Dumbledore's family/Aberforth

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 166501

Julie wrote:
>
> For a little diversion from the current long threads, has anyone
given much thought to JKR's comment that Dumbledore's family would be
a good avenue to explore? I figure she meant one of two things:
> 
> 1. She was referring to Aberforth, of whose existence we are already
aware from the first OotP photo, and who is very likely the current
Hogs Head bartender.
> 
> 2. She was referring to someone else. 

Carol responds, tongue in cheek:
Aberforth or someone else. I'd say that's a safe bet. (Sorry! Don't
hex me!)

Seriously, I think it refers at least in part to Aberforth, and
possibly to their shared family history, although from what we've seen
of Aberforth (and, yes, I'm sure he's the Hog's Head bartender), he
doesn't seem to be very loquacious. There's also that odd reference to
inappropriate Charms on goats, which I trust will remain unexplained,
and the equally mysterious (and I'm quite sure, facetious) comment by
Albus that he's not sure Aberforth can read. Put that together with
his oddity, commented on by that representative of normalcy and
sanity, Mad-Eye Moody, and the unkempt appearance of the Hog's Head
barkeeper who smells of goats and, like Dumbledore, is tall and thin,
and that's about as much as we know. I'm guessing that he's younger
than Dumbledore, as his hair and beard are grey rather than silver
(and he'd have to be more than 150). There's also the, erm,
confrontation with Mundungus in HBP and his having supposedly tossed
Mundungus out and banned him from the Hog's Head some twenty years
earlier (I smell a cover story), the eavesdropping incident (on which
Aberforth is about the only person who can shed some light), and DD's
remark about "being friendly with the local bartenders" in the Riddle
DADA interview, which suggests that Aberforth is his source of
information for the names of Voldemort's traveling companions and
their name for themselves (Death Eaters). Almost certainly, in my
view, Aberforth is a member of Albus's extensive spy network--and no
doubt he hears many things of interest in the Hog's Head, where all
sorts of people on the fringes of Wizarding society hang out. I'm
quite sure that, appearances to the contrary, he has frequent dealings
with Mundungus, and his dirty/somewhat mentally deficient barkeeper
persona no doubt enables him to overhear many things. He might as well
be a house-elf, or a fly on the wall, for all the attention that
people pay to him.

Julie: 
> It could be that she is merely referring to Aberforth, which does
seem a bit odd to me, since we are already aware of his existence. But
he hasn't had much part in the story, so maybe she is hinting that he
will have a much more critical role in DH. He is certainly the most
likely candidate for the "Order member we haven't yet properly met." 

Carol:
I'd say he's the odds-on favorite for that role. Notice that the
barkeeper was present for the funeral, but Harry didn't see anyone
that the narrator identified specifically as Aberforth. Aberforth not
at his own brother's funeral? Not likely. Aberforth not recognized by
Harry? Very likely. And Harry will put two and two together
eventually. Soon, I hope. (Maybe that photo will show up again and
Hermione will recognize the barkeeper?)

Julie: 
> Or could it be someone else, someone in the story (as JKR said she
wouldn't be introducing any major new characters in DH) whose
relationship to Dumbledore hasn't yet been revealed? <snip> or Godric
Gryffindor (which might also tie Dumbledore to Godric's Hollow). 
<snip>

Carol:
I think that there's a strong tie between Albus Dumbledore and the
House of Godric Gryffindor, so strong that he owns the Sword of
Gryffindor and a Phoenix in the Gryffindor colors. (Yes, I know; those
are the natural colors of a Phoenix, but still, the mere fact that DD
owned him and that Phoenixes are very long-lived suggests that Fawkes,
before he was so-named, may have belonged to Godric Gryffindor. The
name Fawkes, however, can only have been given after 1606, death date
of the notorious Guy, and was probably given to him by DD himself,
given his eccentric sense of humor). DD even has a griffin door
knocker, a joke that I may be the only person who appreciates.

I would say that the probability of a family connection between the
Dumbledores and Godric Gryffindor is much more likely than a
Potter/Dumbledore or Weasley/Dumbledore or (sadly) Prince/Dumbledore
connection, for which there is no suggestion in canon (and JKR has
said on her site, IIRC, that DD is not related to Harry). I believe,
with no evidence except this Gryffindor connection, that the house in
Godric's Hollow belonged to Dumbledore and that the Potters were
hiding there before the Fidelius Charm was placed on it, possibly as
much as a year before. (I think that the charm would cause him to
forget that he knew their whereabouts, or to remember that he had
hidden them but not remember where. And, of course, even if he had
gone there, he couldn't have seen them, not having been told by the DK
himself.)

Anyway, to get back on topic, I vote for Aberforth and Godric
Gryffindor as Albus Dumbledore's "family."

On a side note, it's possible that the Dumbledore's are on the Black
family tapestry somewhere, along with the Princes, considering that it
goes back about five hundred years (I don't recall the exact number)
and Harry was focusing on the names at the bottom, the people who were
still alive, in his own and Sirius's generations. Also, the maternal
line, unless a Black marries a Black, as in the case of Orion and
Walburga, is not followed up, except in the case of Narcissa Black
Malfoy, whose son is the only Black descendant of his generation. It's
quite possible that somewhere on that tapestry you would find a
variety of Pure-blood families, including the Dumbledores, the
Princes, the Ollivanders, the Lovegoods, the Smiths. (Just speculating
and naming people who strike me as probably or possibly pure-bloods.)

Carol, who dearly loves digressions and hopes hers don't detract from
her main point or confuse anyone