Request for new topics

[jlv230]

No: HPFGUIDX 152380

Here's what I've been thinking about recently... First, from the 
Mugglenet/Leaky JKR interview:

"ES: Dumbledore is unrivalled in his knowledge of magic – 
"JKR: Mmhm.
"ES: Where did he learn it all?
"JKR: I see him primarily as someone who would be self-taught. 
However, he in his time had access to superb teachers at Hogwarts, 
so he was educated in the same way that everyone else is educated. 
Dumbledore's family would be a profitable line of inquiry, more 
profitable than sweet wrappers."

My question is why have we not actually been introduced to 
Aberforth? We only see him, through Harry's eyes, as `the barman of 
the Hog's Head'. We know he was in the Order, and we are told that 
he is a rather seedy character (goats
 shudder), but why has Harry 
not discovered who he is?

Harry saw him in the Order's photo, albeit briefly, and sees him 
again in the Hog's Head in OotP:

"The barman...was a grumpy-looking old man with a great deal of long 
grey hair and beard. He was tall and thin and looked vaguely 
familiar to Harry."

Harry does not realise it is the same man, despite having seen a 
photo of him in his younger days.

Then look at HBP ch.12 for example:

"One was very tall and thin; squinting through his rain-washed 
glasses Harry recognised the barman who worked in the other 
Hogsmeade pub, the Hog's Head. As Harry, Ron and Hermione drew 
closer, the barman drew his cloak more tightly around his neck and 
walked away, leaving the shorter man to fumble with something in his 
arms."

Why make a point of the fact that Harry can hardly see the guy what 
with the rain on his glasses and the cloak and the walking away? Is 
it important that Harry is unaware of the barman's family 
connection? What might be in store for Aberforth given that JKR 
hinted that Dumbledore's family had an interesting history? Are 
Dumbledore and Aberforth 'heirs of Gryffindor' or somesuch? Or is 
that just silly?

Anyway, makes a change...
JLV xx