'Harry Potter': J.K. Rowling Reveals How Albus Dumbledore Got His Name

The "Harry Potter" scribe shares secrets from the series.

ByABC News
June 25, 2015, 11:29 AM
J.K. Rowling poses for the photographers during a photo call to unveil her new book, entitled: 'The Casual Vacancy', at the Southbank Centre in London, Sept. 27, 2012.
J.K. Rowling poses for the photographers during a photo call to unveil her new book, entitled: 'The Casual Vacancy', at the Southbank Centre in London, Sept. 27, 2012.
Lefteris Pitarakis/AP Photo

— -- J.K. Rowling revealed some new information about "Harry Potter" on the books' website Pottermore, even explaining how Albus Dumbledore got his name.

The author explained that the first names of Rubeus Hagrid and Albus Dumbledore come from red and white, according to Entertainment Weekly.

Those colors are intertwined with alchemy, the "magical theory" that would enable one to turn base metal into gold and that Nicolas Flamel used to create the Philosopher's Stone, which gave him eternal life until the stone was destroyed.

Copies of Harry Potter books stand on display at the Clean Well-Lighted Place For Books in San Francisco on Dec. 21, 2004.

EW adds that red metal (Rubeus) means "warmth and wildness," while white metal (Albus) means "impressive and intellectual."

The new details from Rowling also revealed why Vernon Dursley hated Harry so much.

Dursley and Harry's father James disliked each other from the day they met and and Harry resembled his father very closely.

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