I was reading Why Didn't Dumbledore Take the Sword of Gryffindor With Him to the Sea Cave (Locket Horcrux)?. According to DVK's answer, Dumbledore was a Gryffindor:

If an emergency situation arose where a sword was needed, surely Dumbledore, as a worthy Gryffindor, had the option of pulling the sword out of a Hat.

Is there any canon reference for this other than the argument that Dumbledore was brave?

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    At first I read this question as "Is Dumbledore a Gryffon?" I wish that were the actual question. – Zibbobz Jul 17 '14 at 15:47

Yes, as documented at the HP Lexicon.


The first time Harry and Ron meet Hermione, she says that she’s hoping to be sorted into Gryffindor, and that Dumbledore was a previous member:

I’ve been asking around and I hope I’m in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best, I hear Dumbledore himself was one.

Philosopher’s Stone, chapter 6 (Platform Nine and Three-Quarters)


In the Goblet of Fire film, Dumbledore tells Harry:


I doubt Dumbledore would care enough about curtains in a room in someone else's house to set fire to them and remember it to make the comment.

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    I liked the curtain quote. Is it there in the book or only the movie? A quick google search gave me plenty of references to the movie – jogabonito Jun 26 '12 at 7:11
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    @jogabonito It's in the book, though I couldn't tell you exactly when. – Anthony Grist Jun 26 '12 at 7:56
  • Also, the door knocker on his oak doors was the head of a griffin. – morganpdx Jul 8 '12 at 21:12
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    @jogabonito: Fairly sure it was an addition on the part of the screenwriters; I’ve scoured the text of GoF and can’t find any mention of it. – alexwlchan Jul 17 '14 at 6:31

In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone Hermione mentions


It is also revealed on Pottermore in the Gryffindor welcome letter that Dumbledore is a Gryffindor. (Link) for those that don't have access to Pottermore.

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    Nice, with the Pottermore link! – David Stratton Jun 26 '12 at 6:18

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