Small Details You Missed In The Second Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore Trailer
The second trailer for "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore" has arrived, and it's wildly different from its predecessor. Thankfully, we've got more than a handful of new content and the first official tease of Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) and Gellert Grindlewald's (Mads Mikkelson) face-to-face meeting. The third film in what's supposed to be a five-movie series will kick off the Wizard-Muggle war (or at least Grindlewald's attempt at starting it), and the trailer suggests nothing is going to stop him from his mission. Hogwarts also looks to take center stage in the flick, an aspect of this universe that wasn't particularly highlighted in the first two films.
There is plenty to dissect in the new trailer, with throwbacks to former "Harry Potter" films, plenty of new fantastic beasts to discover, and the absence of some OG's that's left many scratching their heads. Let's break down all these important moments from the trailer and the deeper meanings behind them.
Hogwarts takes center stage
Judging by the latest trailer, "The Secrets of Dumbledore" will see the return of Hogwarts as a much more prominent setting, which many OG "Harry Potter" fans are sure to appreciate. Keep in mind, the first film in the spin-off series took fans to an entirely new wizarding world set in 1920s New York City, where Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) attempted to rile up his escaped magical creatures from the streets. Newt returned to London in the second film, "The Crimes of Grindelwald" — but only briefly, since he was whisked off to Paris to help hunt down the dark wizard. Now, it's clear from the "Secrets of Dumbledore" trailer that Hogwarts seems to take the center stage (or at least play a prominent role) in this third film.
The trailer opens up with sweeping views of the Hogwarts campus, then we see Newt, his brother Theseus (Callum Turner), the No-Maj named Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler), and Professor Eulalie Hicks (Jessica Williams) onboard what looks to be the Hogwarts Express. Later, the trailer sees the gang meet Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) in what appears to be the Room of Requirement where they all take a mysterious-looking portkey. Plus, it looks like we may see a few battles take place in the Forbidden Forest that surrounds the Hogwarts castle. All in all, "Harry Potter" fans will surely appreciate this familiar setting in the next "Fantastic Beasts" film.
The significance of the Golden Snitch
In this second trailer, we get another look at the famous Golden Snitch. "Harry Potter" fans are no doubt familiar with the legendary trinket, as it housed the Resurrection Stone — one of the three Deathly Hallows. However, at this point in the timeline, the Snitch wouldn't contain the stone, as it was placed in there by Dumbledore after Harry caught it during a game of Quidditch in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." As far as we know, the Resurrection Stone is still in the ring of Marvolo Gaunt during the "Fantastic Beasts" timeline.
The appearance of the Golden Snitch in "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore" doesn't just mean we're going to be seeing some Quidditch. This could be the most basic of snitches, or it could have a special significance since it's being heavily featured in the trailers. We're leaning toward the latter. Perhaps we see some sort of connection between this young Dumbledore and the special golden object, or maybe this one takes on its own special meaning by the time the movie is out. As always with anything in the Wizarding World (or "Transformers"), there's more than meets the eye.
Is that a young McGonagall?
One of the most exciting aspects of this new "Fantastic Beasts" entry is the prospect of meeting familiar faces from the "Harry Potter" franchise in a new light. Already, we have seen Dumbledore (Jude Law) and Grindelwald (now played by Mads Mikkelsen) plucked from the original source material, and in "Secrets of Dumbledore," there are even more characters to look forward to. One particular fan favorite is that of Minerva McGonagall. The tough but kind Gryffindor House leader was a big part of Harry's (Daniel Radcliffe) school experiences, and while the older version of the character was brought to life by the incomparable Maggie Smith, this new movie promises to introduce us to McGonagall in her youth. According to IMDb, young McGonagall will be portrayed by Fiona Glasscott.
The events of the film will be kicked off once Dumbledore hears that Grindelwald has returned, and if the trailer is any indication, McGonagall appears to be the one to break the news that Dumbledore once again must confront his complicated relationship with Grindelwald. If someone has to come to Dumbledore with this information, McGonagall makes the most sense: In the original films, she is one of Dumbledore's closest confidantes. Remember, in the future, she will join him in placing Harry at the Dursley household, as well as being the Deputy Headmistress at Hogwarts. Just how big her role will be, outside of this moment, remains to be seen.
The return of Dumbledore's mysterious pendant
The fantastic Wizarding World is not one to shy away from potent and powerful magical charms, items, and pacts. Just remember, the original "Harry Potter" franchise offered viewers an invisibility cloak, a wand of untold destructive power, and the stone of resurrection, while the horcruxes created by Voldemort contained portions of his soul and granted him a sort of immortality ... as long as they weren't destroyed.
The "Fantastic Beasts" movies also have a fair share of arcane relics, and it seems that the pendant created by Dumbledore and Grindelwald will once again be cast to the forefront. This pendant in question contains equal parts of both of their blood, and it was forged between their combined efforts — as well as being implicated in the death of Dumbledore's older sister. This pendant grants protection to both men — remember, they were romantically involved with one another, at the time — and makes sure that neither of them can cast offensive magic directed at each other.
However, it appears as if the pendant is finally ruined in the trailer, which opens the door to a more full-on war between the two wizards. The former lovers clearly have an immense philosophical divide when it comes to the application of magic and its impact in the mundane world: Grindelwald abused the protective aspect, and the destruction of this magical item ends the uneasy stalemate between the rival wizard factions.
Prophecies outside the Department of Mysteries
Prophecies have played a significant part in the lore of the Wizarding World, especially when it comes to memorable sequences in the movies. Who can forget the almighty battle between Dumbledore's Army and the Death Eaters in the Department of Mysteries during "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," after all?
Well, it seems that prophecies will also be at the center of the action in "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore," caught in the middle of the battle between good and evil. The scene in question shows Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) and Professor Lally Hicks (Jessica Williams) warding off some of Gellert Grindelwald's minions by using the glass orbs to slow them down, before eventually trapping their pursuers behind some walls.
The sequence is one of the more action-packed scenes in the trailer, and it enhances the sense of danger our protagonists will face at every turn in the film. Using the devices in such a reckless manner also suggests that they aren't visiting the Department of Mysteries to preserve history and acquire knowledge. Either way, there's no denying that their fighting methods are effective.
Vicencia Santos is not all she appears to be
"Harry Potter" is at its best when it draws parallels to real world situations. One of the most interesting aspects of this concerns wizarding politics. Though only briefly mentioned in the original "Harry Potter" films, one of the most direct parallels is that of the International Confederation of Wizards. This is a union of countries interested in peace in the magical world, quite similar to the United Nations.
In "The Secrets of Dumbledore," the Confederation is searching for a new leader, known as the Supreme Mugwump.This can be seen most clearly in the campaign banners for contender and new character Vicencia Santos (Maria Fernanda Candido). The Supreme Mugwump is the height of power in the Wizarding World, and the position should only be filled by a person who cares for fairness. But as so often happens in real life, this does not appear to go according to plan.
Most disconcerting is not the campaign banners, but where Santos is seen elsewhere in the trailer. She can be glimpsed in a spot behind Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen) as he vies for power. With a supporter of Grindelwald potentially getting a seat of great power, this does not bode well for the burgeoning war against the Muggles.
Bookshelf Easter eggs
Nearly every piece of media related to the "Wizarding World" franchise includes at least one reference to a magical textbook of some kind. In the case of this trailer, we actually see a whole suitcase worth of books explode in the faces of a few unlucky wand-wielding wizards. Just before the books explode on them, however, we get a brief glimpse at their titles around the 2:10 mark. While there are at least 13 books visible, we could only decipher the titles of three of them.
The book lying flat at the top of the screen is titled "Advanced Charm Casting." We've never seen this exact book before, but, of course, it would seem obvious that such skills are an important piece of knowledge for any witch or wizard.
The book directly underneath the handle of the suitcase is labeled "Have a Fiesta in a Bottle!" According to the official Wizarding World website, this book is written by world famous potioneer Libatius Borage. While this book was previously mentioned in 2016's "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," this actually marks its first live-action appearance since debuting in the 2018 video game "Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery" (via Fandom).
Lastly, the red book in the bottom-left corner is titled "Sonnets of a Sorcerer." According to the Harry Potter Lexicon, this is a cursed book of poetry that causes anyone who reads it to speak in limericks for the rest of their life (not quite the cruciatus curse, but certainly not an enviable fate either). This book was first mentioned by Ronald Weasley in the 1998 book "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" and later appeared in "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" (via Fandom).
Where's Tina?
Here's a question that's getting raised repeatedly on social media, and one that's struck a nerve with "Fantastic Beasts" fans since the release of the first "Secrets of Dumbledore" trailer. Monday's new clip didn't help matters.
"Don't mind me. Am just gonna meditate my disappointment... Tina-less trailer. Again," tweeted @malditaquil02. "The trailer looks amazing but once again I can't enjoy it 100% because I'm worried about what happened to Tina!" wrote @pauli_cous. "Where is Tina? Why you keep hiding her??" asked @katisfania.
For a second straight time, Katherine Waterston aka Tina Goldstein was left out of the new trailer for "Secrets of Dumbledore." Why? So far, nobody knows. A lot of theories have been offered up as to why the popular character has not been included in the trailers or promo material as of yet, with one major theory being that Warner Bros. and director David Yates have big plans for her. "Y'all........Tina is probably being hid for a reason, wait until the movie comes out," wrote one person in the reply section for the "Secrets of Dumbledore" Twitter trailer post. They may have a point, because as of right now, Waterston is still listed on IMDb as one of the top stars of J.K. Rowling's new movie. Regardless of whether Tina's role is small or large, fans will just have to wait until April when "Secrets of Dumbledore" is released to find out what's really going on.