The Dumbledore Family

The Dumbledore family was a half-blood wizarding family, formerly of Mould-on-the-Wold and later of Godric's Hollow. Though respected and prominent, the family's history is marked by profound tragedy, secrecy, and sorrow. The events that befell them, particularly concerning the youngest daughter Ariana Dumbledore, had a lasting and formative impact on its two most famous members, Albus Dumbledore and Aberforth Dumbledore. The family's story, largely concealed from the public, is a central element in understanding Albus Dumbledore's character, his lifelong struggle with power and temptation, and his motivations in the fight against both Gellert Grindelwald and Lord Voldemort.

The family's tragedy began when Ariana Dumbledore, at the age of six, was observed practicing magic by three Muggle boys. They attacked her, and the resulting trauma left her mentally and magically scarred, causing her magic to become dangerously uncontrolled. In retaliation, her father, Percival Dumbledore, attacked the Muggle boys. He was arrested by the Ministry of Magic and sentenced to life in Azkaban. Percival never revealed his motive, choosing imprisonment over explaining Ariana's condition, as he feared she would be taken from the family and permanently institutionalized at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries due to the danger she posed. Following Percival's imprisonment, his wife, Kendra Dumbledore, moved the family to Godric's Hollow to escape the notoriety and to better hide Ariana's condition. The family lived in near-total seclusion. Kendra cared for Ariana until, when Ariana was fourteen, she had an uncontrollable magical outburst and accidentally killed her mother. This left Albus Dumbledore, recently graduated from Hogwarts, as the head of the family. Resentful of his new responsibilities, which thwarted his ambitious plans to travel the world, Albus's life was changed again by the arrival of Gellert Grindelwald in Godric's Hollow. The two brilliant young wizards formed an intense friendship, planning a global revolution to establish wizarding dominance over Muggles “for the greater good.” Aberforth Dumbledore fiercely opposed their plans, arguing that they neglected Ariana. The conflict came to a head in a violent, three-way duel between Albus, Aberforth, and Grindelwald. During the chaos of flashing curses, Ariana, who had tried to intervene, was struck by a stray spell and killed. It was never known whose wand cast the fatal curse. Grindelwald fled immediately, and the event shattered the Dumbledore family, leaving Albus with a lifetime of guilt and Aberforth with a deep, lasting resentment toward his brother.

• Percival Dumbledore - The family patriarch. He died in Azkaban after being imprisoned for life for his attack on the Muggles who had assaulted his daughter.
• Kendra Dumbledore - Percival's wife and the mother of his three children. She was rumored by some to be Muggle-born. She was accidentally killed by Ariana.
• Albus Dumbledore - The eldest son. He became the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, founder of the Order of the Phoenix, and the only wizard Lord Voldemort ever feared. The tragedies of his family shaped his entire philosophy on life, power, and death.
• Aberforth Dumbledore - The middle child and second son. He was less academically brilliant than Albus but deeply devoted to his sister, Ariana. He served as the barman of the Hog's Head Inn in Hogsmeade and aided Harry Potter during the Second Wizarding War.
• Ariana Dumbledore - The youngest child and only daughter. Her trauma led her to suppress her magic, making her an Obscurial (Pottermore). She died tragically at age fourteen during the duel between her brothers and Gellert Grindelwald.

The Dumbledore family history is built on a foundation of secrets. Percival kept the secret of his motivation to protect Ariana; Kendra kept the secret of Ariana's condition to protect her from the Ministry of Magic; and Albus kept the secret of his own dark ambitions and complicity in his sister's death for most of his life. This legacy of hidden pain and guilt became the defining aspect of Albus Dumbledore's character. His fear of his own desire for power, born from his youthful plans with Grindelwald, led him to repeatedly refuse the position of Minister for Magic. The memory of Ariana served as a constant, painful reminder of the dangers of power and the devastating consequences of his personal failings, ultimately guiding his hand in his long war against Dark Magic.

• Mould-on-the-Wold - The Dumbledore family's original home before the tragic attack on Ariana forced them to relocate.
• Godric's Hollow - The village where Kendra moved the family. The Dumbledore house in this village was the site of both Kendra's and Ariana's deaths.

The *Fantastic Beasts* film series introduces a previously unknown member of the Dumbledore family. In *Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald*, Gellert Grindelwald reveals to Credence Barebone that his true name is Aurelius Dumbledore (film). *Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore* further elaborates on this, revealing that Aurelius is the illegitimate son of Aberforth Dumbledore, born from a relationship during his youth, making him Albus's nephew (film). This information is exclusive to the film series and is not present in the original seven novels.