Dumbledore’s refusal to use dark magic is a just decision, but it also limits his range of abilities, meaning that an evil Dumbledore could have theoretically been far more powerful. By the mid-1960s, the amount of Dark magical activity across the country was growing steadily, and this was just the precursor to Lord Voldemort’s first rise to power. If Dumbledore was less scrupulous, he could have used some pretty dark magic on his enemies, including Voldemort.
Dumbledore’s decision to abstain from dark magic is a just decision, but it also is restrictive, as it limits his range of abilities. Even when battling Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore never uses lethal magic. Dark magic could be used for good as well as evil, as seen in the Killing Curse, which Albus Dumbledore requested Severus Snape use to kill him. In the chaos caused by Grindelwald’s deadly rally in Paris, Teddy the Niffler stole a jewelled vial from the Dark wizard, which turned out to be a blood troth between Dumbledore and Grindelwald, which meant that Dumbledore could have used some pretty dark magic on his enemies, including Voldemort.
Knowing dark magic does not mean you should use it. As far as we know, Dumbledore did not use any Dark Magic. However, his character and beliefs can give us a good idea. Dark magic could be used for good as well as evil, as seen in the Killing Curse.
Harry did not study the Dark Arts, but his speciality was Defence Against the Dark Arts. Dumbledore befriended the dark wizard when they were both young and began tracking down the Deathly Hallows. The Dark Arts encompass many spells and actions ranging from using the Unforgivable Curses to brewing harmful or poisonous potions to breeding Dark creatures.
In conclusion, Dumbledore’s refusal to use dark magic is a just decision, but it also limits his range of abilities, meaning that an evil Dumbledore could have theoretically been far more powerful.
📹 Dumbledore Uses Dark Magic | Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore | Max
Dumbledore (Jude Law) proposes a plan to defeat Grindelwald, one of the most powerful dark wizards in the history of the wizard …
Is Snape evil or good?
J. K. Rowling drew inspiration for Snape’s character from a disliked teacher from her childhood, who she described as a horrible teacher who bullied students. Snape was the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from 1997 to 1998, and later taught Defence Against the Dark Arts in the sixth book. In the seventh book, he ascends to headmaster before his death. Throughout the series, Snape is hostile towards Harry Potter, who eventually learns that Snape was bullied by his father, James Potter. Rowling described Snape as an “antihero” and praised his ability to bully students.
Could Dumbledore do wandless magic?
Wandless magic is a unique form of wizardry that can be achieved through determination and skill. It is exemplified by Albus Dumbledore, who has mastered it on multiple occasions, such as changing banners in the Great Hall of Hogwarts, saving Harry from falling during a Quidditch match, extinguishing candles and lights, and summoning objects to his hand. Tom Riddle, later Lord Voldemort, also performs wandless magic, such as knocking Harry to the ground by waving his hand.
Hermione, another wizard, also demonstrates wandless magic, particularly in The Half-Blood Prince, where she cast the Confundus Charm under her breath to prevent Cormac McLaggen from joining the Gryffindor team. Other wizards known to have used wandless magic include Gellert Grindelwald, Queenie Goldstein, Alastor Moody, Barty Crouch Jr., Severus Snape, Filius Flitwick, Minerva McGonagall, Remus Lupin, and Quirinus Quirrell. These examples demonstrate that wandless magic can be achieved if a wizard is determined and skilled enough. It reminds the audience that the true power lies within the wizard, not just their wand.
What ancient magic did Dumbledore use?
Dumbledore used ancient magic, specifically a bond of blood charm, to protect Harry Potter while in the Dursley family’s care. Ancient magic was a mysterious and powerful form of magic that had been forgotten by the late 19th century. Those who could perceive and wield it were considered to have a unique and rare ability. Ancient magic appeared in traces or “whispers” and could also access unique expressions of more ordinary magic, augmenting their spells with increased power and potency.
Three known inherent wielders of ancient magic began schooling at Hogwarts in their fifth year, linking the ability with late-blooming. Xenophilius Lovegood believed that love was a great blessing bestowed upon the world by practitioners of ancient magic.
Why did Voldemort slit Snape’s throat?
In the Battle of Hogwarts on 2 May 1998, Lord Voldemort murdered Severus Snape and Nagini, believing Snape was the true master of the Elder Wand. The trio accessed the Shrieking Shack through the Whomping Willow, where Harry Potter hid behind a crater. Inside the shack, Voldemort and Snape were talking, and Voldemort declined Snape’s offer to bring Harry to him. He questioned Snape why none of the wands he had used were able to kill Harry, and explained that the Elder Wand only channelled his usual magic.
Voldemort told Snape he had been a faithful servant but had to regrettably kill him, as he mistakenly believed he was the master of the Wand. Snape tried to reason with Voldemort, but Voldemort moved Nagini in her orb over Snape and ordered her to kill him. Nagini bit into Snape’s neck with her poisonous venom, causing him to be killed.
Did Dumbledore ever use Avada Kedavra?
The Headmaster’s brilliance is limitless, and he would never resort to certain magic brands. He could have defeated Voldemort with a simple Avada Kedavra, but chooses compassion instead. Expulso’s explosions are helpful in melee fights, especially for escape. The spell generates a bomb-like energy eruption that can destroy household objects and injure anyone caught in its blast radius. Harry has cast Expulso against him twice, but his attempt to shatter Salazar Slytherin’s locket failed. Dumbledore is too refined and subtle to resort to fiery curses like Expulso.
What is Dumbledore dark secret?
Dumbledore, who had never been gifted socks, claimed to be hiding the secret of Arianna’s death. Harry spent Half-Blood Prince trying to uncover Malfoy’s plans, but was dismissed by the Headmaster who had been privy to the secret. He agreed to have Snape kill him to spare Dumbledore the pain of a bad death. Dumbledore didn’t divulge any of this information to Harry. The story highlights the tension between Harry and Dumbledore.
What magic does Dumbledore use?
Albert Dumbledore, the greatest wizard to ever live, performed some of the greatest feats of magic throughout his life. His most powerful spells include the Disillusionment Charm, which makes him virtually invisible without a cloak, and the Fidelius Charm, which protected 12 Grimmauld Place even after his death. Dumbledore also created a wall of fire to fend off Inferi, a remarkable feat. However, Dumbledore was never a POV character in the Harry Potter books, so it is often unknown what spell he used.
He also performed many great spells during times not covered in the books or films. Dumbledore was known for his skill at Charms and Transfiguration, and his most impressive work resulted in the creation of magical artifacts like his Deluminator. These accomplishments and his work in Potions are the result of research, theory, and his ingenuity.
Why didn’t wizards use Avada Kedavra?
The spell Avada Kedavra is a challenging one, requiring intense concentration and hatred of the target. Many wizards and witches lack the capacity to perform this spell due to a lack of concentration or motivation to kill, as explained on Pottermore and the Harry Potter Wiki.
Why is Snape not dark arts?
Severus Snape, a renowned Harry Potter teacher, was granted the opportunity to teach D. A. D. A. in Harry’s sixth year. Despite being denied the job by Albus Dumbledore, Snape eventually took over the role, teaching students nonverbal magic and practical learning. Snape’s teaching style was similar to his Potions teachings, with a lack of tolerance for mediocrity and a dislike for Harry.
After Voldemort took over the Ministry in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Snape was appointed Headmaster of Hogwarts, vacating the position but remaining at the school. He was portrayed by Alan Rickman for all eight Harry Potter movies, who was the only actor who knew what would happen in the ending. Rickman passed away in 2016 after a battle with terminal cancer.
Amycus Carrow, the final contestant on the Harry Potter Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers list, would have been Harry’s seventh-year D. A. D. A. teacher had he attended Hogwarts in his final year. Despite not experiencing Carrow’s teaching in Harry and the Deathly Hallows parts 1 and 2, many of his school friends still did. Carrow changed the name of the class from “Defense Against the Dark Arts” to “The Dark Arts”, reflecting the changed content.
He and his sister Alecto were in charge of punishment at the school, often incorporating that aspect of his role into his teaching. Students in his class were made to practice the Cruciatus curse on students in detention, and if they refused, they were also tortured.
What is Dumbledore’s most powerful spell?
Dumbledore’s noteworthy spell, “Magic One,” known as “Firestorm,” was particularly noteworthy, manifesting as a crimson eruption from the darkness.
Why is Snape’s Avada Kedavra blue?
Snape unleashes the Avada Kedavra curse, which, due to the necessity of technical proficiency and a particular intention in the casting of the three Unforgivable Curses, exhibits a distinct hue that deviates from the typical intense green.
📹 Why Didn’t Dumbledore Just HUNT Voldemort Down? – Harry Potter Theory
Welcome to Harry Potter Theory. Today we’re discussing Voldemort, Dumbledore, and one rather large question that I’m sure has …
Why didn’t Dumbledore go after Voldemort? 1) It would’ve been difficult to locate Voldemort so while he was searching blindly Voldemort could just go to Hogwarts & hold the students hostage. 2) While Dumbledore suspected Riddle created a Horcrux (or serveal) he wasn’t 100% sure without Slughorn’s true memory. In the books when the finally see the true memory (and confirmation Riddle created serveal Horcruxes) he then takes action to go after the Locket. 3) Just a bit of guess work on my part, but maybe Dumbledore felt responseable for Tom not growing up the right way. He saw the signs & choose not to act on it (just like with grindelwald). Maybe he felt that he’d just make things worse if he tried to play hero because he’s made so many mistakes that lead to misery that he has some form of PTSD. Again not saying its true just some theory crafting.
Another reason that Albus Dumbledore didn’t go looking for Voldemort is that he didn’t want to risk the chance that he could be overmatched and defeated. Doing so would put the mastery of the Elder Wand at risk. Something he was certain the Dark Lord was interested in possessing. Dumbledore knew from experience that the Elder Wand was not unbeatable, nor did it guarantee victory. The possibility of both himself dead and Voldemort in full possession of the Death Stick was not a risk I believe Albus was willing to take.
Imo it makes sense, Dumbledore knew Voldemort was powerful but he was largely in the dark about just how powerful, so he tried to study him and play the long game rather than risk defeat. I think some people in the comments forget just how powerful Voldemort was. Dumbledore wasn’t scared of him as such but he was very aware that if there was anyone who could potentially defeat him it was Voldemort. Even if Voldemort never reached Dumbledores power – he certainly got close.
I think that Voldemort himself was not keen to duel with Dumbledore. He was known to be scared of Dumbledore and never sought a fight with Dumbledore till he was forced into it at the ministry. And during that duel, Dumbledores main goal was to keep Voldemort in the ministry long enough to have ministry officials see him.
Dumbledore’s age was also called into question as well during the series. While his mind was still clear and quick, his body no doubt had degraded from an extraordinarily long life of well over 100 years. And while being a wizard may have saved him from some of the drawbacks of age, I doubt it blocked all. Being light of foot and having stamina seems to play a part in wizarding battles. While Dumbledore may have to slog through a mountain of Death Eaters to get after The Dark Lord, Voldemort, on the other hand, is fresh out of the grave and ready for the smoke.
Dumbledore did go after Voldemort for years, amassing more knowledge about Riddle than anyone else. He was searching for all of his Horcruxes which would’ve been the only way to beat him. It also meant that, at some point, Albus would have to let Riddle “kill” Harry to remove that last horcrux. Had Dumbledore not been cursed with the ring, he would’ve probably helped Harry destroy the remaining horcruxes before going after Voldy. This is strategic genius at its best, rather than running in all smashy-smashy like a Marvel movie. Lastly, Dumbledore could not have imprisoned Voldemort successfully. Grindelwald had lost all of his followers when he was imprisoned. Do you really think Death Eaters wouldn’t have broken him out, specially with Dementors on their side? Dumbledore had the plan he had, because that was the only plan that would’ve worked permanently.
I always thought it was because the prophecy named Harry as the only one with the power to vanquish the dark lord—the only person who stood a chance of defeating Voldemort, and thus Dumbledore knew it was not his own destiny to destroy Voldemort, but instead, Harry’s….So he sought instead to protect, teach, guide and …well…manipulate harry into the path that would best-ensure he had the tools and the will power and selflessness needed to defeat voldemort once and for all…
Dumbledore was never alone. He had competent people who worked with him. He could have done a lot more before Voldemort ever returned from his first death but he didn’t. One of Dumbledore’s greatest problems is he always kept his suspicions and ideas to himself. He never tried to get help from his friends and allies. All the deaths of the Second War need not happen. His own issues were not needing to hunt Voldemort down but putting a stop to how he became immortal.
I mean… it was not that simple. Voldemort wasn’t just your ordinary villain that just wanted to control everything or see the world burn. He was more of a Thanos kind of villain. His theory was solid and it went something like this: “Muggles have been killing us for centuries, burned us on stakes, envied us for our knowledge and in the end, hunted us to the point where we had to go into hiding forever. So much so, that we are now literally a victorian outdated relic. Aditionally, they don’t use pitchforks and torches anymore. They pride themselves on their technology and firearms. If they wanted, they could obliterate us with a few bombs. All of this just because we had a gift they did not undrestand. Now… you want to allow the Ministry to teach magic to muggles and let them mix with us? Sure, be my guest. We’ll end up being extinct in less than 10 years.” And this convinced a lot of people. Had Dumbledore killed him, it would’ve turned him into a martir. People had to see the horrors of his ideas first hand and understand he was just a nazi-ish xenophobe, hungry for power and he cared for nobody else than for himself. His ideas had to die with him… otherwise, the next Slytherin with racist tendencies would’ve been just arround the corner.
He didn’t hunt him because the last dark wizard he fought he didn’t know who killed his sister. Different tactics different powers . There were only 20 odd years between fight Grindelwald and Voldemorts rise to power.twenty years where Dumbledore had the elder wand and learned a lot . It was shortly after beating Grindelwald he met young tom riddle . He’d already met and beat a dark wizard . This time chose different tactics
Dumbl wanted everyone else to do the hard work/ make whatever sacrifices necessary. He only got hurt because his greed & pride to use the resurrection stone beat out any wise decision making. Being painfully long term hurt and dying anyway he chose a death that would be good for the newspaper & his being “merlin 2.0”
I think Dumbledore as brilliant as he was is just not a warrior and that he was hesitant to directly intervene because of the what happened with his sister. He fears having power or being a leader. He only as last resort steps in. Everyone trusted Dumbledore but he never really trusted himself. From my view, a lot of what he does during the time of Voldemort’s first defeat is to set things up for Harry and to encourage others to stand up and fight for their world against those like the Death Eaters and supporters. Dumbledore knew that Harry would take care of Tom Riddle while he seem to focus more on the Wizarding society.
I think the Prophecy in the world of Harry Potter is more akin to David Eddings version in The Belgariad etc. Prophecy was the power that pushed events along….but…the outcome of Light vs Dark was not a forgone conclusion. Either could still win. So, in HP…you have the twin cores….which evens out enemies in a way that undermines Voldemort’s huge knowledge, power, and skill advantages. And…it SEEMS that Harry side steps defeat in ways that are unexplainable….such as the golden magic defense when Harry was barely conscious…etc. Dumbledore equals the weight of this prophecy to mirror the weight Voldemort did; that it removes the possibility of victory is certain. Dumbledore could not defeat Voldemort AND prophecy at the same time… So, Dumbledore builds his ultimate weapon and aim it directly at Voldemort…. Harry Potter.
For all of Voldemort’s megalomania, he went about his business incredibly well for a supervillain. He did not engage in fruitless and dangerous endeavours, like going after Dumbledore for example. His patience is remarkable, even by fictional standards. It is actually why Voldemort is so dangerous. His patience.
It did cross my mind- but the prophecy was the number reason in my mind that Dumbledore would not have ever tried to defeat him …. Though I did wonder about why he never used a time turner to go back and kill him as a much younger less powerful wizard in Voldemort’s youth… but I also think- that would be a very difficult task for someone to do mentally- killing a youth to protect the future… not so sure I could do it!
It is interesting to think of how Dumbledore eventually gave up his pursuit of power which he had sought so fervently during his youth and instead directed it towards doing what was right, as he likewise encouraged others, to “do what is right, not what is easy.” This is merely another theory, but I believe that Newt Scamander is largely responsible for turning Dumbledore away from the pursuit of power by the example he set in his own life. As quoted in the Crimes of Grindelwald, Dumbledore remarks, “You know what I admire about you Newt; perhaps more than any other man I know? You do not seek power or popularity, you simply ask is a thing right in itself; that is you do it no matter the cost.”
Dumbledore knew he was powerful enough to defeat Voldemort, but he didn’t want his ambitions and his newfound power, since obtaining the Elder Wand, to corrupt his desire to do good. He also had unresolved burdens created by his relationships with Grindelwald, his brother Aberforth and his late sister, Ariana. In other words, Dumbledore believed that only someone that is pure of heart can truly defeat Voldemort. Someone like Harry Potter. ⚡️
Because they are both the leaders of their respective factions, and they both stand to lose everything if a fight goes the wrong way. For Voldemort, he risks losing everything he cares about: himself and his powers, even if it’s only temporary. Not to mention that Voldemort straight up tells us that his experience when he failed to kill Harry as a baby was pure agony, followed by 13 years of semi-existence as something like a ghost plus a little more. So even if he believes that he would survive falling again, it would still be a tremendously painful experience. Not to mention the fact that if he were to fall again, them that would likely do a lot of damage to both his reputation and influence over others. If someone dies and then comes back, that’s pretty scary, but if that same guy manages to get himself “killed” a second time, then it just makes him look like he’s so prone to getting his ass kicked over and over again that the universe keeps sending him back to get the floor mopped with his face. Though I think that the primary concern for him is just avoiding his own personal suffering. He thinks he’s an immortal godlike figure, so even if every one of his supporters were killed or left him, that wouldn’t represent anything more than a few years’ worth of setbacks in his plans for eternity. If Dumbledore were defeated at a time that was not planned for, then the effects would be much worse. Even when Dumbledore arranged his own death, we see that the consequences are swift and catastrophic.
When you’re a celebrity wizard like Dumbledore you have very little wiggle room for your movements. 1: though he could body Voldemort he was under constant surveillance by both his allies(supposed) and enemies. 2: if he did body Voldemort he would still have to race to find the horcruxes but would still be hindered by allies of Voldemort and even those who claim to be his allies. I think Dumbledore was dancing a fine line but still was able to keep things in order. He played the game masterfully with spies and proxies. Some dislike his methods but if we take a deep dive he played the perfect role to keep evil in check and to dispose of it.
I was disappointed a bit I admit. Because you were talking about why Dumbledore didn’t directly faced Voldemort when the latter was at his strongest. I was talking about- Why didn’t Dumbledore tracked down Voldemort in Albania and captured him? It would have been a lot easier in such a scenario. Think about it- Dumbledore finds Voldemort in the forest shortly after his downfall. Lock him up in a magical prison for 17 years until Harry is of age with magical knowledge. In the mean time they find and destroy the Horcruxes+Nagini never become one if Voldemort doesn’t return. And after all of the Horcruxes are destroyed when Voldemort can’t fight back Harry kills him. Which means Sirius is alive, Remus is alive and everybody else is alive. Peter goes to Azkaban to replace Sirius. No Voldemort also means no escaped DE and no ability to return to power. And Barty Crouch Jr. is kept enslaved under his father.
despite the fact he’s arguably the most powerful Wizard in the books, at his core he’s a Teacher, he enjoys instructing the next generations into things, let them test themselves, improve things that perhaps he might not be able to, also as you said, the risk he ran in possible defeat, would have been truly catastrophic for the wizarding world as a whole.
Dumbles did not seek a direct fight with Voldy, because there was no good that could come out of it. Dumbledore couldn’t kill Voldemort, because of the Horcruxes and possibly the prophecy too, so trying to kill him was not an option. And imprisoning him was next to impossible, because if Voldy saw himself losing, he’d just flee the scene. And even if he managed to get him in jail, the Death Eaters would get him out Dumbledore would pretty much have to guard him personally, which is just dumb for a lot of reasons. So, there was not best case scenario. And the worst case scenario was that Dumbledore was killed, which not only leaves the world unprotected, but also gives Voldemort the Elder Wand. And this is just regarding a duel. Add the trouble to locate Voldemort, the risk of leaving Hogwarts for too long, and a loooong list of etceteras… and it’s just not worth a try.
Have to say I’ve really enjoyed this website: okay two things, I understand though after the pronounciation article about Voldemort, still the “T” sound, why I mention this is because I initially believed that Rowling was inspired by an encompasing one word discription “English History” that poetic flexability or real fractored history that Vortigern that allied with Horsa and Heingeist as a starting point. 2, Dumbledore wouldn’t go after Voldemort that Leaders don’t fight wars and light is the best disenfectant of darkness – Voldemort can nolonger act in secrecy – I agree with the points.
While I agree with your points I would add that “the power the dark lord knows not” and Lily’s sacrifice played a part. Recall Snape’s accusation of raising Harry like live stock to slaughter in the right way at the right time. Also the protection Harry’s sacrifice gave. Dumbledore did note the power of Lily’s sacrifice. He had an understanding of that sort of Magic – hence having Harry live with the Dursleys
Like with Grindelwald, I don’t think Dumbledore would have confronted Voldemort directly until he had no other choice but to do it. Before it got to that point the prophecy was made and Harry was able to “defeat” Voldemort, so Dumbledore decided to abide by the prophecy and do whatever he could do to support Harry instead of directly intervene. It’s true that they fought in the ministry, but Dumbledore was simply trying to stall him so the Aurors would get there in time to confirm he was back.
I think you could some up why Dumbledore never defeated Voldemort all went after him in one sentence. Dumbledore was a child exploiting, child grooming arsehole who was really only concerned with his own power and image. He was Machiavellian. He knew how to manipulate people and act as a puppeteer pulling peoples puppet strings, often without the people he was puppetting even realising that they were his puppets. He knew how to manipulate people, and he also knew how to appear as good and benevolent while in reality creating a lot of harm in that society. He was the master of manipulation. And yes you could argue he “helped”a lot of people. But if you ask me, he only did this so that he could have a hold over those people later and use them for his Grand schemes… ala Remus Lupin. He could have done so much more to at least minimise Harry’s suffering, he could have used so much magic to prevent the abuse that Harry suffered. I’m also expected to believe that Harry’s mother did not have any aunts, uncles, cousins and other relatives that could have sheltered him. So much is wrong with this. No, there was only one reason Dumbledore did not stop Voldemort. Harry was his ultimate power trip, and dare I “Voldemort, but Voldemort was right when he said that Dumbledore was pulling the strings. Because Harry was groomed to do what he did when you analyse it with a fine tooth Crocombe. He was groomed to fulfil the destiny that he did by Dumbledore. And there is absolutely no excuse for child grooming in my opinion.
Another reason is that Dumbledore was far older and a Voldemort’s teacher. It never feels right to fight against your student, as partially always you feel responsible for your student’s mistakes. That is well presented in the Starwars universe, where Obi-Wan had to fight Anakin, who became Darth Vader. He never wanted this fight and his soul was hurting all along. Dumbledore could see little Tom (with love) from school or when he picked him up from the orphanage. Taking a dark route is not something you are born to become, but a result of pain, not experiencing love in ages that is crucial, loneliness, etc, and his teachers + society failed him. I don’t think Dumbledore felt that it was his duty to kill him, but to protect the generations that should have fight him and win. He gave his own fights with his generation (Grindelwald), and then it was Voldemort’s generation the one responsible to fight him. Unfortunately, they failed and the one who was destined to kill him, was little Harry.
Probably because they both tried to avoid the other at different points during the war. Early on, Voldemort probably avoided any confrontation with Dumbledore out of concern his efforts might end before they really had a chance to begin. Later in the war, particularly after the first Order of the Phoenix had been decimated, it was probably Professor Dumbledore who was concerned the odds of meeting Voldemort in a singular battle of wands were too precarious to risk a fatal loss. Voldemort’s fear of Professor Dumbledore is more than just a little exaggerated, considering Voldemort didn’t go anywhere once he knew his old Transfiguration Instructor was on hand at the Ministry of Magic in …Order of the Phoenix. I would add that Professor Dumbledore was never as confident as the fandom is that he could ultimately defeat Voldemort. And that statement is not made in an attempt to bash Dumbledore, so let’s avoid those comments, if we could. By the end of the First Wizarding War, Voldemort was running rampant over the magical community and Voldemort’s initial defeat at Godric’s Hollow was a complete surprise to Dumbledore, even if he pieced together how it happened afterwards. Professor Dumbledore also had other concerns than simply finding Voldemort to duke it out. Specifically, Dumbledore had to think about the safety of his Order members and the magical population in general, so it wasn’t as easy as just dropping everything to go seek out Voldemort. We can debate who might have won a duel under circumstances minus Harry Potter, but the reality in the wizarding world is that both wizards saw a nemesis who might overcome the other, and, therefore, they both understood that discretion really is the better part valor.
People underestimate how cunning Voldemort was too. He eluded capture from the ministry and the Order for decades, while thinning them out and winning every duel he engaged in. He only lost the first war because he let his paranoia get the best of him, and he attacked Harry’s family in the specific way that would cause his curse to backfire. I’m sure Dumbledore was doing all he could to find and defeat him, but he was also leading the Order and protecting Hogwarts.
Both felt their chances of winning the war were better if they employed other, less direct, tactics. Too much is made of Voldemort’s fear of Dumbledore. Yes, he feared losing to Dumbledore, but it wasn’t this overwhelming, paralyzing fear that many people make it out to be. When the opportunity for a duel presented itself in Book 5, Voldy didn’t flinch. And that was on enemy turf with large reinforcements on the way for his opponent! But for Voldemort to not fear Dumbledore at all? Well, that would be the mark of an idiot. Dumbledore may very well be the most powerful wizard of all time, and even wizards who are the absolute prodigies of their generation like McGonagall or Snape pale in comparison to Dumbledore. Voldemort just couldn’t be sure of victory against someone like that. You see, Dumbledore and Voldemort are the kings on the chessboard of their respective sides. Knock one down, and that one’s side loses. If Voldemort attacks Dumbledore and wins, he’s taken over the Wizarding world in the UK. But if he loses? He’s toast! Dumbledore could potentially capture and imprison him, or Dumbledore might kill him…and remember Voldemort isn’t really sure just yet that his horcruxes work or exactly how they work (even if he had known, being disembodied was pretty terrible for him). In short, it’s a HUGE risk to duel Dumbledore. Instead, Voldemort focused on building up his forces, placing wizards and witches under his control with the imperius curse, and targeted killings against key enemies to weaken the other side.
It was because of the prophecy and that harry was a horrcrux meaning one will live while the other will die that means one has to kill the other ., due to this reason, voldemort was after harry so that he can live. Even if voldemort was defeated by Dumbeldor, Vildemort cannot be killed unless horcrux in harry was killed. We saw how the horcrux within Harry was killed by the killing curse from voldemort in the forest in the last part of the book .
As one of the few believing Voldemort had returned, Albus was the only one equiped to seek out the horcruxes. I’ve always held Dumbledor was trapped within the prophecy. It wasn’t Dumbledor who could Voldemort. If Albus had defeated the dark wizard, that would have proven his friend, Trulanie(?) was not gifted with The Sight.
Dumbledore was patient and curious. He understood how to play the long game and would have put others in danger just to test a theory.. I think that trait has been revealed more than once in Dumbledore. The prophecy really only revealed he was justified in not doing it himself. Not saying he made the right move but it doesn’t feel out of character for him to be more interested in perusal how things unfold and collecting information before making a move. Had he not, he may never have known about Harry and Voldemorts connection.
Dumbledore didn’t go after Voldemort, because he was headmaster at Hogwarts and made that job and the training and safeguarding of the young witches and wizards attending that school his top priority. He also knew (at some point) about Voldemort’s horcruxes and knew Voldemort couldn’t truly be defeated until the horcruxes were destroyed. Then there was the prophecy. There is another point not mentioned in this article: the Elder Wand. Dumbledore’s wand was the powerful Elder Wand. There was no way Dumbledore would take the chance of Voldemort either defeating him or disarming him as either of those would gain Voldemort possession of the Elder Wand and it’s great power. (Remember the path of the Elder Wand in Half Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows. Draco disarmed Dumbledore to gain the Elder Wand only to be disarmed and lose it to Harry. Voldemort knew none of this when he killed Snape and thought he had control of the wand.)
There is something I’m curious about, the opposite thing basically. If Voldemort had so many Death Eaters at his command and was so powerful, why did he seemingly never make a SERIOUS (Voldemort intended Draco to fail) attempt on his life, other than the duel in the Ministry (and that one was more because the two just happened to meet up rather than him seeking out Dumbledore.)? In fact, given that Voldemort presumably DID NOT know that Narcissa (and even Bellatrix!) had gone behind his back and made the unbreakable vow with Snape (someone Voldemort never seems to have bothered to TRY and utilize to take out Dumbledore from within the grounds of Hogwarts itself). However, in spite of this, based on a conversation between Snape and Dumbledore, shown in the Deathly Hallows in the Pensive, but taking place within the timeline of the Half Blood Prince, it seems that Voldemort was EXPECTING that the school would SOON be within his grasp, either meaning that Voldemort actually DID intend for Dumbledore to die soon or else that Voldemort was confident enough that, despite Dumbledore still being alive, that he could manage to knock off the Minister of Magic and oust him the same way Fudge did at the end of “The Centaur and the Sneak” (basically a Ministry-led coup). While Voldemort and his minions have tried to kill Harry MANY times (despite Voldemort merely seeing Harry as “Dumbledore’s puppet”, according to his own words in Deathly Hallows), he or his goons have tried to take out Harry SEVERAL times: 1.
I think like love, “prophecy magic” is ancient magic. If the prophecy calls for Harry (or Neville) to end the Dark Lord then it has to be either one of them; anyone else kind of interrupts the balance and I think that the prophecy will do what it can to keep that way even if that means anyone directly trying to alter it, like Dumbledore defeating Voldemort, would end up in a less fortunate circumstance that discontinue them from interfering directly with the prophecy. Just my guess 🙂
Dumbledore was gentle. But I have a theory. If he went after voldemort with killing intent, then voldemort would survive because of the horcrux. At that point voldemort will realise Dumbledore will put two and two together and realise he is effectively immortal. By not trying to kill voldemort, Dumbledore hid the knowledge that he knew Voldemort was immortal. Otherwise voldemort could have hidden his horcrixes even more securely
Actually very easy to figure out. Dumbledore was going to hunt him down because up until book 4, Harry was always going to be sacrificed. He was willing to do it before he met Harry and felt guilty and started going through internal turmoil. Especially after seeing Harry looking into the mirror of erised. He saw a young boy who he forced to stay with abusive relatives long for a family he never had. That’s when Dumbledore was ready to let the wizarding world die in order to give this innocent and loving child a few years of happiness he was denied for the past decade.
I think there’s a lot of reasons, firstly, with apparating, it must be extremely hard to pin someone down in a duel to fight them, secondly, he cared too much about the prophecy, thirdly he was unsure of voldemorts actual power, Dumbledore is stronger bit not so much stronger he could afford to take him lightly, he also likely wasn’t sure how much stronger, voldemorts strength largely comes from prep time and research into old and taboo magics, dumbledore didn’t want to fall victim to a trap likely.
The trouble with Dumbledore not hunting down Voldemort, because the prophecy said only Harry could do it, was that Dumbledore had already said he didn’t believe in prophecies. So, that wasn’t holding him back at all. I think it all comes down to the plot. If Dumbledore had acted wisely and hunted down a weakened Voldemort, he would have had no use/need for Harry at all. Harry would have just been some average wizard. Still famous? Yes. But not nearly as famous as he was in the series.
He absolutely could have. He was master of the elder wand and if wasn’t distracted trying to save harry and simply hold of voldy at the ministry, it would have been an easy win. Btw this is when dumbledore is old and nearing the end of his life. A decade ago he would have been even more powerful and voldemort would have been slightly weaker.
To the imprisonment argument there is no prison that could hold voldy indefinitely. Dumbledore himself said that he could escape Azkaban easily . Imo grindelwald is allowing himself to be imprisoned at nuremgurd and could probably escape whenever. But I don’t think he wants to (remember his last act was protecting dumbledore) the movie messed tht scene up
Dumbledore didn’t hunt Voldemort because he only had everything to lose, nothing to win. He knew Voldemort had horcruxes, like he said dark magic leave traces. He had the elder wand but he was a old man not on his prime, it’s not a easy job to fight the darker wizard of all time. And of course, he knew the prophecy, so he did the best to prepare Harry to defeat Vold, like Yoda did with Luke.
One does not simply go up against Voldemort. What happens next if Dumbledore finds Voldie’s hideout? Breach through all possible magical protections and curses? Fight off every death eater on his way, likely dozens at a time, all very capable fighters? Then face Voldie while tired or injured or both? Dumbledore is no god. You dont win a war by trying to go after the opposing chief all by yourself. It’s MUCH more complicated. You enemies will be ready for you. Don’t be foolish enough to meet them on their own turf.
“why didnt dumbledore kill voldermort” because then the book would not be called “harry potter” even if it took 7 books for dumbledore to do it, it would be anticlimatic if it was anyone except harry. imprisoning him would be unrealistic logistically, not only would you have to constantly upgrade/check the wards.. but you would have to check the guards regularly, swap them out, protect them and their family. in a way dumbldeore was killing voldy, he was destroying the horcruxs.
Dumbledore wasn’t more powerful than Voldemort. In fact, a very simple “a fortiori” argument proves it: -Dumbledore’s inherent power and talent is so big that he could even defeat another extremely talented wizard who was at the same time using the Elder Wand. -So, Dumbledore WITH the Elder Wand makes him even more powerful. -Lord Voldemort tied against him in a duel (in the fifth book), DESPITE the fact that someone as already naturally powerful as Dumbledore was also using the Elder Wand against him. -Ergo, had he not used the Elder Wand, Voldemort would have very likely killed him.
Its been many years since i read the books so maybe it was answered but a question iv had is why did dumbledor believe that trelawnys prophecy was real? Versus writing it off as acting ect. If i recall it was said somewhere that he had at one time thought about taking divination out from the curriculum and given trelawnys track record as well amoungst everyone…always felt odd but maybe iv simply forgotten the explanation.
Let’s not forget, Dumbledore had the Order of the Phoenix fighting death eaters before Harry Potter even entered the picture. Fighting Voldemort wasn’t exactly something he could do alone. and due to the prophecy, it was Harry’s destiny to defeat Voldemort. And Dumbledore technically brought Harry up to do it. Plus let’s look at Dumbledores character, he at one point wanted power, and realized it was a mistake, and he learned from his mistakes, something Voldemort couldn’t do. Plus Harry didn’t take Voldemort down alone either, many wizards fought along side him in the battle of Hogwarts.
Strategically, going after Voldemort alone wouldn’t be the best strategy. Voldemort wasn’t acting alone. Voldemort could easily outnumber Dumbledore with his death eaters. Also, while Dumbledore may have been in charge of leading people after death eaters, he also had a job running Hogwarts. He had students to educate and protect. In order for anyone to chase down Voldemort, they would have to figure out where he is and Voldemort was a wanted man. Would you expect Voldemort to just have one base of operations? Those are reasons Dumbledore founded the order of the Phoenix.
Sorry, but this is all simply wrong and ignores the hints and facts given in the books. Dumbledore could have destroyed Voldemorts body pretty easily. He says to Voldemort that it would not be enough to only take his live ( meaning his body), Said in Book 5. Dumbledore knew that Voldemort had multiple Hocruxes since Harry Showed him the one he destroyed in the Chamber of secrets, Said in Book 6. Dumbledore only needed slughorns Memory for the specific amount of hocruxes. In Book 7 chapter Kings Cross Dumbledore tells Harry that he worked with grindelwald for „the greater good”. With the greater good mindset it was okay to give some lives so it could get „better” for the Majority. Pretty Similar to the nazi-ideology. Dumbledore Turned away From this mindset. He would Never scrafice somebody for the Sake any greater good. He would never scrafice Harry to Finally defeat voldemort. He alrdy knew Harry war a hocrux too. This was the Reason Dumbledore „ignored” Harry since Voldemort got his Body back (Wohle Book 5). In Book 4 After Voldemort came back and harry told dumbledore that Voldemort Took some of Harrys blood, harry Saw a glimp of victory going through dumbledores eyes. This was because now there was a way of destroying the part of Voldemorts soul wich was Stored in harry, without killing harry. Because now a Part of the spell of harrys mother was in Voldemort binding harry to life, While Voldemort was alive (Book 7, Kings Cross). But this only worked relative between Voldemort and Harry, meaning anybody Else could have Killed harry.
I think the real question is “Why didn’t Dumbledore leave Tom Riddle at the orphanage?” After all Tom told Dumbledore that he hurts people and feels no remorse about it. No taking him to Hogwarts, no Wizarding War, Neville’s parents aren’t permanently damaged and stuck living in St. Mungo’s so they can continue taking care of Neville, Harry’s parents would still be alive, nobody would end up dying. Essentially, by taking Tom to Hogwarts, Dumbledore kick-started the events that led to the deaths of so many people.
Dumbledore is like the stereotype of your nice old man who, unbeknownst to you, had over 100 confirmed kills in ‘Nam, 10 of those hand to hand in underground tunnels. I’m showing my age with that, not sure if younger people talk that way about Afghanistan. My grandfather, may he Rest in Peace, was a bombardier in WWII. You don’t really count kills when you’re dropping bombs en masse.
also there’s another reason Dumbledore didn’t seek Voldemort out. Dumbledore was in possession of the elder wand…and in the off-chance voldemort WON (even if voldemort winning did not mean dumbledore’s death…the elder wand’s loyalty would have changed. And that was something Dumbledore VERY MUCH did NOT WANT to happen. He didn’t want the wand to give it’s allegiance to voldemort, choosing instead to orchestrate his own death with severus snape.
“Safe” environment, Looking all 6 years when Harry was in school. You sure that was safe environment to every student? To Death Eater’s childrens, sure. But not so much any others. And supportive is bit so and so, there’s abusive teachers, bad case of bullying, Detentions can be deadly, school wide discriminations where either teachers don’t touch or actively encourage for it (Looking Snape especially 4th year about whole Triwizard champion discrimination case)
Why didn’t Dumbledore kill Voldemort? Because he can’t. Even if he kill Voldemort, the part of Voldemort soul will still be in Harry. Then he will hv to kill Harry as well. And since Voldemort used Harry’s blood to resurrect himself, Harry was protected from Voldemort’s attack. So that’s why he hv to let Voldemort “kill”Harry first, so his own soul got destroyed but Harry can survive.
But see this is book plot hole being mended by fans. The fact is, it took 13 years, harry’s blood, blood from a servant willingly, and bone from father. While Dumbledore couldn’t out right kill him, he could have abliterated his physical form again. Giving him and Harry at the very least another few years to find all the hocrux to properly dispose of him. Do you really think old voldy will have such an easy time recreating that spell agian? And remember, it was THE ONLY WAY to get past the protection spell (according to voldemort). So, given how important Harry’s blood is to Resurrect him, keeping Harry away shouldn’t be much of a task anymore. The end result is there’s no real reason why Dumbledore didn’t destroy voldemort to increase their time to win. It’s just that if he did, the book wouldn’t be so good, lol. He had the elder wand, he all but defeated voldemort in the minastry before being interrupted, proving he is MORE then a match for voldemort, And the only reason Dumbledore didnt avada his kadaver is the books gotta book, no logical reasoning behind it other than that.
This is, of course, pure speculation, but what if Dumbledore was actually potently clairvoyant and he basically just acted like a moderator for his visions instead of trying to influence them (maybe because he saw his sister dying and couldn’t prevent that)…so he would know that Harry defeats Voldy, he would know to trust Snape, he would know he needed to sacrifice Sirius and send him to Azkaban, and perhaps reluctantly do all these things to just let those visions come to pass (objectively, this can be also attributed to lazy deus-ex-machina writing, but hey). Would also explain stuff like he knew that Voldy couldn’t be killed, just didn’t understand the mechanics, how he readily took the blame for the whole DA affair without flinching, possibly some other decisions that didn’t really make sense without the big picture.
My theory and this is quite logical looking from Dumbledore’s prespective, is because he is afraid, of what happened during his battle with Grinderwald might happened again. Dumbledore won against Grinderwald is not without any cost. He lost his family, Ariana, which will haunt him forever. That is why he decided to defend Hogwarts, every single student, including and of course the most importantly, Harry.
“Why Didn’t Dumbledore Just HUNT Voldemort Down?” Um, so the story could happen? 😀Seriously though, if he and others worked together, they could have taken down Voldemort and saved a lot of lives. Even Grindelwald could have been brought in to the fight alongside Dumbledore, and to ensure he didn’t take advantage of the situation he could have made an unbreakable vow to fight for the same side as Dumbledore and return to prison afterwards. Given the love between them, Grindeldore would defend each other against Voldemort.
But wouldn’t it have been easier to “kill” Voldemort and then hunt down the horcruxes while Voldemort is screwing around trying to get resurrected again? I mean, it took him years to come back once, so…….zap him, destroy all but one, bring him back in a secure location and zap him again. Case closed.
Nope, you’re wrong. Remember when they finally confronted each other in the MoM? Remember the socks, remember the mirror, remember the ring, remember the potion in the cavern? The lesson was he could not be trusted with power. He feared hurting people, like he hurt his own sister. It was his living nightmare. Even while nobly chasing Voldy, he could still hurt someone innocent on the way. He would not use force ever again, unless for protection. This is what Harry finally learned from his mentor. He was meant to have the least important hallow, abhorring the possibility to fight with it. I tend to accept Harry’s over your interpretation. Edit: I know he didn’t kill his sister, but just the mere possibility that he could have had, the finality of the fight he could have avoided, he should have had, was ever present on his mind.
Albus knew if he went after Voldy, he would have to kill Harry. So he prepared Harry for everything he needed to do. Or at least best he could before he died. He messed up by wearing the ring and getting cursed. Although I’m not sure if you needed to wear the ring in order to destroy it. J. K. Rowling loves leaving them gaps and having others theorize, which is ok. But I digress. By helping Harry he knew at the end he would sacrifice himself and have others finish off Tom. But he knew if Voldy finished Harry off at the end, the curse would not work again, since he gave up willing and the power of love by sacrificing himself for everyone else would protect him. So Albus not going after Tom is more so Harry doesn’t have to die than anything. From what I see anyway
Yes the thought did occur to me, “why did Dumbledore not defeat Voldemort.” He probably should have before Harry was even a thought of his parents, but would have run into the Horcrux problem real quick. The Diary was already a Horcrux, as was the Cup of Hufflepuff. It would have been wack a voldy for a bit intill he figured it out, but the Wizarding world would have suffered in the mean time without Dumbledore pressing for Compassion and empathy. Once the Prophecy was made and signed by Voldemort trying and failing to kill Harry, Dumbledore no longer could defeat Voldemort.
Ok so I have not watched one single harry Potter movie…I am here bc soft white underbelly interview of legion . Legion said Voldemort and himself would make a great couple. So went down a Voldemort rabbit hole…… Was or was not Harry possessed or given power and came to be somehow through Voldemort. So if you kill Voldemort do u kill harry or remove his powers?
If Voldemort was killed Dumbledore would still be injured with his hand hunting the Horcruxes would be much easier and the Death Eaters would be much less alert Harry, Ron and Hermione could hunting down the Horcruxes after they have graduated but with Dumbledore ‘s death with his injured hand then the Death Eaters might kidnap Harry again when Voldemort rises he could just then kill Harry and won’t make anymore mistakes but then the Horcruxe in Harry would be destroyed what would make Harry live there would have not been a battle of Hogwarts
The horcruxes definitely proved a bugaboo in the quest of killing Voldemort. And yes, Voldemort would have to have been killed because the horcruxes would be their for his revival. Dumbledore couldn’t traipse across the world trying to locate them all. In so doing, Dumbledore would have risked running into Voldemort. However, staying at Hogwarts afforded him protection as much as the students, because even Voldemort could not penetrate Hogwarts security. In staying at Hogwarts, Dumbledore could devote more thought to vanquishing Voldemort in relative safety. Then Trelawney provided the means and opportunity to properly plan to vanquish Voldemort. Once Trelawney made her prediction, pretty much Dumbledore knew he wouldn’t kill Voldemort, and it would be a suicidal fool’s errand to try.
My guess is that the first Wizarding war, before Harry was born, was a lot fuller of political intrigue than one might imagine. And Dumbledore’s options, as far as 1 on 1 combat, were restrained. We saw the way the Ministry reacted to the mere possibility of Voldemort’s return. Fear so intense that they not only denied it, but sought to remove Dumbledore from Hogwarts for making it seem possible. During the original war, there were probably people who weren’t on Voldemort’s side who nevertheless would have reacted in horror if Dumbledore had singlehandedly hunted down the Dark Lord and killed him. He would have ended up shunned, and himself, hunted. Which while that would be effective—potentially—against Voldemort, it would also take himself out of play against any new threat beyond Voldemort who may rise. The simple answer is storytelling. But the in-universe answer is that Dumbledore couldn’t unleash his true power without untethering himself from society like Voldemort did.
it took a long time for him to figure out the hocrux. technically he had suspicions but he had to be sure because there was no room for error. he didn’t know how many voldemort had but 7 was perfect magical number which he kind figured out later when he had enough evidence, note that even dark wizards before voldemort’s time only created like one hocrux. he was hunting him down it’s just that he couldn’t really kill him and just comes back later and that him moving around as the ehad master of hogwarts kinda would make a lot of noise if he inquires the other places of hocrux for example the goblet of helga Huppelpuf and so on. he wasn’t exactly free to move around always since he is basically the strongest wizard of his lifetime… if he just disappears and appears quite a bit of ministry would panic and not just the brittish. I’d assume a lot of wizarding government are still on guard against him cuz maybe he don’t want power but he has insane amount of influence just like grindewald was. what would you do if someone has like a nuclear weapon and could just magically appear anywhere and gather people that could potential be like nuclear weapons… albus was kinda like that although he was like the greatest white wizard kinda guy you can’t take away how even fudge was paranoid about him, a guy he basically supported all the time.
Readers forget, Dumbledore has an evil streak. He is not the kindly old wizard. What sets him apart, is that Dumbledore understands he has that evil streak in his personality, and it is feed by power, which is why he actively seeks roles with less power. Dumbledore understands that power is his own weakness. In actively hunting Voldemort to kill him, Dumbledore may become him. He still has that thirst for power, and he knows that drinking any nectar of power, may damn him to his old ways.
My theory is voldermort rather avoided dumbledore…..It’s possible voldermort’s name was tobbooed in the first war ..meaning voldermort could easily have located dumbledore whenever dumbledore mentioned his name …voldermort’s position wasn’t exactly easy to predict . Another reason is seeing as dumbledore was probably the only person on the good side who suspected voldermort would come back, he must has suspected voldermort had a horcrux but didn’t know how many horcruxes there were . He mentioned the careless nature of the diary made him question the number must have been much more than he suspected Hence, he didn’t want to kill him, only for him to rise at a later time when dumbledore might have been out of the picture Finally, the prophecy might have played a part
theory: in spite of Dumbldore’s power, he would not use it to take a life, after his sister died. While he knew of the horcruxes, he said he didn’t know how many there were. thirdly, he twigged very early on that mouldy had accidentally made Harry a horcrux, thus knew that mouldy had to destroy his own horcrux, or Harry would have to die to destroy it. He had to get mouldy to kill his horcrux to save Harryy, which is why it made sense to get Harry as powerful as possible, while mouldy was actually proceeding to weaken himself. Dumbledore knew way more than he ever let on, which is actually one of his strongest talents, beyond his majical ability
Dumbledore had ptsd. He was also most important and necessary as a teacher and role model and leader. It would kinda be like the President of the United States or King of England hopping in a jet and going after a enemy. Unlike Voldemort there was only one death for Dumbledore. He could do more alive for a few more years than possibly getting fragged out. He was very old as well. Very much lagging at his age I imagine. Why take the chance when that prophecy was right there…he was playing chess and not checkers.
Let’s be honest Harry Potter is a story about school, growing up, and friendship – and it’s amazing at that. The rest of the world she created has to be not taken that seriously. It’s especialy visible when it comes to Voldemort – an opposite of idea of “show don’t tell”. Here we only hear how smart and powerfull he is, but we never see substance to it. And overall aspects of combat in potter – guns seems to be better weapons, the most powefull curse spell avada kedavra is not very effective – if there would be nobody to save the wizard he could be much easier killed with a sniper rifle than avada kedavra that can be at least countered, or just avoided. So yeah, best to stick to the friendship parts xd
I always thought that Voldemort and Dumbledore couldn’t defeat each other because they were equally skilled and powerful. I thought about something that you might answer in a future article. When Harry, Ron, and Hermione were in the coffee shop and were attacked by Rowe and Dolohov. Hermione uses the memory charm on them later on they are at Hogwarts fighting. How did they get their memory back? Did already make a article about this?
Voldemort was killed twice by Harry Potter so it would be a waste of time if Professor Dumbledore tried to kill Voldemort and he didn’t know about the Horcruxes until the half blood prince. Voldemort has many followers that could simply help Voldemort escape even if it was possible to take Voldemort to Azkaban.
Dumbledore knew about the prophecy from Sybill Trelawney, about neither could live while the other survives, he knew Voldemort could only be completely defeated by Harry, months before Harry was born. Also he knew voldemort could be brought back by other magical means, he wasn’t sure which ones though, which took along time to find out. but still he knew it wasn’t going to be him to defeat voldemort, it was always going to harry (or possibly Neville) and tried to setup him to do it. Once he knew they were horcruxes and that there were 7 (which he didn’t find out for 16 years), he knew he had to take out the horcruxes first but had to find them all which took alot time, and he found one but ended up getting cursed, and was going to die from the curse, (plus he was getting old and tired and probably close to death anyway), or by draco or snape killing him by the end of the school year. So he begs snape to put him out of his suffering, also by relieving draco from the unbreakable vow he had with voldemort. But simply it was fate from the get go. Dumbledore knew he was never going to be the one to finally defeat Voldemort, but knew he had to do everything he could to help the one who would. I have another conspirecy theory, Dumbledore setup Harry to be the chosen one, dumbledore knew from the prophecy that it was going to be either Harry or Neville to be the chosen, Dumbledore knew James was descend from the Peverell family and had one of the Deathly Hollows the cloak of invisability.
Something I’ve wondered for a while that kind of ties in with him trying to find the elusive Voldemort… Why did nobody just put a taboo on the avada kedavra curse? Sure, nonverbal magic is an option, but Voldemort is frequently observed speaking the incantation. If he could put a taboo on his name to break enchantments and locate people that said it, why don’t the Order of the Phoenix or Ministry do the same for the killing curse incantation? Instantly find murderers and break their protective enchantments…
Dumbledore personally witnessed the prophecy, meaning he knew with absolute certainty that he was not the one ultimately destroying Voldemort, hence he focused on keeping his students and Harry in particular safe and ensuring Harry was adequatly prepared to fullfill his task. Even if he didnt knew the prophecy, he knew Voldemort feared him, meaning Voldemort would go hiding instantly if he tried to hunt him down. While he could definetely defeat Voldemort in a duell, he would still have to find him leaving Hogwarts, Harry and all the other people he cared about defenseless. Voldemort was both extremely powerful and intelligent, and he knew how to completely disappear from sight. Finding him would prove extremely difficult and time consuming, and even if he found him, Voldemort could still just disapparate to any other place. It was much smarter to bet on Harry and prepare him as good as possible.
I think that in a 1v1 Dumbledore would have won…but i feel he suspect the horocrux…and while in a 1v1 i could probably take him,but he nearly lost his arm with marvolo ring and getting the necklace was his downfall …he even tells harry during the search for the necklace about how the boat senses magic and how two ppl could not get in …and that’s we i think he let harry face him because part of voltemor soul was inside of Harry probably making it easier for him to find and get pass the curses put on the horocrux …..hope you get my point
Because harry had to be the 1 iam always took it Dumbledore represented old magic The old ways both of them were Voldemore represented more of a darker old magic. Harry represented new magic. The prophecy basically said Harry being new magic. Had to take out voldemore being old darker magic And old magic couldn’t do it
I am of a different opinion. I think that Dumbledore just did not want to be that savior again. The man had a fear of being put into a place of power above where he was. One of the wisest and most powerful wizards. He had leaders come to him for advice and others try to push him into office. Just imagine the level of pedestal he would get if he beat not just 1 but 2 of the most powerful dark wizards. The man was wise enough to know that the only way to get away all that would be to withdraw from society.