Harry Potter: Albus Dumbledore Family Tree

The Harry Potter universe is full of prominent family lines that greatly impacted the course of wizarding history. And there is hardly a family that left a bigger trail (maybe with the exception of the Potters) than the Dumbledores. 

 

In this article, we’re uncovering all the mysteries surrounding the family origins, the bios of its most famous members as well looking at their lasting legacy – this is the Dumbledore family tree. 

Origins of the Dumbledore Family

 

Not much is known about the family tree of Dumbledore before Percival Dumbledore – the earliest known records of the Dumbledores place them in Mould-on-the-Wold. However, they later moved to Godric’s Hollow after Percival was sent to Azkaban for his attack on the Muggles. He kept it secret from the authorities that his acts were a form of retribution for the Muggles’ previous traumatic assault on his daughter Ariana, which made her an Obscurial. If anyone in the public had found out about the condition, Ariana would have been sent away, something that Percival wanted to prevent.

 

Percival’s other child Albus Dumbledore, however, quickly rose to fame for his numerous accomplishments, which included figuring out the twelve uses for dragon blood, taking down the evil wizard Gellert Grindelwald, and ultimately taking over as headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as well as serving as the leader of the Order of the Phoenix. 

Legacy of the Dumbledore Family

 

Without aiming to exclude other family members, it’s still fair to say that the Dumbledore family legacy is mostly carried by the sole legendary figure of Albus Dumbledore. 

 

He had a key role in the establishment of the Order of the Phoenix, a covert organization created to combat the Death Eaters and the evil wizard Lord Voldemort. Albus also served as the protector of The Elder Wand – one of the three Deathly Hallows. Thanks to that, the wand’s devastating power was kept out of the wrong hands.

 

Albus also greatly succeeded in the academic field – Hogwarts was significantly influenced by him during his lengthy time as the school’s headmaster. He enacted a number of great changes, supported tolerance, and  student diversity. He also made significant contributions to the field of magical studies – his work on alchemy and magical beings has left a lasting legacy that will continue to advance the knowledge and practices of wizards and witches in the future.

 

As for other family members, it’s worth noting that Albus’ brother Aberforth famously took part in the Battle of Hogwarts in the Second Wizarding War. This deed doesn’t only have historical weight, but can be also  seen as an act of forgiveness towards Albus after his death – the relationship between the brothers had been very strained all their lives.

 

Aberforth’s son Aurelius would also play a part in the First Wizarding War, first siding with Grindelwald, but then changing his mind and stepping away from the action.

Percival Dumbledore

 

Percival Dumbledore (??? – after 1891) was the husband of Kendra Dumbledore and the father to Albus, Aberforth, and Ariana Dumbledore. The most notable known events connected to Percival tie into what happened to Ariana – she was attacked by three Muggle boys when she was six and was irrevocably traumatized. 

 

In a moment of anger, Percival Dumbledore assaulted her attackers and, as a consequence, was detained and transported to Azkaban, where he eventually passed away sometime after 1891. Percival never publicly stated why he attacked the Muggles largely because of his concern that the Ministry would send his daughter to St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries for the rest of her life if they learned about her serious medical condition resulting from the assault.

 

As a result of his attack on the Muggle children, many people thought Percival supported the idea of blood purity. This was, however, definitely inaccurate at the very least because Percival’s own wife was a witch of Muggle descent.

Kendra Dumbledore

 

Kendra Dumbledore (1851 – 1899) was a witch of Muggle descent and Percival Dumbledore’s wife. When her daughter Ariana was 14 years old, she lost control of her power (because Ariana was an Obscurial) and set off an explosion that murdered Kendra. Albus, her eldest son, was left to take care of his siblings Aberforth and Ariana when she passed away because Percival was in Azkaban.

 

Not much is known about Kendra – the rumors have it that she was a rather arrogant woman, who cared deeply about her reputation and lied she was not of Muggle birth, evidently seeking a higher social rank. Conversely, other people refer to as a “fine woman”, and a trusted friend of her son Albus, suggesting that she was kind hearted and devoted to her family.

 

Given how she died and taking into account Aberforth’s claim that he could calm Ariana down when Kendra was unable to, it is possible that she had a weaker bond with her daughter than she had with her sons. 

Albus Dumbledore

 

Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore (1881 – 1997) is Percival and Kendra Dumbledore’s first son. Albus Dumbledore rose to fame for his victory over the great Grindelwald in what was regarded as the greatest duel of all time. Along with working on alchemy alongside Nicolas Flamel, he also had a significant role in the discovery of the twelve applications for dragon’s blood. Not to mention, he served as the Hogwarts’ Defence Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration professor before becoming the school’s most famous headmaster.

 

Albus Dumbledore was one of the most important actors in both the First and the Second Wizarding Wars, stopping the rise of the great evil wizards such as Gellert Grindelwald and Lord Voldemort. Throughout their first six years at Hogwarts, he would also often help Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger in their quests against Voldemort, which later  inspired them to call their allies Dumbledore’s Army in his honor.

 

He was regarded by many as the finest Hogwarts Headmaster and he was also the holder and master of the Elder Wand from 1945 until 1997. As the final act of his great plan, Albus collaborated with Severus Snape to prepare his own demise as he was about to die from a cursed ring – Snape murdered Dumbledore during the Battle of the Astronomy Tower so as not to let Voldemort get ahold of the Elder Wand. 

 

Albus was benign and wise; he possessed an almost otherworldly sense of peace and ease, and he frequently exuded a sense of calm and composure, rarely expressing strong emotions. He was also famously quirky, enjoying knitting patterns and donning garish attire (at one point, he was even seen donning a flower-adorned bonnet). He also had an unusual sweet tooth – he particularly liked Muggle treats that were little known in the wizarding community (sherbet lemons), and the passwords to his office were often bizarre – Acid Pops and Cockroach Clusters. 

 

He was also incredibly insightful and mentally astute. This was never more evident than in the intricate understandings of Voldemort’s psychology that he and Harry cobbled together to figure out where the Horcruxes were stashed. He was quite skilled at manipulating others as a result of this knowledge, though, and was completely happy to do so if he felt it was necessary. 

 

The most egregious instance of this may have included Severus Snape, who was coerced into protecting Harry Potter despite the hazards involved and despite his resentment and loathing for Harry’s father by using his love for the late Lily Evans. He was also the only person that the young Tom Riddle was not able to charm.

Aberforth Dumbledore

 

Aberforth Dumbledore (born 1884) is the second son of Percival and Kendra Dumbledore, younger brother of Albus, older brother of Ariana, and biological father of Aurelius. 

 

Aberforth was a founding member of the Order of the Phoenix during the First Wizarding War as well as the owner of the Hog’s Head Inn in Hogsmeade. His relationship with Albus was particularly tight since Aberforth held him responsible for the loss of their sister, Ariana during the war. As the two brothers were dueling Grindelwald, Ariana attempted to intervene, but was caught in the shootout and fatally struck.

 

He also played a massive part in the Second Wizarding War, helping Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, and Hermione Granger escape from Malfoy Manor in 1998 when they were on the lookout for Horcruxes. He also participated in the Battle of Hogwarts, which he survived.

 

Most people who knew Aberforth thought of him as stern and strange; especially considering his strange affinity for goats, which many saw as improper. Aberforth had no interest in intellectual subjects, in fact, some claim he was illiterate. But although not as smart as his brother, he appeared to understand what Horcruxes were when told about the quest, indicating a higher level of knowledge than he let on. He also possessed a razor-sharp wit and was a gifted duelist.

Ariana Dumbledore

 

Ariana Dumbledore (1885 – 1899) was the youngest child of Percival and Kendra Dumbledore. When Ariana was six years old, she was attacked by Muggle boys who had witnessed her using magic while underage, and the stress caused her magical talents to become uncontrollable – she would soon turn into an Obscurial.

 

Her mother moved the family from Mould-on-the-Wold to Godric’s Hollow and kept Ariana hidden away from the general public. When Ariana was fourteen, she unintentionally set off a magical explosion during one of her tantrums, which killed her mother Kendra. Soon afterwards Ariana would perish herself – in a three-way combat between her elder brothers and the soon-to-be-famous dark wizard rebel Gellert Grindelwald, Ariana was accidentally struck by a curse. 

 

Ariana was known as a nice girl before the tragic Muggle incident. According to her brother Aberforth, she would often become both crazy and deadly, which was ultimately proven by the unfortunate killing of her mother. However, she did show courage by attempting to mediate in the three-way fight between Albus, Aberforth, and Gellert Grindelwald.

Aurelius Dumbledore (Credence Barebone)

 

Aurelius Dumbledore (born 1900), also known as Credence Barebone through adoption, is the son of Aberforth Dumbledore and an unnamed woman. For a big part of his life, he was oblivious to his origin as he was adopted by Mary Lou Barebone, the head of a No-Maj anti-witchcraft organization at a young age. Similar to his aunt Ariana, Aurelius experienced so much abuse that he later developed the evil parasitic power known as an Obscurus and transformed into an Obscurial. 

 

Gellert Grindelwald was seeking Aurelius because he planned to use his influence to eliminate Albus Dumbledore, who he considered as the biggest threat to his revolutionary cause. Aurelius accepted Grindelwald’s invitation and enlisted in his army, however, upon finding out that he is a Dumbldore himself, he stepped away. He would later reconnect with his father Aberforth and reconcile with him, leaving with him for their familiar home.

The Dumbledore Family Tree

 

Conclusion

 

The Dumbledore family tree doesn’t begin and end with Albus, and is certainly full of fascinating, albeit tragic characters. From the misunderstood Percival Dumbledore to the suffering Ariana, the family saw much pain, yet they still persisted with standing for what they believed was right – tolerance, bravery, wit. 

 

And even though the Dumbledore family line is almost extinct, their legacy and their memory will live on – even Harry Potter himself went on to name one of his children in honor of the great Albus.

 

 

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