What Happened To Dumbledore’s Sister In The Harry Potter Universe

by

In the course of the “Harry Potter” series, Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (portrayed initially by Richard Harris and later by Michael Gambon following Harris’ demise in 2002), is undeniably a mysterious figure. As a guiding force and almost paternal presence for Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Dumbledore rarely discloses much information to Harry, a decision that frequently puts Harry in jeopardy. Moreover, he is sparing with personal details. When Dumbledore passes away in the sixth book and movie, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” it leaves Harry with significantly more questions than answers. To put it mildly, this is an understatement… After Dumbledore’s funeral, Harry uncovers some unsettling truths about the revered wizard.

In the book version of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” a controversial exposé titled “The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore” by discredited journalist Rita Skeeter surfaces, containing damaging claims about Dumbledore’s alleged involvement with the Dark Arts. For the first time, Harry becomes aware of this book at a wedding held at the Burrow (the Weasley family home). As the final book in the series unfolds, split into two movies, Harry uncovers increasingly detailed accounts of Dumbledore’s childhood, youth, and past, shedding light on his relationship with his beloved younger sister Ariana Dumbledore.

In this discourse, we won’t delve into the “Fantastic Beasts” films revelation about another Dumbledore sibling, Aurelius Dumbledore (portrayed by Ezra Miller). This claim proves to be incorrect as it’s later clarified that Aurelius is Aberforth Dumbledore’s son in the series, played by Richard Coyle. Furthermore, since the “Fantastic Beasts” saga may not be completed, this aspect won’t significantly impact our current discussion. So, let’s focus on Ariana Dumbledore and her heartbreaking destiny instead.

Who Was Ariana Dumbledore?

Ariana Dumbledore, the youngest of Percival and Kendra Dumbledore, was born with magical abilities like her older brothers Albus and Aberforth. However, due to her inability to manage her magic as a young child, it ultimately took away her potential future. Since she was half-blood (Kendra being a Muggle-born witch), the Dumbledore children were technically half-blooded. When Ariana was six years old, she was playing with simple magic outside their home in the English village of Mould-on-the-Wold, where many magical families resided. Unfortunately, some non-magical boys who were watching saw her casting spells without a wand and attacked Ariana. This incident deeply traumatized her, causing her to lose control over her magic ever since. Aberforth (played by Ciarán Hinds in the “Harry Potter” movies) explained this to Harry in the books: “They saw her doing magic through the garden hedge; she was just a kid and couldn’t control it yet. I suppose what they saw scared them. They forced their way into the hedge, and when she couldn’t show them the trick, they became overly aggressive towards the little girl.

When Percival discovered his daughter had been assaulted, he sought out and retaliated against the three non-magical boys, ending up in Azkaban due to his refusal to explain his actions. This silence also meant that Ariana didn’t receive essential magical healing at St. Mungo’s. The situation deteriorated further. After Albus left home following his school graduation, Aberforth was tasked with assisting their mother Kendra in caring for Ariana; another misfortune occurred, and Kendra passed away a second time.

Later on, when she was fourteen years old, Aberforth informs Harry that he wasn’t present at the time. He adds, “If I had been there, perhaps I could have soothed her. She experienced one of her fits, and sadly, my mother wasn’t as strong as she once was. It was an unfortunate accident. Ariana didn’t mean to harm anyone, but unfortunately, my mother lost her life.

How did Dumbledore’s sister die?

Following Kendra’s demise, Albus and Aberforth seemingly collaborate in the secluded wizard town of Godric’s Hollow to look after Ariana. However, as Dumbledore hints to Harry at the end of “Deathly Hallows” while they’re both suspended in a kind of limbo following Harry’s self-sacrifice against Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), a young Albus harbored resentment towards this arrangement. As Dumbledore puts it in the book, “I was gifted, I was brilliant. I wanted to escape. I wanted to shine. I wanted glory,” expressing his self-centered aspirations and frustration at being confined in a small town caring for his sister. Tragically, this is where Albus’ closest friend Gellert Grindelwald (Jamie Campbell Bower in “Harry Potter” and both Mads Mikkelsen and Johnny Depp in “Fantastic Beasts”) appears in Godric’s Hollow, instantly causing a rift between Albus and Aberforth.

In the book “Deathly Hallows,” Aberforth sadly recounts to Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger that a spell, the Cruciatus Curse, was cast on him by his brother’s best friend during a fight. Albus Dumbledore attempted to stop the conflict but all three wizards ended up dueling. The flashing lights and noises from the battle were too much for Ariana Dumbledore, who became overwhelmed and lost consciousness. It is unclear which of them caused her death, as it could have been any of them. Later, Albus tells Harry that he believes Grindelwald was responsible, as he lost control in the fight, a trait that Albus had always sensed but ignored. Tragically, Ariana lay dead on the floor after all the care and caution her mother had taken to protect her.

Ariana’s death changed Dumbledore & Aberforth forever

Despite the general public not being aware of the grim truth behind Ariana’s demise, it is a widely acknowledged incident that, at her funeral, Aberforth clashed violently with Albus in a duel, causing injury to Albus’ nose – an event that strained their brotherly bond severely. When Harry, Ron, and Hermione encounter Aberforth in “Deathly Hallows,” he emerges as a bitter and guarded individual who urges Harry to abandon the struggle against Voldemort, claiming that any faith placed in Albus was misguided. In his conversation with Harry, Aberforth expresses resentment towards Albus, stating that he became “free” following Ariana’s passing; however, Harry gently corrects him and asserts that Albus was never truly free, a reference to their shared quest for a specific Horcrux in which Dumbledore was subjected to a potent potion, pleading for an unidentified person to inflict harm instead of “them,” presumably alluding to the battle with Grindelwald that led to Ariana’s death.

According to the text, Harry said, “He believed he was with you and Grindelwald again, I’m certain of it,” reminiscing about Dumbledore’s anguished pleas. “Watching Grindelwald harm you and Ariana was agonizing for him. If you’d seen him then, you wouldn’t think he was liberated,” Harry added. Despite Aberforth questioning whether Harry was dispensable like Ariana, Harry stood firm, and eventually, Aberforth joined the students of Hogwarts in battling Voldemort, ultimately defeating the Dark Lord forever. Sadly, while they were in limbo, Dumbledore confided something deeply distressing to Harry: he had hexed his own hand, effectively signing his own death warrant, by wearing a cursed ring that contained the Resurrection Stone, hoping to express remorse to his mother, father, and sibling.

Was Dumbledore’s sister an Obscurial?

As a devoted fan, I’d like to share some insights from the “Fantastic Beasts” series that expand upon elements not explicitly mentioned in the original “Harry Potter” universe. In this expanded lore, we find the terms “Obscurus” and “Obscurial.” An Obscurus is a dangerous magical blockage or injury that occurs when a young witch or wizard suppresses their magical abilities.

When an Obscurial encounters intense stress, their Obscurus can take control, resulting in a state similar to possession. Characters in the “Fantastic Beasts” films who experience Obscurus attacks exhibit behaviors reminiscent of exorcism scenes in movies, with their eyes showing whites and their bodies contorting.

Sadly, children afflicted by an Obscurus often had short lives due to the immense strain it placed on their physical bodies.

Characters from the “Fantastic Beasts” series, aside from Newt Scamander, also include Credence Barebone, who is revealed to be Aberforth’s son, not Albus’, and Aurelius, an Obscurial who lived longer than usual. Given this description, it seems clear that Ariana was indeed an Obscurial as well. If she hadn’t perished in the confrontation between Grindelwald, Aberforth, and Albus, her life likely wouldn’t have been long due to her condition as an Obscurial.

To see a quick snapshot of Ariana’s character (in portrait style) from the “Harry Potter” movies, you can find them all on Peacock right now.

Read More

2025-02-10 20:30