We can now create a thorough list of the Heads in the twentieth century:
Late 19th/early 20th century—1925: Phineas Nigellus Black
1925—1956: Armando Dippet
1956—1997: Albus Dumbledore
1996: Dolores Umbridge (Disputed)
1997—1998: Severus Snape
1998—present: Minerva McGonagall
The other question that often comes up is when Dumbledore was born. Different apocryphal sources give different answers, while the published books are silent on the matter, which indicates Rowling never thought it was relevant enough to think through. So we’ll leave that one well enough alone.
Appendix B:
Dumbledore’s Most Puzzling Lie
I keep having issues with Dumbledore’s conversation with Harry at the end of Sorcerer’s Stone. Dumbledore promises, “I shall answer your questions unless I have a very good reason not to, in which case I beg you'll forgive me. I shall not, of course, lie.” (SS298)
He then proceeds to not only omit quite a few relevant details, but does tell an outright lie: “[Y]our father did something Snape could never forgive. [. . .] He saved his life. [. . .] Professor Snape couldn't bear being in your father's debt. . . . I do believe he worked so hard to protect you this year because he felt that would make him and your father even. Then he could go back to hating your father's memory in peace. . . .” (SS300)
While Snape’s true motivation obviously was not Dumbledore’s secret to tell, this whopper seems like a singularly bad idea. It abated Harry’s curiosity for two years, but the truth eventually surfaced and it was not pleasant for anybody.
This was also rather inconsistent with Dumbledore’s modus operandi, which was to tell half-truths or simply withhold information. Especially considering Dumbledore just set a precedent for withholding information, regarding Voldemort’s motivation for attacking Harry, he could have just said, “No comment. Next question.”
The only theory I have come across is Theowyn’s, in their essay that shares a title with this book (it really is a good title!). Theowyn claims that Dumbledore told this lie to encourage the animosity between Snape and Harry, as their antagonism gave Dumbledore more control over both of them. I don’t buy that, because Theowyn’s reading of Dumbledore is incredibly sinister; in fact, it’s probably the harshest analysis of Dumbledore that I’ve read.
However, I’m at a loss to offer an alternative theory. I leave this to you, dear reader, and beg you to let me know of anything you come up with.
Appendix C:
Dumbledore as Death
Many years after Deathly Hallows was released, when it seemed the fandom was slowing down, a new theory began making the rounds, eventually reaching the pinnacle for fan theories: Jo Rowling’s Twitter. When a fan named Abbie Owen-Jones asked Jo what her favorite theory was in 2015, Jo replied, “Dumbledore as death. It's a beautiful theory and it fits.”
Spearheading the discussion about this theory since then is Andrew Sims, who laid it out beautifully in an article on Hypable, and has since discussed it on MuggleCast #358 (which led to insightful comments on MuggleCast’s Patreon). I would be remiss not to include this theory in a book about Dumbledore, so here is a breakdown.
The theory posits that The Tale of Three Brothers is a parallel to the events of the Harry Potter series. The trio that Harry once termed “the abandoned boys” (DH697) represent the three brothers of the tale; with Dumbledore serving as Death. Whether deliberate or not on Jo’s part, there is a beautiful symmetry here.
The Three Brothers
Voldemort represents the oldest brother, Antioch Peverell, who received the Elder Wand from Death. “So the oldest brother, who was a combative man, asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence: a wand that must always win duels for its owner, a wand worthy of a wizard who had conquered Death!” (DH407) Crucially, Voldemort actually uses that exact turn of phrase when he is resurrected: “You know my goal—to conquer death.” (GF653) Like the oldest brother, Voldemort is a combative man seeking the most powerful wand.
“The first brother [. . .] sought out a fellow wizard with whom he had a quarrel. Naturally, with the Elder Wand as his weapon, he could not fail to win the duel that followed. Leaving his enemy dead upon the floor, the oldest brother proceeded to an inn, where he boasted loudly of the powerful wand he had snatched from Death himself, and of how it made him invincible.” (DH408)
Voldemort, too, seeks out the wizard with whom he has a quarrel: Harry. He leaves Harry dead on the floor at first, then returns to Hogwarts, boasting loudly of how he triumphed over Harry Potter. But his arrogance proves his undoing, as (like Antioch) he is killed that very night.
Severus Snape represents the middle brother, Cadmus Peverell, who received the Resurrection Stone from Death. The key similarity here is a shared longing for a long-lost love. When Cadmus uses the Stone, “the figure of the girl he had once hoped to marry, before her untimely death, appeared at once before him.” (DH409) Snape, too, is consumed with longing for a girl he loved before her untimely death: Lily Evans.
Harry Potter represents the youngest brother, Ignotus Peverell, who received the Invisibility Cloak from Death. “The youngest brother was the humblest and also the wisest of the brothers” (DH408)—as Harry certainly is of the abandoned boys. And like Ignotus, Harry is the only one of the three to evade death—living a long, full life, with sons that he doubtless bequeathed the Cloak to one day.
Death
That’s well and good, but where does Dumbledore come in?
Like Death, Dumbledore was instrumental in distributing the Hallows to the brothers. Voldemort literally took the Elder Wand out of Dumbledore’s dead hands. And
