New York, Oct 22 (ANI): The news that Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore was gay hit Harry Potter fans like a bolt out of the blue.

Ardent fans from all over the world admitted that they were quite literally shocked with author JK Rowling's admission.

And some of them now want to read the last book more carefully.

"It totally came out of left field. I never would have thought of it, but it makes sense after the fact. ... I really want to read the book again," the New York Daily News quoted Nikole Kniesel, 28, an executive assistant from Queens, as saying.

Another thing that became clear was that the character remained as beloved and popular as ever.

Terry Hannon, a 55-year-old truck driver, said: "It's a fictional character. People are reading too much into it. It's probably going to upset the Christian right, but I'd still let my kids read it."

Muriel Rosa, 36, a hospital worker from Brooklyn added: "I think it's awesome he's gay. I think he has a big heart and is mothering and nurturing."

Rowling made the stunning announcement at Carnegie Hall on Friday, the last day of her U.S. book tour.

Asked if the master wizard finds "true love," Rowling told the crowd of city public school children and others, "Dumbledore is gay."

She went on to note that the revered headmaster, who is revealed as a complex figure in the seventh and last book of the series, was infatuated with Gellert Grindelwald, his friend and later rival whom he bested in a battle between good and bad wizards. (ANI)