Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

by

J. K. Rowling

Professor Albus Dumbledore Character Analysis

The headmaster of Hogwarts. Dumbledore is an old and accomplished wizard who, according to many, is the only wizard Voldemort is afraid of. As Harry's mentor, Harry is very close to Dumbledore, so it's hurtful and confusing to Harry when Dumbledore refuses to speak to him or make eye contact for the entirety of the school year. Dumbledore is the head of the Order of the Phoenix and was able to call a meeting within hours of Voldemort's return a month before the start of the novel, and he's a primary source of information and analysis regarding Voldemort and what the Death Eaters are up to. Because Dumbledore’s power and the fact that he insists that Voldemort is back, Cornelius Fudge sees Dumbledore as a threat and seeks to discredit him and everyone who sympathizes with or believes in him. Dumbledore is an extremely powerful wizard who overwhelmingly uses his power for good, including rescuing students like Marietta—whom he has every right to dislike—hiring free elves like Dobby, and hiring Firenze. Dumbledore believes that wizards should treat non-human beings with respect and empathy, and firmly believes in the power of love to overcome evil like Voldemort’s. Harry learns at various points that Dumbledore is worried about him and the dreams he has about Voldemort and the Department of Mysteries, but because Dumbledore continues to ignore Harry, Harry refuses to ask him for help. Harry also doesn't take Dumbledore's insistence that Harry learn Occlumency seriously. After Dumbledore duels Voldemort and saves Harry at the Ministry, Dumbledore finally speaks to Harry. He explains why Voldemort tried to kill Harry as a baby, takes responsibility for Sirius's death, and apologizes for keeping Harry in the dark. He suggests that though he tried to protect Harry by keeping information from him—and did this because he loves Harry—in reality, this only made Harry more vulnerable to manipulation and led to most of the suffering Harry experienced.

Professor Albus Dumbledore Quotes in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

The Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix quotes below are all either spoken by Professor Albus Dumbledore or refer to Professor Albus Dumbledore. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
The Purpose of Education Theme Icon
).
Chapter Nine Quotes

Ron had not asked Dumbledore to give him the prefect badge. This was not Ron's fault. Was he, Harry, Ron's best friend in the world, going to sulk because he didn't have a badge, laugh with the twins behind Ron's back, ruin this for Ron when, for the first time, he had beaten Harry at something?

Related Characters: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Professor Albus Dumbledore, Fred Weasley, George Weasley
Page Number: 167
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Twelve Quotes

"I do not wish to criticize the way things have been run at this school," she said, an unconvincing smile stretching her wide mouth, "but you have been exposed to some very irresponsible wizards in this class, very irresponsible indeed—not to mention," she gave a nasty little laugh, "extremely dangerous half-breeds."

Related Characters: Dolores Umbridge (speaker), Harry Potter, Professor Albus Dumbledore, Remus Lupin
Page Number: 243
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Fifteen Quotes

"'Hogwarts is a school, not an outpost of Cornelius Fudge's office,' said Madam Marchbanks. 'This is a further disgusting attempt to discredit Albus Dumbledore.' (For a full account of Madam Marchbanks' alleged links to subversive goblin groups, turn to page 17)."

Related Characters: Hermione Granger (speaker), Dolores Umbridge, Professor Albus Dumbledore, Cornelius Fudge
Page Number: 308
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Twenty-Two Quotes

Don't be stupid, you haven't got fangs, he told himself, trying to keep calm, though the hand on his butterbeer was shaking. You were lying in bed, you weren't attacking anyone...

But then, what happened in Dumbledore's office? he asked himself. I felt like I wanted to attack Dumbledore too...

Related Characters: Harry Potter (speaker), Professor Albus Dumbledore, Lord Voldemort, Mr. Weasley
Page Number: 478
Explanation and Analysis:

"But that's not all, said Harry in a voice only a little above a whisper. "Sirius, I...I think I'm going mad...Back in Dumbledore's office, just before we took the Portkey...for a couple of seconds there I thought I was a snake, I felt like one—my scar really hurt when I was looking at Dumbledore—Sirius, I wanted to attack him—"

He could only see a sliver of Sirius's face; the rest was in darkness.

"It must have been the aftermath of the vision, that's all," said Sirius. "You were still thinking of the dream or whatever it was and—"

"It wasn't like that," said Harry, shaking his head. "It was like something rose up inside me, like there's a snake inside me—"

"You need to sleep," said Sirius firmly.

Related Characters: Harry Potter (speaker), Sirius Black (speaker), Professor Albus Dumbledore, Lord Voldemort, Mr. Weasley
Page Number: 481
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Twenty-Three Quotes

"So that's it, is it?" he said loudly. "Stay there? That's all anyone could tell me after I got attacked by those dementors too! Just stay put while the grown-ups sort it out, Harry! We won't bother telling you anything, though, because your tiny little brain might not be able to cope with it!"

Related Characters: Harry Potter (speaker), Professor Albus Dumbledore, Phineas Nigellus
Page Number: 495
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Thirty-Seven Quotes

"Like the fact that the person Sirius cared most about in the world was you," said Dumbledore quietly. "Like the fact that you were coming to regard Sirius as a mixture of father and brother. Voldemort knew already, of course, that Sirius was in the Order, that you knew where he was—but Kreacher's information made him realize that the one person whom you would go to any lengths to rescue was Sirius Black."

Related Characters: Professor Albus Dumbledore (speaker), Harry Potter, Sirius Black, Lord Voldemort, Kreacher, Narcissa Malfoy
Page Number: 831
Explanation and Analysis:

"Sirius did not hate Kreacher," said Dumbledore. "He regarded him as a servant unworthy of much interest or notice. Indifference and neglect often do much more damage than outright dislike...the fountain we destroyed tonight told a lie. We wizards have mistreated and abused our fellows for too long, and we are now reaping our reward."

Related Characters: Professor Albus Dumbledore (speaker), Harry Potter, Sirius Black, Kreacher
Related Symbols: The Fountain of Magical Brethren
Page Number: 833-34
Explanation and Analysis:

"I cared about you too much," said Dumbledore simply. "I cared more for your happiness than your knowing the truth, more for your peace of mind than my plan, more for your life than the lives that might be lost if the plan failed. In other words, I acted exactly as Voldemort expects we fools who love to act."

Related Characters: Professor Albus Dumbledore (speaker), Harry Potter, Lord Voldemort
Page Number: 838
Explanation and Analysis:
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Professor Albus Dumbledore Quotes in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

The Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix quotes below are all either spoken by Professor Albus Dumbledore or refer to Professor Albus Dumbledore. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
The Purpose of Education Theme Icon
).
Chapter Nine Quotes

Ron had not asked Dumbledore to give him the prefect badge. This was not Ron's fault. Was he, Harry, Ron's best friend in the world, going to sulk because he didn't have a badge, laugh with the twins behind Ron's back, ruin this for Ron when, for the first time, he had beaten Harry at something?

Related Characters: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Professor Albus Dumbledore, Fred Weasley, George Weasley
Page Number: 167
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Twelve Quotes

"I do not wish to criticize the way things have been run at this school," she said, an unconvincing smile stretching her wide mouth, "but you have been exposed to some very irresponsible wizards in this class, very irresponsible indeed—not to mention," she gave a nasty little laugh, "extremely dangerous half-breeds."

Related Characters: Dolores Umbridge (speaker), Harry Potter, Professor Albus Dumbledore, Remus Lupin
Page Number: 243
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Fifteen Quotes

"'Hogwarts is a school, not an outpost of Cornelius Fudge's office,' said Madam Marchbanks. 'This is a further disgusting attempt to discredit Albus Dumbledore.' (For a full account of Madam Marchbanks' alleged links to subversive goblin groups, turn to page 17)."

Related Characters: Hermione Granger (speaker), Dolores Umbridge, Professor Albus Dumbledore, Cornelius Fudge
Page Number: 308
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Twenty-Two Quotes

Don't be stupid, you haven't got fangs, he told himself, trying to keep calm, though the hand on his butterbeer was shaking. You were lying in bed, you weren't attacking anyone...

But then, what happened in Dumbledore's office? he asked himself. I felt like I wanted to attack Dumbledore too...

Related Characters: Harry Potter (speaker), Professor Albus Dumbledore, Lord Voldemort, Mr. Weasley
Page Number: 478
Explanation and Analysis:

"But that's not all, said Harry in a voice only a little above a whisper. "Sirius, I...I think I'm going mad...Back in Dumbledore's office, just before we took the Portkey...for a couple of seconds there I thought I was a snake, I felt like one—my scar really hurt when I was looking at Dumbledore—Sirius, I wanted to attack him—"

He could only see a sliver of Sirius's face; the rest was in darkness.

"It must have been the aftermath of the vision, that's all," said Sirius. "You were still thinking of the dream or whatever it was and—"

"It wasn't like that," said Harry, shaking his head. "It was like something rose up inside me, like there's a snake inside me—"

"You need to sleep," said Sirius firmly.

Related Characters: Harry Potter (speaker), Sirius Black (speaker), Professor Albus Dumbledore, Lord Voldemort, Mr. Weasley
Page Number: 481
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Twenty-Three Quotes

"So that's it, is it?" he said loudly. "Stay there? That's all anyone could tell me after I got attacked by those dementors too! Just stay put while the grown-ups sort it out, Harry! We won't bother telling you anything, though, because your tiny little brain might not be able to cope with it!"

Related Characters: Harry Potter (speaker), Professor Albus Dumbledore, Phineas Nigellus
Page Number: 495
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Thirty-Seven Quotes

"Like the fact that the person Sirius cared most about in the world was you," said Dumbledore quietly. "Like the fact that you were coming to regard Sirius as a mixture of father and brother. Voldemort knew already, of course, that Sirius was in the Order, that you knew where he was—but Kreacher's information made him realize that the one person whom you would go to any lengths to rescue was Sirius Black."

Related Characters: Professor Albus Dumbledore (speaker), Harry Potter, Sirius Black, Lord Voldemort, Kreacher, Narcissa Malfoy
Page Number: 831
Explanation and Analysis:

"Sirius did not hate Kreacher," said Dumbledore. "He regarded him as a servant unworthy of much interest or notice. Indifference and neglect often do much more damage than outright dislike...the fountain we destroyed tonight told a lie. We wizards have mistreated and abused our fellows for too long, and we are now reaping our reward."

Related Characters: Professor Albus Dumbledore (speaker), Harry Potter, Sirius Black, Kreacher
Related Symbols: The Fountain of Magical Brethren
Page Number: 833-34
Explanation and Analysis:

"I cared about you too much," said Dumbledore simply. "I cared more for your happiness than your knowing the truth, more for your peace of mind than my plan, more for your life than the lives that might be lost if the plan failed. In other words, I acted exactly as Voldemort expects we fools who love to act."

Related Characters: Professor Albus Dumbledore (speaker), Harry Potter, Lord Voldemort
Page Number: 838
Explanation and Analysis: