Armando Dippet

Professor Armando Dippet was the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry immediately preceding Albus Dumbledore. His tenure is most notable for coinciding with Tom Marvolo Riddle's time as a student and the first opening of the Chamber of Secrets. Professor Dippet was portrayed as an elderly, well-meaning but ultimately ineffectual leader who was easily deceived by Riddle, a fact which had devastating consequences, including the death of a student and the wrongful expulsion of Rubeus Hagrid. After his death, his portrait was hung in the Headmaster's office, where it continued to offer counsel to his successors.

Professor Dippet served as the Headmaster of Hogwarts for many years, including the 1940s. During the 1942-1943 school year, the Chamber of Secrets was opened by a young Tom Marvolo Riddle, who used the Basilisk within to attack several students. When a student, Myrtle Warren, was killed, the Ministry of Magic began to talk of closing the school permanently. Anxious to keep Hogwarts open, which he considered his only true home, Tom Riddle approached Dippet to request permission to remain at the castle over the summer holidays rather than return to his Muggle orphanage. Citing the dangerous attacks, Dippet denied the request for Riddle's own safety. This prompted Riddle to find a scapegoat to end the attacks and ensure the school remained open. He framed fellow student Rubeus Hagrid and his pet Acromantula, Aragog, as the culprits. Dippet believed Riddle's story, expelled Hagrid, and allowed Dumbledore's intervention to keep Hagrid at Hogwarts as the groundskeeper's assistant. Years later, after graduating, an eighteen-year-old Tom Riddle returned to Hogwarts and applied to Dippet for the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. Dippet rejected him, stating that he was far too young and inviting him to reapply in a few years. Armando Dippet died sometime before 1956 and was succeeded as Headmaster by Albus Dumbledore, who had been his Transfiguration professor and deputy. A magical portrait of Dippet was placed in the Headmaster's office, where it resided alongside the portraits of other former Headmasters and Headmistresses, offering advice when consulted. Harry Potter witnesses the portrait of Dippet conversing with Dumbledore's portrait after his death.

In Tom Riddle's memory from the diary, Armando Dippet is described as a “frail and elderly wizard.” His magical portrait in the Headmaster's office depicts him as a “wizened, tufty-haired wizard.” Professor Dippet appeared to be a kind but somewhat naive man who was easily manipulated. He held Tom Riddle in very high regard, viewing him as a “poor boy, but a brilliant student” and one of the most gifted pupils Hogwarts had ever seen. This admiration blinded him to Riddle's true, malevolent nature. His decisions regarding the Chamber of Secrets and Hagrid's expulsion show a lack of insight and an over-reliance on the word of a charismatic student over the suspicions of a trusted colleague like Albus Dumbledore. As a portrait, he seems placid and agreeable, readily concurring with the decisions of the living Headmaster.

As a long-serving Headmaster of Hogwarts, Professor Dippet was undoubtedly a very powerful and knowledgeable wizard. Specific examples of his spell-casting are not documented in the novels. However, his position alone indicates a high degree of magical competence across many disciplines. Prior to becoming Headmaster, he served as the Transfiguration professor, a role that requires exceptional skill in a highly difficult branch of magic (Pottermore).

• Portrait: After his death, a magical portrait of Armando Dippet was created and hung in the Headmaster's office. Like the other portraits there, it retains his personality and memories and is able to converse with the living and travel to other portraits of itself.

• Albus Dumbledore: Dippet was Dumbledore's superior for many years while Dumbledore served as Transfiguration professor. While Dippet seemed to respect him, he ultimately failed to heed Dumbledore's deep suspicions about Tom Riddle. Dumbledore later succeeded him as Headmaster.
• Tom Marvolo Riddle: Dippet was completely charmed by the young Riddle, seeing him as a model student. This admiration made him a perfect pawn in Riddle's plans. He unknowingly enabled Riddle's initial crimes by believing his lies about the Chamber of Secrets.
• Rubeus Hagrid: As Headmaster, Dippet was responsible for the grave injustice of expelling Hagrid from Hogwarts based on Riddle's false accusations.

• Armando: This name is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the Germanic name Herman, which means “army man” or “soldier.” This stands in ironic contrast to Dippet's rather frail and easily misled character.
• Dippet: In British English, a “dippet” is a small piece of bread or toast used for dipping into a soft-boiled egg. The name may suggest a soft or pliable nature, reflecting how easily he was manipulated by Tom Riddle.

• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Armando Dippet was played by actor Alfred Burke. His scenes were cut from the theatrical release but are included in the deleted scenes on the DVD and Blu-ray versions.
• According to the Wizarding World website, Professor Dippet was the Transfiguration professor before Albus Dumbledore took over the post (Pottermore).