Original artwork, not a still
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone • 1997
The truth. It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Dumbledore explains his whole policy of withholding in one sentence. The truth is not a comfort or a weapon but something dangerous, to be handled with care and timing, and the line also sets a promise to Harry that he will be told the answers eventually. Readers use it whenever a hard fact has to be delivered gently, and the series spends its remaining books showing the cost of Dumbledore's caution.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's StoneShow the scene
Chapter 17, "The Man with Two Faces", in the hospital wing. Harry has just woken after facing Quirrell and Voldemort, and Dumbledore has told him the Stone is destroyed. Harry says there are things he wants to know the truth about, and Dumbledore replies with this line before agreeing to answer his questions, though not everything. When Harry asks why Voldemort wanted to kill him in the first place, Dumbledore refuses for now.
Sources (2)
- Wikibooks: Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter, Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 17SynopsisReference checked
- Wikiquote: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's StoneSection The Man with Two FacesReference checked
Context reviewed
