ARIANA, ABERFORTH AND ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

This was the question asked to us by USMAN ADIL in our page WISDOM OF ALBUS PERCIVAL WULFRIC BRIAN DUMBLEDORE 

"How did Ariana die? And why were Albus and Aberforth never fond of each other. And also, in other books, Albus used to go to Hog's Head. Did he not meet Aberfoth there?"

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Ariana Kendra Dumbledore was the youngest daughter born to Percival and Kendra Dumbledore and the only sister of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore and Aberforth Percival Dumbledore.

Ariana’s death was a tragic accident. It was the mishap that occurred during a fierce three way duel between Albus, Aberforth and Gellert Grindelwald.

Ariana had the worst childhood possible. Once when she was practicing magic, a group of muggle boys discovered her and violently assaulted her for not being able to explain the “trick”. The incident left her emotionally scarred. She began to grow capricious with her magical abilities and even her spells wouldn’t work correctly and even if they did, they were abnormally destructive. Kendra then moved to Godric’s hollow with her daughter and Aberforth to “avoid attention”. She thought people might speculate her daughter to be a squib, for she couldn’t conjure a spell when asked. (Being a squib is as disgraceful, to the wizards, as a sterile mother to the muggles)   

When Ariana was about fourteen years of age, there was an episode when her magic spun terribly out of control and created an explosion which killed her mother Kendra. Her favorite brother Aberforth was not then at home to pacify her.

Now, Albus Dumbledore, who had been preparing to go abroad with his friend Elphias Dodge (who wrote “Dumbledore remembered” after Albus’s death), had to abandon his plans and had to stay in England to attend mother’s funeral and take the position of caring Ariana – a position which he later admitted to resenting. Aberforth loved his sister more than his life and insisted upon taking care of her instead of Albus. But Albus insisted Aberforth to graduate from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"I resented it, Harry. I was gifted, I was brilliant. I wanted to escape. I wanted to shine. I wanted glory. Do not misunderstand me. I loved them... but I was selfish... So that, when my mother died, and I was left the responsibility of a damaged sister and a wayward brother, I returned to my village in anger and bitterness. Trapped and wasted, I thought! And then of course, he came..."

—Albus Dumbledore to Harry Potter while they are in limbo

At some time after Albus took the guardianship of Ariana, Gellert Grindelwald came to Godric’s hollow to stay with his aunt, Bathilda Bagshot, having been kicked out of Durmstrang institute of Magical Studies for his extreme experiments with the dark arts. Grindelwald had a terrible history but Albus overlooked that and they quickly became friends. Both were extremely gifted and talented wizards. Albus and Gellert made a plan to take control of the wizarding world and make Muggles subservient “for the greater good”!

But Aberforth confronted them, pointing out that Ariana was in no state to be dragged along with them as they carried out their plans. Grindelwald became furious and the situation worsened. A three way duel broke out between those wizards. Ariana, who intended to stop, couldn’t handle the magic and was eventually killed by the spell casted by one of the three wizards. It was never known which wizard was responsible for her death.

Now it must seem obvious why Aberforth hated Albus. I cannot say he did not love Albus (because of the loyalty he displayed while watching Harry Potter during his hunt for horcruxes and later during the battle of Hogwarts) but he definitely hated him. Albus was gifted and he knew it. He never paid proper attention to his sister and family. According to Aberforth, “Albus sacrificed many things for his hunt of power”. But Aberforth loved Ariana and could not trust her in the hands of someone who felt being “trapped” while taking care of Ariana. Aberforth hated Albus for these reasons but he loved Albus, for the antonym of love is not hatred but disregard.

As far as their meetings is concerned, I insist that they met or at least communicated but the degree of pleasantness is purely a matter of speculation. It is because Aberforth had a piece of mirror through which he kept eye on Harry and saved him while he was imprisoned in Malfoy mansion by sending Dobby, a free elf. Furthermore, he made a secret tunnel to link his bar at Hog’s Head and Hogwart’s room of requirement before the battle of Hogwarts. Aberforth was a member of the Order of Phoenix, of which Albus was the founder. So I hypothesize that the relationship between these brothers must have improved, if not worsened, in the later days.

I hope this answers the question.