Armando Dippet

**Professor Armando Dippet** was a character in *Harry Potter book series*. He was a wizard and Headteacher of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry before Albus Dumbledore.

He first appeared in *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*.

## Biography

### Earlier life

Armando Dippet was born in the 19th century or earlier. If he attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he was not sorted into Slytherin. He eventually obtained the role of Headteacher at Hogwarts. He was likely Phineas Nigellus Black's successor.

### Headteacher at Hogwarts

In an unknown year, Herbology Professor Herbert Beery proposed a play of The Fountain of Fair Fortune be performed to the whole school. Professor Dippet gave permission but it was a failure because two of the actors broke up and caused a scene during the performance.

#### Teaching Tom Riddle

In June 1943, Tom Riddle had opened the Chamber of Secrets and a student was killed. Dippet did not know who or what was responsible and did not consider the legend of the Chamber real. He had the students told that the legend was just a fictional story. Unless he located those responsible, the school was going to be closed down.

Tom sent a letter to Professor Dippet to ask if he would let him stay at the school for the summer. He told Tom that he could not grant permission for such a thing, especially because the school was no longer safe. Tom was shocked to hear the school could be closed down and asked if it would stay open if the person responsible was caught. Dippet asked if Tom knew anything but he wouldn't say and Dippet let him go.

Tom later "found" the person responsible, pinning it on Rubeus Hagrid who kept Aragog in the school. He thought Dippet was gullible enough to accept it, but he couldn't understand why anyone would think Hagrid had the brains to find the Chamber of Secrets. Hagrid was expelled but Dippet wanted to cover up why. He invented a story about how the student was killed in a freak accident and gave Tom a warning to support such a story, but he was awarded a Special Award for Services to the School for the trouble.

A teacher employed by Professor Dippet, Professor Dumbledore suspected Tom was lying but he was unable to persuade Dippet. However, he was persuaded to keep Hagrid at the school and train him to be Keeper of Keys and Grounds. Tom graduated two years later and applied to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts. Dippet thought he was too young and asked him to apply again in a few years. Dumbledore again advised Dippet he thought Tom was untrustworthy but Dippet was fond of him and thought he was being truthful.

### Later life and death

In December 1956, he hired Minerva McGonagall to teach under the Head of Transfiguration, Professor Dumbledore. In 1965 to 1971, Professor Dippet stepped down and was no longer the Head of Hogwarts. Professor Dumbledore was his successor to the post. Dippet passed away before December 1995.

### Portrait

A portrait of Professor Dippet was hung in the Headteacher's office. It gave advice to future Headteachers during their tenure. In 1995, it was upset at the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black who pretended to be tired because Dumbledore wanted him to go to 12 Grimmauld Place.

## Appearance

By June 1943, the elderly Professor Dippet was feeble and frail-looking. He was nearly bald with only a few whisps of white hair left.

## Character

In elderly age, he spoke in a very feeble voice. He showed concern towards students and he valued their safety. He thought it was worth covering up what happened during the first opening of the Chamber of Secrets, because he felt shame for being unable to prevent it. He was a stern disciplinarian who gave warnings and expelled students even before taking their story into consideration.

He appears to value status, preferring the word of a Prefect instead of a third-year. It was perhaps too easy for such a highly-valued person to manipulate him because of their apparent good standing, unable to accept Tom was capable of opening of the Chamber of Secrets even if a colleague advised him otherwise.

## Notes and sources

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 In *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Chapter 13, he looked "widened" and "frail-looking". The scene took place in June 1943. If he was very elderly then, he had to be born in at least the 19th century, and perhaps even earlier.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 In an interview at the Edinburgh Book Festival, J.K. Rowling stated every portrait of Hogwarts was of a dead person. Armando's portrait first appeared in the books in December 1995. He would have passed away before then.
3. ↑ In *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows*, Chapter 16, it was stated that Severus Snape was the first Slytherin Headteacher since Phineas Nigellus Black. Dippet was a Headteacher after Phineas, who passed away in 1925, so if he attended Hogwarts, he was in a different House.
4. ↑ Phineas died in 1925 according to a family tree for the Black family drawn by J.K. Rowling. Dippet is the next known Headteacher chronologically, having the role only twenty years later. It's therefore probable he was Black's successor.
5. ↑ *The Tales of Beedle the Bard*: The Fountain of Fair Fortune
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Chapter 13
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Chapter 17
8. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince*, Chapter 20
9. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*, Chapter 15
10. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*, Chapter 22