Editing Albus Dumbledore (section)

==Creation and development==
Rowling has described Dumbledore as "the epitome of goodness".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2013/08/jk-rowling-misses-dumbledore-most/311740/|title=Of Course J.K. Rowling Misses Dumbledore the Most|publisher=The Atlantic|date=27 August 2013|access-date=12 May 2022}}</ref> She said that he speaks for her, as he "knows pretty much everything" about the [[Harry Potter universe|''Harry Potter'' universe]].<ref name="chamberdvd">{{cite AV media|title=Chamber of Secrets DVD: Interview with Steve Kloves and J.K. Rowling|date=February 2003|type=DVD}}</ref> Rowling mentioned that Dumbledore regrets "that he has always had to be the one who knew, and who had the burden of knowing. And he would rather not know."<ref>{{cite episode|title=Living with Harry" - J. K. Rowling Interview|series=Christmas Special|station=BBC Radio4|date=10 December 2005}}</ref> As a mentor to the central character [[Harry Potter (character)|Harry Potter]], "Dumbledore is a very wise man who knows that Harry is going to have to learn a few hard lessons to prepare him for what may be coming in his life. He allows Harry to get into what he would not allow another pupil to do, and he also unwillingly permits Harry to confront things he'd rather protect him from."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.msn.co.uk/liveevents/harrypotter/transcript/Default.asp?Ath=f|title=J.K. Rowling at the Royal Albert Hall|publisher=MSN.com|date=26 June 2003|access-date=12 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061112072736/http://www.msn.co.uk/liveevents/harrypotter/transcript/Default.asp?Ath=f|archive-date=12 November 2006|url-status=dead}}</ref> In a 1999 interview, Rowling stated that she imagined Dumbledore "more as a [[John Gielgud]] type, you know, quite elderly and&nbsp;– and quite stately."<ref name="WBUR">{{cite episode|title=J. K. Rowling Interview|series=The Connection|station=WBUR Radio|date=12 October 1999}}</ref> During his time as a student, Dumbledore was in [[Gryffindor]] House.<ref>{{HP1ref}}, page 106<!--American page number--></ref> In a 2000 interview, Rowling said that Dumbledore "is a hundred and fifty" during the events of the novels,<ref>{{cite web |last=Rowling |first=J. K. |date=16 October 2000 |title=About the Books: transcript of J. K. Rowling's live interview on Scholastic.com |url=http://www.scholastic.com/harrypotter/books/author/interview2.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091015031832/http://www.scholastic.com/harrypotter/books/author/interview2.htm |archive-date=15 October 2009 |access-date=30 October 2007 |website=Scholastic}}</ref> as said also by the character [[Ron Weasley]] in [[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)|''Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince'']].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Milano-Firenze |first=Mo-Net s r l |title=Harry Potter e il principe mezzosangue (2009) |url=https://www.mymovies.it/film/2009/harrypotter6/frasi/ |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=mymovies.it}}</ref> However, she has stated on her website that he was born in 1881, which makes him either 115 or 116 at the time of his death.<ref name= "age" />

In 2007, Rowling was asked whether Dumbledore finds "true love". Rowling said that she always thought of Dumbledore as being [[homosexual]] and that he had fallen in love with the corrupt wizard [[Gellert Grindelwald]], which was Dumbledore's "great tragedy"; Rowling did not explicitly state whether Grindelwald returned his affections.<ref name="nydncarnegie">{{cite news|title=Rowling dubs Dumbledore of 'Harry Potter' books as gay|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2007/10/19/2007-10-19_rowling_dubs_dumbledore_of_harry_potter_.html|access-date=20 October 2007|location=New York City|work=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]]|date=19 October 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071021091039/http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2007/10/19/2007-10-19_rowling_dubs_dumbledore_of_harry_potter_.html|archive-date=21 October 2007 <!--DASHBot-->|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="365carnegie">{{cite news|url=http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/10/102007potter.htm|title=J.K. Rowling outs Hogwarts character|agency=[[Associated Press]]|date=20 October 2007|access-date=22 October 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071021081806/http://365gay.com/Newscon07/10/102007potter.htm|archive-date=21 October 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN2052004020071020|title=JK Rowling says wizard Dumbledore is gay|date=20 October 2007|work=[[Reuters]]|access-date=2 August 2008}}</ref> Rowling explains this further by elaborating on the motivations behind Dumbledore's flirtation with the idea of wizard domination of [[Muggle]]s: "He lost his moral compass completely when he fell in love and I think subsequently became very mistrustful of his own judgement in those matters so became quite [[asexuality|asexual]]. He led a celibate and a bookish life."<ref name="edinburgh">{{cite web|url=http://www.mugglenet.com/app/news/full_story/1497|title=Minister of Magic|access-date=14 March 2008|last=Amini|first=Adeel|date=9 March 2008|publisher=Mugglenet.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080311022116/http://www.mugglenet.com/app/news/full_story/1497 |archive-date=11 March 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Etymology===
{{Wiktionary|dumbledore}}
The name "Dumbledore" is [[Borrowing (linguistics)|borrowed]] from a [[dialect]]al word from [[Hampshire]], [[Cornwall]], and elsewhere, chiefly for "[[bumblebee]]" (the first particle [[cognate|sharing origin]], and ancient {{wikt-lang|en|dor}} for "humming insect").<ref>{{Cite web |title='Dumbledore', 'Hippogriff', and 11 More Real Words from Harry Potter |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/harry-potter-words |access-date=2024-07-20 |website=Merriam Webster |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
 | url         = https://www.etymonline.com/word/dumbledore
 | title       = Etymology of dumbledore
 | last        = Harper
 | first       = Douglas
 | website     = [[Online Etymology Dictionary]]
 | publisher   = Douglas Harper
 | access-date = 30 April 2025
}}</ref> Rowling chose the name because Dumbledore loves music, and she imagined him walking around and humming to himself frequently.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sexton |first1=Colleen A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gX2lAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA46 |title=J. K. Rowling |date=2007 |publisher=Twenty-First Century Books |isbn=978-0-8225-7949-6 |page=46 |language=en}}</ref>