Hey everyone,
Welcome to another installment of Harry Potter Theory.
In this video, we’re going to be discussing the formation, purpose, and timeline of each
of Albus Dumbledore’s armies.
Now, I know what you may be thinking: “EACH of Dumbledore’s armies?!
Didn’t he only have just the one?”
While, of course, you are correct in identifying that only one of Dumbledore’s armies was
literally named DUMBLEDORE’S ARMY, there were actually – at least – three other
groups which formed around the leadership of Albus Dumbledore.
While each of these groups were created to serve their own unique purpose, they all were
underground, unsanctioned martial groups formed in support of Dumbledore during times of wizarding
warfare.
Let’s get started…
The first group is one that has only recently been revealed to fans of the Wizarding World.
They are a rather odd assembly of characters, who have been introduced through the Fantastic
Beasts films.
No doubt you will have figured out that I’m referring to Newt Scamander, his assistant
– Bunty, his brother – Theseus, Jacob Kowalski, Tina Goldstein, Yusuf Kama, and
Eulalie Hicks.
From previous films and current trailers for the upcoming Secrets of Dumbledore, we know
that Newt was, of course, the famous Magizoologist who later writes Fantastic Beasts and Where
to Find Them.
Theseus Scamander was Newt’s older brother and a talented Auror, working for the British
Ministry of Magic.
Jacob Kowalski was the American No-Maj, whom Newt befriended in New York during his state-side
trip to find magical creatures.
Porpentina – or Tina – Goldstein, the American half-blood witch, whom Newt also
befriended – and let’s be honest, fell for – during that same trip to New York.
Yusuf Kama was the French pure-blood wizard of Senegalese ancestry, whom we were introduced
to in The Crimes of Grindelwald, and finally, Eulalie Hicks, an American witch born to No-Maj
parents and the charms professor at Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Forming sometime in the 1930s, the purpose of this first iteration of Dumbledore’s
Army was quite clear: to stop Gellert Grindelwald.
Or as Theseus Scamander puts it: “This is the team that’s going to take down the most
dangerous wizard in over a century.”
In any case, this rather diverse group of witches, wizards, and a Muggle came together
throughout the Fantastic Beast films through circumstance and friendship to take down Grindelwald.
With that in mind, you may argue that they formed in allegiance to Newt Scamander, not
Albus Dumbledore.
HOWEVER, hasn’t everything Newt’s done throughout the films been in answer to a request
from Dumbledore?
I also think that it’s quite obvious that we will see far more action and direction
from Albus himself in the upcoming film.
Firstly, because he seems to be in almost every frame of the trailers!
And then, of course, there’s the fact that the movie is quite literally named after him.
And then there’s of course the fact that many fans have taken to the internet to express
they believe this group was Dumbledore’s first unofficial army, and, well, you don’t
have to tell me twice…
The second group of witches and wizards that came together under the leadership of Albus
Dumbledore was the First Order of the Phoenix.
Founded in secret by Dumbledore, the purpose of this covert magical society was to put
an end to Lord Voldemort during his rise to power in the 1970s.
At this time, the Dark Lord had assembled his own army of Death Eaters and was bringing
destruction and murder to the Wizarding World through his hateful ambition.
Aside from Albus, members of the First Order included Sirius Black, Edgar Bones, Caradoc
Dearborn, Dedalus Diggle, Elphias Doge, Aberforth Dumbledore, Benjy Fenwick, Arabella Figg Mundungus
Fletcher, Rubeus Hagrid, Alice Longbottom, Frank Longbottom, Remus Lupin, Marlene McKinnon,
Dorcas Meadows, Alastor Moody, Peter Pettigrew, Sturgis Podmore, James Potter, Lily Potter,
Fabian Prewett, Gideon Prewett, Severus Snape, and Emmeline Vance.
This group – resistance, society, army, or whatever you want to call it – played
a very important role in helping end the First Wizarding War.
Voldemort was inevitably taken down in 1981 by an infant Harry Potter and the magical
protection from his mother’s love.
As you well know, Harry’s mother was Order of the Phoenix Member, Lily Potter.
Sadly, this night also brought the loss of many Order members, including the deaths of
Lily and James Potter, the imprisonment of Sirius Black, and the betrayal of Peter Pettigrew.
Although the First Order was disbanded after Voldemort’s defeat, they reconvened in 1995
after the Dark Lord rose back to power and the Second Wizarding War began.
Once again, this group of witches and wizards rose to the call under the direction and leadership
of Albus.
It would seem that the group only reformed after Harry told Dumbledore that Voldemort
was back.
Dumbledore believed Harry, and that was enough motivation for the rest of the members to
restore the Order in opposition of the Dark Lord.
While the Second Order was comprised of many of the original members, newcomers included:
Kingsley Shacklebolt, Minerva McGonagall, Arthur, Bill, Charlie, Molly, Fred, George,
and Ron Weasly, Hestia Jones, Nymphadora Tonks, Fleur Delacour, Harry Potter, and Hermione
Granger.
Although they participated in combat, such as the Battle of the Department of Mysteries
in 1996, the Second Order remained underground in an effort to protect its members, as so
many remembered how ruthless Voldemort and his Death Eaters had been back in the 70s.
Tragically, this was not enough to save Dumbledore, who effectively orchestrated his own death
after condemning himself to die by touching Marvolo Gaunt’s cursed ring.
Despite their grief over losing their unrivaled leader, Dumbledore, the Second Order marched
on under the joint direction of McGonnagall, Shacklebolt, and Moody – until his death
in the summer of 1997.
The Second Order came to the aide of Hogwarts’ students and staff during the Battle of Hogwarts
in 1998, which saw the final defeat of Voldemort and the ultimate dissolution of his Death
Eaters.
This, of course, brings us to Albus Dumbledore’s fourth and final group of magical soldiers:
the student-run organization that formed in the name of Dumbledore, Dumbledore’s Army.
Otherwise known as the D.A., Dumbledore’s Army is actually the only magical arms group
discussed in this video that does not directly involve Albus Dumbledore himself.
The secret organization was founded by Hermione and led by Harry in an effort to teach students
Defence Against the Dark Arts.
This meant that the group was learning combative and martial magic, so that they could defend
themselves again Lord Voldemort, his Death Eaters, or other forces of dark magic.
Dumbledore’s Army was originally formed as a result of that year’s Defence Against
the Dark Arts professor – Dolores Umbridge – refusing to teach them anything in class.
But, as the Second Wizarding War raged on, the D.A.
evolved into a group that proved themselves to be instrumental in the defeat of Voldemort.
Dumbledore’s Army first began to take shape in 1995 but gained momentum as the school
year went on.
After an initial meeting at the Hog’s Head in Hogsmeade, the students would meet in the
Room of Requirement at Hogwarts.
In these meetings, Harry would teach members – who came from Gryffindor, Hufflepuff,
and Ravenclaw – what he had learned over the years in his many confrontations with
Voldemort.
The D.A.
was originally comprised of almost 30 students, so I won’t bore you with the name of each
and every one of them.
But you will most likely know that aside from Harry, Ron, and Hermione, other group members
included Cho Chang, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, and Ginny Weasley.
In fact, it was Ginny who suggested that the group call themselves Dumbledore’s Army
in an effort to frighten the Ministry into recognizing the truth: that Voldemort had
returned.
Despite briefly disbanding in 1996, Dumbledore’s Army was present at many battles and played
a vital role in the resistance against dark magic at Hogwarts, while Harry, Ron, and Hermione
were away searching for Voldemort’s Horcruxes in year seven.
Members of the D.A.
participated in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, the Battle of the Astronomy
Tower, and the Battle of Hogwarts.
Neville Longbottom, who led the group in Harry’s absence, was also responsible for killing
Voldemort’s pet serpent, Nagini, who also happened to be one of his Horcruxes.
It would seem that the only real role Dumbledore played in the D.A.
was in falsely admitting to Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic at the time, that he
had created the group.
He did so in order to save Harry and the others from punishment.
And with that, we have come to the end of another video!
What are your thoughts on why witches and wizards were so drawn to Albus Dumbledore
and his leadership?
Do you think this clearly demonstrates how fortunate the Wizarding World is that Albus
decided against his plans with Gellert Grindelwald way back when?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
And, as always, if you enjoyed the video, don’t forget to like it and subscribe to
the channel!
Until next time…
“It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
– Albus Dumbledore