The following contains spoilers for Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, now playing in theaters.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbeldore returned audiences to the famous halls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But since this was long before Dumbledore would take on the role of headmaster, things were very different. Although not much time got spent at the school, it was clear that some of Hogwarts' greatest teachers were preparing to grow into their iconic roles. But if Dumbledore was busy being a teacher, who was running the school?

Since the school taught children magic for centuries, a host of headmasters and mistresses have kept them safe. During Newt's schooling and Dumbledore's tenure as the Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor, a wizard named Armando Dippet had the coveted role of headmaster. While Dumbeldore was around for some of the most tumultuous times, it's fair to say Dippet orchestrated much of the chaos that would come later.

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armando-dippet

Sometime after 1925, Dippet, at over 200 years old, assumed the role of headmaster of Hogwarts. While there, he was the one who was in charge when Tom Riddle was a student. As Riddle kept the facade of a good student up at all times, Dippet was one of the many who believed his act. Unfortunately, he was also headmaster when the Chamber of Secrets got opened the first time. That led to the death of a student and the expulsion of Rubeus Hagrid. But even though much tragedy befell the school during his time as its leader, he also employed some exceptional magic users that would later be crucial in protecting the school from Lord Voldemort.

Of the many teachers he hired over the decades, some of the most famous names included Horace Slughorn, Minerva McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore. While Dippet doesn't appear in the Fantastic Beasts films, it was clear that his judgment in who he chose was sound as Dumbledore and McGonagall had already shown signs of being the epic team they would become. In fact, Dumbledore early on had a decidedly hands-on approach with the direction of the school, as he would constantly advise against employing Tom Riddle after his graduation as he could sense the darkness in him.

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Lally Hicks outshone Newt and Dumbledore

Much like the other leaders, Dippet's passing meant that his portrait hung in the headmaster's office. And as fate would have it, his death was during the same year the Chamber of Secrets opened. The coincidence may not have had anything to do with his passing, but it showed that some of his choices had dire consequences while he was an otherwise exceptional headmaster. That said, Dippet had since proven to be a gifted leader placed in situations few before he had ever encountered.

In the end, Dippet put his students ahead of himself, but some bad eggs would slip through the cracks, like Tom Riddle. Nevertheless, his skills as a teacher allowed him to hire equally skilled professors and one that would eventually be his successor. In the Wizarding World, a name getting remembered has meant both good and bad. However, for a name to be recognized by a few indicates that they did their job well and did what they could to inspire those that would come after, without a desire for the attention that came with it. In that regard, a few may remember Dippet, but his choices changed Hogwarts forever.

To see the Dumbledore before he was a headmaster, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is now playing in theaters.