A Brief Tour of Dumbledore's Office
This post is a brief guide to all the different layers of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore's office - what is in them and how he uses them.
Lower Level
Upon entering Dumbledore's office you will find yourself in a large circular area beneath the desk and primary workspace. The walls are lined with portraits of the previous headmasters and headmistresses. A fireplace connects the office to the floo network and is used by Dumbledore for quick official visits to and from the Ministry. This level is also where Dumbledore keeps his many strange and unusual magical devices - turning the entry level of the room into something of a museum for guests.
Main Office
This is Dumbledore's main work area within the office. It is dominated by a massive carved wooden desk with a gold throne like chair behind it that is surrounded by overstuffed bookshelves. This area is also home to Fawkes the Phoenix and the Sorting Hat. Fawke's perch rests just behind Dumbledore's desk, while the sorting hat has pride of place on a shelf above the desk. My one critique of this area in the films is that there really do need to be chairs in front of the desks so Dumbledore can more easily meet with guests.
Sitting Room
Located behind the main office and resting in what seems to be the bottom of the tower, Dumbledore's sitting room is a small comfortable space (with tragically few pictures on the internet). Heavy, well cushioned, Victorian furniture - presumably from Dumbledore's youth - dominates the room with a small cabinet for drinks in the corner beside a window seat. This is where Dumbledore has his more informal meetings - chats with potential donors to the school, difficult conversations with students, drinks with guests, and gripe sessions with Minerva McGonagall.
Observatory
High above the whole office is Dumbledore's observatory. I am unsure what other headmasters used this space for - more space for entertaining, a meeting room, or something mysterious and magical - but in Dumbledore's time, it was used to house his impressively massive telescope. In addition, there is sometimes a second perch for Fawkes up here.
