Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, his character was explored at a greater capacity in Secrets of Dumbledore. In the third Fantastic Beasts movie, the younger Dumbledore is Credence's estranged father, and his mother left Godric's Hollow before she or her unborn child could be pursued. Aberforth isn't a massive character in the books or the movies, but Albus has plenty to say about his brother.
Throughout the Harry Potter books, Albus makes consistently disparaging remarks about Aberforth, with Aberforth nowhere near, therefore, unable to defend himself. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Dumbledore says to Harry and Hagrid, "My own brother, Aberforth, was prosecuted for practicing inappropriate charms on a goat. It was all over the papers, but did Aberforth hide? No, he did not! He held his head high and went about his business as usual! Of course, I'm not entirely sure he can read, so that may not have been bravery..". This cruel, offhanded comment proves that Dumbledore has always been a dick, especially since his brother reads right in front of him in Fantastic Beasts 3.
Dumbledore's Aberforth Insults In Harry Potter Prove He Was Nasty
Goat charms aside, Dumbledore never said a nice word about his brother throughout all of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts. This is especially cruel, considering Albus' own history within his family. Shortly after his time at Hogwarts, he fell in love with Gellert Grindelwald, and the two planned their own wizarding takeover. Rather than take on the responsibility as head of the household after his mother died, that burden went right past him and onto his younger brother, who was also charged with caring for Ariana. Aberforth and Ariana were described as close, and her death — which could've been Albus' fault — affected him so immensely that he broke his brother's nose at her funeral.
Aberforth's speech to Harry in The Deathly Hallows Part 2 may have seemed apathetic and jaded at first glance, but his comments about his older brother were correct. Albus Dumbledore sent Harry on a wild goose chase, The Crimes of Grindelwald, he also gives Newt a nigh-impossible task with little direction to complete it other than to see Nicholas Flamel.
Fantastic Beasts Turns Dumbledore's Original Jokes Upside Down
Dumbledore is known in the movies and books to make little side comments that come off as lighthearted but are cruel and elitist at their core. The remark about Aberforth's literacy seems like such a massive departure from the character that it's almost surprising to find out it came from him. However, looking at Albus Dumbledore's own villainous actions in his youth and beyond paints these comments in a different light. Aberforth can read; he's even shown ing messages through the Hog's Head mirror to Credence. Luckily Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore painted Aberforth in a much more accurate light than the Harry Potter books and movies did. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for Albus Dumbledore himself.
