Quidditch Through the Ages

Albus Dumbledore is best known as the headmaster of Hogwarts, a school for witches and wizards. Before becoming the headmaster, Dumbledore was a professor at the school.

In Quidditch Through the Ages, Dumbledore provides a foreword to the book in which he praises Quidditch and its positive role in wizarding society. In his foreword, Dumbledore also comes across as generous and thoughtful, as he explains that this book was published to raise funds for charities, and as such, he encourages both Muggle and wizard readers to buy it. His sense of humor comes through in his introduction as well, as he reveals that to copy this book, he had to confront the protective librarian, Madam Pince, and “prise her fingers individually from the spine” (2). He coaches the reader, “Please be careful how you treat this book. Do not rip out the pages. Do not drop it in the bath. I cannot promise that Madam Pince will not swoop down on you, wherever you are, and demand a heavy fine” (2). Dumbledore’s enthusiasm for Quidditch is evident as well, as he argues that the sport “unites witches and wizards from all walks of life” (2).