The Powerful yet Humble Headmaster — Albus Dumbledore
A loving tribute in his memory (and Michael Gambon)
I came to know a few days ago, the great Micheal Gambon died. At the age of 82, he was an accomplished Irish actor, known for his great acting skills. His most memorable act which comes to my mind, is his portrayal of the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the great Albus Dumbledore.
That image of Dumbledore comes to my mind when I hear of Micheal Gambon. I couldn’t see anyone better suited for that role. To be honest, it feels to me, that Albus Dumbledore died on September 28, 2023.
The two characters I feel the most attracted to in the Harry Potter series, are Lord Voldemort a.k.a Tom Marvolo Riddle, and Prof. Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. While Voldemort represents the dark side of power, Dumbledore shows the light which dispels the darkness or evil. Even though the dark seems powerful at first, it is finally subdued by the power of love and wisdom, the power of light.
Well, being me has its privileges!
That was the power and confidence of the man, Dumbledore, when Harry wondered, whether they could disapparate in the Hogwarts, due to numerous protective enchantments. Dumbledore was the reason why Voldemort didn’t dare to attack Hogwarts.
Not only he was a charming person, but he upheld morals and righteousness above all and supported all who had those qualities. There are a lot of things that can be learned from this great headmaster of Hogwarts.
He was kind
Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.
Dumbledore was someone who understood the value of the words. As he grew in age and in maturity, he chose his words carefully. Apart from being respected by elders and students alike, he was also very energetic and intelligent.
He mastered the Defense against Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Charms, and many other magical skills, which illustrated his deep wisdom and knowledge. He was humble and polite and believed in keeping friendships with wizards all over the world. He treated the students with kindness and instilled leadership qualities, fearlessness, and positivity in them.
When Umbridge fired Prof. Trelawney from Hogwarts, Dumbledore permitted her to stay and live at Hogwarts. He also lets Hagrid stay as the gatekeeper and other creatures like centaurs to teach at Hogwarts. He allows Lupin to teach to the students, despite knowing that he is a werewolf.
He controlled his greed
Dumbledore: “I had proven, as a very young man, that power was my weakness and temptation. I was safer at Hogwarts. I think I was a good teacher.”
Harry Potter: “You were the best.”
Before joining Hogwarts as a child, Dumbledore believed Wizards were superior to Muggles. But after joining Hogwarts, his views changed. He became known for his knowledge and his politeness. After graduating from Hogwarts, he became drunk with power, and he devoted all his time trying to become to most powerful Wizard of his generation. He met Grindelwald (another dark wizard) and both became obsessed with finding the Deathly Hallows, and both were keen to change the Wizarding world.
However, after a tragic incident that involved the death of his sister, he resisted the temptation of gaining power. Therefore, he continued to be a teacher in Hogwarts, instead of being the Minister of Magic. This shows he overcame his greed for power and controlled it. He could see the greater good and hence, he chose to hone the skills of the students.
When he wore the cursed ring of Voldemort, he was about to die in a year. Instead of worrying about his death, he meticulously planned the events, which resulted in the death of the Dark Lord. He could understand Voldemort and knew Voldemort would never understand the power of love.
Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living and above all, those who live without love.
Dumbledore sacrificed his family because of his mistake and that led him to lead a morally correct life.
His leadership abilities
Harry Potter: Albus Dumbledore is the greatest sorcerer in the world.
Dumbledore was someone whom everyone followed. There was no one who could deny his presence and ability to access the situation. He was naturally right in his judgment.
Even if he stayed away from power, he taught Defense against Dark Arts in Hogwarts. He became also very good at Transfiguration and Charms. This made him stay agile and alert and prepared him to fight Grindelwald, who had become a fearsome dark wizard. He successfully defeated Grindelwald, even if, the latter possessed the Elder wand.
His anticipation for things to come was commendable.
He formed his group, the Order of the Phoenix, to fight Voldemort in the first Wizarding War. As he had wizard friends all over the world, he was able to lead a group of remarkable people in his fight. He made connections with many extraordinary wizards.
He also made sure his close ones, find courage on their own. When Harry was helpless in the Chambers of Secrets, he sent his phoenix to heal him. But then Harry found his courage and he stabbed the Basilisk with the sword of Gryffindor, which he pulled out of the sorting hat.
His Choices
It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.
Dumbledore is known for making excellent choices and judgment. He was always encouraging Harry to make good choices. In Chambers of Secrets, when Harry couldn’t help but notice a lot of similarities between him and Voldemort, Dumbledore emphatically said, it is because of Harry’s choice, that the sorting hat placed him in Gryffindor and the sword presented before Him.
During his tenure, he encouraged and defended a lot of students, like Newt Scamander, Hagrid, Lupin, and Sirius Black, to name a few. Yet, he kept a strong vigil on the young Tom Riddle, when he became aware of his nefarious activities.
He saved Snape, fought for him, and supported him to be a teacher in Hogwarts when he was a dark wizard and wanted to become good. He trusted Snape and later, Snape provided a great deal of support in executing Dumbledore’s plan and protecting Harry.
We must all face the choice between what is right, and what is easy.
Dumbledore chose to do the right thing, he valued friendship and love, and above all, he trusted people and gave them a second chance. On the other hand, he stood firm when it came to protecting his dear ones. In the Ministry of Magic, he protected Harry against Voldemort, deflecting many of his spells, including the Death curse, Avada Kedavra.
Conclusion
The Harry Potter series was a big deal while I was growing up. It may be fictitious, but it was all about magic and fantasy and awe-inspiring. It was also about the goodness and love, which was shown by many characters.
Albus Dumbledore stood as a beacon of light during the Second Wizarding War and even when he died, still he was deciding the fate of Harry and the other wizards, securing them a future, devoid of darkness and death.
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