Getting bored with the usualness of your life, you might have also tried indulging in the greatest wizard movie of all time. Yes, you guessed it right, Harry Potter. Living a life like this movie, having magical powers, and studying at Hogwarts have been on the to-do list of many children since the late 1990s. This film is nostalgic for some and inspirational for others. Are you also among those dedicated audiences? Then you must know why did Dumbledore have to die in the movie and does Dumbledore really die in the movie? If not, don’t worry, you are at the right place as we are about to begin that chapter.
1. Does Dumbledore really die in Harry Potter?
Harry Potter is a wizard series that J.K Rowling wrote. This book has seven volumes and was published by her in late 1997. Her book was later adapted as a movie in 2001. Harry Potter was a story full of twists and surprises. Readers or viewers became attached to this story and its characters quickly and deeply. They were shell-shocked when Dumbledore, one of the prominent characters, was killed in the story. And yes, Dumbledore really died in the story. If you want to know why did Dumbledore have to die, read till the end. (See Why is Harry Potter so popular?)
2. Why did Dumbledore have to die in Harry Potter?
The death of Dumbledore was very important in the movie. He was killed in the 6th novel. The prime importance of his death was it made Voldemort believe that he could trust Snape. Apart from this, his death saved Draco Malfoy’s soul and released the elder wand. His death created the ambiance for the final chapter of this series. Now you might have understood why did Dumbledore have to die in Harry Potter.
3. Who killed Dumbledore?
The death of Dumbledore shocked many fans as they were wondering why did Dumbledore have to die, and what was even more shocking was that the person who killed him was none other than Severus Snape. He cast the fatal spell that ultimately took Dumbledore’s life. (See Why Avatar was so successful?)
4. Why did Snape have to Kill Dumbledore?
As you are wondering why did Dumbledore have to die and why Snape killed him, you will be surprised to know that it was Dumbledore himself who orchestrated his death and asked Severus Snape to kill him. Dumbledore was cursed. In Harry’s 6th year at Hogwarts, Prof Snape and Dumbledore were actively searching for Voldemort’s Horcruxes. These Horcruxes were magical articles containing pieces of Voldemort’s soul and immortality.
It was later relieved that Dumbledore had already acquired the second Horcrux, Marvalo Gaunt’s Ring. He made the mistake of wearing this ring to revive his family and sister. He couldn’t connect with this ring and was cursed by it. The curse was causing his hand to be black and dead as it progressed. Snape had tried to limit the curse, but it was too late; Dumbledore would die painfully within a year. So, Snape killing him was merciful for the headmaster.
The second reason Snape killed Dumbledore was to save Draco Malfoy’s soul. Initially, Voldemort chose Draco to kill the headmaster. This would have put Draco on a dark path, and Dumbledore didn’t want that for the young wizard. He asked Snape to kill him instead of Draco. Moreover, this helped Snape earn Voldemort’s trust. (See Does Peeta die in The Hunger Games?)
5. Why was Dumbledore killed?
Dumbledore is one of the strongest characters in Harry Potter. He was a great mentor for the young wizard. Then why did Dumbledore have to die? But even this strong of a character had to die for the planned progression of the story to set the final tone of the chapter.
His death solidified Voldemort’s trust in Snape as Voldemort was starting to doubt Snape. Snape could plot to kill the Dark Lord efficiently by regaining his trust. Dumbledore himself asked Snape to kill him and, in the process, save Draco from following a dark path. He was already cursed and would die rather painfully within a year. Snape killing him, saved him from that pain and played a pivot role in releasing the elder wand. (See Why did Victorious end so Abruptly?)
6. How old was Dumbledore when he died?
Dumbledore was a very deep character, and he lived a long life. He had seen a lot of life events in the wizarding world. He had seen fights and had also faced tragedies. He was the one who dropped the young Harry at his uncle’s place after tragedy struck his family, and he was even there when Harry joined Hogwarts. Seeing the numerous events he had done in his life makes people wonder about his age when he died.
J.K. Rowling, in an interview, stated that Dumbledore was about 150 years old when he died. But according to Pottermore, when Snape cast the killing spell on Dumbledore on top of Hogwarts Astronomy Tower, the headmaster was 115 years old. Must read about the First Full Length Movie Ever Made.
7. Did Dumbledore have Cancer?
No, in the story, Dumbledore didn’t have cancer. Instead, he was cursed. But the actor who played the character of Dumbledore in the initial Harry Potter movies, Richard Harris, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease, a type of cancer, in August 2002. He later passed away from this very disease on 25th October 2002. This happened just weeks before the US Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets premiere. Michael Gambon, a fellow Irish descendant actor, replaced Richard for the role of Dumbledore. (See What are the Names of the Seven Dwarves in Snow White?)
8. How did Dumbledore get cursed?
In Harry’s 6th year in Hogwarts, he and Dumbledore went on to search actively for Voldemort’s Horcruxes. These Horcruxes contained pieces of Voldemort’s soul and immortality. It was later relieved that Dumbledore had already acquired the second Horcrux, Marvalo Gaunt’s Ring. He disregarded the ring’s status and wore it hoping to revive his family, especially his sister Ariana. The ring, however, cursed Dumbledore and this is one of the primary reasons why did Dumbledore have to die. His hand started to blacken and die as the curse progressed in his body. (See Why Did the Grinch Hate Christmas?)
9. When does Dumbledore die? In which Harry Potter Movie does Dumbledore die?
Besides, why did Dumbledore have to die, you must know about the time of death in the story. The Harry Potter movie series has eight parts; among them, Dumbledore died in the 6th part of the movie, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. This part was released in 2009. In this part, Severus Snape casts a killing spell on Dumbledore on top of the Astronomy Tower. While all this was happening, Harry couldn’t do anything and see helplessly as Dumbledore perished. (See How many Harry Potter books are there?)
10. Who became the Headmaster of Hogwarts after Dumbledore died?
After reading the answers to does Dumbledore really die and why did Dumbledore have to die, you must also know about the succeeding headmaster of Hogwarts. Following the death of Dumbledore at the hands of Severus Snape, Professor Minerva McGonagall became the acting headmistress. This happened for the remainder of the school year.
But when Voldemort usurped the wizarding world, he appointed Snape as the acting headmaster of Hogwarts. He did so to acquire control over the school through Snape. Later during the Battle of Hogwarts, when Voldemort Killed Snape, the position of headmaster was again empty, and finally, again Minerva McGonagall became the headmaster of Hogwarts. (See When will the Next Season of Empire start?)
11. After Dumbledore died Who owns the Elder Wand?
One of the important events that followed after the death of Dumbledore was the release of the Elder Wand. This wand was the most powerful in existence. It was another Deathly Hallow and was commanded by Dumbledore for over 50 years. Before Snape successfully killed Dumbledore by replacing Draco, the young wizard had already disarmed the headmaster.
This way, Draco unknowingly became the master of the Elder Wand. Voldemort was unaware of this fact. He could thus not command the Elder Wand even after retrieving it back from Dumbledore’s grave. Later at the battle in Hogwarts, Harry defeated Draco and took control of the Elder Wand. (See Why some people think Harry Potter is evil?)
12. Does Dumbledore come back to Life?
No, sadly for many fans, Snape killing Dumbledore was the end of Dumbledore’s life. He never came back to life after getting killed by Snape. He was a very strong character, but his death was a very pivotal point for the continuation of the story. (Also read Why Did Dean Martin And Jerry Lewis Break Up?)
