Why couldn't Dumbledore be the DADA teacher?

Question

In Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore can't find a new DADA teacher, so they get Umbridge. But if he is the Headmaster, and the only one Voldemort ever feared, why couldn't he take up the teacher? He does seem like the most qualified person.

he inst at school all the time, teaching a class would severely limit his options to leave the school, as hes gone for a lot throughout the series. — Himarm, May 05 '15 at 19:35
he is at school most of the time in OotP, since he's been kicked out of every group he's in. he has nowhere to go. — albusseverus potter, May 05 '15 at 19:37
In my experience, relatively few headmasters still teach regularly. — Valorum, May 05 '15 at 19:40
You're basically asking him to do two full-time jobs simultaneously, on top of his work in the Order. He's not as young as he used to be! — Harry Johnston, May 05 '15 at 23:29
The real question is - why didn't he take Moody? Moody never started teaching so he was not affected by the course, he could stay for another year as himself. — Sulthan, May 06 '15 at 09:49
@GorchestopherH Actually, his initials are APWBD, but then again APWBDDADA might just be too long. — Angew is no longer proud of SO, May 06 '15 at 11:35
@Sulthan I expect Moody is also occupied with Order business, and given what happened the last time he took the job, I’m not sure he’d be keen to have another shot. — alexwlchan, May 06 '15 at 12:46
@alexwlchan another thing is, how many parents where informed that moody was an impostor? did the regular kids even know that the whole year they had an impostor moody? — Himarm, May 06 '15 at 13:07

score 51 · Accepted Answer · answered May 05 '15 at 19:57

51

Several reasons spring to mind:

The curse on the job.

As is well-known, Voldemort placed a curse on the DADA job preventing any one teacher from holding the post for more than a year. The last four teachers have all left the school in unpleasant circumstances.

Although Dumbledore is a competent wizard, and one of the few people who Voldemort fears, it would be silly to place himself in harm’s way by taking the position and subjecting himself to the curse. It’s not worth the risk, especially given his importance as both headmaster and head of the Order.
The political situation surrounding Dumbledore.

Fudge suspects Dumbledore is getting ready to overthrow him. Taking up the DADA post would play right into these suspicions, and seem to confirm Fudge’s worst fears – that Dumbledore was using his students to build an anti-Ministry army. (Look at the fit they throw when they discover “Dumbledore’s Army” later in the book.)

He’s already on shaky ground with the Ministry after bailing Harry out at his hearing. He doesn’t need to give Fudge more reasons to come after him.
He has other, more important, things to do.

His work in the Order means he’s often away from Hogwarts, whether that’s at Grimmauld Place, looking for horcruxes, or something else. It would be difficult to keep up a regular timetable and lead the anti-Voldemort efforts. When push comes to shove, teaching would take a back seat to his real-life DADA work.

It’s probably better to let somebody else run the DADA classes, so the students get a consistent teaching experience, rather than the patchy one they’d get under Dumbledore. (Especially given the heightened importance of DADA after Voldemort’s return.)

answered May 05 '15 at 19:57

alexwlchan

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"As is well-known, Voldemort placed a curse on the DADA job". No. This is not well-known. It is rumoured to be that way, yet no one in canon verified this. – 11684 May 06 '15 at 10:26
Geez, I seem really rude in my above comment. Yet, I am very curious as to the source of your statement the curse is well-known. – 11684 May 06 '15 at 10:27
@Luna At least one DADA teacher stayed longer than one year; the DADA teacher from book 1 whose English name I forgot. – 11684 May 06 '15 at 10:44
@11684 sorry, I really meant "as was well known to Dumbledore". He mentions it explicitly to Harry in a later book. I think we have a question about it, but I don't have the link for hand. And Quirrell (DADA in book 1) was smuggle Studies before he taught DADA; nobody lasted more than a year after they took up the DADA post. – alexwlchan May 06 '15 at 11:07
Muggle studies? Really? I ought to reread the series. – 11684 May 06 '15 at 11:13
1

@11684: it's not mentioned in the books; I think it was an interview or Pottermorw update. Quirrel taught Muggle Studies, went off to Albania for a year, then came back to teach DADA. – alexwlchan May 06 '15 at 11:15
I thought Hagrid said Quirrell went to Albania for field experience in his subject! Looking for the relevant text. – 11684 May 06 '15 at 11:16
Found it! It suggests Quirrell had been teaching DADA for at least one year already ("What kind of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?" "D-Defence Against the D-Dark Arts" – p. 80), but doesn't explicitly say so. – 11684 May 06 '15 at 11:21
2

surely your point 2. is the canon answer? Per the books/movie, when Hermione and Harry are discussing Umbridge's appointment and what is means for the school, Hermione says "Don't you see what this means? It means that the Ministry is interferring at Hogwarts". (Or similar. Sorry, might be paraphrasing as I've not looked up the exact quote). The answer isn't necessarily that Dumbledore could not have been DADA teacher, it's that Umbridge had to be DADA teacher because the Ministry wanted to place someone in Hogwarts and to exert influence. – The Giant of Lannister May 06 '15 at 11:35
@11684 are we really suggesting that Quirrell - who turned to the dark side and ended up literally giving his body to Voldemort's cause - wasn't afflicted by the curse? I'd say at the very least, his tenure doesn't count, given his affiliation with Voldemort and the usefulness of his position within Hogwarts to Voldemort... – The Giant of Lannister May 06 '15 at 11:38
2

Good, thorough answer. Point 1 sounds like the best reason, tho. Dumbledore knew that nobody had kept the job for more than a year since his meeting with Volemort about taking the job. He would not, at that stage, have endangered his life and/or wellbeing in that way. – AJFaraday May 06 '15 at 12:10
4

@11684 Did Voldemort actually curse the DADA job? – David K May 06 '15 at 12:39
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@TheGiantofLannister I would have a hard time believing Voldemort foresaw the need to except some teachers when casting the spell and at the time of his taking over Quirrell, he certainly was in no condition to alter a curse so powerful even Dumbledore couldn't lift it. – 11684 May 06 '15 at 12:43

score 8 · Answer 2 · answered May 05 '15 at 20:02

I think Dumbledore was perfectly aware, that he, and only he, was powerful enough to counter Voldemort. At the end of GoF, he realized that Voldemort indeed had found backdoor to life, so he started his journeys to seek clues and also aid the Order itself.

So why he didn't teach ? Yes, he allowed a ministry spy in Hogwarts, but he knew that his time is more useful somewhere else. He was fighting to win the war, not the battle.

score 4 · Answer 3 · answered May 06 '15 at 11:51

The answer isn't necessarily that Dumbledore could not have been DADA teacher, it's that Umbridge had to be DADA teacher because the Ministry wanted to place someone in Hogwarts and to exert influence.

By book 5, the Ministry (in particular, Cornelius Fudge) is becoming increasingly paranoid. Terrified at the thought of Voldemort's return, Fudge is determined to deny Voldemort is back and becomes convinced that there is some kind of conspiracy involving Dumbledore and Potter whereby Dumbledore (who is greatly respected, in general, by the wizarding community) is trying to take control of the Ministry and oust Fudge.

Thus Fudge begins a systematic campaign to counter Dumbledore. He interferes with Hogwarts (placing Dolores Umbridge at the school and subsequently giving her great and wide-ranging powers as Hogwarts High Inquisitor. He also influences the Daily Prophet to run a (pretty successful) propaganda campaign to discredit Harry and Dumbledore.

Fudge and the Ministry wanted to undermine Dumbledore, and the best way to do so was from within Hogwarts - Dumbledore's home so to speak - hence, placing a teacher at Hogwarts. The DADA position just happened to be open and that is why Umbridge ended up being placed in that position over others.

Certainly, Dumbledore was more qualified to teach DADA than Umbridge. But even if he had wanted to (and it is not certain he did, as the position would have been a burden on his free time to pursue other important activities) Dumbledore could not have refused Umbridge's appointment without serious implications for his own position within the political context of the time.

The MoM was only able to make such an appointment if the DADA position was unfilled. Umbridge would not have been appointed as the DADA teacher if Dumbledore was able to find a suitable candidate for the position himself. There were no others. — Ellesedil, May 06 '15 at 21:19

score 2 · Answer 4 · answered May 06 '15 at 23:48

Or, considering that Dumbledore was unwilling to reign in excesses from the students (Draco, Ron, Luna's abusers) and staff (Snape) properly, allowing rampant bullying, incompetence (Binns) and outright child abuse (Snape, Harry's relatives, Umbridge), perhaps he just didn't care enough to put forth the effort.

In a world with magical oaths, unbreakable vows and potions such as Veritaserum, it's not like he didn't have the ability to prevent such occurrences. Therefore, if he didn't, that means he's unwilling.

score 0 · Answer 5 · answered May 06 '15 at 23:14

I would have thought the simple answer is just that he's too busy.

When was the last time the head master of any school actually taught the students? They're far too busy doing other important matters: meetings, paperwork, securing funding, paperwork, organising events, paperwork.

Why couldn't Dumbledore be the DADA teacher?

5 Answers5