CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Chapter 27, The Centaur and the Sneak

[finwitch]

No: HPFGUIDX 113979

Janet Anderson:

 I personally think the person who 
> suggested that he was at the Hog's Head -- whether or not his 
brother is in 
> fact the bartender -- was probably right.  (Umbridge:  "Dumbledore 
won't be 
> sitting in a tavern while the entire Ministry of Magic is looking 
for him!")
> 
> He could, if it comes to that, have been somewhere in Hogwarts all 
the time; 
> he may not know everything about Hogwarts but I'm perfectly certain 
he knows 
> more about it than Fudge or Umbridge, and could hide from them 
without 
> difficulty.  All he'd have to do would be avoid being seen by Mrs. 
Norris or 
> Filch -- the portraits and ghosts were all on his side.  But 
wherever he 
> was, I'm sure it was someplace "in plain sight," but somewhere he 
knew the 
> MoM wouldn't think to look.

Finwitch:

Quite right, I think. Where ever Dumbledore was, I'm certain it was 
in plain sight. Still, the best way to hide a key is among other 
keys - so if Dumbledore's (elder?twin?little?) brother was at Hog's 
Head, he would have gone there. Anyway, I think that Albus Dumbledore 
went to see his brother.

After all, visiting a relative can hardly count as "hiding", you 
know. I don't know how many Dumbledore brothers there were, but 
particularly if their mother gave birth to triplets, Albus could well 
go see Aberforth and not be found by the Ministry. Even if Ministry 
paid a visit, they'd think it was the *third* brother...

Anyway, Dumbledore family is *curious*. One is the headmaster of 
wizarding school, and the other - whether he's tending a bar or nice, 
grey goats, he's NOT doing anything like schooling! (Considering 
Albus doubts his reading abilities!) 

We didn't hear a word of this mysterious brother until Albus mentions 
him in GoF as he and Harry are discussing unsavory relatives with 
Rubeus Hagrid. Next we hear of Aberforth Dumbledore is Alastor 
Moody's comment over a photograph: "Only time I ever saw him. Strange 
bloke".

So - if Albus is visiting his brother (whom just about no one ever 
sees, who doesn't read things like Owl Post or the Daily Prophet...) 
Ministry won't likely be finding him! They'd have to pay a *personal* 
visit to Aberforth, and if he's put any protection on his house, 
Ministry cannot find Albus...

Finwitch