Albus Dumbledore is probably one of the most complex characters in the Wizarding World. Before becoming the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Dumbledore led an interesting but mysterious life. Did you know these five facts about him?
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Dumbledore taught transfiguration
You would expect that the one to defeat the world’s darkest wizard would be the teacher of Defence against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts, but think again. Before becoming Headmaster at the infamous wizard school, Dumbledore taught transfiguration. Dumbledore could also have become Minister for Magic but preferred to teach.
Dumbledore can turn invisible without a cloak
The magical world is complex and intriguing. In the first Harry Potterbook: Harry Potter and the Philosopher Stone we find out that Dumbledore had Harry’s father’s invisibility cloak. It is unclear why Dumbledore had it, but he later tells Harry that he doesn’t need the cloak to turn invisible. Dumbledore is a master of Charms and uses the Disillusionment Charm to camouflage himself.
Dumbledore’s boggart is his sister’s corpse
A boggart is a dark magical creature that turns into the worst fear of the person who’s looking at it. We learn about them in the third Harry Potter book: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Dumbledore’s boggart takes the form of his deceased sister’s (Ariana) corpse, according to J.K. Rowling during an interview with Bloomberg.
It is revealed that Dumbledore’s younger sister tragically died after Dumbledore, his brother Aberforth, and Gellert Grindelwald were caught in a three-way duel and Ariana was caught in the middle. It is never said whose spell hit and killed Ariana but Dumbledore was plagued with guilt that it was his fault.
Dumbledore’s father died in Azkaban
Dumbledore didn’t have an easy childhood. His father, Percival, was sent to Azkaban - the wizard prison - after attacking the muggle boys who bullied and traumatised Ariana after seeing her do magic. It is never said what the boys did to Ariana but it must have been traumatising as she never used magic again.
It is also never said what Dumbledore’s father did to the muggle boys but there is a chance that he used magic on them which is why he was sent to Azkaban. Percival never revealed why he attacked the muggles as he didn’t want his daughter to be sent to St Mungo's - the magical hospital. As the reason he attacked was never revealed, the Dumbledore family were shunted by their neighbours.
Dumbledore met Grindelward through Bathilda Bagshot
In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, it is revealed that Hogwarts isn’t the only wizarding school in Europe, there are Beuxbatons in France and Dumstrang in either Sweden or Norway. Gellert Grindelwald went to Durmstrang - which is notorious for producing dark wizards - so how did the pair meet if they went to different schools?
Well after Dumbledore finished school he had to remain at Godrick’s Hollow to look after his family as his mother died as a result of one of Ariana’s magical outbursts. That same summer, Gellert Grindelwald was visiting Godrick’s Hollow in search of the Deathly Hallows. Bathilda Bagshot, who was close to the Dumbledores, introduced the two. Bathilda Bagshot is actually Grindelwald’s great-aunt.
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