Aberforth Dumbledore

Aberforth Dumbledore, a fictional character of the Harry Potter fantasy book series written by J.K. Rowling, is the brother of Albus Dumbledore. He was a member of the original Order of the Phoenix, though it is never mentioned whether he remains a member. Jim McManus portrays Aberforth in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Aberforth is briefly mentioned in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Dumbledore tells Harry, Ron, Hermione and Hagrid that Aberforth was not bothered by embarrassing news headlines regarding his having been prosecuted for practicing inappropriate charms on a goat, but instead "held his head high," and lived his life as normal — "of course," says Albus, "I'm not entirely sure he can read, so that may not have been bravery..." Whether this is to be taken seriously, or regarded as a typical Albus witticism to lighten the mood, is uncertain. Not much else is known about him other than that he is odd and that he may be illiterate .

J.K. Rowling admitted in an interview, in response to a question by a reader, that Aberforth is the bartender Harry saw at the Hog's Head pub in Hogsmeade. .

Hints of the connection between Aberforth and the bartender appear in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, when Harry noted a "strong odour of goats" in the Hog's Head pub, and that the barman looked familiar. Harry had earlier seen a photo of the Order of the Phoenix, which included Albus and Aberforth, and they look similar. Although not referred to as his brother, the Hog's Head bartender is mentioned in passing by Dumbledore as a source of information. For example, in the pensieve scene where Voldemort returns to Hogwarts to ask Dumbledore for a teaching job, some ten years after graduation, Dumbledore demonstrates that he is aware of Voldemort's meetings with his Death Eaters at the Hog's Head. He explains this knowledge by pointing out that he is 'friendly with the local barman'.

Sybill Trelawney told Harry that when she was being interviewed for a job at Hogwarts at the Hog's Head inn, and just after she had (unknowingly) spoken the prophecy involving Harry and Lord Voldemort to Albus, that they were interrupted when the 'rather uncouth barman' burst in the room along with Severus Snape.

In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry sees Aberforth in the company of Mundungus Fletcher, just outside the door of the pub. Fletcher appears to be fencing goods stolen from Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. Aberforth later attends Albus Dumbledore's funeral at the end of Half-Blood Prince. During that funeral, there is no mention of Aberforth by name, however it is noted that the barman from the Hog's Head was present.

In the film version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, when Harry and Hermione host the meeting of students interested in forming "Dumbledore's Army" at the Hog's Head, the bartender is seen shooing a goat and looking slightly embarrassed.