Aberforth

[Katie]

No: HPFGUIDX 174927

> Carol wrote:
> 
> 
> 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?
> 
> 
> 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?

***
Katie:

I liked Aberforth very much. I had no expectations for him at all - 
actually, I never expected even to meet him, unlike alot of more 
observant people in this group!

I thought Aberforth was a very *intelligent* man, although he was 
obviously less *intellectual* than Albus. I thought he was strong, 
clever, caring, and capable, if a bit negative and gruff. I thought 
Aberforth was a good example of how intelligence can be manifested 
differently. He certainly wasn't like Hermione or Albus...but he 
obviously wasn't dumb. I also thought JKR may have meant him as an 
example of how Albus could have been, had he not been arrogant and 
power-hungry as a youth. I found the two brothers very similar in 
temperment - warm, funny, and often gruff. But Aberforth laced the 
arrogance of Albus, the arrogance so many find distasteful. 

I would guess that he was also in Gryffindor, considering that he 
*is* so very much like Albus in many ways...and some would argue that 
he's actually braver than Albus. I think Albus might even argue that.

One thing I wondered about was the constant description of 
Aberforth's eyes and glasses as (I don't have the book on me) white 
or opaque. I mean, we know JKR is obsessed with eyes, but I wondered 
what the specific signifigance of his opaque eyes was. My immediate 
thought when reading it was that he was blinded by his anger about 
Albus's ability to change...but that might be a stretch. Any thoughts?

Katie