Small Details You Missed In The Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore Trailer
The path of "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore" hasn't been an easy one, as big-budget productions go. The high-profile recasting of central antagonist Gellert Grindelwald from Johnny Depp to Mads Mikkelsen has made plenty of headlines, but even though such a production hurdle might be a threat to some movies, the new trailer for "The Secrets of Dumbledore" makes it clear that the movie has plenty to bring on the table, regardless of casting choices.
The third installment in the franchise appears to be very much its own (fantastic) beast, as Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) teams up with none other than Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) and a ragtag group of wizards and muggles, in order to deal with the threat of Grindelwald and the dangerously powerful wild card, Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller). However, it looks like things are going to be considerably more complicated than your average battle between good and evil, judging by the sheer amount of hints and mysteries the trailer hides.
Let's take a look at some of the small details you might have missed in the "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore" trailer.
Welcome back to Hogsmeade
One of the opening shots of the trailer shows Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) and his brother Theseus (Callum Turner) strolling through a snowy village of tall houses with even taller chimneys. This is very clearly Hogsmeade, a small village on the outskirts of Hogwarts which is home to a number of little shops and several pubs like The Three Broomsticks and The Hog's Head Inn. It's certainly not the first time the village has shown up in the "Wizarding World" franchise, as it is first introduced in "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban."
Hogwarts students have to get permission from their parents or guardians to visit Hogsmeade on their days off, but Harry doesn't get his form signed by the Dursleys. That's why Fred (James Phelps) and George Weasley (Oliver Phelps) give the Boy Who Lived the Marauder's Map in the third film, which he uses to sneak down to Hogsmeade through one of the secret passages out of Hogwarts castle.
It's interesting that Hogsmeade is Newt and Theseus' first port of call rather than Hogwarts, but clearly their latest mission is a dangerous one. Luckily they find someone there who's able to point them in the right direction.
Aberforth Dumbledore is a career bartender
Newt and Theseus wind up in The Hog's Head pub and meet Aberforth Dumbledore, who is played by Richard Coyle. This isn't the first time Coyle's career has steered him toward a magical world, as fans will recognize him as the villainous Father Blackwood from Netflix's "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" — which also follows witches and warlocks. Aberforth has previously appeared in "The Order of the Phoenix," where he's played by Jim McManus. But Ciaran Hinds takes over the role when the Dumbledore brother reappears in "Deathly Hallows Part II."
He's clearly happier with a much quieter life as a bartender, rather than Albus Dumbledore's (Jude Law) antics with dark wizards and magical conspiracies. Either way, he points Newt and Theseus in his brother's direction. It isn't surprising that the "Wizarding World" series is fleshing out the titular family, since the sequel is literally called "The Secrets of Dumbledore." Let's not forget that the previous film, "The Crimes of Grindelwald," reveals that Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller) is actually Aurelius Dumbledore. Oh dear.
This family reunion is going to get messy.
Grindelwald alters a memory
When we first see our fresh-faced "Fantastic Beasts" villain, he appears to be extracting the memory from Yusuf Kama (William Nadylam), a character first introduced in "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald." This kind of brain tinkering is a well-worn tactic for dark wizards, so it's no surprise to see Grindelwald deploy it here.
"The world as we know it is coming undone," says Albus Dumbledore at the start of the new trailer. "Grindelwald is pulling it apart with hate," he adds, right as Grindelwald is shown carefully pulling out what appears to be Kama's memory.
The memory extraction spell, which is never referred to specifically in the films or books, has popped up regularly throughout the "Harry Potter" series. It's been used by Dumbledore in the past and was also deployed in "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" on Katherine Waterston's character Tina Goldstein when she's brought to the Death Cell.
Wizards or witches who use the spell will often store the memories for later review, using what's known as a Pensieve. Whatever Grindelwald's nefarious purpose is in this scene, the process doesn't look fun.
Could this be Fawkes?
One magical creature above all that has played a significant part in the corner of the wizarding world we Muggles have been lucky enough to see is the elusive phoenix. Seen halfway through the teaser, the bird on fire swoops over the head of Credence Barebone with its wingtips slightly lit. According to Newt Scamander's book, "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," phoenixes nest at the top of mountain peaks, suggesting that Barebones has climbed to this snowy cliff face in search of one. The only concern is for what reason, given the bird's numerous magical properties.
Phoenix tears possess powerful healing properties, as shown in "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets." Not only that, but any wizard who is lucky enough to have a phoenix feather at the center of their wand is a force to be reckoned with. Two feathers belonging to Dumbledore's own phoenix, Fawkes, eventually wound up in the wands of two of history's most powerful wizards: Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort. Keeping that in mind, could Credence's new encounter actually be the bird that will end up under the protection of Dumbledore himself? We're getting fired up to find out.
The Room of Requirement returns
The Room of Requirement is one of the most fascinating parts of "Harry Potter" lore. House Elf Dobby tells Harry about this secret room, which only appears when a person is in great need of it. It doesn't appear on any maps, even the Marauder's Map, and cannot be found unless you know exactly what you are looking for. The room was later used by Dumbledore's Army in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" when Neville Longbottom and other members hid out there after Death Eaters infiltrated Hogwarts.
We see the Room of Requirement here in the trailer, marking its first appearance in the chronological "Harry Potter" canon. At 1:51, we see Dumbledore (Jude Law) standing in front of a floating cylindrical vessel, as we hear Jacob Kowalski (Dan Foggler) ask in awe, "What is this place?"
"The room we require," responds Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne). We will have to wait, though, to see exactly what this group requires.
Jacob's wand is probably fake
At 0:57 we see one of the most shocking moments of the trailer — Jacob Kowalski, a Muggle, is given a wand. Newt Scamander hands it over, telling Jacob that Dumbledore asked him to provide it. As any "Potter" fan knows, the wand chooses the wizard, and Jacob isn't a wizard. So how does he have a wand?
Most likely, it's a fake. The plot of "The Secrets of Dumbledore" focuses on Grindelwald's desire to destroy the muggle race. This means that during any encounter with Grindelwald or his followers, Jacob would be especially at risk. Wielding a wand is a clever way to disguise Jacob's non-magical abilities, and Dumbledore likely planned this. This theory is further evidenced by the final scene of the trailer, showing Jacob eating in the Great Hall with some Hogwarts students and boasting how dangerous his wand is and refusing to hand it over to a student, a witch who might be able to out him as a phony.