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Reader Comments: (Page 2)

There is something mysterious about Aberforth. Its hard to believe that Dumbledores brother can't read. Unless the barman and Dumbledore are quite close why would the barman be stopping Snape when Trelawny was making the prophecy? i mean its hogs head is an open place right?

Posted by shaffs from maldives on February 19, 2007 04:12 AM

What an eye opener. I would have never find out that the barman was Aberforth. And as javed said, maybe aberforth has the locket. We can only find this out in the 7th book and i am looking forward to it.

Posted by Claudia from Netherlands, Sleeuwijk on February 19, 2007 05:06 AM

This is really a fantastic review. I must have read the books like a 1000 times each and i never noticed that!

It's very much possible that Aberforth is the barman of the Hog's Head.

Hats off!

Posted by Sonal from Mumbai, India on February 19, 2007 08:09 AM

it's a good theory! congratulations for coming up with good ideas to enlighten us. maybe reading is just aberforth's weakness and he might be good in other things. he might have been sleuthing and provided dumbledore with info for the order.

Posted by nalie from Bellflower, CA on February 19, 2007 08:46 AM

Great theory.

I do find it amusing that you all actually believe Dumbledore when he said that he was unaware that his brother could read. I took that as a joke...and I think you all should too.

It's an interesting thing about Dumbledore. He has such a mild but great sense of humor. He does crack jokes a lot, you just have to know where to look for them. The first one being in Harry's first year..."any students wandering on the third floor a very painful ". Like he would allow any of his students to at Hogwarts.

Posted by Chris from Walla Walla on February 19, 2007 09:48 AM

From the mouths of babes....

Upon hearing from me about this discussion topic, my daughter says, "Mom, hasn't anyone every paid attention to the name of the bar? The HOG'S HEAD? Who is the HEAD of HOGwarts? 'Course they're brothers, at least, if not twins, even. Duh." All this with that slightly awed how-can-adults-be-so-blind look on her teenaged face.

Posted by Colleen from Winter Garden, Fl on February 19, 2007 09:48 AM

I've thought alot about why Alberforth couldn't read. I think it has to do with timing. Dumbledore is over 150 years old, we must assume Aberforth is somewhere in the same range...however, when Dumbledore says his brother was charged with improper charms on a goat (details tastefully withheld), he doesn't say how long ago it was. It could have been when they were kids, and Aberforth may not have as yet learned to read.

Posted by Kevin from Wisconsin on February 19, 2007 09:55 AM

Walla Walla Chris: Yes, he said it as a joke. But don't forget the game we're playing, J.K. is hiding clues, and we're trying to find them. Nothing (or atleast almost nothing) is what it seems in a Harry Potter book, anything can be a clue. It's just like J.K. to plant a clue in something she wants us to think at first glance is someone telling a joke. (She does this all the time with things Ron says, by the way...)

And, when Dumbledore said "any students wandering on the third floor a very painful ", he wasn't joking, or threatening the students with punishment, it was a genuine warning that there was something dangerous on the third floor that could really them!

Posted by Dave Haber from Los Angeles, CA on February 19, 2007 10:04 AM

Brilliant analysis from your daughter Colleen. I never would have though of that. Fascinating article. It surely has to be Aberforth.

Posted by Boromir from Leicester ,England, Great Britain on February 19, 2007 12:58 PM

Great article! I love the idea from Colleen's daughter that Aberforth and Dumbledore might be twins. I have wondered that since reading HBP. It still strikes me as odd that Dumbledore showed Harry one of his own memories by adding to his pensieve from a bottle. I wonder if it is possible that Dumbledore and his brother switched places. Perhaps Aberforth was ing to for the cause. What does anyone else think?

Posted by Kim from Manchester, MA on February 19, 2007 2:17 PM

Dave, although I do agree with you, I find that Dumbledore has a very dry sence of humor. When he warns the students about the third floor corridor, I found it to be just that...a very dry attempt at humor. If anybody even thinks that Dumbledore would allow any students to be harmed by Fluffy...

But I do realize that we must look at every possible avenue for clues. But that still doesn't mean that everything he or anybody else said IS a clue.

Colleen, your daughter is a genious. I had not even stopped to consider the name of the establishment.

Posted by Chris from Walla Walla on February 19, 2007 2:51 PM

Great article, Dave. I had never thought of Aberforth. He is mentioned in passing so many times but always so insignificantly, that's just the kind of clue JKR loves to drop.
I thought she was referring to Kinglsey Shacklebolt or more likely, Mad-Eye, since we have met both of them before but not properly.
Maybe Aberforth has learning disability. Many brilliant minds don't always follow a traditional learning path, but find another outlet for their creativity, using many coping strategies to get by without reading.

Posted by Patty from Quincy,Massachusetts on February 19, 2007 3:18 PM

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