Why Was Dumbledores Death Such A Shock
The headmaster of Hogwarts had been established as one of the most powerful characters in the wizarding world. He had also acted as a mentor to Harry since the young wizards arrival at school. He had guided Harry into the world of magic and helped him uncover his family history as well as the truth behind the return of the dark wizard that Dumbledore insisted on calling by his actual name: Voldermort.
From the outset, we knew that Albus Dumbledore was more than just headmaster of Hogwarts. As the books progressed, we saw his plots and plans develop along with Harry and his friends. It was Dumbledore who assembled two generations of the Order of the Phoenix to combat the dark wizards Death Eaters.
In the build-up to Half-Blood Princes publication, there were rumors that one of the series main characters was going to die. While many correctly predicted Dumbledores demise, few expected events to unfold the way they did. But Rowlings tightly-plotted novels laid hints before and after Dumbledores death that proved it was unavoidable.
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Greatest Fear And Hearts Desire
Dumbledore lied to Harry when he told him about what he saw when he looked into the Mirror of Erised. The headmaster told Harry he saw himself holding a nice pair of socks, but this wasnt true. Dumbledore actually saw his family, alive and all together.
In contrast, Dumbledores Boggart takes on the form of his greatest shame, the corpse of his sister, Ariana, who he believes he may have accidentally killed in a three-way duel between himself, his brother Aberforth, and Grindelwald.
Harry Potter: 10 Facts You Probably Dont Know About Dumbledore
Of all the Harry Potter characters who inhabit the Wizarding World, few are more intriguing than Professor Dumbledore. Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the most powerful wizard of his generation, and the only man Voldemort ever feared, Dumbledore casts a huge shadow over the Harry Potter movies.
But how much do we really know about this enigmatic professor? Sure theres the obvious stuff like his proudest accomplishment is that he was on a Chocolate Frog card or the fact his name terrifies Harry Potter villains but what do you know about the real Dumbledore, the man beneath the eccentricities?
Do you know what he sees when he looks in the Mirror of Erised? That his family have a unique relationship with phoenixes? Or that his death was teased years before he died? If you answered, no, well, dont worry, weve dug into these fantasy movies in a way that would make Rita Skeeter blush to bring you ten facts you probably dont know about Albus Dumbledore.
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Richard Harris As Dumbledore
Although there are still plenty of Harry Potter fans who prefer Richard Harris depiction of the Hogwarts headmaster, the role was recast ahead of the third film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, after the two-time Oscar winner passed away in 2002 from Hodgkins disease. Harris had expected that he might not be able to carry the character, which he took to please his granddaughter, to its cinematic end. He told the press, Ill keep doing it as long as I enjoy it, my health holds out and they still want me, but the chances of all three of those factors remaining constant are pretty slim.
The part would eventually go to Michael Gambon, who starred in all six of the films to follow, but he wasnt the first major British star who was invited to don the heaping wig and decadent cloaks. Years after the fact, Sir Ian McKellen revealed that he, too, had a shot at becoming Albus Dumbledore but turned it down. He later explained on BBCs HARDtalk,When they called me up and said would I be interested in being in the Harry Potter films, they didnt say in what part. I worked out what they were thinking, and I couldnt take over the part from an actor who Id known didnt approve of me. Harris was reportedly unimpressed with McKellen during his life, implying that he was a passionless actor. Even so, though, McKellen added that he sometimes saw himself in the posters of Gambon as Dumbledore.
Richard Harris Who Played Albus Dumbledore Died In 2002
The original Dumbledore, Richard Harris, sadly passed away from an aggressive form of Hodgkin’s disease at age 72. Entertainment Weeklyinterviewed Chris Columbus , who said Richard expected to play Dumbledore in the third film before he died. “He did threaten to kill me if I recast ,” Chris said. “I cannot even repeat what he said.”
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Worst: Tina Is Barely In The Movie
Porpentina Goldstein has been a staple of the “Fantastic Beasts” films from the very beginning. While she’s underutilized in “Crimes of Grindelwald,” her absence is even more noticeable in “Secrets of Dumbledore.”
The handful scenes she appears in consist of her simply reacting to the film’s events without much substance given that she was promoted to the head of the US Auror office offscreen, her absence is even more perplexing. It’s reasonable to assume that she would help out with some of the political uprisings shown throughout the movie. Sure, she’s busy, but she should also be busy here.
The movie doesn’t even have a throwaway line that Tina is on a top-secret assignment, either. She’s just … absent. Theseus Scamander also got promoted to the head of the British Auror office, and he’s deeply embroiled in the film’s events. As a result, Tina’s already questionable absence is made more glaring by her British counterpart having all the fun in countries outside his apparent jurisdiction.
Of course, while “Secrets of Dumbeldore” is set in the 1920s, the film was made in the all-too-real treacherous reality of the early 2020s. The best guess is that COVID-19 perhaps made it difficult to get all he actors back on set when needed. But whether that’s the cause or not, it’s the movie’s job to have Tina’s absence make sense plot-wise, and in that respect it really falls short.
How Dumbledore Saw Through Tom Riddles Facade
Before he fully became Voldemort, many who knew Tom Riddle saw him as a bright, kind, and thoughtful student who was simply desperate to prove himself, Dumbledore, who knew Riddle was capable of great cruelty and vindictiveness from an early age, was always wary of the young wizard. Immediately after Riddle graduated, he applied for the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor and was turned down, and when he tried a second time, Dumbledore rebuffed him yet again.
Already on his way to becoming Lord Voldemort by the time he asked Dumbledore for a job, hed already created at least one of his soul-carrying Horcruxes , which can only be crafted by committing murder Tom told Dumbledore that he wanted to pass his storied knowledge onto Hogwarts students, but it was obvious that Dumbledore had some idea of the kind of magic the future Voldemort would end up teaching, and he refused. In that moment, Dumbledore sealed the fate of the entire position: as he later pointed out to Harry, Voldemort jinxed the post, as no Defense Against the Dark Arts professor ever stayed for more than one year after that fateful meeting.
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Worst: Grindelwald Murders The Qilin
If you check the website Does the Dog Die before tuning into any movie involving an animal, you’re not alone. But a good fantasy movie plays off our love of animals, convincing us that dragons and wookies and gremlins have the same endearing characteristics that make our dogs, cats or goldfish life’s great companions.
It can be painful and even triggering to watch creatures get brutally murdered even pretend ones.
With “Secrets of Dumbledore,” fans are forced to bear witness to not one, but two savage death scenes for the angelic, deer-like Qilins. After Newt assist in the wondrous birth of the Qilin twins, a group of Grindelwald’s minions show up, firing killing curses at them. One hits the momma Qilin, and we watch her slowly die as she sees her baby carted off by the enemy before Newt notices the second baby. With one tear running down her eye, she dramatically perishes.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, once Grindelwald gets his hands on one of the Qilin babies, he strangles it in cold blood, just to resurrect it as some bastardization of the species that will do his bidding. The scene is anguishing to watch, and marks a pivotal turning point for Queenie who, like the audience, witnesses the atrocity.
Both scenes remind fans how power hungry and despicable Grindelwald and his followers have become they are also very difficult to watch.
Richard Griffiths Who Played Vernon Dursley Died In 2013
Richard passed in 2013 after suffering complications from heart surgery. Despite playing a widely despised character, he was well beloved by the cast. Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe had actually worked with Richard several times throughout his career and told Entertainment Weekly upon his passing, “I was proud to say I knew him.”
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Magical Birds And Where To Find Them
All Potter fans know about Dumbledores phoenix Fawkes. The firebird was intensely loyal to the Hogwarts headmaster, and when he died, Fawkes left the school never to return.
While we dont know how Dumbledore earned Fawkes loyalty , we do know that Albus isnt the only one in his family with a penchant for befriending magical winged creatures. His great-great-grandfather had a phoenix as well, which similarly left after his master died.
Gellert Grindelwald meanwhile told Albuss alleged brother Aurelius that phoenixes would always come to the aid of any Dumbeldore that needed help.
Master Of Death Sort Of
Dumbledore has the odd distinction of being the only other character in the series, aside from Harry to have owned all three Deathly Hallows. He took the Elder Wand from Grindelwald, borrowed James Potters invisibility cloak suspecting its true power and retrieved the Resurrection Stone after destroying the Horcrux inside.
Dumbledore was never considered a Master of Death, though, like Harry, because he never held all three items at once. He was more like a Caretaker of Death until the Chosen One came along.
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Is Christopher Lee In Harry Potter
Christopher Lee I have not been asked to appear in the next Harry Potter film and I probably wont, he said. I consider this matter in very bad taste. The man had only been dead for about 10 days when this gossip started to go round.
Why Did Snape Kill Dumbledore
Snape killed Dumbledore when Dumbledore requested that he do it. Dumbledore and Snape devise a strategy to prevent Voldemort from killing Dumbledore. Dumbledore explained to snape that he was dying anyhow and preferred a painless death instead of being tortured by Bellatrix and spare Draco from having to kill him.
How you interpret Dumbledores death depends on how you view the final scene between him and Snape. In the book, youre told that Snape kills Dumbledore, but its never explicitly stated that this is what happens. Many people say that Voldemort kills Dumbledore, especially since Draco Malfoy already injured him in his previous confrontation with the evil Voldemort.
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When Did The Actor Who Played Dumbledore Change
Richard Harris as Dumbledore
Although there are still plenty of Harry Potter fans who prefer Richard Harris depiction of the Hogwarts headmaster, the role was recast ahead of the third film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, after the two-time Oscar winner passed away in 2002 from Hodgkins disease.
Worst: The Qilin Kneels For Dumbledore
Given that Dumbledore was Harry’s hero and mentor in the original series, which takes place from the young wizard’s point of view, it’s only natural that he would glamorize the headmaster’s behavior. However, “Fantastic Beasts” is an adult series, and it’s time to hold Dumbledore accountable for his actions. Without a naive tween leading the story, there’s no reason to once again put Dumbledore on a pedestal.
Dumbledore certainly isn’t a bad person, and he does make the noble choice to avoid all power positions, knowing full well that he’s easily seduced by such power. He did fall for Grindelwald and his “for the greater good” tagline, after all. So, why is it that after it’s been established tenfold that Dumbledore should avoid power, the Qilin kneels down before him?
One of the greatest lines in “Harry Potter” comes from Dumbledore himself.
“It is a curious thing, Harry, but perhaps those who are best suited to power are those who have never sought it,” he says in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.” “Those who, like you, have leadership thrust upon them, and take up the mantle because they must, and find to their own surprise that they wear it well.”
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Worst: Jacob’s Wand Fakeout
Fans were elated to see muggle Jacob brandishing a seemingly-functional wand in the film’s trailers. Alas, deceptive editing has struck once again, as the film elaborates that Jacob’s weapon is made of snakewood and doesn’t even have a core.
The bait-and-switch is frustrating for fans, since Jacob appeared to be chaotically casting some sort of tornado spell at a dinner party in the trailer. But in actuality, the effervescent Eulalie “Lally” Hicks is the mastermind behind Jacob’s wand work, all part of their ragtag group’s efforts to confuse Grindelwald.
On one hand, it makes far more sense that Jacob isn’t a no-maj born wizard yet to tap into his powers. After all, we’ve seen what happens when a child represses their magical abilities and Jacob certainly isn’t an obscurus. However, if he had just a teensy bit of lingering magic from an ancestor, it would explain why he so easily recalled magical events after getting obliviated.
Neither “Harry Potter” nor “Fantastic Beasts” have explored this possibility but it makes sense that there are varying levels of powers in wizards. We already know this, as some wizards struggle with spell work, while others soar. So, who’s to say there aren’t people with a dollop of latent magic that can be used in a pinch, but isn’t powerful enough to board the Hogwarts Express?
Magical Abilities And Skills
Since a young age, Dumbledore has always shown great magical abilities. During his education at Hogwarts, Dumbledore was known as the most brilliant student to have ever stepped into the school, winning “every prize of note that the school offered”, and in his N.E.W.T.s, “… did things with a wand never seen before”. Rowling has said that Dumbledore is primarily self-taught, although he “had access to superb teachers at Hogwarts,” and, as far as his education is concerned, “Dumbledore’s family would be a profitable line of inquiry.” While he is not vain, Dumbledore also exhibits no false modesty, readily acknowledging that he is unusually intelligent and an exceptionally powerful wizard. He admits a number oftimes to Harry in their occasional meetings in Half-Blood Prince that he makes mistakes, and since he is smarter than most men, his mistakes “tend to be correspondingly huger.”
Dumbledore is an expert at nonverbal spells and is famous as an alchemist who has worked with Nicolas Flamel, the only known maker of the Philosopher’s Stone, and is credited with discovering the twelve uses of dragon‘s blood. His Patronus takes the form of a phoenix, a recurring symbol in the books.
His knowledge of the most powerful kind of magic, love, is extensive. He taught Harry about its very essence, and the innate power of his ability to love his parents, which eventually helped Harry realise his destiny to kill Lord Voldemort.
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How Did Dumbledore Die In Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince
He died when Severus Snape used Avada Kedavra on him in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. It turned out that Snape killed Dumbledore upon Dumbledores request. Dumbledore did not want Lord Voldemort to gain power of the Elder Wand, so he had a man that he trusted kill him so that Dumbledore would be the last true master of the wand.
Does Dumbledore Come Back To Life
No, sadly, Dumbledore does not come back to life. Many fans believe that it would be possible for good wizards such as Dumbledore to return from the dead either by returning as a ghost or becoming alive again. It has led some people to speculate that Dumbledore could eventually return in some form or another.
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Rowling Predicted His Death Very Early In The Series
In the books, Rowling foreshadowed Dumbledores death very early on. During the Prisoner of Azkaban, while enjoying Christmas dinner, Professor Trelawney doesnt want to join the table, worrying that if 13 people sit down to eat, the first to rise will be the first to die.
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What Trelawney didnt know, despite her powers of foresight, was that there were already 13 witches and wizards sitting at the table as Ron had Scabbers, aka the animagus Peter Pettigrew, in his pocket. This means that when Dumbledore stands to greet her, hes the first to leave the table, and he is indeed the first of the characters sitting there to die.
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