In line with his significance, there has been much speculation about Dumbledore's true motives and the subtext of his actions, making him one of the most intriguing ing characters in the entire franchise. One such theory (shared via Reddit) suggests that Dumbledore may have secretly been more manipulative than he seems. The theory goes that Dumbledore "collects" outcasts (much like Slughorn "collects" those with potential) and that he does so as a means of ensuring loyalty from followers. The theory highlights the characteristics of multiple of the Order of the Phoenix and Hogwarts staff . It fits with Dumbledore's actions within Harry Potter's narrative. The compelling theory posits that Dumbledore deliberately turned Harry into an outcast as a means of manipulating the course of the boy's life.

Related: Dumbledore's Real Worst Decision Fixed His Biggest Harry Potter Crime

Dumbledore's Most Loyal Followers Are All Outcasts

Many of the Order of the Phoenix, as well as Hogwarts' staff, serve as evidence for the theory that Dumbledore actively sought outcasts to him. Some of the most obvious examples would be Remus Lupin, who grew up as an outsider due to his lycanthropy, Severus Snape, whose fascination with dark magic was offset by his love for Lily Potter and his own Muggle blood, and Rubeus Hagrid, whose status as a half-giant expelled from Hogwarts made him one of the Wizarding World's biggest outcasts. Other characters that similarly fit the pattern are Dobby the House Elf, Newt Scamander (of the Fantastic Beasts franchise), and Harry Potter himself.

The reason why Dumbledore chose such people to be by his side may well be innocent, but this Dumbledore theory suggests that he may have had an ulterior motive. It's possible that Dumbledore was responsible for these Harry Potter characters all being involved with his own plans for the Wizarding World, as he recognized that their need to belong would prove an easy method of ensuring their loyalty to him. By giving outsiders a place in which they could feel accepted and valued, Dumbledore bred loyalty within his own ranks in a way that Voldemort never did.

How Dumbledore's Less Trusted Acquaintances Fit The Theory

According to this Dumbledore theory, even those who don't quite fit the pattern prove Dumbledore's tactics. Other characters who are less unflinching in their of Dumbledore aren't outcasts of the same ilk, and this subtle quirk of characterization seems to affect their relationship with Dumbledore. Harry's godfather Sirius Black, for example, was somewhat of an outsider, but not an outright outcast - he was more of a rebel, deliberately eschewing his family's values and instead ing the Order of the Phoenix to fight against Voldemort.

Though Albus Dumbledore and Sirius Black enjoyed mutual respect, Black was never as close to Dumbledore as Hagrid or Snape, and that's because his place in Dumbledore's inner circle was of his own volition. The theory suggests that Dumbledore relied less on Sirius because, as a rebel, he was something of a dark horse, as opposed to the outcasts that Dumbledore had gathered to himself and conditioned to obey his orders.

Related: Harry Potter Created A Dumbledore Plot Hole In 2007 (& No One Noticed)

Harry Is An Outcast Because Of The Dursleys

One of the key elements of Harry Potter's story is his escape from the mundane and abusive Muggle world to the magical world of Hogwarts. That plays into the Dumbledore theory in an interesting way. Growing up with his maternal aunt and uncle after his parents' murder, Harry was regularly mistreated. The Dursleys hated Harry for his magical nature - even though he was largely unaware of it - and they made his young life as miserable as possible. After finally finding himself at Hogwarts, Harry believes he's found his home because it opens the door to a world in which he's famous and revered, which to the young wizard is a stark contrast to his unpleasant upbringing.

The Dursleys make Harry an outcast in more ways than one. Rather than simply isolating him and severely mistreating him, they actively discourage his belief in magic, preventing him from having any link to the world in which he belongs. When Harry does reach Hogwarts, he's at something of a disadvantage thanks to the Dursleys and their intolerance of his magical abilities: he doesn't know anything about magic, and this isolates him even further even after he escapes the Muggle world. Once Harry Potter is at Hogwarts, he discovers the depth with which he's been alienated from his own background, and that makes him an outsider from the very beginning due to the Dursleys' actions.

Dumbledore Placed Harry With The Dursleys To Ensure His Loyalty

The final stinger of this Dumbledore theory — and the part that truly paints Dumbledore as a villain — combines the reasons for Harry's own outcast status with the idea of Dumbledore's true motives. The theorist believes that Dumbledore deliberately placed Harry with the Dursleys to ensure he grew up in an intolerant and abusive environment, thereby creating the desire to belong that drove Harry to Dumbledore's side. The theory believes that Harry's loyalty to Dumbledore comes as a direct result of the Hogwarts professor's powerful and calculated manipulation, with everything unfolding just as Dumbledore had planned.

This is where the theory paints Dumbledore as something of a villain because it imagines that Dumbledore is as complicit in Harry's suffering as Voldemort himself. Of course, Voldemort was the one who made Harry an orphan, but Dumbledore may have facilitated a childhood filled with abuse, arguably causing just as much emotional damage to him as the infamous dark wizard did. If Harry's abusive childhood was in fact the result of Albus Dumbledore's machinations designed specifically to ensure the boy grew up feeling like an outsider, then the theory makes Dumbledore one of Harry Potter's most heartless villains.

There Are Other Dumbledore Theories

The idea that the Hogwarts heaster collected outcasts isn’t the only interesting Dumbeldore theory that has developed in the wake of the sprawling Harry Potter franchise. There have been quite a few about his backstory, his relationships, and just who Dumbledore really is. One of the most interesting theories about Albus Dumbledore is that he’s actually the personification of Death in the franchise.

“The Tale Of The Three Brothers” is a folktale in the Wizarding World that becomes very important in Harry Potter’s final story. It’s that folktale that provides the idea of Dumbledore being Death. In the story, the three Peverell brothers encounter death and he grants them each one wish in exchange for getting by him. Those wishes lead to the creation of the Elder Wand, Harry’s invisibility cloak, and the Resurrection Stone. In the theory, Dumbledore represents Death tracking down the brothers because Voldemort, Harry, and Snape, whose lives are all tied to Dumbledore’s influence, represent the brothers. The fan theory earned the approval of writer J.K. Rowling after it was discussed.

Another popular theory is that Dumbledore, like Harry Potter himself, asked the Sorting Hat to be placed in Gryffindor. It’s theorized that Dumbledore wasn’t especially brave or impulsive, but more cunning. He would rather get his allies to do the dangerous work for him. His ability to manipulate and climb to places of power in the Wizarding World is very Slytherin. As a child, however, his father was in trouble for attacking Muggles, so he could have wanted to distance himself from the darkness of his family, asking the hat to place him in Gryffindor instead. The Sorting Hat takes the wishes of students into , so it would make sense.

One Dumbledore theory actually hints at how much Dumbledore manipulated events with Harry to his advantage as well. This theory states that Dumbledore actually figured out that Nagini was one of Voldemort’s horcruxes, but didn’t tell Harry because that would have involved explaining the Horcruxes to him earlier than he wanted to. The idea is that Dumbledore knew Nagini was a Horcrux when Harry told Dumblerdore about dreaming of Nagini’s attack on Arthur Weasley from the snake’s point of view. Harry’s dreams were usually from Voldemort’s point of view because of the piece of his soul inside Harry, so Harry’s dream of Nagini would have linked their souls as well.

Because Voldemort was so secretive and so intent on using manipulation to save the Wizarding World, there are undoubtedly dozens more theories surrounding the character from fans of the franchise. As the Harry Potter universe grows with plays and video games, the number of Dumbledore theories likely will as well.