Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore

Albus Dumbledore was the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for the majority of the Harry Potter series. He was the founder and leader of the Order of the Phoenix, a secret organization dedicated to fighting Lord Voldemort. Widely considered the most powerful wizard of his time and the only one Voldemort ever feared, Dumbledore served as a mentor and protector to Harry Potter. His life's work was dedicated to ensuring the defeat of Dark Magic and the protection of both the wizarding and Muggle worlds. He held the positions of Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot and Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, though he was temporarily stripped of these titles during the Ministry of Magic's smear campaign against him.

Albus Dumbledore was born to Percival Dumbledore and Kendra Dumbledore and grew up with his younger brother, Aberforth Dumbledore, and sister, Ariana Dumbledore. The family's life was shattered when Ariana, at the age of six, was attacked by three Muggle boys who saw her performing magic. The trauma left her magically unstable and unable to control her powers. His father, Percival, retaliated against the boys and was sentenced to life in Azkaban. To escape public scrutiny, Kendra moved the family to Godric's Hollow. When Dumbledore was seventeen, Ariana lost control of her magic in a rage and accidentally killed their mother.

Forced to cancel his planned world tour with Elphias Doge, Dumbledore returned to Godric's Hollow as the head of his family. There he met the brilliant and charismatic Gellert Grindelwald, the great-nephew of Bathilda Bagshot. The two became inseparable, sharing a powerful intellectual and emotional bond. They planned a wizarding revolution under the slogan “For the Greater Good,” with a shared obsession for uniting the three Deathly Hallows to become masters of death. Their plans were interrupted by Aberforth, who confronted Albus about neglecting Ariana. The resulting argument escalated into a three-way duel between Albus, Aberforth, and Grindelwald. In the chaos, Ariana was struck by a stray curse and killed. Grindelwald fled, and the friendship was destroyed, leaving Dumbledore with a lifetime of guilt.

Dumbledore returned to Hogwarts as a professor of Transfiguration. He was known for his extraordinary magical talent and was repeatedly offered the position of Minister for Magic, which he always refused, fearing his own ambition. In 1945, he famously defeated Gellert Grindelwald in a legendary duel, winning possession of the Elder Wand. During the rise of Lord Voldemort, Dumbledore founded the Order of the Phoenix to oppose him. He heard the first part of the prophecy concerning Harry Potter and Voldemort from Sybill Trelawney at the Hog's Head, an event partially overheard by Severus Snape, who reported it to the Dark Lord. After Voldemort's first fall, Dumbledore arranged for the orphaned Harry Potter to be placed in the care of his Muggle relatives, the Dursleys.

Dumbledore served as Harry Potter's guide and protector throughout his Hogwarts years. Following Voldemort's return, he re-formed the Order of the Phoenix and began hunting for Voldemort's Horcruxes. He successfully located and destroyed Marvolo Gaunt's Ring, but not before being afflicted by a deadly curse from it. The curse was contained in his hand by Severus Snape, but it left him with less than a year to live. Knowing his time was short, Dumbledore shared his knowledge of Voldemort's past with Harry via the Pensieve. He also orchestrated his own death with Severus Snape. This plan was designed to save Draco Malfoy's soul from the burden of murder, cement Snape's position as a trusted spy for the Order, and ensure the Elder Wand's power would die with him. Dumbledore was killed by Snape using the Killing Curse atop the Astronomy Tower. He was buried in a white tomb on the grounds of Hogwarts, the only Headmaster to be laid to rest there.

Dumbledore was tall and thin, with long silver hair and a beard long enough to tuck into his belt. He had a long and crooked nose that looked as if it had been broken at least twice. His most striking feature was his pair of piercing, bright blue eyes, which often seemed to twinkle with kindness and mischief behind half-moon spectacles. He was known for his calm, serene demeanor, wisdom, and eccentric sense of humor. He had a fondness for sherbet lemons, knitting patterns, and chamber music. Despite his benevolent exterior, Dumbledore was also calculating and secretive, often withholding crucial information from others for what he believed was the “greater good.” He was deeply burdened by guilt from his family's tragic past and his own youthful ambitions. Above all, he was a firm believer in the power of love, forgiveness, and the ability of people to choose between right and wrong.

• Master Duelist: He was the only wizard Lord Voldemort openly feared. His duel against Voldemort in the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic showcased his immense power and skill. His defeat of Grindelwald in 1945 is considered one of the greatest duels in wizarding history.
• Transfiguration: He was a master of Transfiguration, having taught the subject for many years at Hogwarts.
• Non-Verbal & Wandless Magic: Dumbledore frequently used powerful and complex magic without uttering an incantation and sometimes without a wand, such as when he extinguished and re-lit all the candles in the Great Hall with a simple gesture.
• Occlumency & Legilimency: He was a highly skilled Legilimens, able to discern falsehoods with ease, and a master Occlumens, capable of shielding his mind completely from intrusion.
• Alchemy: He was a known practitioner of alchemy, collaborating with the famous alchemist Nicolas Flamel.
• Patronus: His Patronus Charm took the form of a phoenix, a magical creature that became his symbol and companion.
• Wand: He was the master of the Elder Wand, a 15-inch wand made of elder wood with a Thestral tail-hair core.

• Elder Wand: One of the three Deathly Hallows, which he won from Gellert Grindelwald.
• Deluminator: A magical device of his own invention that can capture and release light. He bequeathed it to Ron Weasley.
• Pensieve: A stone basin used to store and review memories, which he kept in his office at Hogwarts.
• Fawkes: His highly intelligent and loyal phoenix companion, whose tears had healing powers.
• Sword of Gryffindor: The goblin-made sword of Godric Gryffindor, which he kept in his office.
• Marvolo Gaunt's Ring: Possessed as both a Horcrux and the Resurrection Stone. Dumbledore destroyed the Horcrux within it.
• The Tales of Beedle the Bard: An original, hand-written copy of the book of wizarding fairy tales, which he left to Hermione Granger.

• Harry Potter: Dumbledore acted as a powerful mentor and father figure to Harry, guiding him in his fight against Voldemort. He loved Harry deeply, but also bore the guilt of raising him “like a pig for slaughter” to fulfill the prophecy.
• Gellert Grindelwald: His brilliant childhood friend and, for a brief time, the object of his affection. Their shared ambition led to tragedy, turning them into bitter enemies.
• Severus Snape: Their relationship was one of deep, complicated trust. Dumbledore was the only one who knew of Snape's true allegiance and relied on him as his spy within Voldemort's ranks.
• Aberforth Dumbledore: His younger brother. Their relationship was strained and distant following the death of their sister Ariana, for which Aberforth held Albus responsible.
• Minerva McGonagall: His former student, trusted colleague, and Deputy Headmistress. He valued her counsel and loyalty above almost all others at Hogwarts.

• Albus: Latin for “white,” a color often associated with good, purity, and wisdom.
• Percival: The name of one of King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table, known for his quest for the Holy Grail.
• Wulfric: An Anglo-Saxon name meaning “wolf-power.”
• Brian: An old Celtic name thought to mean “high” or “noble.”
• Dumbledore: An 18th-century English word for “bumblebee.” J.K. Rowling has said she imagined him walking around Hogwarts humming to himself.

• In the film adaptations, Dumbledore was portrayed by Richard Harris in the first two films and by Michael Gambon for the remainder of the series. (film)
• J.K. Rowling revealed in 2007 that she always conceived of Dumbledore as being gay and that he had fallen in love with Gellert Grindelwald in his youth, which added a layer of tragedy to their story. (J.K. Rowling interview)
• The complex relationship between Dumbledore and Grindelwald is a central plot point in the Fantastic Beasts film series. (film)
• According to J.K. Rowling, Dumbledore's Boggart would take the form of the corpse of his sister, Ariana. (J.K. Rowling interview)