In the Harry Potter series, Harry has many different mentors over the course of his years at Hogwarts. Seeing as how Harry’s parents died when he was a baby and because the Dursleys were such awful guardians, Harry was looking for parental figures and mentors to help him. And, because of his burden as the Chosen One, he needed a lot of help to fight against Voldemort and his followers.
While some of his mentors were great, two of them are nearly tied for the worst spot. Here are the reasons why Dumbledore was Harry’s worst mentor and the reasons it was actually Snape.
Dumbledore: Because He Always Kept Important Information From Harry
While Dumbledore might have seemed like one of the best mentors early on, it was slowly revealed that he was deeply flawed. Dumbledore would only give Harry just enough information to be getting on with. He would keep a lot of things from him over the years, and keeping Harry in the dark didn’t do him any favors. Harry deserved to be kept more in the know since his life was always on the line.
Snape: He Always Put Harry Down
Snape might not even seem like he was a mentor to Harry during his first few years at bullying his students, picked on Harry all the time and was often calling him names and putting him down in front of his classmates.
Dumbledore: Because He Didn’t Look Out For Harry’s Mental Health
Dumbledore might have thought that Harry was the best and only real chance to get rid of Voldemort for good, but this doesn’t excuse how he ignored Harry’s mental health. Given all the trauma that Harry had been through and the fact that Dumbledore knew so much about all of this, it’s pretty awful that he never tried to get Harry any real help to recover from all of these terrifying events and losses.
Snape: He Was Clouded By His Hatred Of James (Harry's Father)
Snape's anger and hatred toward James impacted how he treated Harry. He let his petty feelings and childhood issues toward Harry’s father cloud his judgment.
Instead of trying to see the good in Harry because he loved Lily, Snape bullied and abused her only son. It wasn’t fair how Snape assumed Harry was just like his father instead of judging him on his own merits.
Dumbledore: He Was Incredibly Deceitful
Dumbledore might seem like a benevolent, kind, and charismatic old wizard, but he has a lot of secrets. He was extremely skilled at keeping his past hidden and presenting a certain image of himself that wasn’t the entire picture. It was only really revealed in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows just how secretive Dumbledore was and how much he had been lying about including his own past with Grindelwald.
Snape: Everything Good He Did For Harry Was For The Wrong Reasons
While there were times where Snape did protect Harry, such as when he tried to keep Quirrell from hurting him at the Quidditch match, the reasons he did so weren’t because he actually cared about Harry. He only really did so because he felt guilted into it and that he owed Dumbledore. He might have been looking out for Harry because of his misguided love for Lily, but his heart was far from pure.
Dumbledore: He Kept His Family History From Harry
Learning about the family history of the Dumbledore’s was a rather traumatic thing for Harry. The fact that Dumbledore never opened up about his past, including the fact that he was also born in Godric’s Hollow, was a betrayal.
He should have been more upfront with Harry about his own shortcomings as a person instead of keeping so much of himself a secret. This just showed that their relationship was not built on anything authentic.
Snape: All The Times He Tried To Get Harry Expelled
Seeing as how Snape was supposed to be helping Dumbledore keep an eye on Harry because of his love of Lily, it’s pretty messed up how often Snape was intent on getting Harry expelled. It’s clear that Voldemort would always go after Harry and that he would need to be able to protect himself. So, wanting him to get expelled and be away from Dumbledore would have basically been a death sentence.
Dumbledore: He Basically Raised Harry As A Lamb To The Slaughter
While Voldemort’s vendetta against Harry and quest to destroy him might not have been Dumbledore’s fault, the fact that Dumbledore wasn’t upfront about what he was really asking from Harry was wrong. He started to realize early on that Harry would have to die in order for Voldemort to be destroyed, but he refused to tell Harry this which gave Harry no real choice in the matter.
Snape: At The End Of The Day, He Didn’t Care About Harry
While Snape might have been put in a mentor position for Harry at various points, especially as his professor, he truthfully hated Harry. He didn’t care really if Harry was healthy and happy, and he barely cared whether or not he was alive. Everything he did was out of his own guilt and a sense of obligation, and this makes him one of the worst mentors ever.
