Aberforth Dumbledore and the shady side of WW

[shaw_steven]

No: HPFGUIDX 75868


In GoF,Ch.24 when Dumbledore and HRH are trying to cheer up Hagrid:

"An excellent point," said Professor Dumbledore. "My own brother, 
Aberforth, was prosecuted for practicing 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. . .." 

What if Aberforth's inappropriate charm was the attempt to remove a 
bezoar from someone else's goat?  I know all you folks out there with 
dirty minds (scourgify mens!) probably read this as more than it 
should be.  As we have seen from Mundungus, there is a black market 
for magical items.  Perhaps Aberforth is the connection between 
Mundungus and Albus which brings them together.

In OotP Ch. 5, Sirius said:
'He's useful,' Sirius muttered. 'Knows all the crooks - well, he 
would, seeing as he's one himself. But he's also very loyal to 
Dumbledore, who helped him out of a tight spot once. It pays to have 
someone like Dung around, he hears things we don't.

This also lends credence to the theory that the bartender in the Hog's 
Head is Aberforth or some other member of the Order.  I expect many of 
the members of the Order are involved in information gathering.  Pubs 
and other gathering places would be monitored.  Might Tom, the 
bartender at the Leaky Cauldron, or some other staff member also be a 
member?