Aurelius Dumbledore - Theory Explained
Okay so just hear me out: a lot of people have said that there’s no way Credence could be a Dumbledore because he’s dark-haired and the other Dumbledore children had light colored hair, right?
Kendra - Dumbledore’s mother - had black hair.
“Jet black hair, dark eyes, high cheekbones” - sounds like Credence
Now, according to DH, Kendra died in 1899, and Credence wasn’t born until 1901 at the earliest (going by the screenplay - if we go by the birth certificate, 1904)
Dumbledore supposedly received an owl informing him of Kendra’s death. Kendra supposedly died after Ariana had lost control of her magic, aged 14. However, given that this is Rita Skeeter’s book, it’s arguable as to whether or not it’s 100% factual or just juicy gossip since I can’t see Albus or Aberforth publicly saying that.
I wondered if it was perhaps possible that Kendra ran away? Maybe she grew tired/frustrated at being Ariana’s caretaker? Maybe she couldn’t take it anymore… And then Albus/Aberforth said she died to cover the fact she had run away - we know Ariana was a secret, right? We know Albus was very private about his life, and it would have been a major shock.
At the time, Aberforth were at Hogwarts; Albus was preparing to go away with Elphias Doge. Given that Albus was finished with his education, and Aberforth still had a few years left to go, it would have made sense for Albus to take over as caretaker - I think at some point it’s mentioned that he wanted Aberforth to finish his schooling.
If Kendra ran away, Albus would have known about it before Aberforth presumably, since he’d left Hogwarts by this time. Perhaps Albus fabricated the story for Aberforth’s sake.
But what if Kendra in fact ran away? What if she ended up pregnant out of wedlock somehow (a fling? Prostitution perhaps? Hell, forcefully?) and that’s how Aurelius/Credence was born in 1901? Because if she wasn’t remarried or whatever, perhaps she then used the last name Dumbledore for him? She’s never seen again, which could mean she possibly died in childbirth with Credence.
The woman on the boat with baby Credence is his aunt apparently. If it is indeed his aunt, then perhaps she was taking him somewhere safe and away from his brothers/sister because Kendra asked her to do so - perhaps she knew Albus didn’t need a baby brother on top of everything else to deal with.
But if the woman on the boat was actually Kendra herself and not an aunt, then she could have drowned when she tried to save Corvus (thinking he was Credence).
The woman on the boat has dark hair in a bun, with a high neck dress - which is how Kendra is described in a photo in DH.
This is all a reach, I know, but I’m starting to wonder.