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Why Did Dumbledore Keep Hiring TERRIBLE Professors? - Harry Potter Explained

October 6, 2026 · 20 min

Show notes

Lockhart. Umbridge. Quirrell. Dangerous werewolf. Imposter Professor. Were theyreally the best the Wizarding World had to offer?


For a magical school with a reputation like Hogwarts, it feels quite unusual that these people ever stepped in the castle, let alone TAUGHT actual students. But when it comes to the role of DADA professor, Hogwarts just can’t seem to get it right.


Or is it just that…Dumbledore can’t get it right?


Questions Answered / Topics Discussed

  • Why did Dumbledore keep hiring terrible professors at Hogwarts?
  • Why did Dumbledore hire Gilderoy Lockhart if he knew Lockhart was a fraud?
  • Did Dumbledore know the Defence Against the Dark Arts position was cursed?
  • Why did Voldemort curse the Defence Against the Dark Arts position?
  • Why could no Defence Against the Dark Arts professor last more than one year?
  • Did the DADA curse make it harder for Dumbledore to find good teachers over time?
  • Why did Dumbledore hire Quirinus Quirrell?
  • Why did Dumbledore hire Remus Lupin during the year Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban?
  • Did Sirius Black’s escape influence Dumbledore’s decision to hire Lupin?
  • Why did Dumbledore convince Alastor Moody to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts?
  • Why was Dolores Umbridge allowed to become Defence Against the Dark Arts professor?
  • Did Dumbledore know Umbridge would only last one year?
  • Why did Dumbledore refuse to give Snape the DADA job for so many years?
  • Why did Dumbledore finally make Snape Defence Against the Dark Arts professor in Half-Blood Prince?
  • Was Dumbledore deliberately using the cursed DADA position for other purposes?
  • Did Dumbledore value loyalty, experience and circumstance over actual teaching ability?
  • Why did Dumbledore hire questionable teachers like Trelawney, Hagrid and Professor Binns?
  • Was Gilderoy Lockhart’s appointment part of Dumbledore’s plan to expose him?
  • Did Voldemort’s curse weaken Defence Against the Dark Arts education at Hogwarts?
  • Did the DADA curse eventually lead to the creation of Dumbledore’s Army?
  • Who was the best Defence Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts?
  • Who was the worst Defence Against the Dark Arts professor?
  • What happened to every Defence Against the Dark Arts professor in Harry Potter?
  • Why was the Defence Against the Dark Arts job considered cursed?
  • How much did Dumbledore really know about Voldemort’s curse?

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