Still Think Dumbledore Didn’t Defeat Voldemort in the Ministry? You Missed the Point

Summary:

• Some Harry Potter fans claim Dumbledore failed to defeat Voldemort during their duel at the Ministry.
• As a result of that duel, Voldemort didn’t harm anyone and was exposed in front of the media.
• Dumbledore, on the other hand, protected his protege and publicly humiliated his enemy.
• Killing Voldemort was not Dumbledore’s goal because at the time, the former was still immortal.

Many years have passed since Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was released, but to this day, many fans misinterpret one of its central events. The duel between Albus Dumbledore and Lord Voldemort might not have ended in immediate casualties, but the Hogwarts Headmaster had an overwhelming victory in it.

In terms of both tactical and strategic goals, Dumbledore just humiliated his enemy, and if you think otherwise, hop in — we’ll explain our line of thinking.

Dumbledore Didn’t Need to Kill Voldemort

During their duel, Lord Voldemort had two primary goals. First, he wanted to kill either Dumbledore, or Harry, or both of them. Second, he needed to remain in the shadows so that the news of his return wouldn’t hinder his future plans.

Albus Dumbledore’s goals were very different, though. He didn’t — couldn’t — kill Voldemort, who still had his Horcruxes and was immortal. The Headmaster’s objectives were protecting Harry and his friends and exposing Voldemort’s return.

Dumbledore’s dueling tactic was focused on protecting his allies and restraining his enemy, and he didn’t invest his power and attention into trying to kill his enemy.

Dumbledore Defeated Voldemort with Ease

By the end of the duel, Lord Voldemort achieved none of his goals. Both Harry and Dumbledore remained unscathed, and the media and the Ministry officials learned about his return. Furthermore, he had to escape from the Ministry in a hurry.

Dumbledore, on the other hand, achieved all his objectives by protecting Harry Potter, his friends, and himself, and restraining the Dark Lord just long enough for the Wizarding World to witness him. He forced his enemy to flee, as well.

The Hogwarts Headmaster was the most powerful wizard of his time, and he proved it once again in the Battle of the Ministry. Dumbledore simultaneously protected The Boy Who Lived, controlled the flow of his duel with Voldemort, kept Bellatrix Lestrange in check, humiliated Voldemort, and blocked his escape routes until it was too late — all at the same time, without breaking a sweat.

So yes, Albus Dumbledore didn’t just win in the duel with Lord Voldemort: he made his enemy look pathetic. Killing Voldemort was impossible then, so the Headmaster opted for embarrassing him in front of the main media in the Wizarding World.