Originally posted by quanchi112
Using common sense and logic which you seem unable to grasp but here let me try something else, book boy.In the Half-Blood Prince, Dumbledore himself states that Voldemort knows perhaps more magic than any other wizard alive. Is this correct, book nerd ?
I believe this is negatory.
He remarks that before Riddle knew he was a wizard, his powers were "surprisingly well-developed for such a young wizard..." p 276.
- and on p 501 Dumbledore says that as Voldemort Riddle had gone "further than anybody along the path that leads to immortality." Actually that's a quote of Voldemort's to his Death Eaters after his resurrection in book 4, but HBP is to hand and not GoF.
However, in SS/PS in a conversation between Dumbledore and McGonagall.
"You flatter me," said Dumbledore calmly. "Voldemort has powers I will never have."
"Only because you're too - well - noble to use them." p 11
So they have [at least] the same amount of power - Voldemort is just willing to do stuff that Dumbledore isn't. But Dumbledore is willing to do stuff that Voldemort isn't so there you go.
One could argue that Grindelwald is greater than Dumbledore - after all, Dumbledore did subscribe to Grindelwald's "greater good" anti-Muggle theory for a while. But then that was partially because Dumbledore loved Grindelwald, and we know that eventually Dumbledore defeated Grindelewald in a formal duel.
As far as Voldemort/Dumbledore dueling, the closest they get to it is in OotP, which is when Voldemort stops dueling to sort of take control of Harry. You could argue that Voldemort thought he was losing and so changed tactics... which is why I think Dumbledore is the most powerful out of the three.
Rowling has said that we'll get to see more about the relationship between Grindelwald and Voldemort, which I'm EXTREMELY excited to see.
So there's a Book Nerd's side.