Here's a description from page eight of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, the first Potter book.

"He was tall, thin and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles. And his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. This man's name was Albus Dumbledore."

Sounds a lot like Richard Harris. With a fake beard and wig and robes. Warner Bros. Pictures and director Chris Columbus thought so, anyway.

Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts School, is Harry Potter's mentor and a major presence in the Harry Potter novels, which are being turned into films by Warner Bros.

But Harris, the legendary screen actor and hellraiser, died last month, two movies into the franchise. Warners and third Potter film director Alfonso Cuaron (A Little Princess, Y Tu Mama Tambien) are faced with recasting one of the major roles in the lucrative series.

Whom do they hire to replace Harris? Do they rethink the role at all? Harris seemed sickly in the second Potter film, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and disappointingly passive, mere wizard window-dressing in the first, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

"The role is so fundamental to the character and narrative of the movies, and was played so beautifully by the late Richard Harris, that the studio and filmmakers intend to make a very careful and considered choice in casting the next actor to embody the headmaster of Hogwarts School" a spokeswoman for Warners says, adding that it is "far too early to speculate on who that might be."

Um, they start filming Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban early next year. It may be "far too early" this morning, but it won't be by this afternoon.

And by Book 4 in the Potter series, Dumbledore will play a bigger role, officiating at competitions with other wizard schools. We need a new Dumbledore, and we need him now.

Here are some thoughts. He should be British, if not of Harris' generation, then at least able to play ancient. He has to have a twinkle about him, but also something of the wizened wizard edge.

"With Richard Harris gone, there's only one obvious choice to assume the role of Prof. Albus Dumbledore - Sean Connery," says Akron (Ohio) Beacon-Journal critic George Thomas.

"Anthony Hopkins is a good mimic and could do Richard Harris' voice," says critic Michael Wilmington of the Chicago Tribune.

"There have been Internet rumors and indications that it will be Christopher Lee," says Bob Longino of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

How about Peter O'Toole? He looks like Harris, is roughly the same age - 70, to Harris' 72. Being another member of that hard-drinking, hard-brawling generation of actors that included Richard Burton, Albert Finney and Oliver Reed, he also has the street cred.

For that matter, how about Albert Finney?

Or Christopher Plummer? The once-and-always Capt. Von Trapp has spent his latter career proving what an interesting actor he can be. He's played pirates, a Star Trek alien and Mike Wallace. Why not a wizard? He's a few years older (75), but always seemed healthier than either Harris or O'Toole.

Veteran actor Jim Broadbent, last year's supporting actor Oscar winner can play old, as he did in Iris. He has an air of jolliness, as he showed in such films as Bridget Jones's Diary. And he can hide that lightness when he wants to seem sinister, as he was in Moulin Rouge.

Then again, why not Broadbent's supporting-actor competition from last year, Tom Wilkinson (The Full Monty, In the Bedroom).

Thomas isn't buying that.

"Connery's appearance would provide a strong, dignified presence that would be perfect for molding the minds of the would-be witches and wizards in the Harry Potter films," Thomas says.

How about another ex-Bond? Timothy Dalton? Roger Moore?

Michael Caine? Too cockney. Michael York? Too Austin Powers.

But wait, isn't there a non-Brit who could play the part? How about a guy who co-starred with Harris in Camelot, is roughly the same age, has great screen presence and can swing an English accent if needed? Why not start a write-in campaign for the once-and-future Lancelot, who now does King Arthur in road show versions of Camelot, Robert Goulet?

Hey, you never know when Dumbledore might need to sing.

Roger Moore writes for the Orlando Sentinel, a Tribune Publishing newspaper.