What Did the Headmaster Know, and When Did He Know It? by David Martin

David Martin Presents: What Did the Headmaster Know, and When Did He Know It? Questions and Speculations About the Actions of Albus Dumbledore on the Evening of June 6, 1994
Harry Potter Academic Conference 2024
Abstract: On the evening of June 6, 1994, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger went three hours back in time - from midnight to 9:00 PM-to rescue Buckbeak and Sirius Black. We know a great deal about what the two of them did during those three hours-both the first time they lived through these hours and second time. But what was Albus Dumbledore doing during those three hours? This question is important mostly because of what Dumbledore did NOT do. Specifically, Dumbledore tells Harry-in chapter 37 of Order of the Phoenix, “The Lost Prophecy”-that he “watched from afar as you struggled to repel Dementors.” Dumbledore knew that Harry was being attacked by a crowd of Dementors and he just watched? Even though this was happening not far away on the grounds of Hogwarts? This talk will lay out a timeline from 9:00 PM until midnight on that evening and show what various characters were doing during that time. It will also give reasons why Dumbledore’s seeming failure to act was, in fact, rational based on what he knew and when he knew it.