If you’ve ever seen a James Bond film, you know that Bond takes orders from someone. He doesn’t not always follow those orders, but someone gives them nonetheless. The same is true of real spies and spy craft. A spy always has a handler who tells him or her what to do and who sends the information the spy gathers to the right place.
Handlers often recruit new spies as well. Dumbledore, for example, never passes up an opportunity to convince someone to spy for him.
How much do you know about spy recruitment and handling in Harry Potter? Test your knowledge with this quiz!
1. How did Grindelwald nearly recruit Dumbledore? What ultimately made his recruitment efforts fail?
2. Why does Hagrid’s attempt to bribe the giants fail?
3. Why is Dumbledore successful in recruiting Slughorn to teach at Hogwarts in Book 6?
4. What device does Mrs. Weasley have to “handle” her large family when they are out of her sight?
5. How does Voldemort ensure that his followers do what he wants them to?
Here’s an example of Dumbledore’s EXCELLENT recruitment tactics. Check out how he uses some serious psychological analysis to get Slughorn to do what he wants!