Fantastic Beasts and What You Need to Know

Movies

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is just around the corner, and after a four-year hiatus between films, many viewers have forgotten the plot of the series. The latest Wizarding World movie is set to take place in the 1930s, a few years after the events in the second film, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Watch the three official trailers below.

The following image is a group shot of all the characters from the second film. A majority of them will be in the third.

Beneath are important places, terminologies, and characters that you should know before watching the latest Fantastic Beasts film!

Places

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: British school for witches and wizards, located in Scotland.

The Room of Requirement: A secret magical room hidden within Hogwarts; it shows up when a person is in desperate need of it. One could either hide themselves or an item. Located on the 7th floor, it transforms into whatever the person needs it to be at that exact moment. Also known as the “come and go room” and “the place where everything is hidden.” We know this room from the Harry Potter series, where members of Dumbledore’s Army meet and hide from death eaters, as well as where Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle fight against fiendfyre to destroy Rowena Ravenclaw’s diadem (a Horcrux).

Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: North American school for witches and wizards, located in Massachusetts, USA.

MACUSA: Magical Congress of the USA. Governed the wizarding world in the USA. Located in New York City.

Ministry of Magic: Located in London, England, the Ministry of Magic is a government that keeps order in the English Wizarding World, just like MACUSA in the USA.

Terminologies

Muggle: A non-magical human. Also called a No-maj in the USA and non-magiques in France. Jacob Kowalski is a muggle.

Pure-Blood: an individual who comes from a 100% wizard family line, no marriages with muggles (non-magical people), or at least claimed that there were no muggles or muggle-borns (witches and wizards from non-magical parents).

Sacred twenty-eight: twenty-eight British families that were of pure blood in the early 1900s. The Lestrange family is one of the twenty-eight families. Click here to view the entire list.

Maledictus: a female individual with a blood curse that would turn her into a beast. The female, over time, loses the ability to think like a human and permanently becomes a beast, such as a snake. Nagini is a Maledictus.

Mirror of Erised: a magical mirror that shows the person looking into it what their deepest desire is. For Harry Potter, it was to have a loving family, to have his parents. He was also able to get the sorcerer’s stone from the mirror, as he had no intention of using it but wanted to protect it from Voldemort and prevent him from returning. For Ron Weasley, who was the youngest Weasley son, it was to be Quidditch Captain and Head Boy. Albus Dumbledore sees himself and Gellert Grindelwald in the mirror.

Blood Pact: a magically binding contract between two people who shared their blood. A young Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald made this agreement not to fight each other, and thus neither could kill the other. At the end of the second film, Albus has the blood pact and intends to find a way to destroy it.

Obscurial: The result of a young witch or wizard suppressing their magical powers instead of learning to control them. They develop a dark parasitical force (obscurus). When these children reach their mental/emotional breaking point, they release their obscurus, which can resemble an invisible wind that causes mayhem and destruction. Since 2016, there has been a rumor that Ariana Dumbledore was an obscurus.

Deathly Hallows: three powerful objects that, when united, make the wielder the most powerful witch or wizard.

1. The Invisibility Cloak: a family heirloom. Harry Potter is given his father’s cloak by Albus Dumbledore for Christmas during Harry’s first year at Hogwarts. It makes the wearer invisible and cannot be pulled off of the “wearer” by any charm.
2. Resurrection Stone: a stone that possesses the power to bring a lost love back to the living; however, the deceased will be “sad and cold,” as he or she does not belong amongst the living anymore.
3. Elder Wand: also known as the “Deathstick” and the “Wand of Destiny.” It is the unbeatable wand and is extremely powerful. It has been owned by many great wizards such as Gellert Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts series and Lord Voldemort, Albus Dumbledore, and Harry Potter in the Harry Potter series.

Auror: “dark wizard catcher,” a highly trained law enforcement official, similar to a police officer. Theseus Scamander is an Auror. Nymphadora Tonks and Mad-Eye Moody were Aurors. Harry Potter became an Auror.

Bogart: shape-shifting creature that assumes the form of whatever frightens the person who encounters it. Example: Spiders for Ron Weasley, Dementors for Harry Potter, an office job for Newt Scamander, and Leta Lestrange’s is her brother drowning. Click here for more information published by J.K. Rowling.

Magizoologist: witch or wizard who studies magical creatures, similar to a “zoologist.” Newt Scamander is a magizoologist.

Legilimency: “the practice of using magic to enter another person’s mind.” This includes mind-reading, interpreting others’ thoughts, and turning a person’s mind against them. Some witches and wizards are born with this ability, while others learn it. Queenie Goldstein was born with it. Click here to read more about Legilimency.

Characters

Gellert Grindelwald: a dark wizard. A young Gellert befriended a young Albus Dumbledore in Godric’s Hollow, where they plotted to discover the Deathly Hallows and end the secrecy of witches and wizards. They created a blood pact. At the age of 17, he was involved in a duel with Albus and Aberforth that resulted in the death of Arianna Dumbledore. He and Albus split ways afterwards, and Gellert gained followers for his cause, “the greater good.” He believed that wizards and witches deserved to live without fear and rule the muggles. He had no interest in anyone whom he considered beneath him. Manipulative and persuasive, he had his alliance “spread the word” across the wizarding world. Grindelwald was killed by Lord Voldemort in 1998. Johnny Depp previously played Gellert Grindelwald, but Mads Mikkelsen will now be portraying the character.

The Dumbledore Family: A British wizarding family that moved to Godric’s Hollow (the same place where Harry Potter’s family lived and were murdered). The children are half-bloods.

• Percival Dumbledore: Wizard. Husband to Kendra Dumbledore. Father of Albus, Aberforth, and Ariana. Sentenced to Azkaban prison after attacking muggles who tortured his daughter, Ariana. He died in prison.
• Kendra Dumbledore: Muggle-born witch. Wife of Percival Dumbledore. Mother to Albus, Aberforth, and Ariana. Whilst her husband was in prison and her two sons at Hogwarts, Kendra was the sole carer for Ariana. Unintentionally killed by Ariana.
• Albus Dumbledore: Oldest son of the Dumbledores; was Ariana’s carer after their parents had died. Falls in love with Gellert Grindelwald at age 17. Wins the elder wand from Grindelwald by winning a duel in 1945. Former Gryffindor student at Hogwarts. Transfiguration professor at Hogwarts, although in the Fantastic Beasts series, he teaches Defense Against The Dark Arts. Future headmaster of Hogwarts. Although extremely powerful, Albus avoided politics and turned down the opportunity to become Minister for Magic. At one point possessed all three Deathly Hallows. Albus Dumbledore dies in 1996.

Appears on a chocolate frog card: “Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon’s blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.”

• Aberforth Dumbledore: The middle child of Percival and Kendra Dumbledore, nicknamed “Ab.” Hogwarts house unknown. After Ariana had died, he and Albus fought over how Albus handled Ariana. He even gave Albus a bloody nose from punching him at Ariana’s funeral. Disliked Gellert Grindelwald and his friendship with Albus. Aberforth and Albus had a strained relationship. The Aberforth we know from the Harry Potter films/novels was a member of the original Order of the Phoenix in the first Wizarding World. He owns the Hogs Head Inn in Hogsmeade village. This is the very same inn where Harry Potter forms “Dumbledore’s Army” (D.A.) in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. His Patronus is a goat. He saved Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley from dementors and death eaters when the trio arrived at Hogwarts to find the remaining Horcruxes during the Second Wizarding War. He also provided food to members of “Dumbledore’s Army” who were hiding in the Room of Requirement in the last Harry Potter film/novel.

• Ariana Dumbledore: The youngest Dumbledore, tortured by Muggles, who saw her perform magic as a child. Never quite right mentally afterwards, she couldn’t control her magic. Didn’t attend Hogwarts. Prone to having uncontrollable magical outbursts; accidentally killed her own mother in a magical explosion. Possible Obscurus. Tragically killed at the age of fourteen in the middle of a three-way duel between Albus, Aberforth, and Gellert. None of the Dumbledores knew who had cast the spell that accidentally hit her.

Credence Barebone: Born around 1901, baby Credence and his aunt were traveling by ship (from England) to America, as were Leta Lestrange, Corvus Lestrange (Leta’s half-brother), and Irma Dugard. Corvus, also a baby at the time, was crying and irritating a young Leta and was subsequently switched with Credence in their cribs. No one knew of the switch besides Leta. The ship was sinking during a major storm, and all passengers were abandoning ship via lifeboats. Credence was taken by Leta and Irma Dugard in one lifeboat, whilst Credence’s aunt and baby Corvus were in another. The second lifeboat capsized, drowning both the aunt and Corvus. Credence arrived safely in America and was subsequently put up for adoption in Corvus’s place.

Adopted by a physically and mentally abusive no-maj named Mary Lou Barebone in New York City, Credence and his adoptive siblings were forced to be a part of the anti-witchcraft “New Salem Philanthropic Society.” Credence was forced to repress his magic and became an Obscurial. Credence lives to be an adult, something unheard of for an Obscurial. He accidentally killed his adoptive sister (Chastity) and purposefully killed his adoptive mother. His younger sister Modesty ran away afterwards.

Credence lost control of the Obscurus within him and killed several people. The MACUSA Aurors chased him down and seemingly killed him; however, he escaped in his Obscurus state, unbeknownst to anyone except Newt Scamander. Credence joined the Wizarding World circus in Europe and met Nagini. He and Nagini escaped from the circus and searched for his true parentage. He reunited briefly with Irma Dugard before she was murdered to keep Credence’s true parentage a secret. Credence met Leta Lestrange, and she confessed the truth to him.

Grindelwald convinced Credence to join his cause in Paris, France, and told Credence his real name was Aurelius Dumbledore at the very end of Crimes of Grindelwald. Grindelwald believes Credence can kill Albus Dumbledore.

Scamander Brothers: British brothers; attended Hogwarts.

• Newton “Newt” Scamander: Former Hufflepuff student at Hogwarts. Younger brother of Theseus Scamander. Magizoologist. Author of Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them. Future husband to Tina Goldstein. Befriended Leta Lestrange in their third year at Hogwarts. Newt’s boggart is an office desk. Covered for Leta when she almost endangered the life of another student. Was almost expelled from Hogwarts, but Albus Dumbledore argued on his behalf. Currently unknown if he was officially expelled. If he was expelled, he was still allowed his wand. Was bitter towards Leta, but was still in love with her.

Traveled to New York to free his Thunderbird in the state of Arizona. Tried to help Credence control his Obscurus whilst in New York. Befriended Jacob Kowalski. Newt is socially and physically awkward and prefers magical creatures to human companionship. Was adamant about staying neutral during the events of the second film (Crimes of Grindelwald), but after the supposed death of Leta Lestrange and Queenie joining Grindelwald, Newt joined Albus Dumbledore to fight Grindelwald and his supporters. Newt even hugged Theseus as his brother mourned his fiancee.

• Theseus Scamander: Older brother of Newt Scamander. Former Hufflepuff student. Head Auror for the Ministry of Magic; was engaged to Leta Lestrange before she died.

War hero during WWI; noted to have served with distinction and was internationally recognized. Theseus tried to convince Newt to join him at the Ministry and to join Albus Dumbledore, but Newt wanted to stay neutral. Theseus was heartbroken and crying after the death of Leta during a Grindelwald rally in Paris and was momentarily surprised when Newt hugged him and told him, “I’ve chosen my side.”

Goldstein Sisters: Half-blood orphaned sisters from New York, USA. Both sisters attended Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

• Porpentina “Tina” Goldstein: Elder sister to Queenie Goldstein. Sorted into Thunderbird house at Ilvermorny. Auror for MACUSA. Tried to help Credence control his Obscurus in New York with Newt Scamander. Future wife of Newt Scamander. Mysteriously missing from most promotional posters and trailers for the third film.

• Queenie Goldstein: younger sister to Tina Goldstein. Born with the ability of Legilimency. Was in Pukwudgie house at Ilvermorny. Works in the “Wand Permit Office” within MACUSA. In a romantic relationship with Jacob Kowalski. Was swayed by Gellert Grindelwald to join his cause at the end of Crimes of Grindelwald because she wants to marry Jacob, which is currently illegal in the USA. She believes Grindelwald will change this in the future. Queenie’s hair color appears to turn lighter in each film, and her wardrobe selection is darker by the third film.

Jacob Kowalski: Muggle/No-maj from New York. Befriended Newt, Tina, and Queenie in the first film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Owner of a successful pastry shop in New York City. In a romantic relationship with Queenie and wants to marry her. Sided with Newt and Dumbledore, whilst Queenie joined Grindelwald.

Leta Lestrange: Slytherin at Hogwarts and friend of Newt Scamander. Fiance to Theseus Scamander. Former love interest of Newt when they were in Hogwarts. Supposedly died protecting the Scamander brothers against Grindelwald. Her last words were directed towards either (or both) Newt or Theseus, saying, “I love you.”

Corvus Lestrange: Pure-Blood son of Corvus Lestrange (senior) and Clarisse Tremblay. He died on a sinking ship that was traveling on the Atlantic. Half-brother to Leta Lestrange. Leta accidentally swapped baby Credence with baby Corvus.

Bunty Broadacre: Newt Scamander’s assistant, she takes care of the magical creatures inside the suitcase when Newt is away. Has a crush on Newt.

Vinda Rosier: French witch, Pure-Blood status. Loyal and trusted Grindelwald follower, very similar to Bellatrix Lestrange with Voldemort. In the Harry Potter franchise, there is a death eater with the last name of Rosier. We can conclude that the family line was always heavily involved in the dark arts.

Yusuf Kama: French Pure-Blood wizard, son of Laurena and Mustafa Kama. Half-brother to Leta Lestrange. Made an unbreakable vow to kill Corvus Lestrange. Watch the video below to find out more about Leta, Yusuf, and Corvus.

Irma Dugard: French, half-elf, housekeeper for the Lestrange Family. She took care of Credence Barebone, even signing his adoption papers. Died due to an attack by Grindelwald’s followers.

Nagini: A Maledictus; befriends Credence in the second film, where they both worked at the Circus Arcanus in France in 1927. Nagini in the Harry Potter series is now permanently a snake and acts like a monstrous snake. She belonged to Lord Voldemort, who made her a Horcrux. She is beheaded at the Battle of Hogwarts by Neville Longbottom.

Nicolas Flamel: Friend of Albus Dumbledore, French wizard, and alchemist who created the sorcerer’s/philosopher’s stone. The stone gives the owner immortality.

Torquil Travers: Head of the Magical Law Enforcement for the Ministry of Magic.

Eulalie “Lally” Hicks: Charms professor at Ilvermorny.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore premieres on April fifteenth in theaters across the USA and will be available for streaming on HBO Max forty-five days later.