A/N: I'm not going to attach pictures from the movies, thank you. Dumbledore's casting in the last five books were my biggest disappointment in the movies.

1. From the very beginning, Dumbledore was eccentric.

"Only because you're too-well-noble to use them."

"It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs."

This is how the stranger Dumbledore was introduced to us.

Oh and, of course, this:

"Scars can come in useful. I have one myself above my left knee which is a perfect map of the London Underground."

2. "So--back again Harry?"

When he said this, Harry's insides turned to ice, and we all thought for a second that he was going to be in trouble, because he had been sneaking around the castle at night--a first year at that--and looking at something ('The Mirror of Erised'), which was definitely not meant for students.

All Dumbledore did was explain the mirror gently to Harry, gave some awesome advice- "It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live" - and told Harry-requested him-  to not go looking for the mirror again.

I think this is the moment, really, when the readers started realizing that Dumbledore was not an ordinary headmaster.

And one with an adorable sense of humour at that.

"Sir--Professor Dumbledore? Can I ask you something?"

"Obviously, you've just done so," Dumbledore smiled. "You may ask me one more thing, however."

"What do you see when you look into the mirror?"

"I? I see myself holding a pair of thick, woollen socks."

It was six books later that we realzied what he actually saw in the mirror-the family he believed he had failed.

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3. "Now, enough questions, I suggest you make a start on these sweets. Ah! Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans! I was unfortunate enough in my youth to come acros a vomit-flavoured one, and since then I'm afraid I've rather lost my liking for them--but I think Ill be safe with a nice toffee, don't you think?"

He is the Headmaster, and he steals candy from a student!

He smiled and popped the golden-brown bean into his mouth. Then he choked and said, "Alas! Earwax!"

And he gets spoofed by the similar colour of toffee and earwax!!

By the end of the first book itself, you cannot NOT love Albus Dumbledore.

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4. Dumbledore was giving Harry a searching look. His twinkling light blue gaze made Harry feel as though he was being X-rayed.

He always felt that. Few years later it became 'gave Harry the familiar feeling of being X-rayed.' [I don't know why these little things make me love Dumbledore harder than the big things.]

"Innocent until proven guilty, Severus."

Of course he was just being fair. 

But he also used that firm tine, the one he uses when he's not going to take any nonsense.

And he is not having one of his teachers making the poor boy feel worse than he already did by the turn of events (coming fresh from a Deathday party and finding Mrs. Norris hanging as if near dead) just because he looked like his dad who bullied Snape.

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5.  "If the governors want my removal, I shall of course step aside--"

His unfailing politeness. Dumbledore was always so soft-spoken.

"However, you will find that I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me."

That would NEVER happen, Professor.

"You will also find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it."

Such a Dumbledore thing to say, isn't this?

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6. "Firstly Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

"As to our second new appointment, well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties."

Keeping aside the subtle humour in this, just think back to this statement.

Remus was a werewolf, and Hagrid was half-giant. And yet. Yet. Dumbledore could not care less. Dumbledore was always the champion of Muggleborns, half breeds and all under privileged people.

Is it any wonder that Hagrid roared, "NEVER INSULT ALBUS DUMBLEDORE IN FRONT OF ME!" before giving Dudley the pig's tail? We laugh at that incident, we do. But think back into the emotion why Hagrid did it...only because Vernon Dudley called Dumbledore a 'crackpot'.

And yes, Hagrid practically threw Karkaroff into a tree when he insulted Dumbledore in the fourth book, remember?

Remus was not given to violent displays of emotions like Hagrid, but didn't he also say, trying to justify himself about not having told anyone that Sirius was Animagus, "And Dumbledore's trust has meant everything to me. He let me into Hogwarts as a boy, and he gave me a job, when I have shunned all my adult life, unable to find a paid job because of what I am."

Dumbledore trusted everyone so easily.

And yet, not once was he wrong, not since Gellert Grindelwald.

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7. Imagine Harry sitting in Remus' room, glum and bitter. He had lost the chance to live with Sirius. And now he hears that Professor Lupin is leaving. Both his father's best friends, about which he got to know just last night, are leaving, and Harry is just sitting there.

"Why so miserable, Harry? You should be very proud of yourself after last night."

He had forgotten about the other parental figure he still had remaining at Hogwarts.

"Professor Dumbledore, yesterday, when I was having my Divination exam, Professor Trelawney went very--very strange."

"Indeed? Er--stranger than usual, you mean?"

This makes me laugh every single time I read it (and trust me I've read the Prisoner of Azkaban, in particular, an alarming number of times.) Dumbledore has got to be the friendliest Headmaster in the history of Headmasters.

"It was stupid--thinking it was him," muttered Harry. "I mean, I knew he was dead."

"You think the dead we have loved ever truly leave us? That we don't recall them more clearly than ever in times of great trouble? Your father is alive in you, Harry, and shows himself most plainly when you have need of him. How else could you produce that particular Patronus?"

Trust Dumbledore to bring Harry out of thinking he's silly. (Hermione had certainly made him feel silly last night when he told her he thought he saw Prongs--no insult, though, Hermione.)

"Prongs rode again last night."

This line....

I dunno why it's one of my absolute favourite lines in the whole series.

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8. "Professor," Harry gasped. "I know I shouldn't've--I didn't mean--the cabinet door was sort of open and--"

"I quite understand." 

Harry can't have known Dumbledore at all if he thought he was going to get scolded for that.

"I was using the Pensieve when Mr Fudge arrived for our meeting, and put it away rather hastily. Undoubtedly I did not fasten the cabinet door properly. Naturally it would have attracted your attention."

"I'm sorry," Harry mumbled.

Dumbledore shook his head.

"Curiosity is not a sin. But we need to exercise caution with our curiosity...yes, indeed..."

He is unfathomable, Dumbledore. He never scolds (as we see later in Half Blood Prince, too, when Harry failed to get Slughorn's memory), and then he makes such strange comments.

Yes, indeed, he is unfathomable.

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9.  "At that moment Harry fully understood for the first time why people said Dumbledore was the only wizard Voldemort had ever feared. The look upon Dumbledore's face as he stared down at the unconscious form of Mad-Eye Moody was more terrible than Harry could ever have imagined. There was no benign smile upon Dumbledore's face, no twinkle in his eyes behind the spectacles."

Since we grew up with Harry, this was the first time we saw this side of Dumbledore as well. And I must admit, this makes him even more perfect. I mean, of course, the twinkle and kindly smile makes him lovable, but this makes him strong and admirable.

"But if you're going to work against me--"

"The only one against whom I wish to work," said Dumbledore. "is Lord Voldemort. If you are against him, then we remain, Cornelius, on the same side."

Dumbledore's personality is probably best expressed through this line.

How strong he was. How powerful he was.

And how good he was with words. God.

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10. "Oh, really, Professor McGonagall?"said Umbridge in a deadly voice, taking a few steps forward. "And your authority for that statement is...?"

"That would be mine," said a deep voice.

You can't deny that Dumbledore makes dramatic entrances.

And he calmly announces that he has found a new Divination teacher who would prefer to stay on the ground floor, so Sybill Trelawny would not have to leave Hogwarts, after all.

"You've found--?" said Umbridge shrilly. "You've found? Might I remind you, Dumbledore, that under Educational Decree number Twenty-two--"

"The Ministry has the right to appoint a suitable candidate if--and only if--the Headmaster is unable to find one. And I am happy to say that on this occasion I have succeeded. May I introduce you?"

You cannot expect you can actually fool Dumbledore, can you, Cornelius Fudge?

And Dumbledore was still being so polite. Typical.

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 11. "You will now be escorted back to the Ministry, where you will be formally charged, then sent to Azkaban to await trial."

"Ah," said Dumbledore gently. "yes. Yes. I thought we might hit that little snag."

"Snag?" said Fudge, his voice still vibrating with joy. "I see no snag, Dumbledore!"

"Well," said Dumbledore apologetically. "I'm afraid I do."

"Oh, really?"

"Well, it's just that you seem to be harbouring under the delusion that I am going to--what is the phrase?--come quietly. I am afraid that I am not going to come quietly at all, Cornelius. I have absolutely no intention of being sent to Azkaban. I could break out, of course--but what a waste of time, and frankly, I could think of a whole host of things I'd rather be doing."

Then Dawlish attempts to casually draw his wand and:

"Don't be silly, Dawlish," said Dumbledore kindly. "I'm sure you are an excellent Auror--I seem to remember you achieved 'Outstanding' in all your N.E.W.T.s--but if you attempt to--er--bring me in by force, I will have to hurt you."

The 'apologetically'. The 'kindly'. The 'gently'. The whole emphasis on Dumbledore being the soft spoken gentleman even when he is saying outrageous things like this.

And Dumbledore knows how to do dramatic exits as well.

 I am not going to try to put into words all the reasons why this is my favourite scene in the series, and I can only say, in Phineas Nigellus' words:

"You know, Minister, I disagree with Dumbledore on many counts...but you cannot deny that he has got style."

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12. "Let me out," Harry said again.

"No," Dumbledore repeated.

"If you don't--if you keep me in here--if you don't let me--"

"By all means continue destroying my possessions," said Dumbledore serenely. "I daresay I have too many."

He sat there and let Harry work his grief out by hurling his things and breaking them; not raising his voice once in protest. Because he, of all people, understands grief.

This scene, I think, shows just how understanding Dumbledore can be [all these 16 scenes reveal a new, absolutely adorable trait of Albus Dumbledore, I guess.]

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13. This scene does not have Dumbledore in person, but very much in spirit.

"But you seem cleverer than Fudge and I'd have thought you'd have learnt from his mistakes. He tried interfering at Hogwarts. You might have noticed he's not Minister anymore, but Dumbledore is still Headmaster. I'd leave Dumbledore alone, if I were you."

"Well, it is clear to me that he has done a very good job on you," said Scrimgeour, his eyes cold and hard behind his wire-rimmed glasses. "Dumbledore's man through and through, aren't you, Potter?"

"Yeah, I am. Glad we straightened that out."

And this, officially, is my favourite quote in this world. I actually had this sequence memorized word by word.

In his next meeting with Dumbledore, Harry eagerly and indignantly says:

"He accused me of being Dumbledore's man through and through."

"How very rude of him."

"I told him I was."

Then Harry realized that there were tears in Dumbledore's blue eyes.

As Hermione said with so much conviction, when Harry was at his lowest, his wand destroyed, and reading 'The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore'....

"He loved you. I know he loved you."

Of course he did, Harry. How could you ever doubt that?

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14. And this... this...

Few hours back when Harry told Ron and Hermione to share the Felix Felicis among themse;ves and Ginny, he said, "I'll be fine, I'll be with Dumbledore."

Later when they were coming out of the cave, Harry supporting a very weakened Dumbledore, he kept saying, "It's going to be all right...don't worry..."

"I'm not worried, Harry," said Dumbledore, his voice a little stronger despite the freezing water. "I am with you."

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15. "You're in my power...I'm the one with the wand...you're at my mercy..."

"No, Draco," said Dumbledore quietly. "It is my mercy, not yours, that matters now."

Sympathetic, caring, and so, so big-hearted right till his last moments.

Always willing to give people a second chance.

Always seeing and believing the best in people.

Always trusting the ones who, to the rest of the world, are untrustworthy.

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16. But Harry had eyes only for the man who stood in the largest potrait directly behind the headmaster's chair. Tears were sliding down from behind the half-moon spectacles into the long silver beard, and the pride and gratitude emanating from him filled Harry with the same balm as phoenix song.

The only Dumbledore haters I've seen focus on how he was ready to sacrifice Harry in the end.

They just don't get it, do they?

Ever since he realized that Harry was the 8th horcrux, he had carried that fear and pain inside him. He did not WANT to sacrifice Harry. And it was not HIS sacrifice. He simply thought there was no choice.

He was crying when Harry defeated Voldemort and simultaneously survived.

He was actually crying.

Can you imagine how happy he was at that point, when he realized that his plan had been flawed after all?

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Albus Dumbledore will always remain the kindly father figure we all grew to love so hard, the eccentric Headmaster and the fierce warrior, the bravest, the most powerful--the best wizard who ever lived.

'The only one he ever feared.'

'Severus...Severus, please.'

'Nitwit. Oddment. Blubber. Tweak.'

And until the very end, we will remain 'Dumbledore's man through and through.'

A/N: Happy birthday Akanksha!! I hope you like this gift...I certainly had a fabulous time creating this list (and I consulted my brand new Harry Potter set, no less). I tried to make it 14, but I overshot, unfortunately. Oh, and why 14?

Cause it's your 14th birthday.

Ahaha.

AkankshaReddy0623