In theHarry Potterfranchise, no one is known for their meaningful advice and quotesquite like Albus Dumbledore. As one of the oldest professors at Hogwarts, as well as the headmaster, Dumbledore is often sought after for advice from many people in the school but is especially key in Harry’s life. Without Dumbledore, Harry would have never found out about the Horcruxes, and his advice helped lead to the fall of Voldemort, too.
There are many quotes from the franchise that have turned into popular quotes among fans and are undoubtedly unforgettable. Alongside those, however, are more meaningful quotes that can get lost in the shadows. Whether you already know all of these quotes by heart or are just discovering some of these for the first time, there’s no doubt that there are so many good Dumbledore quotes, that it’s hard to narrow it down to just ten.
Dumbledore says this as an answer to Harry’s question when they meet each other in the spectral version of King’s Cross after Harry’s death. He’s unsure if the moment is real or not and asks if it’s just happening in his head. Dumbledore seems to think it’s a silly question.
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The moment helped Harry realize he wasn’t technically dead, but it was the piece of Voldemort that lived inside him that died instead. It also helped Harry realize that while it was in his head, everything he was experiencing was real — from successfully destroying the Horcrux inside of him to realizing he had a second chance at life, even to knowing that his loved ones that had already passed were indeed safe, sound, and always there to guide him when he needed it.
9"We must all face the choice between what is right, and what is easy."
InHarry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,Harry faces one of his most difficult years yet as he’sforced into the Triwizard Tournament, witnesses his friend die, and is a part of the resurrection of Voldemort. By the end of the film, Harry is the last one remaining in his dorm room, taking his time in packing up his things as he still struggles to comprehend everything that happened.
Dumbledore pays him a visit and leaves him with this line. It helps remind him that he’s not alone, and though the bad guys might try to manipulate them into joining their side, in the end, it’s not the right thing to do. Though it’s not some life-saving advice, nor something you could really use in real life, it’s nice for Harry to remember he’s not alone in this situation, no matter what.
8"Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it."
During the conversation with Dumbledore towards the end ofHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2, Harry is allowed a moment to breathe during the final battles against Voldemort and finally gets some answers from Dumbledore.
While talking about his previous quote, “Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it,” he says this quote as he talks about the way he had manipulated the words and their meanings. It might not be very helpful to Harry, but it is completely true, even in real life. Words can bring entire worlds to life, or cause them to crumble.
They have meaning and purpose, which can be good or bad depending on how it is used. That alone makes this quote a powerful one.
7"While we may come from different places and speak in different tongues, our hearts beat as one."
After Cedric’s death, Dumbledore has to address the students because everyone was there to witness his dead body returning with Harry. This quote comes from the middle of his speech, reminding everyone that though they all come from different schools, different places around the world, and don’t even all speak English, they are all united in this momentof loss and grief.
No one person is alone in this matter. When something so heavy as the death of a classmate happens, especially one who was so popular and loved, it’s a great quote to try and help everyone get through this tough moment.
6"Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light."
Though this quote is technically more of a foreshadowing moment inHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, talking about the Dementors and the Patronus spell, it’s still worthy of this list.
It’s not meant to help anyone specific when Dumbledore says this at the beginning of the year feast, but instead, is a good quote to remember in real life. There’s always happiness to find in the world, no matter where we find ourselves. We just have to search for the light to guide our way through those dark times.
Many people have died in the battles against Voldemort and his Death Eaters, some of whom Harry had been close with. When Dumbledore tells him this, he wants to help him feel at ease with the loss of these people, for they knew the risks, and they were at peace now.
It was the living that still had to worry about the fights and any other problems throughout their lives. Love, too, has been a constant throughout the series, considering that it was Lily Potter’s love that saved Harry in the first place. Dumbledore believes it is those who live without love,like Voldemort, who are truly the ones who miss out the most. Harry shouldn’t go into the final fight without pity, despite knowing he needs to put an end to Voldemort’s reign.
4"It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be."
There are a lot of possible meanings for this quote, and from Dumbledore, it wouldn’t be surprising if he meant it in more than one way, too. An issue in the wizarding world at the time of the books is the topic of those with magic who were born to muggles. Some people don’t like that their blood isn’t pure.
So, in this case, he’s saying it doesn’t matter that their parents aren’t magical, it matters what they do with that magic and the skills they learn with them. It could also genuinely mean no one should be judged by their backgrounds, and instead be judged on what they do with their skills and ideals.
3"It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends."
At the end of the year feast inHarry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,Dumbledore is giving out last-minute house points to Gryffindor. He says this about Neville and why he is awarding him some points, referring to a previous interaction.
WhenHarry, Ron, and Hermioneleave their rooms in the middle of the night to try and go through the trapdoor Fluffy is hiding, Neville happens to still be awake and confronts them in the common room, standing up to them and trying to keep them from leaving and getting into more trouble.
It’s a powerful moment for Neville’s character, and Dumbledore highlighting it like this just makes it stand out even more.
2"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."
When Harry finds the Mirror of Erised, the unforgettable sight of his parents at his side greets him in the mirror. Because of this, he spends several nights using his new invisibility cloak sneaking out to visit the mirror and see them again.
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One of these nights, Dumbledore happens to enter while Harry is there, revealing he had known Harry made several visits to the room before. He tells this to Harry to tell him that, no matter how much he might desire having his parents by his side, it is simply a dream. Instead, he should focus on his life that he is forgoing to spend in front of the mirror.
1"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."
InHarry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,Harry is struggling with the reveal of being a parseltongue, along with hissimilarities to Voldemort, and wonders if he really should have been in Slytherin. While in Dumbledore’s office and seeing the sorting hat, Dumbledore says this to him because he was sorted into Gryffindor thanks to him choosing the house.
The hat might be made to read minds and figure out what house to put them into, but it’s the choice Harry made to go into Gryffindor that defines him and truly makes him a part of the house.
