Harry Potter: The Secret History Of Dumbledore And Grindelwald
Romance, deception and manipulation lie at the heart of the two most powerful wizard’s relationship.
Albus Dumbledore had a stunning secret. It was a dark secret that would have threatened to twist his reputation as he lived and could have inspired some questions over his suitability as the headmaster of Hogwarts. It was a secret that only came out after his death at the hands of Severus Snape and which transformed his perception among even his most ardent fans.
It wasn’t that the beloved headmaster was gay, as JK Rowling confirmed retrospectively, but the specific manner of his defining romantic relationship. As was hinted through the main Harry Potter series, then confirmed by Rowling and finally explored explicitly in the Fantastic Beasts movies, Dumbledore – the greatest light wizard of all time, possibly – was in love with the most fearsome Dark Lord ever.
There has been some assumption that Dumbledore took the “secret” of his homosexuality to the grave, simply because fans and the children he taught in Harry Potter’s generation were not aware of the fact. The reality, however, is that Potter’s series was not Dumbledore’s story; he was merely a supporting element in the Boy Who Lived’s Saga. His sexuality was a purely incidental, unimportant point, just as what McGonagall had for breakfast was or what sort of music generally played in the Hufflepuff common rooms.
Will We See Dumbledore/grindelwald’s Love Affair In Fantastic Beasts
When fans met Albus Dumbledore in JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series, they were introduced to a wizened man who had seen too much. The wizard was a figurehead in the magical community, and Dumbledore became responsible for looking after Harry once he became ensnared in Lord Voldemort’s schemes. However, Dumbledore wasn’t always so wise. His youth was famously marred by his unwitting arrogance and terrible heartbreak.
So, really, it’s not surprising to hear that fans are wondering if they’ll get to see more of Dumbledore’s youth in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The spin-off series is set to feature a younger version of Dumbledore as he and Newt Scamander become embroiled in a dark magical revolution.
The dangerous revolt is led by a man named Gellert Grindelwald, the darkest wizard in all of magical history. But, to Dumbledore, the crazed wizard isn’t just a madman with a dream; He’s an unrequited love.
And, so far, it looks like fans will get a first-look into the two’s failed relationship when Fantastic Beasts hits theaters.
The Harry Potter series never explicitly detailed Dumbledore’s sexuality to fans, but Rowling had little issue with outing the grandfatherly figure on her own. Back in 2007, the author told fans Dumbledore had once fallen in love with his friend Grindelwald.
“But, he met someone as brilliant as he was, and rather like Bellatrix he was very drawn to this brilliant person, and horribly, terribly let down by him.”
His Friendship With Grindelwald Was Complex
One of the most famous revelations about Dumbledore after the books were published was that he was actually in love with Gellert Grindelwald. J.K. Rowling said: Dumbledore fell in love with Grindelwald, and that added to his horror when Grindelwald showed himself to be what he was Do we say it excused Dumbledore a little more because falling in love can blind us to an extent? But he met someone as brilliant as he was, and rather like Bellatrix he was very drawn to this brilliant person, and horribly, terribly let down by him.
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How Gay Is Dumbledore
Instead of outing him, J.K. cleverly hid hints within the text throughout the books and with the knowledge of his sexuality, small moments gain a new meaning. Most notably he never mentions a Mrs. Dumbledore nor any female love-interest. Hes one of the most famous and greatest wizards of all time. He could have his pick of anyone but he choses not to.
He has a fascination with knitting magazines:
No, I was merely reading the Muggle magazines, said Dumbledore.;I do love knitting patterns.;Well, Harry, we have trespassed upon Horaces hospitality quite long enough; I think it is time for us to leave.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
His flamboyant language and dress sense reveals a classically camp air to his character.
When he looks into the Mirror of Erised he claims to see thick woollen socks. This is an undoubtedly evasive answer to hide the truth. As revealed in Fantastic Beasts 2, it has been confirmed that Dumbledore sees Grindelwald. However, in later years he sees the same as Harry. He sees his family alive and together again.
Throughout the final book we learned about Dumbledores past and discovered that there was so much more to him than we ever knew. The story of his friendship with Grindelwald is revealed through the Rita Skeeter expose, The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore.
Dumbledore Is Two Years Older
There is still a lot to learn about the relationship between Dumbledore and Grindelwald, but there is one thing that is certain, this is not the Dumbledore that fans grew to love in the Harry Potter movies. Even in his present state, he is unsure and unable to cope with what his friend had become. On top of that, it is also easy to see why Dumbledore ended up here.
Dumbledore was approximately two years;older than Grindelwald when the two young men met. Grindelwald was expelled from Durmstrang Institute and then became friends with Dumbledore following that. It was during that time that Albus;had become influenced and swayed by Grindelwald’s charm.
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The Truth Was Always There
When someone says the name J.K. Rowling, certain images always come to mind: a legendary writer, a woman who lived in poverty, a champion for feminism and prominent Trump Troller. She set up the Lumos Foundation to help children grow up in loving families. She is by all means, a wonderful person; I speak from experience having met her on the Half-Blood Prince book launch night back in July 2005. From what I personally experienced with Jo and the way I saw her treat others in the crowd, I whole-heartedly confirm she is a gem. The beaming smile, the friendly chat; shes so charismatic and treats everybody like an old friend who she hasnt seen for a long time. Above all, shes an inspirationbut lately she has found herself at the core of controversy.;
Jk Rowling: Dumbledore And Grindelwald Had An ‘incredibly Intense’ Sexual Relationship
This gives fantastic beasts an entirely new meaning.
Harry Potter creator and coolest Muggle around J.K. Rowling has finally expanded on the relationship between beloved Headmaster of Hogwartz Albus Dumbledore and his former childhood friend and lover Gellert Grindelwald.
Grindelwald was the ruthless dark wizard whose obsession with world domination sent him to Nurmengard, a prison he had built during his rise to power, but stayed as a prisoner for 40 years until he got killed by he-who-must-not-be-named. Karma is a witch.
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Grindelwald Was Less Skillful
The Aurors showed up at Hogwarts and tried to convince Dumbledore to join them in their hunt for Grindelwald. They told him how dangerous Grindelwald was and how he was building an army that they might be unable to stop, however, Dumbledore was not willing to join the battle at the time. When he let them know his decision, the Aurors told Dumbledore that he was the only wizard who could beat Grindelwald.
When the two finally battled, it was Dumbledore that won in what some consider to be the greatest;duel in wizarding history. When telling the story in later years, Dumbledore explained that the two were equal in power, and while Grindelwald might be stronger, Dumbledore was more skillful, which led to his eventual victory.
His Name Is A Bit Of A Buzz Word
Dumbledore is an eighteenth-century word for bumblebee, and J.K. Rowling said she liked imagining Albus wandering around the castle humming like a bee himself, which is frankly adorable. Speaking of J.K. Rowlings musings on the headmaster, she also revealed on Twitter that Albus is her favourite character of the series !
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Jk Rowling Mocked After Fresh Comments On Dumbledores Sexuality
Harry Potter fans have mocked author and creator J.K. Rowling, after she revealed a bizarre new insight into the personal life of Albus Dumbledore.
In a feature on the newly released Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald Blu-Ray and DVD, the author sat down to declare the beloved Hogwarts headmaster had an incredibly intense relationship with the movies titular villain.
Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald were introduced to wizard-lovers in the book series and played on screen by Jude Law and Johnny Depp respectively.
Rowling explained that the blossoming romance had its origins in the pairs teenage years, despite not being depicted in the Hollywood blockbuster.
It was passionate, and it was a love relationship, Rowling said.
But as happens in any relationship, gay or straight or whatever label we want to put on it, one never knows really what the other person is feeling. You cant know, you can believe you know.
Rowling had previously courted criticism after revealing Dumbledore identified as gay, years after the final instalment in the Harry Potter book series was released.
Warner Bros.
There is no mention of Dumbledores sexuality throughout 3407 pages of the books, nor in the 1179 minutes it takes to watch all eight of the original movies.
J.K. Rowling Confirms Some Characters in Her Books and Movies Are Gay Everywhere Except in the Books or the Movies
Both Men Were Charismatic
Despite the fact that Grindelwald was a Dark Wizard and a true villain, while Dumbledore was an honorable wizard who tried to really achieve the Greater Good, they had way too many similarities. It was proof that two men could be the same, with one using his skills for good and the other using it for;wickedness:;two sides of the same coin.
When it comes to Dumbledore and Grindelwald, both men were extremely charismatic. Grindelwald proved how charismatic he was when he charmed Dumbledore into almost following through with their plan to overthrow the Wizarding World and how he charmed many other wizards into joining his cause. Meanwhile, Dumbledore was equally charming, so much so that Dumbledore’s Army rose up with students pledging their allegiance to him over the actual Ministry of Magic.
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Catalyst For A Revolution
It was the passing of Ariana;that ended up sending Dumbledore to become a great wizard and a leader;who helped people with his version of the term The Greater Good. In turn, the passing also caused Grindelwald to flee the country and begin his rise to power;and try to become the new ruler over wizards and Muggles alike.
After Grindelwald fled the country, he ended up seeking out Mykew Gregorovitch and taking the Elder Wand from him. Now, with Dumbledore out of the picture and his main ally an enemy, Grindelwald chose to use his meaning of “The Greater Good” to avenge the;passing of Ariana by finally starting the revolutionary uprising that he and Dumbledore had planned together. This started one of the most;destructive wizarding wars in history.
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Back in 2007, the world was still a different place. Only Massachusetts extended marriage rights to same-sex couples, and the GOP was happily using anti-same sex marriage amendments to inspire its base. The U.K. was no better. The idea of tut-tutting over the tragedy of Dumbledores love that dared not speak its name, was seen as well, progressive. If only the world were more accepting of these things! It’s so sad we can do nothing! But by the time the first Fantastic Beasts film arrived, gay marriage was legal in both countries and society was shifting leftward. So why has Rowling remained to reluctant to display Dumbledores relationship onscreen?
Everything about the relationship between Dumbledore and Grindelwald remains vague, exemplified by such unsatisfactory touches as a single, longing glance in a mirror in The Crimes of Grindelwald. And Rowlings newest comments, which are part of the films Blu-ray extras, only serve to pour salt in the wound.
To be fair, Rowlings ability to write sexual relationships is stunted at best, even where straight characters are concerned. But at least those relationships exist. Pages are spent documenting Harrys crushes on fellow students.
To be fair, Rowlings ability to write sexual relationships is stunted at best, even where straight characters are concerned.
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Was Grindelwald More Powerful Than Dumbledore
Besides the Harry Potter series, J. K. Rowling has also created a franchise of books and movies which precede the time of Harry Potter and revealed various magical secrets from the past. Along with Albus Dumbledore, thats when we first learn about the evil wizard Gellert Grindelwald.
Regardless of Grindelwalds powers, we can tell that he was not a more powerful wizard than the great Albus Dumbledore.
Keep reading to find out more about their powers, as well as their relationship from their youth.;
Only Dumbledore Can Beat Him
When the Aurors came to visit Dumbledore at Hogwarts, they were there to demand that he join them to battle Grindelwald. It was clear there was no love lost between the Aurors and Dumbledore and when the wizard refused to help them, they reacted swiftly by;binding his hands and then banning him from teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. Binding his hands would also inform them of when he would cast spells.
The anger from the Ministry of Magic was due to the fact that Albus Dumbledore was the only wizard powerful enough to beat Grindelwald, and later in the movie, Newt tells Dumbledore the same thing as they walk in to discuss their options against the Dark Wizard and that pesky blood pact.
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Still A Level Of Respect
Interestingly, there seemed to be a level of respect between Dumbledore and Grindelwald even after they fought for the first time. When Dumbledore refused to go after Grindelwald, there were many reasons for the decision, but part of it was that he had still felt something from their earlier relationship. He also knew that Grindelwald was powerful and that he was the only man who could eventually defeat him.
On the other hand, Grindelwald knew that Dumbledore was his match, a major reason;why he sought out Credence in order to bring him as a weapon to battle Dumbledore. Later in their lives, Grindelwald actually refused to help Voldemort, possibly showing that he had learned his lesson or that he still owed Dumbledore the respect that Voldemort never cared to offer.
Both Men Fell To Voldemort
In what has to be a bitter irony, the two strongest wizards in the world fell to the same man. Gellert Grindelwald was considered the most powerful Dark Wizard in history, that is, until Voldemort showed up and became more powerful than Grindelwald had ever dreamed of being. The two even met in the original Harry Potter series when Voldemort wanted to know where the Elder Wand was and then took the life of Grindelwald when he refused to tell him.
Everyone knows that the end of Dumbledore came at his own behest, but it was also in a diabolical plan set up by Lord Voldemort. The fact that Voldemort succeeded in ending the life of the strongest wizard in history was only offset by the fact that Dumbledore twisted the plans to backfire on Voldemort when he finally faced Harry Potter.
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Jk Rowling Reveals Dumbledore And Grindelwald Did Have Sex
19:59, 15 March 2019 GMT| Last updated 20:00, 15 March 2019 GMT
Harry Potter writer JK Rowling has said there was a ‘sexual dimension’ to the ‘intense’ relationship between her fictional wizards Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald.
Speaking on a special feature made for Blu-ray release of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwaldthe author revealed: “Their relationship was incredibly intense. It was passionate, and it was a love relationship.
“But as happens in any relationship, gay or straight or whatever label we want to put on it, one never knows really what the other person is feeling. You can’t know, you can believe you know.”
Dumbledore, played by Jude Law in the Fantastic Beasts franchise, and Grindelwald have a long and complicated history, with Rowling once describing their relationship as a ‘great tragedy’.
In the feature, titled Distinctly Dumbledore, adds: “So I’m less interested in the sexual side – though I believe there is a sexual dimension to this relationship – than I am in the sense of the emotions they felt for each other, which ultimately is the most fascinating thing about all human relationship.”
Director David Yates chips in to say: “This is a story about two men who loved each other, and ultimately have to fight each other. It’s a story for the 21st century.”
Rowling first told fans Hogwarts’ headmaster Dumbledore was gay back in 2007 during a questions and answers session.
Lovely.
Were Dumbledore And Grindelwald Gay Lovers
When looking at Dumbledore and Grindelwalds relationship, its possible that they were gay lovers.
In the film, its revealed that, when they were younger, Dumbledore and Grindelwald were closer than brothers. But just how close is close?
In the final trailer for;Fantastic Beasts, Dumbledore tasks protagonist Newt Scamander with hunting down villain Grindelwald, who has escaped custody after he was captured by magical law enforcement at the end of the first month.
Scamander asks Dumbledore why he doesnt try to apprehend Grindelwald himself.
I cannot move against Grindelwald, says Dumbledore.
This hints that there is a deeply complex relationship between Dumbledore and Grindelwald.
The trailer also shows Dumbledore looking into the Mirror of Erised, a magical mirror that has been seen in previous;Harry Potter films.
According to J.K. Rowlings Pottermore website, the Mirror of Erised is a special mirror which reflects the deepest desires of those who look at it.
So, based on that, it looks like what Dumbledore desires the most is the love and affection of Grindelwald. That might be why he says he cant move against him.
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