Why Dumbledore Is Actually An Awful, No Good Adult
Let’s sit down and get real about Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore for a minute, shall we? The man is not a stellar adult.
We’ve grown up loving him. And sure, on the surface there are lovable qualities and certain aspects of his and Harry’s relationship may have warmed our hearts. He was a nearly invincible hero to so many. Strong, quirky, and essentially everyone’s beloved grandfather.
He was also a terrible adult, an irresponsible headmaster and willing to do anything (like, say, raise Harry as a pig for slaughter) if it meant winning a war. Less grandfatherly, if you ask me.
Let’s start from the beginning. Remember the time he left a baby who was no doubt the target of every Death Eater and Death Eater sympathizer, not to mention just an innocent baby in general, on the doorstep of people who mostly end up abusing Harry for years to come? It was the middle of the night, and he just dropped the baby on a doorstep. A baby.
There was the time Slytherin truly won the House Cup fair and square, and after announcing that, he awarded some last minute points to fourth place Gryffindor students whom he happened to favor and, lo and behold, Gryffindor actually wins.
Some of his teachers (looking at you, Severus Snape) were questionable with their punishment methods and yet, Dumbledore does absolutely nothing. And if you’re sent to detention, don’t worry, it’s not a normal detention – you’ll be sent into the Forbidden Forest (which is barely ever really Forbidden, it seems) for a right and proper, terrifying and near death kind of punishment. Fun!
Dumbledore’s Guidance
There was also the time that Harry, who had become so close to him and had relied on Dumbledore for guidance often, went through one of the most traumatic experiences of his life. He sat watching Cedric die and nearly escaping a newly returned Voldemort and his Death Eaters after a tournament.
A tournament that he was basically illegally allowed to participate in. And Dumbledore, the caretaker that he is, ignores Harry’s existence for nearly a full year afterward. Right at the time when the boy needed maybe a little extra love and nurturing, the man that had been a mentor and a guiding figure in his life abandons him.
He is, without a doubt, a terrible adult. Let’s just stop kidding ourselves here and finally admit it.
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Of course, you may disagree readers. Let us know in the comments below!