The Unerring Wisdom of Albus Dumbledore

Base XP: 60

Expected XP: 180+

Dumbledore. Consummate educator. Powerful wizard. Selfless. Caring. Brilliant and yet touchingly fallible. Dumbledore, one might argue, is the true hero of the Harry Potter series.

Whether you’re a Dumbledore fan like me, hopelessly devoted to a different character (Neville? Anyone?), or not even terribly familiar with the books, we can all agree that some of the most cutting, clever, and insightful quotes belong to the white-bearded wizard.

Take this for example:

Or this gem:

Or one of my personal existential favourites (don’t get me started on this philosophical bent!):

This quest is pretty open-ended. Nebulous. Uh… un-figured-outed? It’s a spark I’ve got happening, and I think you should run with and make your own - something about how Dumbledore is wise and wonderful and lays out some wicked truths when he isn’t busy sacrificing himself to save the Elder wand from the Dark Lord or eating lemon drops. Here is some structure if you need it:

1. Think about this using the lens of one of the Big Ideas from the main page of the course. It could be literary analysis, use of language to shape ideas, a character profile to better understand ourselves, etc.
2. Take it as far as you want and tell me how long it took. Choose your own adventure!
3. Or choose one of the following:
   • Select a quote (from the books, the movies, the internet - be the Credible Hulk and cite your sources!) and reflect on it using your recipe for representation.
   • Select a quote and create a symbolic representation of the text to support it (as the examples above have done). Include an artist’s statement explaining your choices.
   • Construct a character profile for Albus Dumbledore. Who is he? What makes him tick? And most importantly, how can you tell from the novels?
   • Write a persuasive essay on why Dumbledore is the actual hero of the series! Back it up with evidence! I’m definitely going to believe you.
   • Write an essay comparing/contrasting Dumbledore and Gandalf. Explain which is wiser, or cooler, who would win in a fight, or whatever. Just make sure you use evidence and proper grammar. Illustrations of the aforementioned fight are optional.