J.K. Rowling outs Hogwarts character
NEW YORK - Harry Potter fans, the rumors are true: Albus
Dumbledore, master wizard and Headmaster of Hogwarts, is gay. 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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
Yahoo News
