With the Harry Potter series under construction and the memory of the films present, it’s time to reflect on some aspects of the saga that, really, came across somewhat differently to audiences. One example is the theme of house elves, which will hopefully be explored more in Max‘s future production. But there are many other buried themes that were not really made clear in the films.
One of these themes is the ethics of Albus Dumbledore. The Hogwarts headmaster is seen all the time as the franchise’s greatest representative of goodness, as well as the example for all wizards to follow. But, as portrayed by Rita Skeeter in the fictional biography of the character Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore, he is actually a great liar. And for proof we leave you with all the times he lied to Harry Potter in the saga, collected by Screen Rant.
1. What does Dumbledore see in the Mirror of Erised?
The first of the big lies comes in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. When the protagonist is in front of the Mirror of Erised, which projects your greatest wish, Dumbledore tells him that he sees himself in a pair of thick socks, but in reality he saw himself with his sister, whose death he blamed himself for.
2. Why is Snape protect Harry?
In the first film, the main trio believes that Severus Snape is the bad guy. However, what he actually does is protect Harry all the time, something the protagonist realizes at the end. Upon asking Albus about why, the director tells him it’s because he felt indebted to his father for saving his life… but we learned the truth much later.
3. Why can Harry speak Parseltongue?
Although this is not actually a lie, Dumbledore told Harry that he could speak Parseltongue because, in trying to kill him, he transferred part of his powers to him. And, well, it’s partly true, but it’s a very small synthesis of the truth behind Harry being a Horcrux.
4. Did Dumbledore tell Harry “everything” in The Order of the Phoenix?
Although the movie left something to be desired, the fifth book was the one that marked a before and after in the saga. It is the longest and in which all the secrets of Voldemort’s history are uncovered. At one point, Albus Dumbledore tells the protagonist that he will tell him the whole truth, and goes on to explain much of the history of the Order of the Phoenix… but he left out many substantial details that he took to the grave.
5. What happened to Dumbledore’s hand?
Another evasion of the truth by Dumbledore came when, in The Half-Blood Prince, he showed Harry his blackened hand after finishing off a Horcrux. Harry asked him what had happened to it, and the headmaster evaded the question by telling him that he needed time to tell him, as it was an exciting story.
6. Did he tell you the secrets behind the Horcruxes?
When Harry and Dumbledore began their private lessons in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry was upset when the professor told him he had more information about his connection to Voldemort to tell him. Harry said he promised to tell him everything…and he left out dozens of important things, from him being a Horcrux to the secrets of the Deathly Hallows.
7. How many Horcruxes did Voldemort create?
Dumbledore also lied to Harry when he told him that he had to find six Horcruxes and destroy them. In reality, he was forgetting one of the most important: Harry himself. In order not to hinder the search, he didn’t tell him anything, but it was certainly an important detail he kept to himself.
8. What about Draco Malfoy?
Something that does not appear in the films is one of Harry’s most serious discussions with Dumbledore. In it, the student tells him that Malfoy is secretly working for Voldemort, and Dumbledore tells him that he didn’t care, downplaying the importance of the matter. However, of course, it had mattered to him, and very much so, as he demonstrates with his later conversation with Snape.
9. Was Harry supposed to die at the end of the story?
Dumbledore insisted, and very much so, that Harry Potter must die to defeat Voldemort, as he carried part of the Dark Lord’s soul within himself. However, this is something he never really believed, as he ended up proving in the end.
10. Why didn’t Dumbledore fight Grindelwad?
Finally, Dumbledore told Harry that he did not want to fight Grindelwald because he was afraid of his power. But, as we have seen in the Fantastic Beasts saga, this was far from the truth: in reality, it was all because of their love and the promise they made to each other.
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