The Fantastic Beasts franchise has given Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller) one of the most intriguing character arcs of the series, but it will seriously break Harry Potter canon if he doesn’t die before the series is over. Based on what the Harry Potter films affirm about the wizarding world, there is no way Credence, whose real name is revealed to be Aurelius Dumbledore in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, can be a part of it. His survival would contradict way too many elements of future stories and lead moviegoers to question not only the continuity but the integrity of the Harry Potter franchise’s enormous magical universe.

Credence is presented in the Fantastic Beasts films as a young, delicate man who discovers he’s an obscurial (someone with a dark parasitic magical force known as an obscurus living inside them) and brother of one of Hogwarts’ most legendary professors, Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law). Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald ends with Credence abandoning his only friend and companion, the maledictus Nagini (Claudia Kim), to join the malevolent forces of Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp). Its sequel, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, portrays an angry Credence battling against his brother Albus. The end of Credence’s story is not certain yet, but the need for it to end before the Harry Potter franchise starts is a must.

Related: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald's Credence Twist Explained

Throughout most of the Harry Potter movies and books, little is revealed about Dumbledore’s past. Not until Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 are the details about Dumbledore’s backstory described. Audiences find out about Dumbledore’s brother Aberforth and sister Ariana, who was also an obscurial, and the traumatic events that led to a rift between the two brothers. There is also much discovered about Grindelwald, potentially the most significant person in Dumbledore’s past with whom he once shared a close bond and mutual love. However, for all the revelations thrown up over the course of the saga concerning Hogwarts' most famous headmaster, the implications of Credence's survival are too significant to be ignored. Not only would the existence of another Dumbledore raise several pressing questions, it risks tearing apart the entire Harry Potter continuity. Here's why, in order for the series to make some sort of coherent sense, Credence cannot survive Fantastic Beasts.

Credence Doesn’t Exist In Harry Potter Books And Movies

Fantastic Beasts Credence Barebone and Dumbledore

The revelation in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald that Credence is a Dumbledore astounded readers and moviegoers familiar with Harry Potter lore. As the elderly Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) never spoke of his family. It wasn’t until after his death that Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) learned about Dumbledore’s estranged brother and deceased sister through the writings of sensationalist reporter Rita Skeeter (Miranda Richardson). The tragedy of his sister and tensions with his brother were described in detail, but no mention of any other sibling was made. When Harry met Aberforth (Ciarán Hinds) after Albus’s death, Aberforth said nothing of another brother either. Credence was not only an obscurial like their sister, but he fought against Albus Dumbledore during the Global Wizarding War. If Credence were alive, there would have at least been some acknowledgment of him by either Albus or Aberforth or both.

A Third Dumbledore Brother Would Change Albus And Aberforth’s Stories

Dumbledore-Albus-Fantastic-Beasts-Harry-Potter

The relationship between Albus and Aberforth Dumbledore was quite the story detailed both in the writings of Rita Skeeter and the memories of Aberforth. As a young man, Albus was an advanced wizard with a drive to achieve greatness along with his closest friend Grindelwald, but his arrogance drove a wedge between him and Aberforth. After the violent duel that resulted in the death of their sister Ariana, Aberforth held resentment towards Albus, and Albus never forgave himself. The two brothers’ relationship was strained after that and would never be mended until after Albus’s death.

With the knowledge of Credence’s existence in the Fantastic Beasts series, Dumbledore seems to be aware that he and Credence are related somehow. Credence is very much a central figure in Dumbledore’s efforts and his well-being a priority. As Aberforth (Richard Coyle) enters the franchise in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, he will likely be aware of Credence as well. As a third brother in the Dumbledore family, and a struggling obscurus not too dissimilar from their departed sister, Credence would be a strong tie to bring Albus and Aberforth back together. It is possible Credence does renew the bond between the Dumbledore brothers for a short time, but audiences know they remain distant from each other up until and through the entire Harry Potter franchise. The only way the two Dumbledores could maintain such a cold relationship is if they’re the only two left after losing Credence.

Related: Fantastic Beasts 3 Trailer Debunks A Big Credence & Grindelwald Theory

Nagini Joining Voldemort Wouldn’t Make Sense If Credence Was Alive

Crimes of Grindelwald Nagini Credence

One of the most unexpected elements of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald was the friendship between Credence and Nagini, the maledictus who takes the form of a snake. Her gentle nature was part of what kept him a benevolent figure. Perhaps her most admirable moment was when she chose not to follow him to join Grindelwald. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald ends with Nagini at Dumbledore’s side, indicating she hopes for peace within the wizarding world and likely has hope that Credence will one day join her again. Sadly, it is her fate to eventually transform into a snake permanently and join forces with the dark lord Voldemort as seen in the Harry Potter films. If Credence had been alive during those films, Nagini would have certainly stayed with him rather than turn to the evil Voldemort. The only way for this turn to occur would be if Credence, her sole companion as a human, were to have perished.

Is There Any Way Credence Can Live In Fantastic Beasts?

Ezra Miller as Credence Barebone with Hebe Bearsall as Ariana Dumbledore

While Credence’s survival past the Fantastic Beasts prequel series would call into question many already established understandings of the Harry Potter canon, there might actually be a few ways to have Credence live in a way that doesn’t contradict the future stories. He was born in 1901 after the death of his supposed sister Ariana. Both of them carried an obscurus inside them. There is the possibility that Credence is referred to as Aurelius Dumbledore because he carries the very same parasitic dark magic inside him that Ariana struggled with and not because of shared parentage. If this is the case, the Fantasic Beasts series could end with Dumbledore removing the obscurus from Credence allowing him to live the rest of his life more peacefully. This would also mean Credence’s ties to the Dumbledore family were no more. As a way of fully moving on from the chaotic life he once led, Credence may choose to distance himself from Dumbledore completely. However, this would seem to be an unnecessarily complex and convoluted explanation, given the narrative established thus far.

Fantastic Beasts looks set to further delve into Credence's relationship with Dumbledore and explain how he has aligned with Grindelwald's evil ways. These developments will make him a pivotal part of future films. But, given everything audiences learned in Fantasic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, this series will have to be the end of the tragic obscurus's story.

Next: Harry Potter: How Powerful Credence Is Compared To Dumbledore

 

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