Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

by

J. K. Rowling

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Professor Dumbledore Character Analysis

The Headmaster at Hogwarts. Dumbledore serves as a parental figure and a mentor for Harry; in the beginning of the book he reproaches Harry and Ron for the foolish action of flying the car to Hogwarts. Harry worries about disappointing Dumbledore, and so after the attacks begin, Harry chooses not to confide in Dumbledore about the mysterious voice that only he can hear because he worries that Dumbledore will not believe him. After the attacks continue over the span of several months, Lucius Malfoy and the other governors ask Dumbledore to step aside, despite Cornelius Fudge’s protests. Yet even though Dumbledore is forced to step aside from his position, his final words before leaving imply to Harry that he is not alone. This proves true: when, in the Chamber of Secrets, Harry affirms his belief that Dumbledore is not truly gone from the, he is rewarded for this display of loyalty by the arrival of Dumbledore’s phoenix, Fawkes. Harry is heartened by Fawkes’s arrival and regains his courage as a result. In addition, Fawkes blinds the basilisk, delivers the Sorting Hat (and the Sword of Gryffindor) and also heals Harry when he is poisoned by a venomous basilisk bite. At the end, when Harry finally confides in Dumbledore his insecurities about being similar to Tom Riddle, Dumbledore explains that Harry is very different from Tom Riddle simply because he makes different choices—a lesson that reaffirms Harry’s control over his own identity in this and future books.

Professor Dumbledore Quotes in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

The Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets quotes below are all either spoken by Professor Dumbledore or refer to Professor Dumbledore. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Information, Rumors, and Fear Theme Icon
).
Chapter 5 Quotes

Harry well remembered putting it on, exactly one year ago, and waiting, petrified, for its decision as it muttered aloud in his ear. For a few horrible seconds he had feared that the hat was going to put him in Slytherin, the House that had turned out more Dark witches and wizards than any other — but he had ended up in Gryffindor, along with Ron, Hermione, and the rest of the Weasleys.

Related Characters: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Professor Dumbledore
Page Number: 77
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9 Quotes

“D’you think I should have told them about that voice I heard?”

“No,” said Ron, without hesitation. “Hearing voices no one else can hear isn’t a good sign, even in the Wizarding world.”

Something in Ron’s voice made Harry ask, “You do believe me, don’t you?”

“’Course I do,” said Ron quickly. “But — you must admit it’s weird. . . .”

Related Characters: Harry Potter (speaker), Ron Weasley (speaker), Professor Dumbledore, Argus Filch
Related Symbols: The Monster/Basilisk
Page Number: 145
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 12 Quotes

Harry didn’t know what to say. He thought of Malfoy shouting, “You’ll be next, Mudbloods!” and of the Polyjuice Potion simmering away in Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom. Then he thought of the disembodied voice he had heard twice and remembered what Ron had said: “Hearing voices no one else can hear isn’t a good sign, even in the Wizarding world.” He thought, too, about what everyone was saying about him, and his growing dread that he was somehow connected with Salazar Slytherin. . . .

Related Characters: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Professor Dumbledore, Draco Malfoy, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Moaning Myrtle, Nearly Headless Nick
Page Number: 209
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 14 Quotes

“Look at it from my point of view,” said Fudge, fidgeting with his bowler. “I’m under a lot of pressure. Got to be seen to be doing something. If it turns out it wasn’t Hagrid, he’ll be back and no more said. But I’ve got to take him. Got to. Wouldn’t be doing my duty —”

Related Characters: Cornelius Fudge (speaker), Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Tom Riddle/Voldemort, Professor Dumbledore, Rubeus Hagrid
Page Number: 261
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 17 Quotes

He might not see what use Fawkes or the Sorting Hat were, but he was no longer alone, and he waited for Riddle to stop laughing with his courage mounting.

Related Characters: Harry Potter, Tom Riddle/Voldemort, Professor Dumbledore
Related Symbols: The Monster/Basilisk, Fawkes, The Sword of Gryffindor
Page Number: 315
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 18 Quotes

“I seem to remember telling you both that I would have to expel you if you broke any more school rules,” said Dumbledore.

Ron opened his mouth in horror.

“Which goes to show that the best of us must sometimes eat our words,” Dumbledore went on, smiling. “You will both receive Special Awards for Services to the School and — let me see — yes, I think two hundred points apiece for Gryffindor.”

Related Characters: Professor Dumbledore (speaker), Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Tom Riddle/Voldemort
Related Symbols: The Monster/Basilisk
Page Number: 331
Explanation and Analysis:

“It only put me in Gryffindor,” said Harry in a defeated voice, “because I asked not to go in Slytherin. . . .”

Exactly,” said Dumbledore, beaming once more. “Which makes you very different from Tom Riddle. It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”

Related Characters: Harry Potter (speaker), Professor Dumbledore (speaker), Tom Riddle/Voldemort
Page Number: 333
Explanation and Analysis:
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Professor Dumbledore Quotes in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

The Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets quotes below are all either spoken by Professor Dumbledore or refer to Professor Dumbledore. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Information, Rumors, and Fear Theme Icon
).
Chapter 5 Quotes

Harry well remembered putting it on, exactly one year ago, and waiting, petrified, for its decision as it muttered aloud in his ear. For a few horrible seconds he had feared that the hat was going to put him in Slytherin, the House that had turned out more Dark witches and wizards than any other — but he had ended up in Gryffindor, along with Ron, Hermione, and the rest of the Weasleys.

Related Characters: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Professor Dumbledore
Page Number: 77
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9 Quotes

“D’you think I should have told them about that voice I heard?”

“No,” said Ron, without hesitation. “Hearing voices no one else can hear isn’t a good sign, even in the Wizarding world.”

Something in Ron’s voice made Harry ask, “You do believe me, don’t you?”

“’Course I do,” said Ron quickly. “But — you must admit it’s weird. . . .”

Related Characters: Harry Potter (speaker), Ron Weasley (speaker), Professor Dumbledore, Argus Filch
Related Symbols: The Monster/Basilisk
Page Number: 145
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 12 Quotes

Harry didn’t know what to say. He thought of Malfoy shouting, “You’ll be next, Mudbloods!” and of the Polyjuice Potion simmering away in Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom. Then he thought of the disembodied voice he had heard twice and remembered what Ron had said: “Hearing voices no one else can hear isn’t a good sign, even in the Wizarding world.” He thought, too, about what everyone was saying about him, and his growing dread that he was somehow connected with Salazar Slytherin. . . .

Related Characters: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Professor Dumbledore, Draco Malfoy, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Moaning Myrtle, Nearly Headless Nick
Page Number: 209
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 14 Quotes

“Look at it from my point of view,” said Fudge, fidgeting with his bowler. “I’m under a lot of pressure. Got to be seen to be doing something. If it turns out it wasn’t Hagrid, he’ll be back and no more said. But I’ve got to take him. Got to. Wouldn’t be doing my duty —”

Related Characters: Cornelius Fudge (speaker), Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Tom Riddle/Voldemort, Professor Dumbledore, Rubeus Hagrid
Page Number: 261
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 17 Quotes

He might not see what use Fawkes or the Sorting Hat were, but he was no longer alone, and he waited for Riddle to stop laughing with his courage mounting.

Related Characters: Harry Potter, Tom Riddle/Voldemort, Professor Dumbledore
Related Symbols: The Monster/Basilisk, Fawkes, The Sword of Gryffindor
Page Number: 315
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 18 Quotes

“I seem to remember telling you both that I would have to expel you if you broke any more school rules,” said Dumbledore.

Ron opened his mouth in horror.

“Which goes to show that the best of us must sometimes eat our words,” Dumbledore went on, smiling. “You will both receive Special Awards for Services to the School and — let me see — yes, I think two hundred points apiece for Gryffindor.”

Related Characters: Professor Dumbledore (speaker), Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Tom Riddle/Voldemort
Related Symbols: The Monster/Basilisk
Page Number: 331
Explanation and Analysis:

“It only put me in Gryffindor,” said Harry in a defeated voice, “because I asked not to go in Slytherin. . . .”

Exactly,” said Dumbledore, beaming once more. “Which makes you very different from Tom Riddle. It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”

Related Characters: Harry Potter (speaker), Professor Dumbledore (speaker), Tom Riddle/Voldemort
Page Number: 333
Explanation and Analysis: