Professor Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts school, has hidden many truths from everyone in his circle over the course of the books. Snape was not wrong when he described Dumbledore as raising Harry like a pig for slaughter. Yes, ever since Dumbledore witnessed Trelawney unconsciously foresee the one who could defeat Voldemort, he had been weaponizing Harry to fulfill the prophecy. Till today, fans are still debating about the extent of which Dumbledore manipulated Harry to grow from The Boy Who Lived into The Chosen One. Here are some of the most plausible fan theories about Dumbledore's ultimate plan that readers of the books might not have caught up on:
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1) He planned for Harry, not Neville, to be The Chosen One
We all know the boy in Trelawney's prophecy could either refer to Harry or Neville Longbottom. But why did Voldemort choose to go after only Harry and not Neville? Dumbledore claims Voldemort saw Harry, his fellow Half Blood, as more of a threat than the pure-blood Neville. This makes sense since the Tom Riddle memory from the Hocrux diary draws attention to how similar he is to Harry in the Chamber of Secrets. But still, killing off only one of the two boys just seems out of character for a paranoid psychopath like Voldemort.
It seems more likely - based on Dumbledore's actions - that he manipulated Voldemort into seeing Harry as more of a threat than Neville. After listening to Trelawney's prophecy, Dumbledore told the Potters to go into hiding but he makes no mention about telling this to the Longbottoms. When Voldemort learns about this from Warmtail, he might have immediately assumed that Dumbledore viewed the Potter boy as a more valuable asset that the Longbottom one. In the end, Voldemort merely sent his Death Eaters to go after the Longbottoms while personally going after the Potters. This could have been purely coincidental, but knowing Dumbledore, it must have been part of his bigger plan. Neville, being a pure-blood, would have been part of a larger extended magical family. Also, there is his overbearing grandmother, who would have made it difficult for Dumbledore to deal with than a boy with Muggle relatives who did not really care for him.
2) He let Sirius rot in Azkaban on purpose
Dumbledore is a skilled Legilimens who could have easily explored Sirius' mind and deducted that he is innocent of mass murder. Instead, we are left to assume that after Sirius was sentenced to imprisonment, he and Dumbledore never met which means Dumbledore never got the chance to discover the truth. But this seems unlikely since Dumbledore never leaves behind any lose ends. Additionally, he is the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, which provides him full access to all Azkaban inmates. If his word is enough to free Snape, he could have easily freed Sirius as well. And yet, Sirius was left to rot in Azkaban for 12 years.
One of the most curious aspects of Sirius' imprisonment is he never stood trial while actual Death Eaters did. Barty Crouch Sr. was so convinced that Sirius was guilty that he immediately sent him to Azkaban. It is almost as if someone more powerful and influential - Dumbledore - had something to do with it. It is highly probable that Sirius, being Harry's godfather, would have insisted he raise Harry if he was freed from all charges. That would have deprived Harry from the sacrificial protection that his Aunt Petunia provides him. And not to mention how inconvenient it would be for Dumbledore to groom Harry into fulfilling Trelawney's prophecy. Also, Sirius is quite a playful person and Dumbledore must have had his doubts on whether he could properly raise a future warrior.
3) He arranged for Harry to be sorted into Gryffindor
When they first meet, Hagrid tells Harry that Slytherin is the house of bad wizards. Almost immediately after that, Harry bumps into the Weasleys, a family of borderline anti-Slytherin Gryffindors, at King's Cross when he first boards the Hogwarts Express. This is a bit of a stretch but notice how Molly Weasley appears to be unsure of which platform to go to and makes this publicly known, attracting Harry's attention. This is definitely puzzling since she has so many children who she sends off to Hogwarts every year.
It is more likely that Dumbledore arranged for Harry to be acquainted with not just Hagrid, but also the Weasleys, all friendly, kind-hearted Gryffindors, so that Harry would be influenced to pick that house at Hogwarts. This is after all post-First Wizarding War Hogwarts and Slytherin mainly comprises of Death Eater's children and that would be such a toxic environment for Harry to be in. Not to mention that many of these Death Eaters believe that Harry himself is a powerful Dark Wizard since he seemingly defeated Voldemort as an infant.
4) He allowed the Basilisk to roam freely
Yes, this sounds extreme. But think about it; nobody died the second time the Chamber of Secrets is opened while Harry is at Hogwarts. After the cat Mrs. Norris is found petrified next to the graffiti announcing the opening of the Chamber of Secrets, Dumbledore must have become aware of the danger his school is in. Dumbledore already knew the Chamber was previously opened by Tom Riddle fifty years ago. But what he did not know is where the Chamber is or who is controlling the Basilisk this time. His only option is to let everything unfold to gather more information, all while minimizing collateral damage.
Thus, to trick the culprit into thinking they are killing Muggle-borns, Dumbledore manipulated the situation to his advantage. He indirectly supplied the Basilisk with victims, all while making sure they were protected from its deadly stare through various ways. This is why all its victims were only petrified and none died, unlike the first time the Chamber was opened. Dumbledore probably predicted that Harry and his friends were also conducting their own parallel investigation, which is how he was able to send them Fawkes and the Sorting Hat to help Harry. Harry defeated the Basilisk and Riddle, saved Ginny, and returned to safety with the diary. This is a crucial moment because Dumbledore finally learns that Voldemort had been making Hocruxes.
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5) He arranged for Lockart to teach Harry something important
Nope. It was obviously not Defense Against the Dark Arts. Hogwarts is not a perfect school. But why would someone as intelligent as Dumbledore hire Lockhart, one of the Wizarding world's biggest con artists ever for the job? Some say Dumbledore hired him as a joke. Some say it was to expose him as the fraud he was. Some even claim he did not care who was hired to teach that subject since the job was jinxed by an adult Tom Riddle. But all that seems unlikely since it would jeopardize the students' education.
The actual reason Dumbledore hired Lockart is because he wanted to teach Harry, and perhaps the other students, the value of humility. Harry first arrived at the school the year before as The Boy Who Lived and became a celebrity in the Wizarding world. All this fame could have easily gone into his head. With Lockart as his teacher, Harry would have been able to witness on a daily basis how an inflated ego and undue arrogance can make a person extremely unlikable. Speaking about teaching the students something important, it was not as if they learned nothing on Defense Against the Dark Arts that year. If there is one good thing Lockart did during his tenure at Hogwarts, it was organizing the Dueling Club. It was here where Harry saw Snape using the disarming spell against Lockart, and it eventually became Harry's signature spell. But Lockart is not the only incompetent Defense teacher Dumbledore had for the job with double motives, which leads us to our next point.
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6) He wanted Harry to be at the graveyard
After sneaky Quirell played host to Voldemort for almost an entire year right under his nose, you can safely bet Dumbledore would have been extra cautious on who he allows into Hogwarts next. Was Barty Crouch Jr. really so convincing as Mad-Eye Moody that he successfully fooled a wizard as perceptive as Dumbledore for months? Highly unlikely. The fact that Harry's name ends up in the Goblet of Fire should have been a dead giveaway someone new in the school is up to no good. It is safe to assume that Dumbledore would have learned the truth by then but allowed things to play out.
Besides, Harry was never really in any immediate danger since he is protected by his mother's blood sacrifice, which is the strongest form of magic that Voldemort continues to underestimate since he can never understand love. Harry even notices how Dumbledore appears to be happy when he learns that Voldemort took Harry's blood to create the Regeneration Potion. But more on this later. An additional protection of course is Priori Incantatem - both Harry and Voldemort's wands are brothers and cannot be used against one another.
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7) Umbridge is part of his plan
Maybe not Umbridge specifically but anyone appointed by the corrupt Ministry for Magic would have eventually led to Harry taking his place as a rebel. Just think; why would Dumbledore, the leader of a secret society made up of the most powerful Aurors, not handpick one of them to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts, especially now that this is unarguably the most important subject considering Voldemort's return?
When Harry, Ron and Hermione finally decide to set up Dumbledore's Army during a secret meeting at Hog's Head, Dumbledore is clearly aware of this. All this time, both Mundungus Fletcher and Aberforth were keeping an eye on Harry. Dumbledore does nothing to stop Harry and his friends even though he knows what will happen to them if Umbridge finds out. Dumbledore probably allowed it to happen so that Harry gets to assume a leadership position as a Defense tutor for his friends. It is also the perfect avenue for him to practice fighting tyranny.
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8) He let Harry believe that they were double-crossed by Snape on purpose
Many readers argue that things would have been so much easier if Dumbledore simply revealed to Harry that Snape was actually working as a triple agent for them. However, this would have been extremely dangerous. Snape is a highly accomplished Occlumens, who can deflect mind-reading spells effortlessly, which is why he is able to survive being around skilled Legilimens like Voldemort, Quirrell, Bellatrix, Barty Crouch Jr., Narcissa and Draco to name a few. However, Harry isn't and his mind is vulnerable to infiltration, which makes it dangerous for Snape had Harry known the complete truth early on.
However, Snape's mastery of Occlumency made both Death Eaters and the Order of the Phoenix question his loyalty to them respectively. This was why it is crucial that Snape kill Dumbledore himself, not just to save Draco's soul, but to gain Voldemort's complete trust. Perhaps this is why he arranged for Snape to teach Harry Occlumency - to block Harry's mind from being exposed to Voldemort or anyone else. Unfortunately, the animosity between Harry and Snape made private lessons impossible, and Harry ended up learning nothing. This is why Dumbledore had to devise another plan to prevent Harry's mind from being penetrated and manipulated by Voldemort, which leads us to the next point.
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9) He allowed Voldemort to possess Harry
While fighting Voldemort in the Ministry's headquarters, Dumbledore purposely prolonged the duel. Both wizards are equally powerful and the duel would have gone on forever. As Voldemort grew restless, he then possessed Harry, taunting Dumbledore to kill him. It probably did not cross his mind that when a wizard possesses another person's body, they can experience whatever that person is going through. While possessing Harry, Voldemort experiences the pain of loosing a loved one - Harry had just lost Sirius, and has lived a hard life with almost no love until Hogwarts. Voldemort, who does not understand love, cannot bare this pain.
From here onward, Voldemort never possesses Harry nor does he even come close to manipulating his mind the same way he did to lure Harry into the Department of Mysteries. It is only at this point does Dumbledore start being more honest with Harry by telling him the real reason Voldemort wants him dead. In the following year, they even explore old memories and find out the truth about Voldemort's Hocruxes, all while safely knowing that the Dark Lord will not even dare infiltrate Harry's mind anymore. However, any other Death Eater that Harry encounters outside Hogwarts might discover Snape's true loyalty, which is perhaps why Dumbledore keeps this one last information from him.
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10) He made Harry keep his Hocrux mission a secret for a very sinister reason
As smart as Dumbledore is, even he makes mistakes; like when he wears the cursed Gaunt ring in an attempt to destroy it but it leaves him with only a few months to live. From this point on, Dumbledore makes Harry keep his knowledge of Voldemort's Hocruxes a secret from everyone except Ron and Hermione. Harry stays true to his word and never even tells McGonagall and Lupin when asked. Why didn't Dumbledore task the members of the Order of the Phoenix with finding and destroying the Hocruxes? After all, most of them are very powerful and intelligent Aurors who can find and destroy the Hocruxes more effectively than three teenagers.
Perhaps there is a very sinister reason. By now, Dumbledore would have realized that Harry too is a Hocrux and has to die. If the members of the Order knew - especially Lupin, Sirius and the Weasleys - they would have done everything they could to stop Harry from dying, effectively putting an end to Dumbledore's ingenious but twisted plan. Moreover, notice how Dumbledore does not mind Harry sharing this information with Ron and Hermione, but he never invites them to partake in exploring the various memories. Perhaps sharing too much first hand information on Hocruxes with the ever perspicacious Hermione would have made her aware of Harry being a Hocrux much earlier on than when she does in the final book.
11) Harry needed to think he really had to die
Had Harry known he had the chance to survive Voldemort all along, he would not have been as successful in defeating the Dark Lord. When Harry walks into the Forbidden Forest to sacrifice himself, he does so willingly. This willingness is key to his survival. Nobody coerced him to do so, but someone (read: Dumbledore) definitely misled him into doing it. Thus, by sacrificing himself out of love for his friends, he unwittingly provided everyone fighting for his side at Hogwarts with the same kind of invincible protection his mother gave him as a child.
Also - and this is hard to prove because there is no way Dumbledore went so far as to plan for Harry to become master of the Elder Wand - but Harry somehow does. Even though Voldemort now wields the Elder Wand, its allegiance is to Harry. Since Harry chose not to defend himself against Voldemort, the Wand was not fighting off Harry. Therefore, its allegiance did not change and it merely killed off the Horcux inside Harry. Dumbledore even states, "And that, I think, will have made all the difference." Had he tried to fight back and lost, he would have lost the allegiance of the Wand and perhaps died. Or would he? Read the final theory below...
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12) He lied about the real reason Harry was in Limbo
When in Limbo, Harry meets Dumbledore at a place that resembles Kings Cross where he is given the choice to either move on to the Afterlife, or return to the world of the living. As mentioned earlier, Dumbledore claims Harry did not fight Voldemort, which allowed for the Elder Wand to protect him. In addition, there was his mother's sacrificial protection. However, neither of these two protections explain how Harry was given the unique choice to either move on to the Afterlife or return to the realm of the living. What was it that gave Harry this level of power?
Notice at this point in the story, Harry, as Dumbledore himself points out, is now master of all three Deadly Hallows; making him the master of death. But why then did Dumbledore make it seem as if it was his mother's blood and the Elder Wand's allegiance that protected him instead? Simple. Because if there is one thing Dumbledore fears, it is overwhelming power. That was even the reason he did not want to become Minister for Magic. Dumbledore never trusted himself. Perhaps he feared Harry would become power-hungry had he known the level of power he truly possessed. By the way, isn't it weird how Harry becomes somewhat like a Christ-figure by sacrificing himself for his loved ones and then ends up meeting a God-like figure at a place called Kings Cross?
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