Albus Dumbledore is one of the most beloved characters in the Harry Potter universe. He comes from a mysterious family with a dark past which may come as a surprise to casual fans. The deeper you look into the Dumbledore family’s past the more pain and tragedy you dig up. The Dumbledore name is infamous but little is truly understood about their twisted past. Read on to discover the awful family secrets that formed Hogwarts’ infamous headmaster. You may begin to realize that you don’t know one of your favorite characters as well as you thought you did.

Loss Of A Mother

Kendra Dumbledore was a devoted mother. Her daughter’s care took up every second of her life from the moment her husband was sent to Azkaban until her tragic last breath. Kendra was Ariana’s sole caregiver in the heartbreaking days after her husband killed the boys that harmed their daughter. Those final days of her life were stressful and full of tears. Ariana was living through a mysterious condition that made it impossible for her to control her magical abilities. It’s believed that a violent outburst from Ariana is what killed Kendra Dumbledore.

Sister’s Death

Ariana Dumbledore in Harry Potter

Ariana lived a brief and tragic life. The young Dumbledore was cut down after bravely surviving an incredible amount of hurting. She had lived through a violent group attack, lost her father to prison after he avenged her, and accidentally killed her mother. She was plagued with emotional outbursts and pain. Her death was just as heartbreaking as her life. Ariana was accidentally killed by a loose spell while her two older brothers were locked in a duel with Grindelwald. Her death would then spark hatred between Albus and Aberforth.

Obscurial

Albus’ younger sister Ariana may have had a truly tragic dark secret. She experienced emotional trauma similar to that of Credence Barebone. As we all know, his trauma produced a powerful Obscurial parasite in Credence. After Ariana’s trauma, she began to have difficulty controlling her magical abilities. That strongly suggests that she too may have suffered under the powerful magical parasite. Those who suffer from this affliction rarely survive their childhood. Nothing could be more heartbreaking than your baby sister going through this fate.

Death In Azkaban

Azkaban prison in the middle of the sea, a grey, towering, tall building that just looks horrendous to be inside

Little Ariana’s trauma was at the hands of a group of young Muggle boys. What she suffered must have been horrific. Her family was wrought with anguish, especially her father Percival. He decided to avenge his daughter himself. Percival was later arrested for the assault on the Muggle boys, however. He was found guilty and sentenced to Azkaban prison by the Ministry of Magic. Sadly for the Dumbledore family, Percival died in the infamous wizard prison. The Dumbledores are a family rife with pain and sadness.

Caregiver

After Percival was sent to Azkaban prison, life had to go on for his wife and children. His sons Albus and Aberforth seemed to adapt to life after their father’s arrest. Little Ariana, however, didn’t fare as well. She was so horrifically traumatized after being attacked by Muggle boys that she required around the clock care and supervision. With her father locked up, that duty fell solely on her mother’s shoulders. Being a mother alone is incredibly difficult. Having a fragile child that needs constant care is unimaginable. Percival’s half-Muggle wife Kendra bravely cared for their daughter entirely by herself.

Brotherly Feud

Ariana’s death was the unintended result of a horrific duel. The fight was between both of her brothers Albus and Aberforth as well as Grindelwald. Aberforth and Albus’ relationship was already strained and Aberforth was disgusted by his brother and Grindlewald’s shared vision of wizarding supremacy over Muggles. No one knows who cast the errant spell that killed young Ariana, but Aberforth couldn’t help but blame his brother. After this moment, Aberforth would not forgive his brother and a feud was born.

Albus Takes On Ariana

After Kendra was killed due to a mysterious outburst from Ariana, the youngest Dumbledore child was left defenseless. Without her mother to care for her day and night she was left vulnerable and alone. Her older brother Albus returned home out of love. He came back to take on the exhausting task of caring for his sister. That burden of love matured the already hardened Albus even further. Ariana was in good hands with her brother in charge.

Secret Child

Fantastic Beasts Credence Obsurus

In the final breaths of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, a huge bomb is dropped on the Dumbledore family. Credence Barebone spent his life not knowing his true identity. He was battered and abused by his adoptive mother and grew up in a repressive No-Maj hell that twisted him into a dark and powerful Obscurial. At the end of the film, he finds out his birth name: Aurelius Dumbledore. Who knows how the revelation of a secret brother will develop in future films.

Phoenix

The Dumbledore family has been associated with the firey mythical phoenix of generations. In the Harry Potter universe, these birds are rare and exclusively appear in association with the Dumbledores. Before Credence Barebone’s true identity is revealed, we’re lead to believe he is Corvus Lestrange. The Lestrange family were closely connected to the raven. When we see Credence caring for a chick early in Fantastic Beasts, we assume it’s a baby raven. At the end of the film, the bird transforms and reveals itself to be a phoenix.

Albus’ Young Love

The subject of Albus Dumbledore’s sexuality has been causing a buzz in the Potterverse for a long time. Albus has been confirmed to be gay by J.K. Rowling and many fans have accepted this happily. What’s not as common knowledge is who held a young Albus’ affections. Albus and Grindelwald were lovers. They may have been extremely different men but they found a common obsession with cheating death. In this case, opposites did attract. Their love was doomed to fail and would eventually result in the death of Albus’s sister.

NEXT: Harry Potter: 20 Members Of Dumbledore's Army Officially Ranked