Harry Potter: 20 Hidden Secrets About Dumbledore Only Potterheads Know
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Only truly dedicated Potterheads will know these 20 interesting and amazing secrets about everyone’s favorite wizard, Dumbledore!
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Everything that needs to be covered or discussed about the Harry Potter franchise has already been done, several portions of which were provided to fans by none other than the inimitable J. K. Rowling herself. From her timely tweets and witty responses to fan-questions to her clever corrections and much-needed additions to existing Potter-lore, the mega-bestselling author has given us memories we will not soon forget. This article is an ode to her genius and wit, particularly in regards to a certain professor we all know and love. The points we are about to cover are not secrets, not anymore, but to anyone new to the books and movies they are as much Greek and Latin as they are a peek into a brilliantly rendered character.
To all you Potterheads out there, TheGamer takes this moment to offer heartfelt acknowledgment and silent praise by using the words of the man himself: “Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!” You are a special strain of fans who keep the Potter-fire alight and growing, ushering more and more people to the books and flicks, to come be part of a universe that rivals, if not beats, that of the DCU and MCU. We are going to dive right into the life and times of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore; just call him Dumbledore. There have been several jaw-dropping moments where this masterful wizard is concerned, so brace yourself to recall or learn afresh a little something about one of the most secretive (honestly!) characters in the Potterverse.
20 The Sister’s Truth Is Out There
As serious life incidents go, Dumbledore’s took the familiar form of a family crisis but one that ended rather morbidly for one member. His baby sister, Ariana, became the focus of a hate-crime for a bunch of Muggle boys who got one whiff of her magical capabilities and, out of sheer fear and confusion, attacked her. That uncalled-for aggression changed Ariana for the worse, and her magic suffered for it. Whatever the exact undisclosed details of Ariana’s incident, one thing is perfectly clear. She was subjected to a sort of emotional and/or physical torment that set her on the verge of mental illness. Percival, the dad, did not wish to take this lying down.
He sought revenge, and went far enough to claim his pound of flesh for the injustice committed against his baby girl.
If you’re a Potter fan, you know how forbidden it is for wizards and witches to expose their hidden world, and how they have governmental bodies to compensate for Muggle-based crimes. But Percival was justifiably enraged and went on to break the mandatory rules stipulated by the International Statute of Secrecy. The family somehow stayed together, except for Percival who was jailed in Azkaban. Thankfully, Ariana was not sent to the hospital for magical maladies and injuries, St. Mungo’s, but young Dumbledore, his brother, and Ariana became the subject of critical scrutiny by neighbors and so-called friends alike. Because the details behind why Percival even went on his revenge-spree was not disclosed to the wizarding public.
19 Pinocchio-Dore
The Mirror of Erised (‘Desire’ spelled backward) has been known to show the viewer’s innermost desire, even if they feel they want to see something else. The truth outs where this mirror is concerned, and what Albus Dumbledore saw in it was horrifying enough to make him lie about it afterward. The curious scene in Philosopher’s Stone had the Hogwarts Headmaster sharing some facts about the mirror with Harry Potter. The Boy Who Lived saw his long-gone parents and was advised by Dumbledore to focus on living. Whatever coded message this held, his own response to when Harry asks him what he saw in the mirror was suspicious, to say the least.
Somehow, “I see myself holding a pair of thick woolen socks” does not quite qualify as a credible reply. Unless Dumbledore’s ‘hidden message’ is that he has corns on his feet or feels the chill more than most, there is every chance that he lied (Rowling-verified) to Harry without batting an eyelid. Then again, he was conversing with a kid, so Dumbledore probably felt Harry wouldn’t understand his truth anyway. Rowing has added to her response on this matter, sharing (2007, via Bloomsbury Publishing) that ‘[Dumbledore] saw his family alive… Ariana, Percival, and Kendra all returned… Aberforth reconciled to him.’ Whatever the reasons behind his silence on this rather important familial message to Harry, we can rest assured knowing that the late great headmaster of Hogwarts did not always wear his heart on his robe-sleeves.
18 The Greatest Prophecy In The Wizarding World
Divination seems more like a Muggle hobby than a serious Wizard interest. After all, when you have real wand-based magic that can make change happen by voicing a spell why would gazing into crystal balls be a better idea? Well, sometimes it is, especially in the case of powerful prophecies. But the rarity and skill required for Divination can be found only in a handful of people, relatively speaking. Dumbledore was not a huge fan of the subject, which is probably why he postponed hiring Trelawney as Professor of Divination at Hogwarts. Then again, Albus did his homework and learned that Trelawney was the real deal, being the great-great-granddaughter of a renowned seer.
He probably had a hidden agenda as to why he hired crystal-seer blood.
We may not know the answer to Dumbledore’s reasoning, but we do know that Trelawney uttered one of the most game-changing prophecies in the Wizarding World. It begins with “The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…” and ends a few lines later with “…[T]he one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month [passes].” Every fan worth an Ollivander wand knows this prophecy speaks about Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort. Also present was Severus Snape, whom we later learned was secretly a Death Eater. He most assuredly passed word of the prophecy to Voldemort who paid the Potters a visit, and prematurely ended his own so-called winning streak while leaving a lightning-shaped one on The Boy Who Lived.
17 Introduced To The Bad Side
In light of recent Potter movies, we have all been introduced to the ghastly Grindelwald (played by Johnny Depp in the films). We also learned that Dumbledore and he were close (more on this in the next point). But what several fans may not have realized is that the boys did not meet by chance. They were introduced to each other by none other than Bathilda Bagshot, historian and author, renowned for her book History of Magic. Two other wizarding schools aside from Hogwarts are Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, the latter of which called Grindelwald one of its alumni. So there was no easy chance of Dumble and Grindel meeting. By the time his final year concluded, Dumbledore’s sister Ariana experienced another chaotic magic-splosion, which ended the life of their mother.
While picking up the familial pieces with help from his buddy, Elphias Doge, Dumbledore didn’t know that at the time one of the visitors to Godric’s Hollow was Grindelwald. The dastardly student had come over to research the Deathly Hallows in secret. Bathilda Bagshot was one of Dumbledore’s family friends and neighbor, and she was also Grindelwald’s great-aunt. Knowing how brainy Dumble and Grindel were, she decided to spark a friendship between the two, Yente-style. Oddly enough, Bathilda later added the boys’ story into her History book. Whatever she might have done wrong, karma seems to have paid Bagshot a visit in the form of Lord Voldemort who ended her life (c. 1997, Potter-chronology), and revived her corpse to play host to his snake Nagini.
16 The Boyfriend
Now to one of the most important points on our list, one that has been heavily misunderstood but is canon nonetheless. To crack this egg and make the omelette in question, Grindelwald and Dumbledore were boyfriends, in the dating sense of the word. They were together together, a fact that makes more sense seeing as how both boys showed equivalent passion about the Deathly Hallows and grew to like each other quite deeply while on the lane of common pursuit. Dumbledore preferred learning about the Resurrection Stone, because it could help bring back his loved ones, but Gellert had a more nefarious plan in mind. Both boys shared an unhealthy desire to master demise, for two entirely different reasons. They weren’t kidding when they said opposites attract.
J.K.Rowling revealed Dumbledore’s personal inclinations quite late, which caused a stir among fans and readers, with mixed reviews coming from all over. The Fantastic Beasts movies promise to delve into this interesting though doomed-to-fail relationship. Where Dumbledore was fully committed to his studies, work, ambitions, and Gellert, it seems the latter only favored power above all else. Before long, a fight broke out between the boys and Dumbledore’s brother, Aberforth. In the ensuing chaos, Dumble’s sister Ariana perished. Tragedy after tragedy afflicted Dumbledore, who would later be in the heartbreaking position of having to end Grindelwald before his evil grew uncontrollable.
15 A Vote For Dumbledore Is A Vote For Gryffindor
It’s no surprise that Albus Dumbledore has repeatedly favored one house above all others, and that’s Gryffindor. In addition to displaying some of the finer Gryffindor traits himself, Dumbledore has not kept his affiliation a secret. It’s no big deal, considering that he was sorted into said house when he was once a student at Hogwarts. From the way he affords points to this house to how some justifiably plot-driven characterization made certain protagonists do certain deeds that won them certain points for their house at the grand feast… You get the picture.
It almost seems fated that the headmaster of Hogwarts show a decidedly keen interest in House Gryffindor, the house in which we found three of the world’s favorite fictional characters: Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, and Harry Potter. This is far from being a plot-based convenience. Rowling chose Dumbledore’s House preference with a sharp sense of symbolism and fact. Throughout his years growing up, Dumbledore has displayed chivalry and compassion in equal measure. He has not given up the good fight and perseveres in everything he does. When it came time to face Grindelwald, he did the right thing and stood up to him instead of merely following his heart and joining forces with the love of his life. These are but some of the most prominent instances of Dumbledore proving his worth as a selfless Gryffindor.
14 Frozen
In direct contradiction to the previous character quirk, Dumbledore has oftentimes proven to become detached, cold, and quite unsympathetic. In these regards, he came across as a rather Slytherin personality. This surprising characteristic comes verified by the highest authority on the subject, Rowling herself. In a statement she made in 2005, she admitted to Dumbledore being isolated and detached. His ‘cold wave’ came when Rita Skeeter wrote a piece on half-breeds and involved Hagrid in her fiery political write-up. Dumbledore quite forthrightly refused to comfort Hagrid or be there for him in the way most of us would have.
Rowling admitted that this was Dumbledore not helping the butterfly out of its cocoon.
Hagrid needed to come out of his funk himself, which was a giant risk on Dumbledore’s part seeing as how Hagrid could become extremely lost in his own self-dejections at the best of times. There may have been several other instances, we cannot quite think them up at the moment. However, this can all be attributed to Albus Dumbledore simply playing (and quite well, we might add) the part of ‘cold CEO’. Being in a leadership position means he sometimes needs to see way ahead, and his present decisions could come across as cold and clinical to the untrained mind.
13 The Shape-Changer
What was Dumbledore the professor of before he attained the vaunted office of Headmaster of Hogwarts? Sounds like a puerile question best asked at Potter readings for kids. But then again, it’s quite interesting to note that he taught Transfiguration before he was promoted (c. 1970, Potter chronology). While adept at every magical art out there, or so we presume, Albus Dumbledore preferred the physical transformation arts. Back when he was a student himself, he won accolades and recognition in Charms and Transfiguration. There are multiple scholarly papers to his name on these subjects.
Dumbledore took a few years off following his graduation, set some affairs straight, then returned to Hogwarts to teach Transfiguration. It’s no secret that he was being sincerely considered for Minister of Magic or even a respected Auror, but he chose to teach for honorable reasons known mainly to him. Fans have stated their two cents, that Dumbledore took up academia to stay away from the temptations of power. His search for the Deathly Hallows led him down a dark path at the end of which his sister perished most miserably. Most fans were surprised to learn that Transfiguration is harder than Charms, scientifically speaking. After all, changing the core molecular structure of an entire person into an entirely different being is no small matter. Then there’s the re-changing part, back to oneself. So many things can go wrong if the user does not know what they’re doing.
12 And The Order Goes To…
When Dumbledore, by hook or by crook but mostly by magic, defeated Gellert Grindelwald (c. 1940s, Europe, Potter chronology), he was conflicted for several reasons, one of which prominently includes the fact that he ended the life of the love of his life. Hopefully, staring at the Order of Merlin, First Class, award on his mantel might make him feel a bit better, realizing that he helped save millions from Grindel’s tyranny and megalomania. This award is given to not just those wizards who protect their own kind but whose actions also shield Muggles from future harm. Not so surprisingly, he was not all gung-ho about going after Grindelwald. They were ‘close’ back in the day, and only upon the insistence of his fellow professors at Hogwarts, and select others, did he grab his wand and get to work.
When he lost his sister, Ariana, during their last confrontation with the dratted Grindelwald, Dumbledore was justifiably and understandably worried about round-two. There was a demise curse on Ariana, so when it came time to face Grindel, Dumble was afraid the former might reveal the truth and add to his crown of thorns. Then 1945 came along, the year in which the two tragic lovers faced off. Grindel was defeated and Dumble took up the Elder Wand. The award was therefore rightly earned. After all, beating the master of the greatest wand ever and still not using that wand for one’s own goals? There’s honor and integrity, right there.
11 Grave Position
You’d think that in a school as diverse and immense as Hogwarts, there may be something of a memorial or graveyard, but no. There is only one grave, or rather tomb, and that was constructed for Albus Dumbledore, following his demise at the all-betraying hands of Severus Snape, Death Eater Extraordinaire. The idea for this must have come from Dumbledore himself, seeing as how his body was not sent back to Godric’s Hollow to be buried in, say, a family plot. Feeling partly responsible for the brutal perishment of his sister, Ariana, during their historic Grindelwald-confrontation, we feel Dumble wanted nothing to do with this family if it meant keeping its survivors alive.
Then again, his grave idea could be much simpler, in that he believed Hogwarts was his one true home.
This has never before been done in the history of schools in the Wizarding World, namely that of a professor or school head being buried on site. Owing in large part to his vaunted reputation and character, the Ministry of Magic approved the post-mortem request. The placement of his grave is different in the film from that in the book. The pages have him near the Black Lake, in which is a resident Giant Squid. The silver screen had him on a small island in the middle of the same lake. This was sort of unusual, because how are students and teachers alike going to go see the grave of the greatest wizard ever?
10 Wandless Wonder
Dumbledore isn’t considered the most powerful wizard of all time just because “he’s got style.” In recent years, much has been revealed about this character, especially from J.K.Rowling’s side of the ring. In the books and movies, we rarely see magic being performed without some sound accompanying it, and always with a wand. Dumbledore beats those requirements and is capable of performing magic, even some high-level spells, without the use of a wand or pertinent sounds. By extension, this means he can magic his way through certain incidents without uttering a spell word. One of the most jaw-dropping memories fans have of him in this light is his ability to apparate from within Hogwarts. The school, after all, is designed to keep this from happening, for obvious reasons.
Wielding his pet phoenix, Fawkes, like a wand in his own right, Dumbledore has proven to do the impossible; he can still apparate without Fawkes, though. Most often, he has proven his special skill during the feasts when he showed that he could alter the banners and lighting at will, often with a gesture. He snaps his fingers in classic wizard fashion and food appears on the tables, teleported from the kitchens. On rare occasions, fans may have seen him silently use the spell Homenum Revelio to see past Harry’s invisibility cloak. He’s saved the boy’s life on numerous instances, like the time (in Prisoner of Azkaban) when dementors caused Harry to drop from his broom. One raised arm is all it took for Dumbledore to float Harry to safety.
9 Hollow Wizard
That’s probably the wrong choice of words, but we liked the movie so go figure. Anyway, this is about a particular power or ability, call it what you will, namely Invisibility. And how Albus Dumbledore can become invisible without resorting to the famous cloak known to render the wearer so. This is definitely another feather in this wizard’s magical cap. That he can will himself out of the visible light spectrum is marvelous. Albus was the one who gifted Harry the invisibility cloak one fine Christmas. The cloak belonged to Potter’s dad. The only reason Dumbledore borrowed the cloak from James Potter was to study it; properties, stitch, spellwork, and so on. The first book makes clear mention of Dumbledore sharing as much with Harry about how he doesn’t need the cloak to vanish out of sight.
In truth, he goes all commando, in the magical sense of the word. A sturdy Disillusionment Charm is all it takes for him to meld, merge or camouflage with the surrounding environment, and poof, it looks like this wizard has vanished. However, while the spell is in itself powerful, becoming full-on invisible is technically possible for Dumbledore. All the professor needs to do is enhance his commando-merge technique and he can disappear on cue. Funny thing, Gellert Grindelwald also knew the spell to turn invisible. We know these two were ‘involved’ with one another, so the question is who taught whom, and was the cloak at all involved?
8 The Snake Whisperer
Parseltongue is not exclusive to Slytherins or Death Eaters, for that matter. The fact that Harry took to it so instinctively is because he’s Harry, that and the facts used in the main storyline. However, in truth, Parseltongue is a language like any other, the knowledge of which has been passed down via Salazar Slytherin’s bloodline. The live chat at Bloomsbury in 2007 saw J.K.Rowling revealing this and more. She shared how Dumbledore knew to speak to snakes as well as knowing the Merpeople’s lingo, Mermish, and the Goblin’s Gobbledegook. Since Albus Dumbledore is certainly far from being a dark wizard, the facts become a bit fuzzy in this regard. The key word is understand.
He understands Parseltongue and can mimic select sounds, like Ronald Weasley proved to do.
The Half-Blood Prince storyline sees Dumbledore taking a turn into the life of Bob Ogden, who worked for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Voldemort’s relatives, namely the Gaunts, are not unfamiliar to Ogden. Dumbledore and Harry explore this rare memory together, observing how they all spoke Parseltongue. Only Dumbledore seemed to grasp the exchange, sharing the details of it later with Harry. It may well have been good old-fashioned deduction, but then again, Dumbledore has spent quite a while trying to figure out the inner workings of Tom Riddle, aka Lord Voldemort, so it comes as no surprise that the brilliant professor picked up a few hisses and slithers here and there during those forays.
7 Hallowed Sacrifice
When you truly think about it, Lord Voldemort and Gellert Grindelwald were leagues more desperate to get their ambitious hands on all three Deathly Hallows. One might even call it their life’s work. But as with some things in life, power goes to the ones who won’t abuse it. This is precisely the case with both Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore, each of whom has held and possessed the three Deathly Hallows. In addition to having their fates entwined, these two are also exceptionally willing to go the extra mile for people, sacrificing what needs to be sacrificed for the greater good. What sort of connections, you ask? Dumbledore and Harry were both orphaned young, had a similar Mirror of Erised vision, were born in Godric’s Hollow, and believe in much the same things about life and how to live it truthfully.
A major prophecy (more on this later) entailing Harry Potter was picked up by Dumbledore at its inception. The professor went out of his way to keep Harry safe if it meant doing his part to progress the prophecy. He believed in Harry so much that he, armed with specialized knowledge, sacrificed himself to Snape and perished in the process. This sparked off a series of powerful events that would end with Harry Potter bringing salvation to the Wizarding World. Sounds almost biblical!
6 Sister Boggart
Boggarts are braggarts! They like showing off that they can depict your worst nightmare or fear in real life, and get away with it, because they’re, um, Boggarts, it’s what they do. While watching Neville facing his boggart, and watching it transform into Snape dressed in his grandmother’s outfit was hilarious, our funny bones shattered in the case of Dumbledore. The professor’s boggart experience was darker than the inside of a dementor’s cowl. Ariana’s (his sister’s) gruesome passing never sat well with Dumbledore. She met her end during the fated encounter with Grindelwald, at which Albus and brother Aberforth were also present.
Losing two people he cared deeply about was not going to go away anytime soon.
So when a boggart took the form of his sister’s corpse, it would certainly have been all Dumbledore could do to stand there and stare back to try and overcome his fear. Ariana stepped in the way of a curse meant for Aberforth, veritably saving her brother’s life. The guilt of not being able to save her in return! In a Bloomsbury rendezvous with Rowling, fans learned how bad Dumbledore really felt and why. He believed it was his curse that doomed Ariana, not Grindelwald’s demise-curse on his sis. No matter the psychological facts of the matter, Albus will never have been the same anyway. That boggart seems like a terrible creature indeed to remind him of that sad moment in his past. But it’s sensational to learn that Dumbledore found a way to conquer even that chilling fear.
5 Whodunnit
Since we are on the heart-wrenching topic of Dumbledore and Ariana, we felt it best to share a certain rumor running around the Potter-verse. Albus Dumbledore is many things, but he is most certainly not a malicious life-ender. However, word on the butterbeer-vine is that he ended the life of his sister himself. Hear us out, because we are at a Han-Solo-Greedo theory crossroads here, meaning we do not know who fired the first shot, or in this case who fired the shot that landed on Ariana. Grindelwald and Aberforth were in the heat of battle, Dumbledore was lending a wand where he could, and Ariana was desperately trying to figure out a way to get her family out of this mess as soon as possible.
Dumbledore is extremely, awfully, and unusually deeply affected, even traumatized, by what happened to Ariana. Select fans believe that he felt so terrible about not being able to save her because it was his shot that finished her. When you imagine such a scene playing out, you may probably see Grindelwald firing away, Aberforth bringing up a shield defence, and Dumbledore attempting to take Grindel out while he’s focused on bringing down Aber’s shield. Ariana, in a fit of panic and protectiveness, could only see Grindel and Aber, and so leaps in the way, meets Dumble’s shot directed at Grindel, and the poor girl bites the dust.
4 A Rowling Favorite
Readers still inspire writers, and this is not something that will ever change. In one case, a certain reader received a jaw-dropping confirmation to one of their theories, and she got the verification from Rowling herself. The theory even went on to become J.K.Rowling’s favorite. It had to do with the Peverell brothers, those three silhouette-animated men who appeared in the Deathly Hallows mini-story, each one in possession of a Hallow. They ‘earned’ their prizes by cheating demise itself. The theory unwinds along some rather interesting, maybe even bewildering, lanes.
Voldemort was theorized to be the eldest brother, who sought the Elder Wand’s near-almighty powers only to meet his end in the process. The second brother was considered by the fan to be Snape, who was desperate for the love of a particular girl and perished without ever receiving it because the girl passed away and inadvertently left him ever-pining for her. It got so bad that he perished as well if it meant joining her in the afterlife. And finally, the fan imagined the youngest brother to be Harry Potter. Remember that this bro treated demise as an ‘old friend’, which fit the moment when Dumbledore awaited Harry following the storyline where the portion of Voldemort inside the Boy Who Lived disintegrated. This brings us to The Reaper himself, whom the fan considered to be Albus Dumbledore! A tweet from the author best expresses her thoughts on the matter: ‘Dumbledore as demise. It’s a beautiful theory and it fits’.
3 The Elder Core
The 1945 (Potter chronology) faceoff between Dumbledore and Grindelwald ended grimly indeed, with the former eventually winning and confiscating the Elder Wand from Grindel. Being one of the three infamous Deathly Hallows, this wand was no ordinary magical weapon. It had to be taken away by the world’s greatest wizard if it meant keeping the wand safe from all and sundry. The purportedly unlimited power that it promises to grant will most certainly turn rotten in the hands of evil wizards and witches. Having once shown immense interest in the Deathly Hallows, it is no surprise to learn that Dumbledore took the wand to study it in more detail.
The Elder Wand has command over demise itself, and as such is a fine tool to understand, perhaps even claim, immortality; especially compared with the Philosopher’s Stone. All Potter-maniacs know that wands contain some natural magical element at their core. In the case of this all-powerful wand, it is host to a Thestral-hair core. This says a lot about the wand itself, owing to the fact that a Thestral is a near-spectral skeletal horse that can be seen only by those who have directly witnessed a passing. Dumbledore has proven to evade the afterlife a few times. No matter how creepy the symbolism of the Thestral, it is still a noble choice for the Elder Wand. After all, those who have seen demise are often the ones who attain a sense of rare courage to tap into for the rest of their days.
2 Ancient Of Days
How old is Albus Dumbledore? He does look ancient, so he’s probably got to have crossed the senior citizen age, wouldn’t you think? Born in 1881 (Potter chronology), that puts him at 115 years of age when he was betrayed by Severus Snape and perished at Hogwarts while defending Harry Potter; or rather giving him a chance to pick up the pieces later on. 115! That’s old, even by Chinese standards (no racism intended). He has been learning and growing in power for well over a century. In an interview to Scholastic in 2000, Rowling revealed Dumbledore’s age, and fans are still confused about whether she said 150 or 115. Whoever wrote it down should have gotten it right, because that interview has long since passed its online lifespan.
Rowling’s website, Wizard of the Month, later posted the fact that Dumbledore was 115 at the point of his passing. This is a bewildering as well as curious fact because we can now understand how the man could have possibly achieved so many accomplishments. Being attributed the symbolic virtue of Light, it seems like Dumbledore’s birth year was not chosen by chance. Think about it, Thomas Edison gave us the light bulb in 1879 and in 1881 Britain’s first ever city and theatre hall were fully electrified. The very first scene in both the books and movies has Dumbledore ‘deluminating’ the street lights on Privet Drive using his, um, Deluminator.
1 We Saw It Coming
The passing of Albus Dumbledore shook the literary and movie worlds. Fans were in tears all over the globe. There were memorials held, and therapy sessions scheduled; no kidding. He was so well loved that, much like several other characters in the Harry Potter franchise, he became real in the eyes of millions of readers and fans. But the shock of his demise wasn’t entirely unforeseen. The Prisoner of Azkaban storyline had a rather special, but extremely subtle, ‘preview’ of Dumbledore’s end time. Rowling used an exquisitely festive moment to hide this ‘spoiler’ in, namely the Christmas dinner.
Professor Trelawney was part of the faculty then and was unusually flustered to discover that she would be the thirteenth person to sit at the table, if she did decide to go against her better judgment. She doubled down in her seat, believing that the first to rise will be the first to fall. Fans later learned that Peter Pettigrew was hiding in Ron’s pocket, making the tally at the table stand at thirteen already. With all thirteen currently present at the teachers’ table, Dumbledore stood to receive Trelawney in what became an ironic gesture, but one that later came true. Fans are divided as to whether this was ‘preordained’ by Rowling or if it was simply happy coincidence. But we guess no other character’s eventual demise in the Potter franchise has even been hinted at in this fashion. Not a day goes by when we do not miss Dumbledore and wish, in George R.R.Martin-esque style, Rowling would suddenly gift us a book that takes us back to the glory days of Hogwarts and beyond. Time travel, anyone?
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