Harry Potter fans, the rumors are true: Albus Dumbledore, master
wizard and Headmaster of Hogwarts, is gay.
Dumbledore, played by Michael Gambon, was in love with his male
rival, the author of Harry Potter books says.
J.K. Rowling, author of the mega-selling fantasy series that
ended last summer, outed the beloved character Friday night while
appearing before a full house at Carnegie Hall. After reading
briefly from the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows, she took questions from audience members.
She was asked by one young fan whether Dumbledore finds "true
love."
"Dumbledore is gay," the author responded to gasps and
applause.
She then explained that Dumbledore was smitten with rival
Gellert Grindelwald, whom he defeated long ago in a battle between
good and bad wizards. "Falling in love can blind us to an extent,"
Rowling said of Dumbledore's feelings, adding that Dumbledore was
"horribly, terribly let down."
Dumbledore's love, she observed, was his "great tragedy."
"Oh, my god," Rowling concluded with a laugh, "the fan
fiction."
Potter readers on fan sites and elsewhere on the Internet have
speculated on the sexuality of Dumbledore, noting that he has no
close relationship with women and a mysterious, troubled past. And
explicit scenes with Dumbledore already have appeared in fan
fiction.
Rowling told the audience that while working on the planned
sixth Potter film, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,
she spotted a reference in the script to a girl who once was of
interest to Dumbledore. A note was duly passed to director David
Yates, revealing the truth about her character.
Rowling, finishing a brief "Open Book Tour" of the United
States, her first tour here since 2000, also said that she regarded
her Potter books as a "prolonged argument for tolerance" and urged
her fans to "question authority."
Not everyone likes her work, Rowling said, likely referring to
Christian groups that have alleged the books promote witchcraft.
Her news about Dumbledore, she said, will give them one more
reason.
(Associated Press October 21, 2007)
