---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: \"I seem to remember telling you both that…"
description: "\"\"I seem to remember telling you both that I would have to expel you if you broke any more school rules,\" said Dumbledore. Ron opened his mouth in horro..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a1/albus-dumbledore-21998_expel_i-seem-to-remember-telling-you-both-that_1619566.jpg"
---

#  "I seem to remember telling you both that I would have to…

![“"I seem to remember telling you both that I would have to expel you if you broke any more school rules," said Dumbledore. Ron opened his mouth in horror. Which goes to show that the best of us must sometimes eat our words.” quote by Albus Dumbledore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a1/albus-dumbledore-21998_expel_i-seem-to-remember-telling-you-both-that_1619566.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a1/albus-dumbledore-21998_expel_i-seem-to-remember-telling-you-both-that_1619566.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a1/albus-dumbledore-21998_expel_i-seem-to-remember-telling-you-both-that_1619566.jpg)

> “"I seem to remember telling you both that I would have to expel you if you broke any more school rules," said Dumbledore. Ron opened his mouth in horror. Which goes to show that the best of us must sometimes eat our words.”

[Albus Dumbledore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albus-dumbledore/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A warning that consequences follow repeated rule‑breaking, and that even the wise may need to retract statements.

**In simple terms:** Breaking rules has costs; even leaders must admit mistakes.

Key Takeaway

Accept responsibility and enforce standards.

Themes

responsibility authority learning humility

Mood

serious reflective

Type

advice literary

When to use this quote

- school settings
- team management
- parenting
- organizational policy

Key Concepts

ethics leadership discipline

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance firmness with compassion?
- When should you reconsider a harsh stance?

A Different Perspective

Enforcing rules can strain relationships and morale.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Expel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expel/) [Mouth Horror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mouth-horror-252239/) [Rules Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rules-said-252240/) [Said Dumbledore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-dumbledore/) [Telling Expel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/telling-expel-252238/)

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> [“How could you carry the inside of a person with you and not call them a friend, no matter what the rules said?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-samuel/how-could-you-carry-the-inside-of-a-person-with-you-and-not-call-them/)

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> [“These things must be done by the rules," said Czernberg. "Yeah," said Shadow. "But nobody tells me what they are. You keep talking about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/these-things-must-be-done-by-the-rules-said-czernberg-yeah-said/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [“I have rules,” she said to him. He stilled his pen, raised expressionless eyes to her face, and waited. “When you bring me an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-cashore/i-have-rules-she-said-to-him-he-stilled-his-pen-raised-expressionless/)

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> [“To become a master of accounting, Arvind Babu, all you need to remember are two fundamental rules,’ said the munim. ‘What are those, Munimji?’…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashwin-sanghi/to-become-a-master-of-accounting-arvind-babu-all-you-need-to-remember/)

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> [“We did, however, deliver and expel many homosexual and sodomitic demons from my body, mind, heart, mouth, soul, penis, and anus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-benedict/we-did-however-deliver-and-expel-many-homosexual-and-sodomitic-demons/)

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> [“In contrast, innocent persons expect to expel the sassywood”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-t-leeson/in-contrast-innocent-persons-expect-to-expel-the-sassywood/)

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> [Our universities are so determined to impose tolerance that they'll expel you for saying what you think and never notice the irony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/our-universities-are-so-determined-to-impose-tolerance-that-they-ll/)

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> [“cleansing your friends doesn’t mean you have to expel them from your life forever, but depending on the level of their negativity and potentially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-alden/cleansing-your-friends-doesn-t-mean-you-have-to-expel-them-from-your/)

[Michael Alden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-alden/)

## More by Albus Dumbledore

> [Ah, music, A magic far beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albus-dumbledore/ah-music-a-magic-far-beyond-all-we-do-here-and-now-bedtime-off-you/)

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> [Fear of a name increases fear of a thing itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albus-dumbledore/fear-of-a-name-increases-fear-of-a-thing-itself/)

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> [I take my hat off to you--or I would, if I were not afraid of showering you with spiders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albus-dumbledore/i-take-my-hat-off-to-you-or-i-would-if-i-were-not-afraid-of-showering/)

[Albus Dumbledore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albus-dumbledore/)

> [Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all, those who live without love. By returning, you may ensure that fewer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albus-dumbledore/do-not-pity-the-dead-harry-pity-the-living-and-above-all-those-who/)

[Albus Dumbledore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albus-dumbledore/)

> [Harry, I owe you an explanation, An explanation of an old man's mistakes. For I see now that what I have done, and not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albus-dumbledore/harry-i-owe-you-an-explanation-an-explanation-of-an-old-man-s/)

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> [For I see now that what I have done, and not done, with regard to you, bears all the hallmarks of the failings of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albus-dumbledore/for-i-see-now-that-what-i-have-done-and-not-done-with-regard-to-you/)

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> [And now Harry, let us step out into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albus-dumbledore/and-now-harry-let-us-step-out-into-the-night-and-pursue-that-flighty/)

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> [“Reminds me, reminds us that though we may come from different places, speak in different tongues, our hearts beat as one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albus-dumbledore/reminds-me-reminds-us-that-though-we-may-come-from-different-places/)

[Albus Dumbledore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albus-dumbledore/)

[Explore all 24 Albus Dumbledore quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albus-dumbledore/)

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> [“cleansing your friends doesn’t mean you have to expel them from your life forever, but depending on the level of their negativity and potentially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-alden/cleansing-your-friends-doesn-t-mean-you-have-to-expel-them-from-your/)

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> [“In contrast, innocent persons expect to expel the sassywood”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-t-leeson/in-contrast-innocent-persons-expect-to-expel-the-sassywood/)

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> [“After being expelled from Paradise, Adam and Eve got married.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ljupka-cvetanova/after-being-expelled-from-paradise-adam-and-eve-got-married/)

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> [I seem to remember telling you both that I would have to expel you if you broke any more school rules, Which goes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albus-dumbledore/i-seem-to-remember-telling-you-both-that-i-would-have-to-expel-you-if-2/)

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> [We do not wish and do not need to expel Arabs and take their places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/we-do-not-wish-and-do-not-need-to-expel-arabs-and-take-their-places/)

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