Aberforth Dumbledore

"*My own brother, Aberforth, was prosecuted for practising inappropriate charms on a goat. It was all over the papers, but did Aberforth hide? No, he did not! He held his head high and went about his business as usual! Of course, I'm not entirely sure he can read, so that may not have been bravery...*"
— Aberforth's unconventional personality

## Relationship information

### Family members

* Kendra Dumbledore (mother; deceased)
* Percival Dumbledore (father; deceased)
* Albus Dumbledore (older brother)
* Ariana Dumbledore (younger sister; deceased)

**Aberforth Dumbledore** (b. 1884) was a half-blood wizard, the second son of Percival and Kendra Dumbledore, younger brother of Albus, and older brother of Ariana. He attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry between 1895 and 1902. His father — who had been sentenced to prison for attacking three Muggles — died in Azkaban when Aberforth was young, and his mother and sister were later accidentally killed. Aberforth blamed his brother Albus for the death of their sister, Ariana and thus their relationship was rather strained.

Aberforth was the owner and barman of the Hog's Head Inn in Hogsmeade, and was a member of the original Order of the Phoenix during the First Wizarding War. In 1998, he assisted Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger from a distance during their Horcrux hunt, sending the House-elf Dobby to help them escape from Malfoy Manor. He later allowed them to use a secret tunnel that connected the Hog's Head to Hogwarts when the trio arrived in Hogsmeade. He subsequently fought in the Battle of Hogwarts and survived the Second Wizarding War. He continued to live in Hogsmeade, tending to his goats.

### Early life (1884-1891)

"*They were not alike; Aberforth was never bookish and, unlike Albus, preferred to settle arguments by duelling rather than through reasoned discussion. In fairness to Aberforth, it must be admitted that living in Albus's shadow cannot have been an altogether comfortable experience.*"
— Description of the Dumbledore brothers[src]

Aberforth was the middle child of Percival and Kendra Dumbledore, younger brother to Albus and older brother to Ariana. The family lived in Mould-on-the-Wold, and Aberforth's favourite tale while growing up was *Grumble the Grubby Goat*. The Dumbledore family was traumatised when Ariana, then six years old, was attacked by three Muggle boys who had seen her performing magic.

The attack left Ariana half-insane and unable to control her magic. Their father cursed the boys in retaliation, and was arrested for it. He did not reveal to the authorities the reason for his attack, as Ariana would have been taken from the family as a threat to the Statute of Secrecy and placed in St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries permanently. Percival was imprisoned in Azkaban, and Kendra moved the family to Godric's Hollow, putting out a story that Ariana was ill and needed to remain at home. This story led to the assumption that Ariana was a Squib.

Aberforth attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from 1895 to 1902. Unlike Albus, Aberforth preferred to solve his differences by duelling, rather than dialogue. He was in Albus's shadow, as his brother was an extraordinarily talented and academic Wizard and even despite his great duelling talent, he was still incomparable to Albus in the field he specialised in.

### Tragedy (1891-1899)

"*I could get her to eat when she wouldn't do it for my mother, I could calm her down, when she was in one of her rages, and when she was quiet, she used to help me feed the goats.*"
— Aberforth and his relationship with his sister[src]

Aberforth was Ariana's favourite sibling, and he took part responsibility of taking care of her. However, he was not at home when Ariana lost control of her magic and accidentally killed their mother. Following his mother's passing, Aberforth wanted to leave school and take over the care of his sister, but Albus would not allow it. Albus wanted his younger brother to complete his education at Hogwarts, although he bitterly resented having to abandon his grand plans. By this time, Aberforth was described as a "wayward" young man, known to chuck goat dung at their neighbours and inclined to get into duels with those he had disagreements with.

When Gellert Grindelwald came to Godric's Hollow, he and Albus instantly struck up a friendship, together dreaming of finding the Deathly Hallows and leading a revolution that would make Muggles subservient to wizards. Upon learning of his elder brother's ambitions, Aberforth was disgusted by such a plan, but he was also concerned as Ariana would have to be involved. When it was time for Aberforth to return to Hogwarts, he decided to finally confront Albus and Grindelwald on the impossibility of such a scheme and angrily pointed out on Albus's neglect of Ariana and that he could not be the heroic leader of the revolution with Ariana in tow, which Albus later said to have "brought him back to reality" despite not wanting to hear the truth of the words Aberforth shouted at him.

Grindelwald became furious and used the Cruciatus Curse on Aberforth. Albus tried to protect his brother and a three-way duel broke out. While the three battled, Ariana tried to help her brother, but a stray curse from one of them hit Ariana, killing her. Aberforth was devastated by the death of the younger sister he and his mother spent years caring for and furiously blamed Albus for Ariana's death, going as far as to physically assault his brother at their sister's funeral and actually breaking Albus's nose, shouting that Ariana's death was his fault. He didn't forgive his brother and continued to resent him for years, despite Albus's immense feelings of regret, of which Aberforth did not know until Harry revealed it to him, which allowed Aberforth to finally forgive his brother.

### Hog's Head Inn Barman (Post 1899-?)

At some point, Aberforth became the barman of the Hog's Head Inn in Hogsmeade village. When Adalbert Gaunt returned to Hogwarts to apply for the Defence Against the Dark Arts post, Albus revealed that one of 'the local barmen', presumably Aberforth himself, told him about Gaunt's followers awaiting him in the Hog's Head. Later, when the First Wizarding War broke out, Aberforth joined the Order of the Phoenix, opposing Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

#### First Wizarding War

Sometime around 1975, Mundungus Fletcher was banned from Hog's Head for life. Sirius Black later noted that Aberforth had 'a good memory' for whom he had thrown out of his tavern.

In 1980, Albus visited the Hog's Head to interview Sybill Trelawney for the position of Divination professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Regulus Black , then a Death Eater, overheard part of Trelawney's prophecy about Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort. Black was unable to hear its entirety, however, as Aberforth caught him eavesdropping and threw him out.

#### Between the wars

Around 1982, Aberforth was prosecuted by the Wizengamot for "*using inappropriate charms on a goat*," causing a "minor scandal", widely reported in the papers. According to his brother, Aberforth did not let the gossip get him down or force him into hiding; but Albus also jokingly claimed, as an alternative explanation, not to be completely sure Aberforth could read.

During the 1988–1989 school year, Yasuko Rivera visited Hog's Head Inn to ask about Mundungus Fletcher. Aberforth expressed his hatred towards Fletcher but didn't give them his whereabouts. He then presented them a letter from Albus, which was said to be given to them should they appear in Hog's Head looking lost.

#### Second Wizarding War

**Harry Potter**: "*It's... he left me a job.*"
**Aberforth**: "*Did he now? Nice job, I hope? Pleasant? Easy? Sort of thing you'd expect an unqualified wizard kid to be able to do without over-stretching themselves?*"
**Harry Potter**: "*I — it's not easy, no.*"
— Aberforth regarding the task his brother left to Harry Potter
In 1995, Harry Potter and a large number of students arrived in the Hog's Head to discuss learning Defence Against the Dark Arts from Harry. This was an illegal defence group, as Dolores Umbridge forbid all group activities. Aberforth served the large group Butterbeer, even though some of the group considered ordering Firewhisky. Mundungus Fletcher was also present acting as an informant for the Order of the Phoenix.

In 1996, Aberforth met with Mundungus outside the Three Broomsticks Inn, who appeared to be selling stolen goods from 12 Grimmauld Place to him; one of those items was Sirius Black's two-way mirror. The exchange was observed by Harry Potter, who attempted to confront Mundungus following Aberforth's departure.

In 1997, the Battle of the Astronomy Tower took place at Hogwarts, culminating with the death of Albus Dumbledore at the hands of Severus Prince-Slytherin who (although this was unknown to everyone else at the time besides the deceased Dumbledore) was allied with Dumbledore to protect his children and was willing to give him a second chance, although this event gave Severus a lot of closure. A great number of people attended his funeral, including Aberforth, Hogwarts students, professors, old friends, Hogsmeade residents, Order of the Phoenix members and Ministry of Magic officials. After his brother's death, Aberforth had no family left.

The next year, since Dumbledore had died and could not protect the school from Death Eaters, Lord Voldemort managed to take over Hogwarts. became Headmaster, and Alecto and Amycus Carrow, two Death Eaters, became Deputy Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress. The Carrows enjoyed punishing students, and were cruel and sadistic. They used their power to torture the students who opposed them. Aberforth's pub was used as passageway into Hogwarts to the Room of Requirement, he supplied the students in hiding with food and water. However, Severus's eldest daughter, Nathara, stood up to the Carrow twins and used her proficiency in dueling to delay the tortures.

Aberforth came into possession of one fragment of the two way mirror, using it to watch over Harry, just as his brother had done, through the other half. Harry was unaware of the details, but occasionally looked at the mirror, thinking the eyes might belong to Albus. When Harry desperately requested help from the mirror whilst trapped at Malfoy Manor, Aberforth sent Dobby to the rescue. He was sad to learn the house-elf died in action.

Deciding to look for the next of Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes in the Death Eater-controlled Hogwarts Castle, Harry, Hermione, and Ron Apparated into Hogsmeade village, setting off a Caterwauling Charm that alerted Death Eaters to their arrival. As they were hidden under the Invisibility Cloak, the Death Eaters decided to send Dementors to find Harry. The Dementors, sensing fear, rapidly closed in, and Harry cast a Patronus Charm to repel them. A door creaked open behind, and Aberforth waved the trio in. Aberforth then convinced the Death Eaters that he set off the alarm by letting his cat out, and it was his goat Patronus, not Harry's stag, that they actually saw.

Harry recognised the man as Aberforth Dumbledore, Albus' younger brother. Aberforth wanted them to escape the village the next morning, believing the Order of the Phoenix finished, Voldemort had already won the war, and those still fighting were only deluding themselves. When Harry refused, saying he must complete Dumbledore's mission, Aberforth berated Harry for following his brother, and asked if he knew the entire truth about him. Harry, already doubting Dumbledore's intentions, was unable to respond. With little prodding, Aberforth indicated he knew Rita Skeeter's book, and related the true story about their childhood and was shocked when Harry told him afterwards of Severus taking the Drink of Despair.

Despite hearing of Dumbledore's past, Harry intended to complete Dumbledore's mission, with or without Aberforth's help to get inside Hogwarts. While slowly forgiving his late brother after learning of Albus's remorse from Harry, Aberforth bowed to the inevitable and addressed Ariana's portrait, and she disappeared down a long, dark tunnel, soon returning with another figure; Neville Longbottom. Neville led the three back to the Room of Requirement, and alerted the Order of the Phoenix that Harry had arrived at the school. The Hog's Head then became the main transportation hub for the outgoing students and the incoming Order members prior to the Battle of Hogwarts through a secret passageway behind a portrait of his sister Ariana.

Aberforth fought in the battle; he entered Hogwarts to complain to Harry about how hundreds of evacuating students were thundering through his pub, and that they should have kept some Slytherin students as hostage against parenting Death Eaters, to which Harry countered that it would not stop Voldemort and that Albus would never do it. Although he had already forgiven his brother, Aberforth sneered at the latter theory before leaving to defend the castle.[10] During the battle, he offered encouragement to Ginny when she fought some Death Eaters. When Willow asks if he has seen Isabell, Aberforth replied that she was last seen duelling Dolohov. In the renewed battle, Aberforth stunned Rookwood as he headed into the Great Hall.

#### After the war

Aberforth survived the final battle of the Second Wizarding War. After the battle, he talked with Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan while in the Great Hall. He later returned to his former life, "s*till at the Hog's Head, playing with his goats*."

#### Calamity

During the Calamity, Aberforth came across volunteers from the SOS Task Force in Hogsmeade, and showed them his version of the Proficiency Charm.