Albus Dumbledore

Albus Dumbledore is the headmaster of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter books. He is described in the books as one of the greatest wizards of all time, and the fandom is divided on the issue of whether he is actually benevolent or, rather, manipulative in his effort to help Harry fight Lord Voldemort. A small number of stories show him as actively evil.
==Canon==
===Books===
=== Dumbledore in the Films ===
Many fans were unhappy with the way Michael Gambon portrayed Dumbledore in the films. The fourth movie especially caused much wank because fans felt movie!Dumbledore was not an accurate characterization of Dumbledore in canon. At least one person described the audience clapping and cheering when Dumbledore was killed in the sixth film.an RL acquaintance of user:aethel, cannot remember when
Fans who blame Gambon for Dumbledore's OOC-ness often cite his 2009 interview with the Los Angeles Times, in which he states that he had never read the books. However, the same article states that it was screenwriter Steve Kloves and director David Yates who "demanded an intense Dumbledore."Denise Martin. Gambon is playing by the headmaster's rules, The Los Angeles Times. 14 July 2009.
===Fantastic Beasts===
==Dumbledore's Sexuality==
On October 19, 2007, J. K. Rowling revealed that she always thought Dumbledore was gay and in love with Gellert Grindelwald, making him the only canonically gay character in the Harry Potter series. This "outing" lead to a surge in popularity of the Albus Dumbledore/Gellert Grindelwald ship,88 + new members in 18 hours or so? at Grindeldore LiveJournal community, October 2007. (Accessed October 2008.) but also created some controversy.
There has been a lot of discussion about Rowling's statement, its political implications, its relationship to canon, and whether Dumbledore's sexuality can be inferred from the books alone.
* Tumblr discussion with comments by gyzym 2012-2013
A small subset of evil!Dumbledore fanfic attributes his behaviour to his sexual orientation, for example claiming that Dumbledore helped Snape escape justice because he was attracted to him. Usually this characterisation seems to have homophobic overtones.
==Fan Perspectives==
For Harry Potter fans who like Dumbledore, his complicated role as the mastermind of a war is usually seen as a feature, not a bug. As one anonymous fan writes, "[He is] Probably the most complex character in the entire series, even in front of Snape. I love his arc: how you start out thinking he's just this fluffy old man, and how by the end you realize just how much he's done and sacrificed in an attempt to save the world." on Fail_Fandomanon. February 13, 2021. Another reflects that, "the whole relationship with Harry is fascinating to me: Harry is the tool that will bring down Voldemort for good and Dumbledore makes his moves with that in mind, but he's genuinely grown to care about the boy far more than he expected." on Fail_Fandomanon. February 13, 2021.
==Fanworks==
===Fanart===
File:Albusmagicaldragon.jpeg|high femme, by magicaldragon
===Fanfiction===
* Six Years, Six Applicants by Sarah1281, Chronicling Dumbledore's never-ending and sometimes desperate attempts to fill the Defense Against the Dark Arts position with anyone but Snape and Snape's persistent attempts to land the job anyway. (2009)
===Meta===
* Saint or Sinner - All Things Characterisation - "The White Bumblebee" Albus Dumbledore by JK Ashavah
* Out of the Closet, Into the Fire by Leila Belhadjali (October 22, 2007) 
* He's Gay and He's Mine by Leila Belhadjali (October 22, 2007) 
* by apriki - an anti-Dumbledore post analyzing his actions throughout the series
* - an untitled tumblr post by c-is-for-circinate about why many fans dislike Dumbledore.
==Archives & Fannish Links==
* Albus Dumbledore works on Ao3
* Albus Dumbledore works onff.net
* Albus Dumbledore page on the Harry Potter Wiki
==References==
Category:Harry Potter Characters