Wise Counsel

 


The fireplace was blazing away, warming the loft on what was quite a cold day in Pittsburgh. Brian and Justin had just finished a light dinner at home and were settling into their usual places on the floor.

“Dumbledore was gay, Brian,” Justin opened what would seem an uncommon discussion even for these two.

“Doubledoor? Doubledoor? Not sure I know that name. If he was from Babylon I don’t think I remember him,” Brian mused in response. “Maybe he was one of the ones whose name I didn’t know – I didn’t know all their names, you know - but if he was from Babylon, I guess we could presume he was gay so I guess….”

“Cut it out, Kinney,” Justin demanded. “Cut it out right now. You know exactly who Dumbledore is, or was – and we both know you know.”

“And just why would I know who this Doubledoor is - or was?” Brian asked the kid. “You read all the Harry Potter books but I didn’t read any of them. You know I didn’t. Too long.”

”See what I mean, Brian Kinney,” Justin replied triumphantly. “You know Dumbledore was in the Harry Potter books so you do too know who he is – or was.”

“Maybe we ought to decide if this Doubledoor actually is – or if he was,” Brian smiled at the kid. “If he was in the Harry Potter books, I guess you’re saying he was alive for some of them and departed for the later ones.”

“Or maybe he was departed for the early books and came back to life for the later ones, Bri,” Justin countered. “We’re dealing with magic here, Kinney, so it could be either way. Or maybe he kept switching back and forth between here and there….”

“Geez, Baby,” Brian concluded with a laugh. “I wish I could call up some magic to make this discussion disappear right now. You must have really run out of subjects to argue about if you have to bring up this Doubledoor guy. But yeah, I did hear he was from the Harry Potters – and that he was gay too. Some of the guys at the office – guys I thought had more sense – were discussing it, and Ted knew about it too. So who cares if some guy in some book was gay – and how come it took so long for you big Potter fans to figure it out?”

“Darn it, Brian,” Justin grouched. “It’s not me who’s starting any argument. I just wanted to talk about it with you because I wanted your wise counsel on a couple of things. But if you don’t want to talk about Dumbledore….”

“Wait a minute, Sunshine,” Brian interrupted him. “You were looking to get my wise counsel. There must be real magic in this loft – Justin the All-Wise is seeking my wise counsel. That is something to think about. Yes it is. Real magic.”

“OK, Brian,” Justin seemed to concede. “You win – just like you always do. I hereby give up. If you don’t want to talk about Dumbledore, the subject of Dumbledore is officially dropped. OK?”

“I don’t think so, Sweetheart,” Brian told him. “Your giving up is not at all like any rational being’s giving up. But we have the preliminaries all taken care of now – so we can just proceed to whatever is on that puzzling mind of yours? My wise counsel is now available. Five cents please.”

“And worth every penny of that large sum too,” Justin gibed - then went on to explain, “Well it’s just that we didn’t know Dumbledore was gay - all through the books. The author just announced the other day at a press conference that Dumbledore was gay. That’s how we found out. Don’t you think Dumbledore should have told us he was gay – I mean told somebody in the books he was gay or something like that – so us readers would have known? There were all kinds of different characters in the books, Bri, but there weren’t any gays. I noticed that when I was reading them – and now….”

“Would it have made any difference in the character if you had known he was gay?” Brian wondered. “Maybe it didn’t make any difference in the story so it just never showed up. Would you want people to like or dislike your art-work because you’re gay? I bet some of the people who buy your stuff at that New York gallery don’t know you’re gay.”

“Of course I want my stuff to stand on its own, Brian,” Justin said. “If it’s good, it’s good – and if it’s not good, then it’s not good. It doesn’t have anything to do with whether I’m in love with the greatest guy in the world or not.”

“Seems like you’re getting tired of discussing this subject, Baby,” Brian told the kid as he cuddled him closer and introduced a pause in the intellectual discussion. There was plenty of time for intellectual discussion later. Indeed there was.

“You know what, Bri,” Justin returned to that discussion after the lengthy delay. “I think it would have been nice to know there was a gay character in the books though – even if it didn’t concern the plot – like maybe as a role model or something like that….”

”And this Dumbledore was some kind of a great wizard, I suspect,” Brian smiled at him, “And little Justin Taylor wanted him for a role model – and maybe he was a role model for JT anyhow – even if JT didn’t know Dumbledore was gay – because JT is a kind of a wizard too, Baby – a genuine bona-fide wizard.”

“Now it seems like you’re the one who’s getting tired of discussing this subject, Kinney,” Justin teased him, running his hand through Brian’s hair, “But I’m too smart for that….”

“Too smart, eh?” Brian teased him back. “I’ll remember that. Yep. I’ll remember that. I will. OK, Sweetheart, what other wise counsel do you need? I guess that’s all I’m good for. Brian Kinney is only useful as a wise counselor – and to think what he used to be….”

“Not all, Bri,” Justin assured him, “Good counsel is not all you’re good for. But you do actually give some good counsel every once in a while. Do you think it was OK for the author to tell us Dumbledore was gay after the fact?”

“Yeah, Kiddo,” Brian replied. “I think that was OK. Do you think folks who read the HP books for the first time now, knowing that Dumbledore is gay, will get a different impression from the books than you did? Will that make a difference?”

“That’s a good question, Brian,” Justin considered. “I didn’t think of that. I guess I don’t know. Dumbledore won’t be any different, I guess – I just don’t know. But I hadn’t thought about the people who will read the books in the future. They will know – even if it isn’t actually mentioned in the books themselves. Maybe that’s why she said so now. Maybe she wishes she had put something in there – some gay characters I mean – not just Dumbledore. By the way, Honey, I notice that you’ve now got Dumbledore’s name right. Bet you knew it all along.”

“Maybe,” Brian equivocated, “And maybe not. That’s for me to know and you to find out.”

“Lucky I’m a genuine wizard then, Sweetheart,” Justin countered. “So I will be able to find out, won’t I?”

“Well I don’t doubt you’ll try,” Brian admitted, “And maybe with a great wizard like Dumbledore for a role-model, you will be able to find out.”

“Yeah, Kinney,” Justin exulted just slightly. “Dumbledore was my role-model. That’s why I’m as good a wizard as I am.”

“Well then, Sweetheart,” Brian asked him archly, adding a little caress for good measure. “If Dumbledore was such a complete role-model for you, why didn’t you know he was gay in the first place?”


 

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