Harry Potter Dumbledores 5 Worst Mistakes (& His 5 Best Decisions)

Dumbledore isn't a perfect character from the Harry Potter series. Here are the worst mistakes and best decisions he makes throughout the films.

While Dumbledore might have all the markers of a kindly old wizard mentor, the Harry Potter series makes this trope much more complicated by revealing Dumbledore’s own complexities and dark past. Because of this, Dumbledore is a rather controversial figure in the series that fans still like to discuss.

Given the fact he’s not nearly as perfect as he first seemed, Dumbledore makes quite a few horrible mistakes in the series, but he also has good aspects of himself that lead to him making some great choices.

10 Worst: Not telling Harry about the Dumbledore family history

When Harry finally learns more about Dumbledore’s past, including Dumbledore’s family, he feels rather betrayed. He doesn’t learn any of this until he reads part of Rita Skeeter’s book about Albus, and then he is shocked to learn that Dumbledore’s family also lived at Godric’s Hollow.

Dumbledore should have told him about this as well as the complicated and traumatic things that happened, including Ariana’s death.

9 Best: Letting Hagrid and Lupin teach at Hogwarts

Given Dumbledore’s opinions about Muggles as a young person, he had a lot to make up for as he got older. However, he does completely change his view and becomes a champion of many people that are oppressed in the wizarding world.

The fact that he gives both Hagrid and Lupin a job when most people wouldn't do that.

8 Worst: Letting Harry do so many dangerous things alone

Given that Harry Potter is a series mostly aimed at children and teenagers, even if it’s enjoyed by all ages, it makes sense that Harry And his friends do things that normally young teens wouldn’t be doing. However, the way that Dumbledore is so hands-off when it comes to helping Harry and letting him do so many dangerous things such as enter the Chamber of Secrets is just ridiculous.

It’s way too dangerous, and he should have offered more help.

7 Best: Sticking up to Cornelius Fudge

After Voldemort returns in the graveyard at the end of Harry’s fourth year at school, Cornelius Fudge and the Ministry refuse to believe he’s back. They seek to discredit and vilify Dumbledore and Harry.

One of Dumbeldore’s best decisions is to not back down and to continue to fight for everyone to see the truth about Voldemort’s return. While he ends up being forced out of Hogwarts for this, it’s still the right thing to do.

6 Worst: Leaving Harry with the Dursleys

While there might be reasons given in the series as to why Harry had to live with the Dursleys, typically the protection he had while there, it is still hard to understand why Dumbledore would leave Harry there.

At the very least, he should have been more aware of how Harry was treated and tried to find him a safer, more loving environment. He basically allowed Harry to be neglected and abused, and this is pretty inexcusable.

5 Best: Finally letting Harry help him destroy Horcruxes

While Dumbeldore spends many years not telling Harry much of what he knows about Voldemort and his immortality because of Harry’s age, he makes the right choice when he finally lets Harry take lessons from him and help him find Horcruxes.

Harry needed this mentorship and help given the mission that Dumbledore wanted him to complete, and he honestly should have done this with Harry earlier.

4 Worst: Not telling Harry he would likely have to die

While Dumbledore might have finally told Harry about the prophecy in his fifth year and then told Harry about the Horcruxes in his sixth year, the fact that he never tells Harry about his suspicion that Harry himself is a Horcrux is awful.

Given how much Harry had already been through and how Dumbledore basically had been planning and pushing him to meet his death to destroy Voldemort, he at least owed him the truth.

3 Best: Trusting Harry to finish finding the Horcruxes after his death

While Dumbledore made the wrong decisions many times when it came to helping Harry and keeping things from him, he was right to trust Harry to finish finding the Horcruxes.

Despite Dumbledore not being fair to Harry many times, Harry had proven himself to be braves and willing to do everything to save others. He had also proven himself to be very capable, so this was a good decision.

2 Worst: Joining up with Grindelwald

While Dumbledore might have made a lot of poor decisions in his life, probably the absolute worst overall is his decision to join Grindelwald.

He was in line with and supported Grindelwald’s mission of bigotry and supremacy, and in fact, he was basically a co-creator of this “For the greater good” ideology. This is extremely disturbing, and it’s hard to completely forgive him for this.

1 Best: Remaining at Hogwarts

While Dumbledore might not be a perfect Headmaster, his presence at Hogwarts did at least protect the school from Voldemort.

Because of this, it’s a good thing that he kept staying on as headmaster of the school. It was also the right choice for him to turn down the role of Minister of Magic. Given his complicated past, this was the moral decision.