It’s been over a decade since the Harry Potter creator, J.K. Rowling, casually revealed that our favorite headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, was gay.
When Deathly Hallows aired in 2007, Rowling dropped the legit bombshell—Dumbledore was in love with Gellert Grindelwald—his old friend-turned-foe.
Fans couldn’t fathom how to react. While some hailed it as a win for LGBTQ+ representation, others were confused because none of it was precisely mentioned in the books. Why this juicy detail was saved for a Q&A and not the actual canon was the million-galleon question.
Fast forward to 2016, and Rowling was bestowed with the perfect opportunity—exploring Dumbledore’s history with Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts prequel films. Cue the eager Potterheads, expecting romantic backstory goodness. But, spoiler alert: we didn’t get that. The Crimes of Grindelwald gave us no explicit details about their relationship.
Director David Yates later revealed that the Hogwart legend’s sexuality wouldn’t be “explicitly” addressed in the prequel. Still, Rowling assured everyone this was a five-part story—plenty of time to go all-in on Dumbledore’s love life, right? Let’s just say fans have been keeping a very close eye on that one.
To keep things spicy, Rowling brought it up again in 2019. This time, she told fans that Dumbledore and Grindelwald’s relationship had a “sexual dimension.” Oh, she wasn’t done—she called it “passionate” and “incredibly intense.” But still, nothing on-screen yet. It was like teasing us with a Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Bean and never delivering.
The big question remains: does this late-game representation count if it’s still just…in the air? Fans are divided. For some, Dumbledore’s story is a quiet win for LGBTQ+ visibility. For others, it’s a missed opportunity that’s been locked away in the Room of Requirement, waiting to be truly explored.
So, where does this leave us? Still talking about Dumbledore’s love life a decade later and hoping the rest of the Fantastic Beasts films deliver what’s been promised. Stay tuned—there’s still a lot more magic left to uncover.
