24

In the books, Dumbledore was wearing a ring on his finger, giving him a curse in the 6th book.

My question is: did he have to wear that ring on his finger? Couldn't he, like, chain the ring and wear it as a medallion, as the trio did with the locket in book 7, so that he wouldn't get cursed?

It just makes me wonder whether there was a canon reason for that, or whether Rowling just had to make a reason/excuse to rid of Dumbledore faster.

Improve this question
5
  • 3
    You are selling it as if it was a poor decision by Rowling. Having smart, experienced and wise characters make weak but consistent decisions is one of the more difficult things to do when constructing a story if you ask me. I wish George Lucas was able to do that for example.
    – Raditz_35
    Jul 28, 2017 at 14:51
  • @Raditz_35 I respect Rowling and love her HP stories, don't get me wrong. It is more like: Dumbledore is smart enough to understand what kind of ring it was to just casually wear it.
    – Vadzim Savenok
    Jul 28, 2017 at 15:03
  • 2
    I just wanted to point out that this is one of the things I respect the most about Rowling. Most real people make mistakes, most fictional people always do everything perfectly from their point of view. She realized that a wise old wizard would also be a bit full of himself and do the occasional stupidity and not like obi-wan or yoda some guy that can predict every future outcome as it will happen at the end (I picked Star Wars because most people know at least the first 2 or 3 movies and even more love it apparently).
    – Raditz_35
    Jul 28, 2017 at 15:18
  • @Raditz_35 Yeah, Scooba's answer confirmed that it was a Dumbledore's flaw as a character, not Rowling's flaw as a writer.
    – Vadzim Savenok
    Jul 28, 2017 at 15:20
  • 2
    She wanted to further distinguish Dumbledore from Gandalf? One wouldn't put on a ring and the other happily did it. :-)
    – Thunderforge
    Jul 28, 2017 at 20:38

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
41

Of course he did not have to wear it... but that doesn't mean Rowling had him wear it "just to get rid of him".

Dumbledore also knew the stone set in the ring was the Resurrection Stone. This was his one great curiosity/weakness/fear (depends on how you look at it). Dumbledore was tempted by having at least a chance, no matter how small, of bringing his family back.

He explains this much to both Snape and Harry.

"Why did you put on that ring? It carries a curse, surely you realized that. Why even touch it?" ...

"I... was a fool. Sorely tempted"

- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 33, The Prince's Tale.


“When I discovered it, after all those years, buried in the abandoned home of the Gaunts - the Hallow I had craved most of all, though in my youth I had wanted it for very different reasons - I lost my head, Harry. I quite forgot that it was now a Horcrux, that the ring was sure to carry a curse.

- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 35, King's Cross.

Improve this answer
2
  • 8
    It looks like your last quote would be a direct answer to my question. I am relieved that Rowling showed that it was a Dumbledore's flaw, not the flaw in her story.
    – Vadzim Savenok
    Jul 28, 2017 at 15:06
  • @VadzimSavenok: It's also nice to see a human flaw in an otherwise such accomplished wizard.
    – Matthieu M.
    Jul 28, 2017 at 19:31

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.