The Origins Of Albus Dumbledore

The Origins of Dumbledore

Welcome to WatchMojo and today we’re exploring the origins of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.

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Dumbledore left behind a long and complicated legacy. Throughout his life, he became a powerful wizard who strived to make the world a better place. But Dumbledore still made plenty of mistakes that often came with tragic consequences.

Albus Dumbledore spent his early childhood living peacefully with his parents, Percival and Kendra, and siblings, Aberforth and Ariana, in a magical town. But tragedy struck when his sister was tormented by Muggles who were scared of her magic. After seeing his daughter was severely traumatized by the incident, Percival went after the ones responsible. He was sentenced to spend the rest of his days in Azkaban prison.

Fortunately, Albus was able to excel at school and become a talented wizard. He was poised to go on a worldwide adventure until another tragedy struck. Ariana Dumbledore lost control of her magic and accidentally took their mother’s life. After making the difficult decision to move back to take care of his sister in Godric’s Hollow, a talented wizard named Gellert Grindelwald came to town.

The two young wizards became close as they spent the next few months forming a shared obsession with the Deathly Hallows. As they made plans, Aberforth began to worry that Grindelwald was starting to corrupt Albus. A heated argument between the men erupted into a fierce duel at the Dumbledore household. When the dust settled, they discovered that Ariana was hit with a fatal curse during the battle. Grindelwald quickly abandoned Albus after this tragic turn of events.

Eventually, Albus became a professor at Hogwarts. During his tenure teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts, he was asked by the Ministry to join the fight against Grindelwald, who had escaped capture in New York and was gaining followers. Unfortunately, Dumbledore and Grindelwald previously made a magical blood pact that prevented them from fighting each other. With the help of his allies, including Magizoologist Newt Scamander, Dumbledore attempted to find ways around the blood oath so that he would be able to duel Grindelwald after all…

In the years Grindelwald’s hold over the Wizarding World grew, another dark wizard was only realizing his magical abilities. Dumbledore went to an orphanage to meet with a prospective student. The young boy was Tom Riddle, A.K.A. the future Voldemort. Dumbledore suspected something sinister about the child during their first meeting. He also feared Tom might have had something to do with attacks at Hogwarts a few years later. Tom was able to get away scot free, amass followers and eventually kick off a Wizarding War.

As Voldemort rose in the shadows, Dumbledore became Headmaster of Hogwarts. While performing his duties, he heard a prophecy about a boy being born that could defeat the Dark Lord. Severus Snape, one of Voldemort’s followers, also heard about this prediction and told Voldemort. The Dark Lord became certain that the child in question was Harry Potter. Desperate to protect his friend, and Harry’s mother, Lily Potter, from harm, Snape agreed to become a double agent for Dumbledore in exchange for her safety.

Unfortunately, the Potters were betrayed and Voldemort ended James and Lily Potter's lives. But when Voldemort tried to execute the infant Harry, the curse backfired on him. Dumbledore strongly believed that when Voldemort failed, a piece of the villain’s soul ended up in the child, making Harry a Horcrux. The headmaster knew the Dark Lord would be immortal until that soul fragment was destroyed. Dumbledore devised a plan to keep Harry safe until he felt he was ready to learn this and make the ultimate sacrifice. For added safety, the headmaster sent the infant to live with his Muggle relatives. Years later, Harry and Dumbledore would become close at Hogwarts.

During the events of “The Goblet of Fire,” Voldemort was revived. Thus, Dumbledore actively hunted the villain’s Horcruxes. Dumbledore located a ring that contained a piece of Voldemort’s soul. But after putting it on, he was inflicted with a deadly curse. Dumbledore soon learned he wouldn’t have long to live - and that Hogwarts student and recent Death Eater recruit Draco Malfoy had been ordered to kill him. So, Dumbledore asked Snape to end his life to keep Draco from committing such an act. And so, after teaching Harry Potter about Horcruxes, the headmaster and student journeyed to complete one final mission.

When they returned to Hogwarts, Snape executed his mission and ended Dumbledore’s life. A year later, Harry woke up in a strange place after Voldemort hit him with a fatal curse. The boy was surprised to find Dumbledore was there waiting for him. During their conversation, the headmaster gave his student a few more pieces of wisdom. While Harry decided to go finish his fight with Voldemort, Dumbledore disappeared into the unknown.

Even though he wasn’t perfect, this beloved wizard continued to be kind, warm and helpful to those who got to know him. Dumbledore saw his world become shrouded in darkness many times, but he never stopped searching for the light.