I brought about the death of Albus Dumbledore!” “You…
““I brought about the death of Albus Dumbledore!” “You thought you did,” said Harry, “but you were wrong.” For the first time, the watching crowd stirred as the hundreds of people around the walls drew breath as one. “ Dumbledore is dead! ” Voldemort hurled the words at Harry as though they would cause him unendurable pain. “His body decays in the marble tomb in the gronds of this castle, I have seen it, Potter, and he will not return!” “Yes, Dumbledore’s dead,” said Harry calmly, “but you didn’t have him killed. He chose his own nature of dying, chose it months before he died, arranged the whole thing with the man you thought was your servant.” “What childish dream is this?” said Voldemort, but still he did not strike, and his red eyes did not waver from Harry’s. “Severus Snape wasn’t yours,” said Harry. “Snape was Dumbledore’s, Dumbledore’s from the moment you started hunting down my mother. And you never realized it, because of the thing you can’t understand. You never saw Snape cast a Patronus, did you, Riddle?””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Harry reveals that Dumbledore’s death was self‑determined, undermining Voldemort’s belief he controlled it.
In simple terms: Dumbledore chose his own death, not Voldemort.
Key Takeaway
Recognize agency behind apparent defeats.
Themes
agency
death
choice
power
truth
Mood
tense
dramatic
reflective
Type
dialogue
revelation
philosophical
When to use this quote
- wizard duel
- leadership crisis
- moral revelation
- character analysis
Key Concepts
self‑determination
prophecy
loyalty
Questions to Reflect On
- What does true control look like?
- How does accepting destiny affect resistance?
A Different Perspective
Voldemort’s overconfidence blinds him to deeper motives.