"The Secrets of Dumbledore" is more straightforward than the last "Fantastic Beasts" movie, but
this Wizarding World prequel series still has some sprawl.
What really happened to Ariana Dumbledore all those years ago?
We might not get a clear-cut picture of precisely what went down with Albus and Aberforth's
beloved sister.
However, we learn quite a bit more about what happened during her death — along with a
host of unpleasant implications.
In the "Harry Potter" series, Albus Dumbledore avoids the topic of his fallen sister like
a severe case of dragon pox.
Yet Aberforth rebuffs Albus' attempts to discuss their sister in "The Secrets of Dumbledore,"
while the future headmaster wants to keep their sister's memory alive.
Albus even opens up to Newt and Theseus about the dreadful event, saying that he and Aberforth
foolishly drew their wands without seeing their sister come down the stairs.
One minute she was there, and the next, she was gone.
To make matters creepier, Grindelwald laughed as the brothers dueled.
Given the future dictator's desire to get Dumbledore to leave with him, the scene unfolding
implies a darker possibility: Could Grindelwald have let Ariana die on purpose?
Another possibility is that Aberforth knows which spell killed his sister – possibly
his own, explaining his continued grudge against Albus and his refusal to talk about Ariana.
Despite the persistent "whodunnit" aspect of it all, we do discover something else:
Ariana was an obscurial.
Regardless of who ended her life, her fate was already sealed.
There are quite a few new creatures in "The Secrets of Dumbledore," but in typical Wizarding
World fashion, creatures that may be new to viewers are typically older than they seem.
The most significant creature addition to the third "Fantastic Beasts" film is the Qilin
— a magical chimera-like beast originating in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese folklore.
However, the idea to weave the creature's presence into the film's high-stakes election
isn't without historical significance.
The real-life mythos surrounding the Qilin is precisely what we see play out in "The
Secrets of Dumbledore."
In Chinese mythology, the birth of a Qilin was said to mark the birth or demise of a
kind and just leader.
While the gist remains the same in "The Secrets of Dumbledore," the film makes small tweaks
to the folklore.
Instead of arriving near the birth of a future leader, Wizarding World Qilins are born when
a worthy leader is about to rise up.
They mark a time of political change and assist wizards in choosing a new leader.
As Newt explains, "She can see into your soul.
If you are good and worthy, she'll see that.
But if you're cruel and deceitful, she'll sense that, too."
In fact, the Qilin's significance to Chinese history is so abundant that their mythology
extends to creating the country's written language.
It makes sense that the Qilin would play a part in the Wizarding World's ancient ritual
of choosing a leader, as the elections have historically taken place in the Kingdom of
Bhutan — a Buddhist kingdom located in the Himalayas.
Credence's mysterious lineage has been one of the most vital questions posed throughout
the "Fantastic Beasts" franchise.
Who are his parents?
What happened to them?
Why was he abandoned?
Though we don't have answers to all of these questions, we now know one thing: Credence
– AKA Aurelius – is Aberforth Dumbledore's son.
While Grindelwald reveals Credence's genealogy in "The Crimes of Grindelwald," the guy is
a wannabe dictator even at that point.
So fans took Grindelwald's assertions with a grain of salt.
However, both Aberforth and Dumbledore confirm Credence's status as a Dumbledore in the third
film.
Despite Aberforth constantly criticizing Albus for wanting to leave with Grindelwald instead
of looking after Ariana, he basically abandoned his own son.
Credence is in clear communication with Aberforth at the start of "The Secrets of Dumbledore,"
sending messages in the mirror, implying Aberforth's knowledge of precisely who his son is.
Even worse, at the end of the film, Credence asks, "Did you ever think about me?"
To which Aberforth says, "Always."
So let's get this straight.
Aberforth knew that he had a son, possibly since his birth, and didn't lift a wand to
find him?
In a sick twist of fate, Credence seems bound to meet the same messy demise as Ariana, all
because Aberforth failed to seek out his son and train him to use magic.
For a man who deeply enjoys criticizing the actions of others, he was pretty negligent
toward his own child.
There's no way around it: The Qilin bowing to Dumbledore was fan service in action.
The fact that the Qilin chooses Dumbledore at all proves that the wizarding world should
definitely use more than a magical creature to select their next leader.
Dumbledore has repeatedly demonstrated that dominion seduces him and that he shouldn't
be in a leadership position.
His quick refusal of that power deserves kudos, as he acknowledges his own biggest flaw.
"Correct, three points to Hufflepuff."
Of course, the best part of Dumbledore's rejection scene comes when Grindelwald is visibly irritated
with Dumbledore for refusing the Qilin's offer to lead.
It's pretty clear why these two are exes.
At the end of the day, Vicência Santos seems to be the right call for Supreme Mugwump.
She keeps her composure, respects democracy, and she honors all life.
When Grindelwald uses the Cruciatus Curse on Jacob, she's the only one who stands against
him to end the spell.
Her willingness to do what's right despite the crowd's approval of Grindelwald's cruelty
marks her bravery and leadership.
One of the greatest uncertainties going into "The Secrets of Dumbledore" hinged on how
exactly Dumbledore and Grindelwald would face off against each other.
The former lovers made a binding blood troth to prevent such a thing, and as we see at
the beginning of the film, the blood troth isn't playing around.
Of course, in addition to being a hurdle both men have to maneuver around, the troth is
also a symbol of Dumbledore and Grindelwald's devotion toward each other — something that
still exists, despite being on opposite sides of the upcoming war.
Until this movie, Dumbledore has been resistant to take a stand against Grindelwald -- not
just because he can't, but because he doesn't want to.
When Dumbledore and Grindelwald face-off, a heart appears in the blood troth, and the
beating of two hearts plays out over the sounds of battle.
Both wizards hesitate, but the damage is done, and the vial breaks — a clear symbol of
Dumbledore's heart breaking in the process.
When asked how Dumbledore could move against Grindelwald when the troth was still intact,
the professor says, "He sought to kill.
I sought to protect.
Our spells met.
Let's call it fate."
But, fate or not, Dumbledore looks pretty miserable at the prospect of having to defeat
the man he loved.
"With or without you I'll burn down their world."
"The Secrets of Dumbledore" may be the first time Dumbledore and Grindelwald raise their
wands against each other, but it won't be the last.
In one of the most epic duels we've seen in the "Fantastic Beasts" series thus far, the
one-time partners accept their fate as enemies, albeit a little halfheartedly.
They can only duel after Grindelwald fires a killing curse at Vicência Santos after
she wins the election or Credence in vengeance for failing him.
Of course, Dumbledore can't sit around and watch his ex-lover kill someone, so he takes
a stand, locking the two in battle.
It's important to note that neither wizard casts a killing curse.
Both men cast reddish spells, and there's no Avada Kedavra green in sight — not even
after the blood troth breaks.
So, it seems as though Grindelwald's call for Dumbledore's death might have been a bit
premature, and it's implied that Gellert doesn't want Dumbledore dead.
Sure, he may have enlisted Credence to kill his uncle.
Still, perhaps he knew all along that the obscurial wasn't capable of cold-blooded murder
— or even strong enough to take on Dumbledore in his deteriorating state.
Grindelwald noted earlier that Credence's "pain is his power," but pain or not, the
guy can barely stand upright.
Either way, in discarding the small window he had to kill Dumbledore himself, it looks
like Grindelwald might be more capable of love and loyalty than fans initially thought.
Yet that doesn't take away the fact that he's a cold-blooded murderous dictator.
From the very first moment we see Queenie onscreen in "The Secrets of Dumbledore," it's
clear that she's miserable.
For someone as whimsical and kindhearted as Queenie, hearing the thoughts of Grindelwald's
vilest followers had to be torture for the Legilimens.
Yet despite remaining in Grindelwald's flock, her work for the resistance is already well
underway.
Though watching Grindelwald slit the Qilin's throat may be the witch's final straw, she
was already well underway in thwarting Grindelwald's quest for total control.
She admits to Credence that she doesn't tell Grindelwald everything.
She's clearly Credence's only ally in the mansion, which likely assists his own defection
from Grindelwald.
When Queenie sees Jacob again right before the election, she's insistent that she can't
be saved and that "Some mistakes are too big."
Jacob responds, "Dumbledore says I have a full heart, but I always got room in there
for you."
Grindelwald goes from having some of the most powerful wizards of his time at the dark wizard's
disposal to standing relatively alone in his quest for power.
Dictators rise through the ranks through manipulation, playing people's fears against them, and exploiting
someone's deepest desires.
So, what does Credence want?
A family.
And how does Grindelwald secure his loyalty?
He uses his loneliness, plays off his abandonment issues, and paints the Dumbledores in a less
than ideal light — which, granted, isn't entirely unfair.
As for Queenie, she only joins Grindelwald when he promises her a better future for herself
and Jacob.
Of course, we know Grindelwald's hatred for muggles would never allow that, which he makes
abundantly clear when he tortures Jacob with the Cruciatus Curse.
However, Grindelwald's fatal flaw is that he tries to take power far too prematurely.
Grindelwald was already gaining hundreds of followers before he attempts to win the election
with his murdered Qilin.
In fact, had he not aimed to deceive every wizard in the wizarding world, he may have
won the election for Supreme Mugwump without using the Qilin.
Yet he takes the easy route, which fractures the already unstable loyalty of his followers
when his devious plot unravels.
Grindelwald's premature self-sabotage puts him in a unique position that we haven't yet
seen from a Wizarding World villain: He's standing alone.
Sure, his support isn't wholly diminished, but he's lost his most powerful supporters,
and he has to start from square one in his quest for domination.
One of the most goosebumps-inducing lines from the original series comes when Harry
says, "Even though we've got a fight ahead of us, we've got one thing that Voldemort
doesn't have — something worth fighting for."
If there's one thing that the "Harry Potter" series drilled into fans' heads, it's that
love is the most extraordinary power.
After all, Lily's love for her son is so tangible that it leaves him with magical protection
long after she's gone.
Given that both franchises depict a dictator's rise, both fans and characters need a reminder
of what exactly they're fighting for.
Grindelwald has just used the Cruciatus curse on Jacob.
He's just declared war on the muggles.
He goes on a tirade, calling muggles vermin who dilute the wizarding bloodline.
Yet despite all of that hateful rhetoric and the odds stacked against Queenie and Jacob
as a muggle/witch pairing, they throw all of that drama aside, choosing each other.
Sure, the wedding is cute and sweet and provides another will they/won't they moment for Tina
and Newt.
But all of that aside, this wedding is a statement that Grindelwald's threats will not cow them,
and they know exactly what they're fighting for.
On the flip side, Grindelwald has forsaken love for war and power, which is the greatest
tragedy of all — and a waste of a powerful man who could do so much good in the world
had he chosen a different path.
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