J.K. Rowling, author of the mega-selling fantasy series “Harry Potter,” said Friday night that Albus Dumbledore, master wizard and Headmaster of Hogwarts, is gay.

After reading briefly from the final book, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” she took questions from the audience members who attended her “Open Book Tour” at Carnegie Hall in New York. She was asked by one young fan whether Dumbledore finds “true love.” “Dumbledore is gay,” the author responded to gasps and applause. She then explained that Dumbledore was smitten with rival Gellert Grindelwald, whom he defeated long ago in a battle between good and bad wizards. “Falling in love can blind us to an extent,” Rowling said of Dumbledore’s feelings, adding that Dumbledore was “horribly, terribly let down.”