour after Voldemort's rebirth (OP5).
Dumbledore went with Harry and Sirius to the hospital wing. Molly, Bill, Ron and Hermione were there waiting for them; the Headmaster prevented them from smothering Harry, and insisted that the boy had to sleep. He also ordered Madam Pomfrey to allow Sirius (who was still in his dog form) to stay with Harry. On Albus' orders, Pomfrey gave Harry a potion for dreamless sleep, and he fell asleep.
Harry woke up shortly afterwards, with the sound of McGonagall and Fudge having a loud argument outside the hospital wing. Fudge, McGonagall and Snape entered the hospital wing, and the Minister asked for Dumbledore, who entered the room at that precise moment. McGonagall furiously informed him that Fudge had insisted on being escorted by a Dementor while interrogating Crouch, Jr., and that the Dementor had Kissed Crouch as soon as it had arrived. Fudge believed Crouch to be a murderer and a lunatic; he did not give credit to Crouch's assertion that he had obeyed Voldemort's instructions.
When Dumbledore stated that Lord Voldemort had regained a corporeal form, Fudge attempted to make him see reason, and voiced his mistrust in the words of unstable wizards like Barty Crouch, Jr. and Harry Potter. Albus was furious, and reaffirmed his trust in Harry. Fudge remained unconvinced. Harry backed up his testimony by naming several Death Eaters he had seen in the graveyard, and the Minister dismissed this as a mere repetition of lists of wizards suspected to have been Death Eaters in the First War.
Dumbledore warned Fudge that his position would not change, and that it was essential to remove the Dementors from Azkaban, for the creatures would without a doubt eventually side with Voldemort. Fudge was startled by the suggestion, and refused to consider it. Albus also suggested sending envoys to the giants, to prevent Voldemort from seeking an alliance with them before the Ministry did; Fudge dismissed this idea as well. Dumbledore criticised Fudge for cherishing his position far too much, and for cowardly not doing what was necessary to avoid a crisis.
"If your determination to shut your eyes will carry you as far as this, Cornelius, we have reached a parting of the ways," Albus announced. "You must act as you see fit. And I — I shall act as I see fit." Fudge pleaded with the Headmaster, saying that Voldemort simply could not have returned. Hearing this, Severus Snape stepped forward, revealing the Dark Mark burning on his forearm. He explained that Igor Karkaroff had fled that night when he had felt the Mark summoning him to the Dark Lord. Fudge was incredulous. He handed Harry the Triwizard winnings, and left the hospital wing.
Reforming the Order
Dumbledore turned to Molly, and confirmed that he could count on Arthur and her. He stated that it was essential to contact all those who could be persuaded of the truth so that they could join the fight against Voldemort, regardless of the Ministry's oblivion. Bill left at once to notify Arthur, and Albus mentioned that he would contact Mr. Weasley soon, in secret. He sent McGonagall to fetch Hagrid and Madame Maxime, and asked Pomfrey to care for Winky and take the elf to the kitchens.
After they had left, Dumbledore asked Sirius to return to his human form, and asked him and Snape to trust each other, and not to be hostile. The two wizards shook hands, but they evidently still loathed each other. Albus asked Sirius to alert those who had been members of the Order in the First War, including Mrs. Figg and Mundungus Fletcher, and to hide at Remus' house, waiting for the Headmaster's contact (GF36).
Before leaving Hogwarts, Molly asked Dumbledore whether Harry could spend his summer holidays at The Burrow. The Headmaster refused, claiming that Harry had to return to the Dursleys', but he did not explain why. On the other hand, he did not discard the possibility of Harry visiting the house at some point during his holidays (GF37).
Bill and Charlie Weasley were also recruited for the Order eventually. Bill applied for a desk job at Gringotts so that he could do more active work for the Order. Charlie, on the other hand, remained working in Romania, and on his days off he recruited foreign wizards to the fight against Voldemort, as per Dumbledore's wishes (OP4).
Severus Snape's assignment
Dumbledore did not explain what he asked of Snape; Severus understood that he had to return to the Death Eaters and regain the Dark Lord's trust, and left the hospital wing at once. Albus went downstairs to meet the Diggorys (GF37).
Severus explained to Voldemort that his delay in joining the Death Eaters had ensured that Dumbledore would continue trusting him. Snape offered sixteen years' worth of information on the Headmaster to the Dark Lord, and pretended to spy on the Order for Voldemort (HBP2). Dumbledore trusted him to withhold essential information from the Dark Lord and to reveal only details that appeared to be valuable (DH33).
Snape immediately started giving Dumbledore information about the Death Eaters' latest activities. He frequently gave his reports at the Order headquarters during the following summer (OP5). He also informed the Headmaster, for instance, that Voldemort had been furious to hear that Lucius Malfoy had given his diary Horcrux to Ginny Weasley in 1992 (HBP23).
Hagrid's assignment
Albus knew that Voldemort's topmost priority would be to start building an army once more, full of dark and dangerous creatures (OP5). He instructed Hagrid and Maxime to go to the giants as his envoy, seeking to form an alliance with them (OP20). Hagrid convinced Maxime to come with him (GF37). Dumbledore told them where the giants were hiding, taught them how to be slow and polite when facing the Gurg and how to win the giants over with gifts. He also gave them Gubraithian Fire to take as a present.
Dumbledore warned the two half-giants that Voldemort would certainly try to contact the giants as well, recommending that they should not attract attention to themselves so that Death Eaters would not learn of their presence. The Headmaster was right to worry; Walden Macnair and another Death Eater reached the giants while Hagrid and Maxime were still there. The giants started a war among themselves, and Golgomath took over the position of Gurg. Hagrid and Maxime remained there for some time, trying to win over the giants that had been wounded in the conflict and those who opposed Golgomath. However, after some time, Golgomoth's giants raided the opposition's hideouts, and Hagrid and Maxime were unable to convince any others. They returned to England (OP20).
"Remember Cedric Diggory"
The morning after the third task, Dumbledore gave a brief speech at breakfast, asking all students to refrain from asking Harry what had happened in the third task maze. Many students, however, believed Rita Skeeter's articles, which reported that Harry was deranged and mentally unstable.
In the Leaving Feast, Albus gave another speech. He voiced his grief over Cedric's death, and proposed a toast in his honour. The Headmaster announced that Cedric had been murdered by Lord Voldemort, and praised Harry's bravery when facing the Dark Lord. Most students followed his lead and toasted to Harry as well, with the exception of the Slytherins.
In his speech, Dumbledore stressed the need for unity in those dark times. "Remember Cedric," he said. "Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory" (GF37).
The Ministry's discrediting campaign
During the course of the Triwizard Tournament, Rita Skeeter had published several articles demeaning Harry, and portraying him as a troubled, deranged young wizard (GF19, GF31). She had used her Animagus form to spy on Harry during a Divination lesson in which he had had a vision of Lord Voldemort, and reported that Harry regularly collapsed during classes (GF29, GF31, GF37).
After Dumbledore and the Minister for Magic parted ways (GF36), Fudge did his best to ensure that no one in the Ministry sided with the Hogwarts Headmaster; he announced that all those who believed in Albus should quit their jobs. The Ministry's official position was that Dumbledore's insisting that Voldemort had returned was a dellusion that spawned from a desire to create trouble (OP4). Fudge feared that Dumbledore wanted to stage a coup and take over the Ministry, and his fear quickly became a relentless paranoia (OP14). The Order considered the possibility that Fudge was acting while under the influence of the Imperius Curse, but Dumbledore was convinced that Fudge was behaving of his own accord (OP9).
Fudge employed Percy Weasley, Arthur's third son, as his Junior Assistant. Arthur realised that Fudge wanted to use Percy as a spy on the family, and on Dumbledore; he and Percy had a row, and everyone in the family stopped talking to Percy, who left The Burrow and moved to London (OP4).
As part of the discrediting campaign against Dumbledore, the Ministry had the Prophet constantly report Albus as a senile, crazy man. On Fudge's orders, Albus' rumour-mongering was seldom reported. Since few Order members were in a position to convince the British wizarding population of the Dark Lord's return—some were Ministry employees, and had to keep a low profile at the Ministry; Sirius was still a wanted escaped convict; Remus was a werewolf, and so on—Dumbledore took upon himself the task of publicising as much as possible the news of Voldemort's rebirth. This caused him to lose his position of Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot; he was also voted out of the Chairmanship of the International Confederation of Wizards, and there were rumours that the Ministry wished to take away his Order of Merlin as well. Dumbledore joked that he did not care what they did, as long as there was still a Chocolate Frog card with his name (OP5).
The Prophet's hostility made it difficult for Dumbledore to gather supporters to his cause. Several Hogwarts students were skeptical, notably Seamus Finnigan. However, several old friends remained loyal: Augusta Longbottom cancelled her Prophet subscription (OP11); the Macmillans, who had always supported the Headmaster, also believed his story. The Lovegoods believed him as well (OP13).
When the Dementors fled Azkaban to join with Voldemort, as Dumbledore had said they would (GF36, OP8), Fudge had no choice but to blame Sirius for the escape of ten prisoners, claiming that Black had taught his allies how to leave the prison (OP25).
Number twelve, Grimmauld Place
In the summer of 1995, Sirius offered the Blacks' old home—a house located in number twelve, Grimmauld Place—as Headquarters to the Order. The house, which was unplottable, had already been protected by numerous enchantments set in place by Orion Black; in addition to this, Dumbledore added protection of his own: the Fidelius Charm. He was Secret-Keeper for the Order (OP5). One valuable asset of number twelve, Grimmauld Place was a portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black, which Phineas could visit on Dumbledore's request, for there was another such portrait in the Headmaster's office. Albus told Sirius not to destroy or remove the portrait (OP22).
Dumbledore gave Sirius specific orders to remain confined to number twelve, Grimmauld Place, a fact that irritated Sirius immensely. The Headmaster suspected that Peter Pettigrew had already informed Voldemort that Sirius was an Animagus, and that it would be risky for him to leave the house without being recognised (OP5). Sirius hated being back to his parents' house, which he had fled at the age of sixteen (OP6); in his frustration, he mistreated Kreacher, the house-elf that cared for the house, at every possible opportunity, and spoke to him harshly (OP6, OP14, OP22). Albus warned Sirius that he should be kind to Kreacher, as did Hermione, to no avail (OP4, OP6, OP14). Sirius forbade Kreacher from revealing any of the Order's secret plans that he happened to overhear (OP37).
As an added security measure, Dumbledore ordered the inhabitants of number twelve not to let owls out of their cages frequently—their presence in the square would look suspicious (OP6).
The Headmaster visited Grimmauld Place infrequently, often in a hurry. As of the first week of August, 1995, Ron and Hermione had only seen him there twice (OP4). Despite this, Order members always informed him of what they were doing—for instance, when Arthur saw Lucius Malfoy at the Ministry talking to Fudge, he left a note for Dumbledore at Grimmauld Place (OP9); when Sturgis Podmore failed to meet Moody, Lupin and other Order members to take the children to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, Moody mentioned that he would report Sturgis to the Headmaster (OP10).
Convincing other people that Lord Voldemort had returned was a painstaking and difficult job that, as a rule, could only be carried out by Dumbledore himself. Despite this difficulty, a few members of the Order of the Phoenix were recruited in the summer of 1995, notably Nymphadora Tonks, a young Auror. Kingsley Shacklebolt, another new member, was especially valuable: he was the Auror in charge of finding Sirius Black, and gave the Ministry false indications that Sirius was hiding in Tibet (OP5).
Guarding the prophecy
Dumbledore knew that once Voldemort returned to power, he would be anxious to hear the full contents of the prophecy that had brought about his downfall. Because of this, Albus ordered several Order members to guard the entrance to the Department of Mysteries at all times (OP5, OP37), sometimes under the protection of Moody's Invisibility Cloak. Some Order members—such as Kingsley Shacklebolt—passed by number twelve, Grimmauld Place after another member relieved them, and left reports for Dumbledore (OP6).
Later that year, Sturgis Podmore was arrested by Eric Munch for trying to force his way through the door of the Department of Mysteries. Podmore refused to speak in his own defence when facing the Wizengamot, and was sentenced to six months in Azkaban (OP14). Podmore had been guarding the door with Moody's Cloak, which was confiscated when he was arrested; Lucius Malfoy had cast the Imperius Curse on him on August 12, ordering him to try to break into the Department of Mysteries the next time he was on guard duty (OP26).
Distance from Harry
Since the summer of 1995, Dumbledore suspected that Voldemort would try to use the connection with Harry's mind to his advantage. Believing that proof of the boy's connection with Dumbledore would give the Dark Lord further encouragement to do so—and knowing that such possession would endanger Harry far more than it would Albus himself, as demonstrated in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries—the Headmaster sought to distance himself from Harry as much as possible (OP37). Nevertheless, he worried about Harry's safety, and asked Arabella Figg to continue keeping an eye on Harry from a distance during his stay at number four, Privet Drive. Order members took shifts watching him as well, trying to prevent the Ministry from fabricating an excuse for punishing Harry (OP2).
Dumbledore also made Ron and Hermione swear that they would not give Harry any information about the Order of the Phoenix, fearing that their letters would be intercepted by dark wizards (OP4). Harry was therefore forced to rely on the Daily Prophet and on Muggle news to get information on Voldemort's latest actions (OP1); the wizarding newspaper, however, was under orders from the Ministry not to report any suspicious occurrence, and Harry heard nothing interesting. This frustrated him immensely (OP1, OP5). Ron and Hermione tried to convince Albus to let them give Harry some information, but he insisted that they should not reveal important information (OP4).
On the night of August 2, 1995, Mundungus Fletcher was the Order member in charge of watching Harry until midnight. He Disapparated out of Privet Drive to acquire some stolen cauldrons (OP2), and Harry and Dudley faced two Dementors in the alleyway between Magnolia Crescent and Wisteria Walk (OP1). Mrs. Figg found the two teenagers moments after Harry drove the Dementors away with the use of his Patronus. Mundungus returned shortly afterwards, and she ordered him to warn Dumbledore of what had happened. Figg accompanied Harry to the Dursleys' house and went home to wait for instructions. Once inside, Harry received a letter from the Ministry expelling him from Hogwarts and stating that Ministry officials would soon visit the house to destroy his wand.
As soon as Dumbledore heard about the evening's events, he went to the Ministry to talk to Fudge (OP2). According to Hermione, he was extremely angry to find that Fletcher had deserted his post (OP4) Arthur Weasley sent Harry a letter informing him of the Headmaster's arrival at the Ministry and warning him not to leave Privet Drive (OP2).
Dumbledore confronted Fudge, reminding him that the Ministry did not have the power to expel Hogwarts students. He also warned the Minister that a wizard's wand could not be confiscated until a court declared him guilty of the charges he faced (OP8). It was therefore decided that Harry's punishment would not be carried out until a disciplinary hearing on August 12 (OP2).
Following these events, Dumbledore decided to take Harry out of Privet Drive for the rest of the summer, and several Order members—the Advance Guard—volunteered to go pick him up and bring him to the Order headquarters (OP3). Albus wrote a note containing the secret of the house's location so that Moody could show it to Harry. He also lent his Deluminator to Alastor, who used it to conceal the team's arrival at Grimmauld Place (OP3, OP4, OP6).
Before Harry's arrival, Albus cautioned all Order members—without sharing his true reasoning—not to reveal any more information to Harry than what was absolutely necessary. However, he acknowledged that Harry would have to receive more news once he was at headquarters. Regardless of Dumbledore's position, Sirius decided that his godson deserved to have some answers, and convinced some of the others to tell him, to some degree, what had happened since Voldemort's return (OP5).
Harry's disciplinary hearing
Sirius volunteered to accompany Harry to his disciplinary hearing. On August 11, 1995, Dumbledore went to number twelve, and told Sirius not to go. Albus did not visit Harry, who learned of his presence in the house the following day and was extremely annoyed not to have seen the Headmaster (OP6). The following day, Arthur accompanied Harry to the Ministry for the hearing. When they arrived at Arthur's office, Perkins informed them that the hearing's time and location had changed—it was to take place in Courtroom Ten, one hour earlier than what had been scheduled (OP7).
Arthur and Harry hurried to the correct floor; only Harry was allowed inside the courtroom (OP7), where he faced several Ministry officials. Dumbledore presented himself as witness for the defence moments later, much to Fudge's disappointment; the Minister hoped that the change of time and venue would prevent the Headmaster from arriving, but Dumbledore had arrived at the Ministry three hours early as a precaution. Some Wizengamot elders were furious or frightened to see Albus, but others waved.
Dumbledore offered Mrs. Figg as another witness for the defence; she confirmed the presence of Dementors in Little Whinging, a fact that would clear Harry of all liability for casting the Patronus Charm in front of a Muggle, accordig to Clause Seven of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery. Fudge did not wish to hear Figg's testimony, but Albus pointed out that under the Wizengamot Charter of Rights, the accused had the right to present witnesses for the case, and Amelia Bones acquiesced. Arabella, who had come to the Ministry with Dumbledore, narraged what she had experienced. Her description of a Dementor's effect on a human was accurate, and convinced several Wizengamot elders, notably Madam Bones.
Albus politely suggested that the two Dementors that had gone to Surrey had been out of the Ministry's c