Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore was the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for much of the latter half of the 20th century. He was the founder and leader of the Order of the Phoenix, a secret society dedicated to fighting Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Widely considered the most powerful wizard of his time, Dumbledore was the only person Lord Voldemort ever truly feared. He served as a mentor and father figure to Harry Potter, guiding him in the fight against the Dark Arts, and his grand, intricate plans were instrumental in bringing about Voldemort's final defeat.

Born in the summer of 1881 to Percival Dumbledore and Kendra Dumbledore, Albus was the eldest of three children, with a younger brother, Aberforth Dumbledore, and a sister, Ariana Dumbledore. The family's life was shattered when, at the age of six, Ariana was brutally 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, never revealing his reasons to protect Ariana. The family then moved to Godric's Hollow. Tragedy struck again when Ariana, in a fit of uncontrollable magic, accidentally killed their mother, Kendra.

After graduating from Hogwarts with every prize of note, Albus was forced to cancel his planned world tour with his friend Elphias Doge to become the head of his fractured family. That summer, the brilliant and charismatic Gellert Grindelwald arrived in Godric's Hollow. The two youths formed an intense friendship, bonding over their extraordinary magical talent and their shared, radical ideology of a new world order led by wizards “for the greater good,” a quest that included seeking the Deathly Hallows. Their plans were cut short by a confrontation with Aberforth, who decried Albus's neglect of Ariana. The ensuing three-way duel resulted in Ariana's death, killed by a stray curse. Grindelwald fled, and the event left Albus with a lifetime of guilt and regret.

Dumbledore returned to Hogwarts as the Professor of Transfiguration, where he was a beloved teacher. He was one of the few to see the darkness within a young student named Tom Marvolo Riddle. As Grindelwald's power grew across Europe, Dumbledore resisted calls to confront him, fearing the truth of who cast the curse that killed his sister. In 1945, he finally dueled and defeated Grindelwald, a legendary event that saw him win mastery of the Elder Wand. Later, as Headmaster of Hogwarts, Dumbledore led the opposition against the rise of Lord Voldemort. He founded the first Order of the Phoenix to combat the Death Eaters. After hearing the Prophecy concerning Voldemort and Harry Potter, he took measures to protect the Potter family, though his trust in Peter Pettigrew as their Secret-Keeper proved to be a fatal mistake.

Following Voldemort's return, Dumbledore re-formed the Order of the Phoenix. He became a fugitive from the Ministry of Magic, which refused to accept the truth of Voldemort's resurrection. During this time, he began hunting for Voldemort's Horcruxes. He successfully located and destroyed one, Marvolo Gaunt's Ring, but was afflicted by a deadly curse placed upon it. The curse was contained by Severus Snape, but it left Dumbledore with a blackened, dead hand and less than a year to live. Knowing his time was short, Dumbledore spent his final year mentoring Harry Potter, sharing memories via his Pensieve to teach Harry about Voldemort's past and the nature of Horcruxes. He also orchestrated his own death with Severus Snape. Dumbledore was killed by Snape atop the Astronomy Tower, an act that, while appearing as a betrayal, was a pre-arranged mercy killing designed to save Draco Malfoy's soul and solidify Snape's position as a spy in Voldemort's inner circle. He was buried in a white tomb on the grounds of Hogwarts, the only headmaster to be laid to rest at the school.

Dumbledore was a tall, thin, and very old wizard with long silver hair and a beard long enough to be tucked into his belt. He wore half-moon spectacles and had a long, crooked nose that looked as if it had been broken twice. His most notable feature was his pair of piercing, brilliant blue eyes, which often seemed to twinkle with kindness and mischief. His personality was a blend of wisdom, benevolence, and eccentricity. He was typically calm and serene, with a gentle sense of humor. However, when angered or in a serious confrontation, he could project an aura of immense power and authority that was formidable to behold. Dumbledore was a master strategist who often concealed his plans, believing that he alone knew what was best. This led him to be secretive, even with his closest allies. He was burdened by the guilt of his family's past and the choices he made in his youth, which fostered in him a deep capacity for love and a firm belief in the power of redemption.

• General Prowess: Dumbledore was considered the most powerful wizard of his time, with extensive knowledge of many branches of magic. His abilities in dueling were legendary; he defeated Gellert Grindelwald at the height of his power and fought Lord Voldemort to a standstill in the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic.
• Transfiguration: Acknowledged as a master, having been the subject's professor for decades. He could perform complex transfigurations non-verbally with ease.
• Charms: His skill in Charms was evident in the complex enchantments he placed around Hogwarts and in his invention of the Deluminator.
• Patronus Charm: His Patronus took the form of a phoenix. He could use it as a corporeal guardian and as a method of communication.
• Non-Verbal and Wandless Magic: He frequently used both non-verbal and wandless magic, demonstrating a profound command of magic that did not require incantations or even a focusing tool.
• Legilimency and Occlumency: Dumbledore was a highly accomplished Legilimens, able to discern falsehoods and read minds, though he often chose not to. He was also a master Occlumens, capable of shielding his mind completely from intrusion.
• Alchemy: He was a known partner of the famous alchemist Nicolas Flamel, with whom he worked on the Philosopher's Stone.
• Wand: His wand was the Elder Wand, a fifteen-inch wand of elder wood with a Thestral tail-hair core, one of the three Deathly Hallows.

• Elder Wand: The most powerful wand in existence, won from Gellert Grindelwald in 1945.
• Fawkes: His exceptionally loyal and intelligent phoenix companion, whose tears had healing powers and who aided Dumbledore and Harry Potter on numerous occasions.
• Deluminator: A magical device of his own invention that could capture and release light from any light source. He bequeathed it to Ron Weasley.
• Pensieve: A stone basin kept in the Headmaster's office used to store and review memories.
• The Sword of Godric Gryffindor: Kept in his office, it presented itself to any worthy Gryffindor in a time of need.
• Invisibility Cloak: He borrowed this Deathly Hallow from James Potter shortly before his death and later gifted it to Harry Potter.
• Resurrection Stone: He recovered this Deathly Hallow from Marvolo Gaunt's Ring. He bequeathed it to Harry hidden inside the first Golden Snitch Harry ever caught.

• Harry Potter: Dumbledore acted as Harry's mentor, protector, and a loving father figure. Their relationship was central to the series, though it was strained by Dumbledore's secrecy and the immense burden he placed on Harry. He loved Harry deeply but also raised him knowing he would likely have to die to defeat Voldemort.
• Gellert Grindelwald: His closest friend in youth and his greatest adversary in adulthood. Dumbledore's complicated past with Grindelwald haunted him for his entire life.
• Severus Snape: A relationship of profound and unlikely trust. Dumbledore was Snape's protector and confidant after Snape turned spy against Voldemort, all based on Snape's unrequited love for Lily Potter.
• Aberforth Dumbledore: His younger brother. Their relationship was permanently damaged by the death of their sister Ariana, leading to decades of resentment from Aberforth.
• Minerva McGonagall: His loyal Deputy Headmistress, trusted friend, and valued member of the Order of the Phoenix.

• Albus: A Latin word meaning “white,” symbolic of goodness, purity, and wisdom.
• Percival: The name of one of King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table who was part of the quest for the Holy Grail, reflecting Dumbledore's noble and questing nature.
• Wulfric: An Anglo-Saxon name meaning “wolf-power,” suggesting hidden strength.
• Brian: An old Celtic name possibly meaning “high” or “noble.”
• Dumbledore: An archaic English word for “bumblebee.” (J.K. Rowling has stated that she imagined him walking around Hogwarts humming to himself).

• Following the publication of the final book, J.K. Rowling revealed in an interview that she always conceived of Dumbledore as being gay and that he had fallen in love with Gellert Grindelwald in his youth. This unrequited love, she explained, was Dumbledore's “great tragedy.” (J.K. Rowling interview).
• In the film adaptations, Dumbledore was portrayed by two actors. Richard Harris played the role in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Following his death, Michael Gambon took over the role for the remaining six films (film).
• The two portrayals are often contrasted. Harris's version is seen as being closer to the early book descriptions: serene, gentle, and with a constant twinkle in his eye. Gambon's portrayal was more energetic and intense, a change highlighted by a scene in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire where he physically grabs and shakes Harry, a stark departure from the book's calm description of the same moment (film).