Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Deathly Hallows/Chapter 28
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Chapter 28 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: The Missing Mirror
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[edit] Synopsis
As soon as Harry. Ron, and Hermione Apparate into Hogsmeade Village, a screeching alarm announces their presence. A Death Eater attempts to Summon the Invisibility Cloak they are concealed under, but it fails to respond, keeping the Trio hidden. As they back down a side street, Hermione wants to Apparate out of Hogsmeade, but Harry says that protective spells have probably trapped them there. A sudden chill sweeps in and darkness starts enveloping everything around them: Dementors, sensing their fear, close in. Unable to withstand their suffocating presence, Harry casts a Patronus, scattering the Dementors, but revealing their location. "It's him, down there, I saw his Patronus, it was a stag!" yells a Death Eater. A nearby door cracks opens, and a harsh voice calls out, "Potter, in here, quick!"
The Trio dash inside and up the stairs. They find themselves in the Hog's Head Inn. From an upper window, Harry recognizes the tall barkeeper talking to the Death Eaters outside as Aberforth Dumbledore, Albus' younger brother. Aberforth claims he accidentally set off the Caterwauling curfew alarm while putting his cat out and insists it was his goat Patronus; the Death Eaters initially disbelieve him, but, thrown off the trail, and not wanting to risk losing a convenient location to trade black market goods, decide to leave. Aberforth gives the Trio something to eat, rebuking them for risking their lives coming to Hogsmeade. Harry spots the twin to the mirror Sirius gave him; Aberforth explains he bought it from Mundungus Fletcher, who stole it from Grimmauld Place. Aberforth has been watching them with it. Harry recognizes Aberforth's eye as the one in the mirror shard and realizes that he sent Dobby to rescue them. Aberforth confirms it was him and is saddened to hear that Dobby is dead.
Ron thinks Aberforth sent the doe Patronus, but Aberforth sarcastically reminds him that his Patronus is a goat. Aberforth suggests they wait until the Caterwauling alarm is turned off in the morning, then escape into the mountains and Disapparate from there. Harry insists they must get into Hogwarts castle because Dumbledore asked him to do something. Scoffs Aberforth, "Did he now? Nice job, I hope? Pleasant? Easy? Sort of thing you'd expect an unqualified wizard kid to be able to do without overstretching themselves?" Ron and Hermione are obviously uncomfortable, and Harry remains silent, struggling with his own misgivings regarding Dumbledore, although he had already resolved to continue trusting him. Aberforth claims that others who trusted Dumbledore often suffered misfortune as a result. He urges the Trio to abandon their mission, believing the Order of the Phoenix is finished and Voldemort has won. It is time to save themselves. Against Harry's protests, Aberforth asks if Dumbledore was honest with him and told Harry the whole story. When Harry is unable to respond, Aberforth says that Dumbledore reveled in lies and secrecy, learning it at their mother's knee.
Attempting to ease the tension, Hermione asks if a portrait is Aberforth's sister, Ariana, but this backfires, causing Aberforth to brusquely ask if she has been reading Rita Skeeter's book. To spare Hermione further embarrassment, Harry says that Elphias Doge told them about it. "That old berk," sneers Aberforth. "Thought the sun shone out of my brother's every orifice." Harry says nothing, still attempting to conceal his uncertainty. Aberforth reveals that Ariana, aged six, was injured by Muggle boys after observing her performing magic. She was never the same, eventually going half-mad and unable to control magic. Their father hunted down the boys in retaliation, but he never told the Ministry why he assaulted them, because, once revealed, Ariana would have been permanently committed to St. Mungo's Hospital. Instead, the family kept her hidden, fostering rumors she was a Squib. With their father in prison, Aberforth and his mother, Kendra cared for Ariana as best they could. Aberforth was Ariana's favorite. Albus, involved with his studies and winning prizes, usually confined himself to his room when at home. One day, while Aberforth was out, Ariana flew into a rage. Unable to subdue Ariana's uncontrollable magic, Kendra was accidentally killed. Albus canceled his Grand Tour with Doge and returned home to care for Ariana and support the family while Aberforth finished his schooling. Aberforth claims Albus resented the sacrifice he was forced to make, although Aberforth had offered to leave school and take his place. Then Albus met Grindelwald, a wizard he considered as brilliant as himself. The two quickly bonded, and, drawn by their mutual attraction to power and fame, hatched an elaborate scheme to create a new wizarding order. When Aberforth learned about their grandiose plans, a three-way fight erupted; a stray curse killed Ariana. Aberforth claims Albus was glad his burden was lifted, but Harry says he always carried it, recounting the night Albus died. After drinking the potion in the sea cave, Albus was raving, pleading with an unseen person not to hurt them. Harry is certain he was begging Grindelwald to spare his brother and sister, although Aberforth remains skeptical.
Harry resolves to continue the mission. Knowing Voldemort could be killed, Dumbledore gave that knowledge to Harry. If Aberforth refuses to help sneak them into Hogwarts, then they will find their own way in. Relenting, Aberforth agrees to help and speaks to Ariana's portrait. She turns to leave, but rather than disappearing from the frame sideways as figures normally do, she instead disappears down a long, dark passageway behind her. Aberforth explains that there is only one way into the castle now, the old secret entryways are being guarded. Ariana soon returns accompanied by someone. As they reach the portrait, it swings open to reveal a tunnel; standing inside is Neville Longbottom.
[edit] Analysis
For Harry, uncovering the truth about Albus Dumbledore has been a journey nearly as long and difficult as his quest to find the Horcruxes, and this truth has come in many pieces, from various sources, and over time, creating a complicated jigsaw puzzle. Searching for answers has tested and strained Harry's loyalty and faith in Dumbledore, causing him to question whether or not the man he loved and thought he knew, had loved him in return, and was the good person Harry believed him to be. Aberforth Dumbledore provides crucial information that helps Harry to better understand Albus' past behavior regarding his family. This has restored Harry's faith in Albus somewhat, but not entirely.
Until now, Aberforth has remained a curious and vague background figure, but his character becomes more defined here as he assumes a prominent role filling in the story's many gaps. Despite their physical resemblance, the two brothers were vastly different in talents, disposition, and personalities. Aberforth was overshadowed by Albus' brilliance, but his antagonism toward his elder brother was less about sibling rivalry and petty jealousy, than it was suppressed anger and deep-seated resentment over Albus' using his superior talents, not only for gaining personal accolades, but as a means to shirk family responsibilities, letting the burden for Ariana's care fall upon Aberforth and their mother, Kendra. Her tragic death forced Albus to abandon his lofty ambitions to instead care for Ariana, though he retained sufficient belief in education's importance that he refused Aberforth's request to leave school so he could tend their sister in Albus' place. Albus' bitter despair (and perhaps martyrdom) over sacrificing his goals may have been a factor in him falling prey to Grindelwald's dark influence, but that hardly excuses Albus' behavior.
Although Albus and Aberforth maintained an amicable truce throughout their adult lives, they remained aloof with one another, perhaps mutually fearing they might learn who actually killed their sister. However, they may have overlooked that regardless whose curse fatally struck Ariana, each shared responsibility in her death by allowing their long-simmering hostilities to explode into an out-of-control confrontation, although Albus' brief foray into the Dark Arts with Grindelwald certainly was a significant factor in the events leading up to the tragedy. Interestingly, although the brothers never grew close, they lived near one another, Dumbledore at Hogwarts and Aberforth in Hogsmeade, sharing an occasional drink at the Hog's Head Inn.
Albus' death has hardly softened Aberforth's feelings, however. When Harry says he is on a mission for Dumbledore, a sneering Aberforth mocks him (and Albus), causing Harry to recall his own doubts and concerns about Albus and forcing him to acknowledge that Aberforth's harsh words contain truth. Like Aberforth, readers must also be wondering why such a young, inexperienced, and unqualified wizard, even an immensely talented one like Harry, would have been tasked with such a difficult and dangerous mission while being provided so little information. However, Harry resolves to remain loyal and trust Dumbledore, dedicated to continuing the mission. Harry also attempts to convince Aberforth that Albus did indeed love his family and tried to protect them from Grindelwald. The pessimistic Aberforth remains skeptical, but he, perhaps surprisingly, sets aside his capitulatory view regarding the war, as well as his doubts that Harry can succeed, and helps the Trio sneak into Hogwarts.
While Aberforth has provided many answers about Albus and Grindelwald, his recollection differs from what Rita Skeeter, Bathilda Bagshot, Elphias Doge, and Aunt Muriel claimed. And though Aberforth has given an apparently factually accurate account of his family, it should not be assumed that his is the truthful version. Truth is often subjective and nebulous, and it is affected by others' opinions, personal experience, imperfect memories, individual bias, and raw emotions. Rarely is there a singular maxim, and all versions should be studied, weighed, and filtered before a definitive conclusion can be drawn. Even then, many will still disagree. Although Aberforth has solved many mysteries, the puzzle remains incomplete—there is still much more to be learned about Albus Dumbledore.
[edit] Questions
[edit] Review
- What is Aberforth's response when Harry tells him Dumbledore assigned the Trio a mission? What does Aberforth mean by this? Is he right?
- Why does Aberforth believe the war is lost and Voldemort has won? Is he correct? Does he really believe Voldemort has won?
- How does Aberforth's explanation about his family differ from Rita Skeeter's version in her book? How does it differ from Autie Muriel's and Doge's?
- Why does Harry resolve to continue trusting Dumbledore, despite Harry's many doubts and concerns about him and the mission?
- Why does Aberforth finally agree to help the Trio sneak into Hogwarts?
[edit] Extra Study
- Why would Aberforth have bought the mirror from Mundungus Fletcher? Did he know Harry had the matching twin? If so, how?
- Harry tells Aberforth what Dumbledore said during his delirium in the sea cave. Is Harry's interpretation correct? Will this ever change what Aberforth believes?
- Why was Aberforth watching the Trio in the mirror?
- Is Aberforth's explanation about his family the truth or merely his version of it? Explain.
- Hogwarts' former Headmasters typically have more than one portrait in different locations, often visiting them back and forth. If Aberforth has a talking portrait of his sister, why doesn't he have one of Dumbledore? Would this have helped or hurt the war effort?
- If Ariana has a connecting portrait to Hogwarts, why doesn't Dumbledore's portrait communicate with Aberforth through her?
- Why would Aberforth be in contact with Neville Longbottom?
[edit] Greater Picture
Although Aberforth claims to believe that Voldemort has already won the war, it will be learned that he has been secretly helping the resurrected Dumbledore's Army, and in the Battle of Hogwarts, he will be within the school and actively defending it against Voldemort. Given this, it is entirely likely that Aberforth, in claiming that Voldemort has won, is, consciously or otherwise, testing Harry's mettle, trying to determine the depth of Harry's commitment to Albus' cause. This would also explain his immediate willingness to help once Harry declares that he will proceed with or without Aberforth's help.
