In Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindlewald, it's theoretically possible that Gellert Grindelwald lied to Credence Barebone about being Aurelius Dumbledore. As the latest Fantastic Beasts movie and installment in the Harry Potter franchise, The Crimes of Grindelwald focuses more on the rise of Grindelwald in Europe and teases WWII. While these are obviously world and franchise-building plot points that will be fully realized in future sequels, Fantastic Beasts 2 also provides a number of twists for franchise fans to ponder over for the next two years.
The biggest twist comes in Fantastic Beasts 2's ending, in which Grindelwald reveals that Credence's name is Aurelius Dumbledore. As a typical cliffhanger, Fantastic Beasts 2's Dumbledore twist is delivered with little setup and residual context, thus giving audiences time to fully process the revelation before Fantastic Beasts 3 releases in 2020.
Related: Fantastic Beasts 2 IMPROVED Harry Potter Canon
There's no foreshadowing that Albus Dumbledore had another sibling or that he's aware Credence is related to him, which is why it seems entirely feasible that this may be a misdirect to demonstrate Grindelwald's propensity for manipulation and deeper Credence's role as the Fantastic Beasts franchise's ultimate victim.
- This Page: The Evidence & Grindelwald's Inclination to Lying
- Next Page: Would Rowling Lie & How That Could Impact Fantastic Beasts 3
There's Not Much Evidence Credence Is A Dumbledore
In the scene where Grindelwald tells Credence he's Aurelius Dumbledore, audiences see Credence's bird transform into a Phoenix, thus invoking a Dumbledore family legend that Albus Dumbledore regales earlier in The Crimes of Grindelwald, which says a Phoenix will come to a Dumbledore in a time of need. It's a pay-off that solidifies Grindelwald is telling Credence the truth. But the Phoenix is the only legitimate link Fantastic Beasts 2's establishes between Credence and Albus Dumbledore.
Albus makes mention of him losing a sister, Ariana, who was killed in a three-way duel between Grindelwald, Albus, and Albus' brother, Aberforth. Aside from possibly being the key to stopping Grindelwald, there's no hint of a deeper connection between Credence and the Dumbledore family, especially Albus Dumbledore. After all, the more intimate moments of Albus' character development in Fantastic Beasts 2 are dedicated to his relationship with Grindelwald.
In fact, Fantastic Beasts 2 spends more time convincing audiences that Credence isn't a member of the Lestrange family, which is revealed in an extended sequence involving Leta Lestrange recounting events from when she was younger. As it turns out, Leta Lestrange was responsible for the death of her brother, Corvus Lestrange, after she switched him with another baby aboard a ship bound for New York City. She only later discovered that Credence was the other baby she took. Aside from that, nothing is revealed regarding Credence being a Dumbledore, nor is it revealed who the person was bringing Credence to America aboard the same ship.
Grindelwald Could Be Lying To Credence
Grindelwald is a master manipulator. He's a magic-wielding fascist who seeks power and the obliteration of those he deems weak and inferior. It's a classic archetype, and anything he says besides his grand plan should be taken with a pinch of salt. Grindelwald knows Credence is lost and in search of meaning. So, telling Credence that he's a Dumbledore puts his power in context and gives him a target: Albus Dumbledore.
Albus is Grindelwald's biggest obstacle in his achieving his goal. The two, powerful wizards entered a Blood Pact, meaning that they can't do harm to each other. Grindelwald needs someone, or something, else to preemptively defeat Albus Dumbledore so that he can move forward with his plan. A young, angry wizard who's learned to control his obscurus is a perfect candidate – not only is the dark energy a powerful adversary, but overcoming Credence would almost certainly require Albus to kill him, an outcome that Dumbledore would be against doing.
It'd be a strong, ruthless play on Grindelwald's part, to push a disenfranchised youth to such ends because of his ego. But that's also the point of who Grindelwald is; he's the dark wizard of his time. Grindelwald has worked his magic on more than just Credence, too – Queenie Goldstein was also manipulated by Grindelwald. These characters don't know who they're dealing with, or what lies ahead. The story here is leading up to a desperate struggle between Dumbledore and Grindelwald, and Grindelwald is bloating his ranks with ways to manipulate and harm his greatest adversaries in whatever ways he can.
Page 2 of 2: Would Rowling Lie & How That Could Impact Fantastic Beasts 3
Would Rowling End A Film On A Lie?
This is not unlike Darth Vader being Luke Skywalker's father, except the setup is different. Nobody aside from Grindelwald and Credence - and perhaps Queenie, if she didn't leave the room in the time - knows the "truth" about Credence. The heroes are completely none-the-wiser; Albus Dumbledore is now going to work on breaking his Blood Pact with Grindelwald, and everyone else is presumably returning to their daily lives for the time being. They know Credence isn't a Lestrange, but that's about it.
There's plenty of room for Rowling to take this elsewhere, and she has a penchant for twisting things. She turned Professor Snape into one of the Harry Potter franchise's biggest heroes, despite him being presented as a mischievous character throughout the saga. There's also the fact that Harry Potter himself was one of Voldemort's horcruxes. So, it's a recurring motif of hers.
Related: Harry Potter & Fantastic Beasts Official Timeline
Grindelwald revealing Credence's "true" identity at the end of Fantastic Beasts 2, though, only means this is something that the creative team wants fans to discuss in great detail over the next two years. It's an obvious hook, and although Rowling enjoys a good curveball, she likes to have her cake and eat it too. Snape was redeemed as working for Dumbledore all along, but he still killed him; the ending of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince wasn't a lie or a hallucination. What's more, it fits her standards for world-building, in that everything is on one timeline affecting a central set of characters.
What Credence Not Being A Dumbledore Does For Fantastic Beast 3
The ultimate goal for the Fantastic Beasts series is getting to Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald's duel in 1945, something that probably won't happen until Fantastic Beasts 5. In the meantime, audiences have Credence's arc and the misadventures of Newt Scamander to keep them occupied. There's a lot going on, and Credence not being a Dumbledore opens up a few possible ideas. Maybe he finds out about Grindelwald's deception, loses his confidence in the dark wizard, and sets off on his own rage-filled path as an obscurus (if he's still one). This could also be an avenue for Queen Goldestein to redeem herself. Or Credence may go to Albus for answers and support, switching sides and divulging information that helps takes Grindelwald down.
Or the most likely possibility is that the plot keeps unfolding as Credence remains in the dark regarding Grindelwald's true motivations behind everything, and the story eventually spirals towards the truth. It'd certainly bring a darker inflection to Grindelwald, one that's perhaps necessary to raise the villain to becoming truly captivating. Audiences haven't gotten to know much of the dark wizard yet, and a two-faced relationship with Credence is a captivating way to develop his pathos and psychology in Fantastic Beasts 3. Unfortunately, it's doubtful it'll make Credence's life any easier, nor his outcome any cheerier a prospect.