Although suspected for some time by avid readers of her famously popular fantasy novels, J.K. Rowling has officially noted that master wizard and Headmaster of Hogwarts is a homosexual.

The remarks came as Rowling spoke to a packed audience at Carnegie Hall, where she did a reading of parts of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." A fan asked if Albus Dumbledore would find love some day, to which Rowling replied:

"Dumbledore is gay."

She then explained that the wizard had been in love 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."

Speculation on Dumbledore's sexual orientation has been debated among fans for years. Rowling added that while working on the planned sixth Potter film, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," she spotted a reference in the script to a girl who once was of interest to Dumbledore. A note was duly passed to director David Yates, revealing the truth about the character.

Rowling has been touring the United States as part of an "Open Book Tour," her first in this country since 2000.