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" [...] my father went after the bastards that did it, and attacked them. And they locked him up in Azkaban for it. He never said why he'd done it, because if the Ministry had known what Ariana had become, she'd have been locked up in St Mungo's for good [...] "
Aberforth Dumbledore[src]

Percival Dumbledore (fl. 1881) was a British wizard, the husband of Kendra Dumbledore and the father of Albus, Aberforth, and Ariana Dumbledore. After attacking three male Muggles who assaulted Ariana, he was sentenced to imprisonment in Azkaban. Percival died there sometime after 1891.[5][6] Many years later, his eldest son became the longest and most noted Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and was considered by some as the greatest wizard of all time.

Biography[]

Percival was a wizard, born into the presumably either pure-blood or half-blood Dumbledore family.[1]

In his later life, he married a Muggle-born witch named Kendra with whom he had three children: Albus (who bore the same as his second name), Aberforth, and Ariana.[6]

At the age of six, Percival's daughter Ariana was assaulted by three Muggle boys. The incident left her permanently traumatised and unable to control her magic powers. Percival, in a fit of vengeful rage, attacked her assailants. This resulted in his arrest and conviction by the Ministry of Magic. He was sentenced to Azkaban, where he later died. Percival never admitted the reasons for his attack on the Muggles. This was largely due to his fear that if the Ministry found out about his daughter's delicate condition, they would send her to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries for the rest of her life, effectively locking her away permanently as a hazard to the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy.[6]

Percival Dumbledore in Azkaban

Percival Dumbledore during his imprisonment in Azkaban

Percival's attack on the Muggle children led many to believe that he was a supporter of the notion of blood purity. However, this was almost certainly untrue as Percival's own wife was a Muggle-born witch. However, the Dumbledore family kept its secrets well, and Percival's reputation would remain tarnished even after the death of his 115-year-old son, Albus.[6]

Posthumanously after his death sometime in the 1890s, Percival become a grandfather to his youngest son, Aberforth's son, Aurelius Dumbledore, born after the young man's relationship with a girl from Godric's Hollow the summer of 1899.[3]

When Albus Dumbledore put on the Peverell Ring, with hopes that using the Resurrection Stone would allow him to see his loved ones once more, one of the people he hoped to see — and apologise to — was his father.[7]

Physical description[]

As a relatively young wizard, Percival was described as "a good-looking man with eyes that seemed to twinkle",[8] like his son, Albus, who, in his own time at Hogwarts, exhibited many of the same traits as his father.

Relationships[]

Kendra Dumbledore[]

Kendra Dumbledore

Percival's wife, Kendra

Percival's relationship with his wife during their marriage is unknown, but they shared a devotion to their children, particularly their youngest, Ariana. Percival attacked the three boys who assaulted their daughter, and Kendra devoted the remainder of her life to taking care of Ariana.[6]

Albus Dumbledore and Aberforth Dumbledore[]

The Secrets of Dumbledore - Albus Aberforth

Albus and Aberforth, his sons

Percival's relationship with his sons is not very clear. Percival did not seem to be held in high regard by Albus, especially for being imprisoned in Azkaban for an attack on three Muggles, but years later, Dumbledore wished to use the Resurrection Stone to bring back his deceased family and apologise to them — even his father, showing that Albus nevertheless truly loved Percival despite all that happened. Like Albus, Aberforth may not have held his father in high regard either for his attack on the Muggles who attacked his sister, Ariana and being imprisoned in Azkaban.[6]

Ariana Dumbledore[]

Ariana Dumbledore Hog's Head

Percival's daughter, Ariana

" [...] my father went after the bastards that did it, and attacked them. And they locked him up in Azkaban for it. He never said why he'd done it, because if the Ministry had known what Ariana had become, she'd have been locked up in St Mungo's for good... We had to keep her safe and quiet."
Aberforth Dumbledore on Percival and Kendra Dumbledore[src]

Percival loved his only daughter dearly and was greatly distraught by her assault. He attacked the Muggle boys who did it and was sent to Azkaban for it. He never explained to the Ministry his reasons, knowing that if they discovered Ariana Dumbledore's condition, she would be confined to St Mungo's as a threat to the Statute of Secrecy.[6]

Etymology[]

Percival was a knight of the Round Table in Arthurian legend. The name is believed to be derived from the Old French percer val, meaning "to pierce the valley".[9]

Behind the scenes[]

Appearances[]

Wiki
The Harry Potter Wiki has 6 images related to Percival Dumbledore.

Notes and references[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Percival was a wizard while his children were all half-bloods and his wife Kendra was Muggle-born, meaning he had to have been half-blood at least. Because of the truth about Percival's attack on Muggles being unsaid, it brought about the notion he supported pure-blood supremacy, implying he was a pure-blood himself.
  2. The Dumbledores were an English family.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
  4. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay, Scene 28
  5. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 2 (In Memoriam)
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 28 (The Missing Mirror)
  7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 33 (The Prince's Tale)
  8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 11 (The Bribe)
  9. Behind the Name: Percival
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