Into the Depths of Dumbledore

Albus Dumbledore. What a character. He plays so many important roles in the book: Harry's mentor, the glue that holds Hogwarts together, the only reason why Sirius and Severus communicate, the only wizard Voldemort is afraid of, and many others.

In each book, we learn more about him. He has a sense of humour, he's unfathomably wise, he knows more about the wizarding world than all the teachers put together, he is the most powerful wizard, so powerful that even Voldemort is afraid of him. The list goes on and on, but however long the list may be, a lot of his characteristics and, most importantly, KNOWLEDGE remains mysterious. We can keep speculating for years about this wonderful character and no get to the bottom of his secrets, but for now, I will be looking at: · The derivatives and internal meanings of his names · The comparisons between him and a certain well known legendary magician of King Arthur's time.

In Order of the Phoenix, JK Rowling gave us a wonderful string of names associated to who we formerly knew as simply Albus Dumbledore. In the chapter titled The Hearing, Dumbledore cites his full name for the listening pleasure of the Ministry of Magic, which is Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. Analyzing the meanings of these names with the help of many websites and dictionaries, I conclude that...

Albus: Latin for "white" (can be taken as "pure," because according to JK Rowling he is the "epitome of goodness").

Percival: French for "pierce the veil". Sir Percival was part of King Arthur's court and a Knight of the Round Table. The origin of "pierce the veil" may be connected to the Veil of Death in the Department of Mysteries, but this remains to be seen.

Wulfric: If you break down the name, Wulf = Beowulf, the 8th century Norse god who slew the Grendel. Breaking it down even more, Beowolf breaks down to BEO = 'powerful bear' and WULF = 'wolf," whereas the other syllable Ric = power/rule. Considering Dumbledore conquered over Grindelwald in the 1940s (according to his Chocolate Frog card), I think his name is a reference to Beowulf, and Grindenwald to the Grendel of the 8th century. This becomes even more possible if you consider the fact that JK Rowling studied Classics at the University of Exeter, it is almost certain that she is familiar with the Beowulf epic.Â

Brian: Half Blood...and what's the name of Book Six again? The HALF BLOOD PRINCE? Just checking.

Dumbledore: Old English word for Bumblebee. Since JK Rowling says that Dumbledore roams around the castle, humming to himself, it could be a pun at his Animagus, looking at all the "buzzing" references. A very interesting tidbit from The Harry Potter Lexicon says:

"An alternate meaning for the word Dumbledore is a style of hat that was made semi-popular in London in the 1880s-1890s. Taking this meaning into account, Albus Dumbledore's name would have the meaning "White Hat." As I'm sure you know, that is a term for the hero or protagonist of a story."

The above just goes to show that names CAN mean something, for all you skeptics out there.

Something else that caught my attention was the fact that Dumbledore's powerfulness could be inherited from an ancestor. Maybe an ancestor from King Arthur's time: Merlin. Take a look at some of the quotes:

"Nothing like this man [Dumbledore] had ever been seen in Privet Drive. He was tall, thin and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak which swept the ground and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright and sparkling behind a pair of half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice." - PS/SS, page 12.

The same 'Wise Old Wizard" imagery can also be associated to Merlin.

"Albus Dumbledore, currently Headmaster of Hogwarts. Considered by many to be the greatest wizard of modern times, Professor Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling." - Dumbledore's Chocolate Frog Card, page 72, PS/SS.

In Merlin's time, the Order of Merlin was an organization which framed rules to curb the use of magic against Muggles. This reminds me of the Order of the Phoenix although it is specifically anti-Voldemort and anti-DE. This "Order" factor doesn't look like a coincidence to me. Both of them are/were highly respected and powerful wizards.

Even though he is a very respected, well loved character in the books, rumour is that he won't live to see the final battle. This is simply due to the fact that he is very old. Evidence of this can be clearly seen in the latest book, Order of the Phoenix, in which JK Rowling describes him as 'visibly older' and 'more wrinkled'. Furthermore, when his explanation to Harry is finished near the end of the book, a tear rolls down his cheek. Crying is often taken as a sign of weakness. Could it be that Dumbledore will die in the last two books?

I shall leave you with that for now. Please remember that the ideas and theories shared in this editorial are my opinions and my opinions only.