From what Rowling has publicly stated on Grindelwald, he seems to have abused the dynamic and taken advantage of his former friend.ĭevastatingly, Rowling has hinted that Dumbledore's love for Grindelwald was not returned, but that he used Dumbledore's infatuation against him, essentially weaponising it. There can be no doubt he used this against Dumbledore, which is why he was so emotionally wounded by him and so vulnerable to him even years after they parted.įor a man so powerful and so seemingly in control as Dumbledore, Grindelwald represented a weakness: a vulnerability that not even Voldemort's infamy could inspire in him. Grindelwald knew why Dumbledore needed him and he probably also knew that the young man was falling in love with him. Something that would help wizards for the greater good. He was vulnerable and in the charismatic new friend, he found someone who offered an enticing solution.

Albus had grown up with the spectre of dangerous Muggles hanging over his family as he'd seen his sister bullied by Muggles to the point of a dangerous breakdown, his father sent to Azkaban for getting revenge on them and his mother killed by a magical accident caused by Ariana's suppression of her magic. Grindelwald essentially weaponised their friendship to take advantage of his new friend's personal history. Grindelwald fled and was apportioned blame, though Aberforth blamed his brother.īut alongside the pair's plotting and friendship, Dumbledore was being manipulated without really realising it. That same summer, Aberforth Dumbledore learned of their plans for revolution and confronted the pair, leading to the three way duel that was said to have resulted in Ariana's death. He became indoctrinated even as the pair developed a genuine friendship.

They were immediately drawn together by their intellect, magical ability and the dark appeal of Grindelwald's ideas, which Dumbledore was intoxicated by, despite his better judgement.

He met Dumbledore in the summer of 1899 when his obsessive pursuit of the Deathly Hallows led him to Godric's Hollow, where his great-aunt Bathilda Bagshot lived. The pair's relationship began after Grindelwald was expelled from Durmstrang for sick experiments on other students despite his academic aptitude and potential.

Harry potter the secrets of dumbledore