I've been reading the posts on other threads and I have a question. Where and when do we find out that Aberforth is the owner of the Hog's Head. I don't remember reading that anywhere in the books. Did I just totally overlook it?

Why is the barman of the Hog’s Head vaguely familiar to Harry? Is he Dumbledore’s brother?
Ooh—you are getting good. Why do you think that it is Aberforth? [Audience member: Various clues. He smells of goats and he looks a bit like Dumbledore]. I was quite proud of that clue. That is all that I am going to say. [Laughter]. Well yes, obviously. I like the goat clue—I sniggered to myself about that one.

Thanks for the info WWW. That could be the memory that's lurking at the back of my mind, or maybe a similar encounter. Roonwit I could well be misremembering (Not something I do too often, thankfully!)

I've tried to find any reference to Mrs Weasley referring to wanting to adopt Harry but Dumbledore not wanting that to happen. However, apart from the references Roonwit already noted, especially the one I also supplied, I can't find anything. I've looked through every instance that Molly Weasley gets to say something in Half-blood Prince, Order of the Phoenix, POA, COS, and PP/SS. I'm currently listening to GOF, but don't think it is there either. Sorry. All the more so as I think you could have been right.

Wow, you've put in a huge amount of effort. Thank you It's just a nagging feeling at the back of my mind, but I've no idea where I read it (unless someone else mentioned it and I read their post way back ) Obviously I didn't read it in the books - wishful thinking!

'She went to ask him if you could come straight to us this summer,' he said. 'But he wants you to go back to the Dursleys, at least at first.'

Thanks WWW. I was going nuts flipping through page after page looking for Aberforth.

Does DD ever mention his brother anywhere to Harry or any character for that matter?

Aberforth is mentioned by Albus as performing inappropriate charms on a goat (GoF ch 24 UK p394) and he is on the OotP photograph of Moody's (OotP ch 9, UK p158). There are several references to the barman at the Hog's Head in OotP and HBP.

p. 299: The Hogs Head bar comprised one small, dingy and very dirty room that smelled strongly of goats.

p.300-301: The barman sidled towards them out of a back room. He was a grumpy -looking old man with a great deal of long grey hair and beard. He was tall and thin and looked vaguely familiar to Harry....

'The Hogs Head inn, which Sybill chose for its cheapness, has long attracted, shall we say, a more interesting clientele than the Three Broomsticks. As you and your friends found out to your cost, and I to mine that night, it is a place where it is never safe to assume you are not being overheard.

The exceptions were two men a little ahead of tehm, standing just outside the Three Broomsticks. One was very tall and thin; squinting through his rain-washed glasses Harry recognised the barman who worked in the other Hogsmeade pub, the Hog's Head. As Harry, Ron and Hermione drew closer, the barman drew his cloak more tightly around his neck and walked away, leaving the shorter man to fumble with something in his arms.

Tom, the landlord of the Leaky Cauldron, Arabella Figg, Harry's Squib neighbour, the hairy bass player from the wizarding group the Weird Sisters, Ernie Prang, driver of the Knight Bus, Madam Malkin, of the robe shop in Diagon Alley, and some people Harry merely knew by sight, such as the barman of the Hog's Head and the witch who pushed the trolley on the Hogwarts Express.

'Then if I were to go to the Hog's Head tonight, I would not find a group of them - Nott, Rosier, Mulciber, Dolohov - awaiting your return? Devoted friends indeed, to travel this far with you on a snowy night, merely to wish you luck as you attempted to secure a teaching post.

There could be no doubt that Dumbledore's detailed knowledge of those with whom he was travelling was even less welcome to Voldemort; however, he rallied almost at once,

'You are omniscient as ever, Dumbledore.'

'Oh, no, merely friendly with the local barmen, ' said Dumbledore lightly.