Aberforth

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 174880

justcarol67 at ...> wrote:
<SNIP>
> Just out of curiosity (I'm addressing the group in general), what 
were
> your expectations for him and how close to the mark were they? 
What's
> your reaction to the character as he's presented? Is he just a plot
> device? A foil to Albus? Something else?
> <SNIP>
> BTW, I read "unlettered" as a relative statement in contrast to the
> highly literate Albus and his dear friend, Gellert: "lacking 
facility
> in reading and writing and ignorant of the knowledge to be gained 
from
> books" (Merriam-Webster Online) as opposed to unable to write his 
name
> or read a book title. I don't think that a student could get 
through
> even his first year at Hogwarts without knowing how to read at 
least
> as well as the average eight- or nine-year-old even if he's not
> reading at his age level or grade level. I would be very surprised 
if
> he literally couldn't read, as Albus rather facetiously (and 
unkindly)
> suggested in an earlier book. I just doubt that he ever chose to 
do so
> for entertainment or voluntary intellectual advancement.
> 
> (Side note: I think Crabbe and Goyle were a little too stupid to be
> believed, but Aberforth is in a different league.)
> 
> Is he wiser than DD in your view, or are they both mistaken in 
their
> perceptions of each other? Any guesses as to which House he was in?
> 
<SNIP>


Alla:

I already briefly confessed my love  for Aberforth Dumbledore, but I 
am very happy to do so in more details.

Did I have any expectations about him? Actually none, or should I 
say almost none, since I did not expect him to be  DE, by virtue of 
him being DD's brother. 

Aberforth exceeded my almost non-existant expectations by quite a 
lot.

First of all we see him as saving Trio from DE and anybody who saves 
Trio from DE is already a good man in my book.

We see him not being afraid to stick it to DE and doing a little 
blackmail of his own. He is street-smart and I like that a lot.

"You set off Caterwauling Charm?"

"What if I did? Going to cart me off to Azkaban? Kill me for 
sticking my nose out my own front door? Do it then if you want to. 
But I hope for your sakes you haven't pressed your Dark Marks and 
summoned him. He is not going to  like being called here for me and 
my old cat, is he, now?"
***
"And where will you lot traffick potions and poisons when my pub's 
closed down? What'll happen to your little sidelines then?"  - p.558
***

After that tirade I was already in love with the man.

But JKR just had to make my love stronger and stronger with every 
word of his and he does not occupy too much page space, doesn't he?


He was for me the voice of the readers like me who wanted to smack 
Dumbledore for years for his secrecy thing and just tell Harry to 
save himself and he does it oh so very well. How many times over 
last few books I wished that Harry just let WW rot and just 
disappeared with his friends?


"My brother Albus wanted a lot of things," said Aberworth, " and 
people had a habit of getting hurt while he was carrying out his 
grand plans. You get away from this school, Potter, and out of the 
country if you can. Forget my brother and his clever schemes" - p.559

And of course my poor Harry despite being angry with Dumbledore just 
determined to do the job. I loved Harry for that. But was I thinking 
that Aberforth is the voice of reason? Oh yes.

By the way on reread I was not sure if Aberforth was not testing 
Harry again with all this "Save yourself" stuff.

Because despite saying that Order is finished, etc, he does not 
exactly give up the fight in my view. He helps Neville and other 
fighters, so I don't know.

On the other hand, he is probably just calls things as he sees them  
in a very blunt way.

Is he wiser than Dumbledore? I would say in a sense of wiser about 
life in general, yeah, absolutely and better too, I absolutely trust 
Dumbledore on that one.

"Reality returned in the form of my rough, unlettered and infinitely 
more admirable brother. I did not want to hear truths he shouted at 
me" – p.717.

I also think that he can write and read by the way.

As to the house, I honestly think that Gryffindor fits him.

One must be brave to stick his neck with DE like this.

Aberforth rocks :)

Alla