Aberforth

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 174892

Carol:
> 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?

Jen:  I expected Aberforth to be another Dumbledore loyalist along 
the lines of the Order members in OOTP: Dumbledore directed and 
Aberforth followed.  What a surprise.  Not only did Aberforth express 
ambivalence about the cause, he didn't even have Albus on a 
pedestal!  

Yet, he did follow through with what Albus would have wanted in the 
end, making me like him all the more for his ability to put aside 
personal differences.  Although, did anyone else think Harry's story 
about the cave might have been the impetus for Aberforth to show up 
at Hogwarts?  I wondered if he might have stayed a grumbling 
resistance fighter in the background had he not heard that Albus was 
tormented by their shared past as much or more than Aberforth was.  

Even though so little page time was devoted to him, Aberforth was 
almost as fully developed as several adult characters who were part 
of multiple books in the series, i.e., the Weasleys, Mad-Eye or 
Tonks.  Part of this development was tied to learning so much about 
Aberforth's life in conjunction with Dumbledore's.

As for Aberforth's role in the story...that's difficult for me to 
say.  He provides necessary historical information as well as adding 
to Dumbledore's character development.  He acts as a plot device to 
save the Trio.  Twice.  In fact, had JKR characterized Aberforth with 
twinkly smiles and a do-gooder spirit, I might have rolled my eyes at 
how obviously he was there to move the plot along and provide 
exposition.  Instead, he's this crusty, gruff, goat-loving sort of 
conscience for the series, seemingly the only one in the Order who 
looks at the epitome of goodness and says, 'you know what your 
problem is Albus?  You're just not good enough.'   

I loved that Aberforth was the reason Harry stopped at a pivotal 
moment and decided having secrets wasn't always the best choice, that 
perhaps Dumbledore was wrong to believe he had to isolate himself 
with his secrets.

Carol:
> His goat Patronus? If we think that Snape has a hard time letting go
> of Lily, what are we to think of Aberforth and Ariana (and, no; I am
> not talking about an incestuous affection, only a lifetime 
> obsession)?

Jen: I caught this while re-reading, that his goat Patronus 
symbolized Ariana; I found it touching rather than thinking of it as 
an obsession, touching to discover that some of Aberforth's happiest 
memories were of the little sister who loved him dearly just as he 
loved her.  There was a certain need attached to their bond of 
course, since he was the one who understood her best and she felt 
comfortable with him, but that didn't diminish the mutual affection 
each felt for the other, not in my eyes at least.   

Carol:
> (Another side note: I looked up the etymology of Ariana, which turns
> out to be a variant form of Ariadne, the name of the princess who
> rescued Theseus from the Minotaur and was later abandoned by him.

Jen:  Ah, clever Ariadne, the inspiration for my yahoo name. ;)  I'm 
trying and failing to think how the Ariana character might have been 
inspired by this particular myth - anyone else have an idea?

Jen