Dumbledore's intentions and morality have sparked debate among Harry Potter fans, but his cleverness and patience were undeniable.

In Harry Potter, Albus Dumbledore was the Hogwarts Headmaster who all but adopted the titular boy wizard, training and helping him more than any other student. But, as innocent as his connection to Harry seemed, the story later revealed the young boy's part in a much larger plot, put together for years by Dumbledore himself.

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From the moment Voldemort attacked the Potters until his last days, the Headmaster was constructing a plan that would ultimately lead to the Dark Lord's destruction via Harry. His intentions and morality have sparked debate among fans, but his cleverness and patience were undeniable.

Voldemort attacked the Potters in Godric's Hollow, killing James and Lily. However, when he attempted to kill baby Harry, his spell backfired, destroying him and making Harry famous. As it turned out, Lily sacrificed herself to save her son and protected Harry, who then went to live with his Aunt Petunia.

Dumbledore cast a Bond of Blood charm, knowing that Lily's love would protect Harry through Petunia, whether she cared about the boy or not. As long as Harry spent time there each summer, Voldemort couldn't attack, which was why Dumbledore kept sending the boy to an abusive and neglectful home.

Harry spent his fifth year chasing Dumbledore, who refused to look or speak to him. The Headmaster seemed to slip out of Harry's grasp constantly, and even when they were in the same room, he refused to acknowledge the boy. Harry was hurt and confused, feeling like he needed Dumbledore more than ever.

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However, Dumbledore knew the Dark Lord was reaching inside Harry's mind and felt that if he ignored Harry, Voldemort couldn't see his plan. He even had Snape teach Harry Occlumency to learn to protect his memories from Voldemort's watchful eye. Of course, once he knew the truth, Harry was forgiving, but it was just another step in Dumbledore's master plan.

Dumbledore brought Harry to Horace Slughorn, a retired Hogwarts professor with no interest in returning. However, Dumbledore knew about Slughorn's fascination with students who brought him glory and sensed he couldn't resist the famous Harry Potter. So, the Headmaster left the two alone for a moment, relying on Harry's celebrity to attract Slughorn back to Hogwarts.

At the school, Dumbledore used Harry to get information from the professor. Slughorn taught Tom Riddle decades before and was who the boy confided in to learn about Horcruxes. Seeing as the topic was taboo, they could only learn about the magic from the source. While Slughorn may have been a good teacher, the motivation for bringing him back wasn't academic.

Dumbledore found Voldemort's first Horcrux, the Gaunt family ring, which contained the Resurrection Stone. Wishing to see his dead family, he put the ring on for just a moment, but it cursed him. Snape managed to contain the infection in Dumbledore's hand, but he knew he would die before long and therefore needed someone to continue the Horcrux hunt.

Leading up to his death, Dumbledore showed Harry glimmers into Tom's past, hoping to find places he might have hidden Horcruxes. Dumbledore quickly recruited Harry, bringing him along to the cave that contained the fake Slytherin locket.

Voldemort recruited Draco Malfoy into the Death Eaters alongside his father, Lucius. Lucius was one of Voldemort's closest confidants, and he wanted Draco to be just as highly ranked. Therefore, he instructed Draco to murder Dumbledore, as he had access to the Headmaster.

Dumbledore was aware of this plot, likely via Severus Snape, who acted as a double agent. Knowing Draco couldn't complete the mission, Dumbledore encouraged Snape to take over the task. Snape made an Unbreakable Vow to protect Draco if he couldn't muster the courage to kill the Headmaster.

Dumbledore knew his death was inevitable, either from the curse threatening to take over his body or Draco's assassination, so he asked Snape to complete the act. In the Astronomy Tower, in front of multiple Death Eaters, Snape hit one of his longest friends with the Avada Kedavra curse.

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While the death was shocking and enraging, it made sense once Snape unveiled the intelligent plan. The betrayal killed multiple birds with one stone: Voldemort didn't harm Draco, Dumbledore died quickly and painlessly, and it solidified Snape's supposed allegiance to the Dark Lord.

Dumbledore left each Golden Trio member seemingly innocent gifts in his will. For Ron, he left a Deluminator, which extinguished and reignited lights. However, it also helped guide him back to Harry and Hermione after he left the hunt. For Hermione, he left The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a children's book that contained the story of the three brothers and the Deathly Hallows that led them to Godric's Hollow and Xenophilius Lovegood.

Harry received the first Golden Snitch he caught in a Quidditch match. When placed in Harry's mouth, this sentimental gift showed the message, "I open at the close." While on his way to face Voldemort and impending death, the Snitch opened to reveal the Resurrection Stone. The stone allowed Harry to talk to his deceased loved ones, giving him the courage and strength to face death head-on. While the gifts seemed random, Dumbledore carefully planned them to set the trio up for success along their Horcrux hunt.

When Harry used Gryffindor's Sword to kill the Basilisk in his second year, it became embedded with venom, which could destroy Horcruxes. Knowing this, Dumbledore hid the real sword behind his painting and had a replica made, which he displayed in his office. In addition to the Snitch, Dumbledore left the item to Harry, but Scrimgeour wouldn't give it up, as it wasn't Dumbledore's property.

However, it sparked the idea to use the sword to destroy Horcruxes. First, Snape gave the fake to Bellatrix, which she kept in her Gringott's vault. Then, Dumbledore's portrait told Snape, the new Headmaster, to secretly get the blade to Harry via his Patronus. The sword destroyed the Gaunt ring, the Slytherin locket, and Nagini, Voldemort's priceless snake. While getting it to Harry was confusing and convoluted, it ultimately saved the day multiple times.

Wizards often called Harry the Chosen One, as he unknowingly defeated the Dark Lord as a baby. Dumbledore fed into this idea, giving Harry special treatment his entire Hogwarts career. When other students might've gotten in trouble, Harry got no punishment; Dumbledore even rewarded him for breaking the rules.

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Dumbledore knowingly fed Harry the Chosen One idea, which encouraged him to go along with the plot and ultimately sacrifice himself. Whether or not there was another option to stop the Dark Lord, Dumbledore carefully curated the young boy for years, making him believe he had no choice but to give up his life for the greater good.

Dumbledore knew all along that Harry was Voldemort's final Horcrux. Unfortunately, when Harry repelled the Dark Lord's attack, some of his soul split into the baby. The fight left Harry with a lightning bolt scar and a bond with the villain that they couldn't break. So, ultimately, Harry had to die to stop Voldemort.

The shocking plot twist revealed that Dumbledore had carefully crafted the entire plan for years, raising Harry as a "pig for slaughter," as Snape said. This fact put so much of the puzzle in place, showing the Headmaster's enormous influence on Harry and how each step of his life turned out.

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Madisyn Espinoza is a young writer who enjoys writing about movies and television shows, especially Disney and Harry Potter. Madisyn spends too much time reading, watching funny Tiktoks, and hanging out with her husband, puppy, and bearded dragon.

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