As one of the most enigmatic wizards in the Wizarding World, Dumbledore holds many secrets which could be uncovered in Fantastic Beasts' third movie.
After much fevered speculation from fans, Fantastic Beasts 3's title was finally confirmed by Warner Bros. on Wednesday 22nd September. The third Fantastic Beasts movie is going to be Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore, and is due to release theatrically on the 15th April 2022.
The title contains some intriguing hints for the contents of the third movie, suggesting a substantial focus on Jude Law's Dumbledore. As one of the most enigmatic wizards in the Wizarding World, Dumbledore holds many secrets which could be uncovered in Fantastic Beasts' third installment.
Dumbledore has always been a somewhat unpredictable individual, but The Crimes Of Grindelwald features a particularly surprising revelation about the future Hogwarts headmaster. Its final scene sees Credence joining Grindelwald at his base in Austria, where he is informed by the evil dictator that his real name is Aurelius Dumbledore.
Quite what relation Credence is to Dumbledore is yet to be revealed, but perhaps the most likely option is that he is Dumbledore's son. Credence was born in 1901, when his potential father would have been 19 years old. This tallies around the same period that Dumbledore and Grindelwald were allegedly in love. If Dumbledore had engaged in an affair with an unidentified woman during this time, then it would give Grindelwald a clear motive for disclosing this information.
One of Dumbledore's biggest secrets in the Harry Potter series regards his father's fate. After attacking a group of Muggles for bullying his daughter, Percival Dumbledore was imprisoned in Azkaban - considered one of Harry Potter's most dangerous locations - where he remained until his death, in 1890. Ashamed of his father's conviction, Albus Dumbledore takes this secret to the grave.
With The Crimes Of Grindelwald's ending teasing a dive into Dumbledore's family history, it's possible that the upcoming movie could expand further on Percival's crimes. Perhaps there may even have been further incidents of Percival striking out against those who abused his daughter, which Albus has kept a secret.
Largely associated with dark wizards, Parseltongue is a language that very few magical individuals are able to speak. The Wizarding World's most notable Parseltongue speakers are perhaps Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort, but there could be another famous wizard who possesses this ability.
In the Harry Potter book Half Blood Prince, Dumbledore takes Harry on a journey through the memories of Bob Ogden. There they witness a conversation in Parseltongue between the Gaunt Family. Not only does Dumbledore appear to understand what they are saying, but he even echoes their words to Harry in their language. This appears to suggest that Dumbledore is a native Parseltongue speaker, which was later confirmed in a 2007 interview with Bloomsbury, making it a secret that the third Fantastic Beasts could make official.
Perhaps the most discussed Dumbledore secret among fans is the possibility that Albus is gay. The Harry Potter books are peppered with hints at the powerful wizard's sexuality, although this has yet to be acknowledged in the Wizarding World movies. The author has previously confirmed Dumbledore's status as a gay man, however, with the character having been in a relationship with Gellert Grindelwald.
With Fantastic Beasts' third movie teasing Dumbledore's secrets, it's possible that this could be the film that makes Albus and Gellert's romance official. Grindelwald is confirmed to feature in the film, with Mads Mikkelsen taking over from Johnny Depp in the lead role. It seems likely, therefore, that the duo's relationship will be a heavy focus in the feature.
As creatures who take the form of a person's darkest fears, Boggarts can reveal a significant amount about a witch or wizard. Whilst it has yet to be shown on screen what shape the creature takes for Dumbledore, JK Rowling has previously hinted that Albus's Boggart may hit closer to home.
The creature is said to shape-shift into the corpse of Dumbledore's sister, Ariana, who is the source of one of the wizard's darkest secrets. Dumbledore feels personally responsible for Ariana's death, as she was killed in the crossfire of a three way duel between Albus, his brother Aberforth, and Grindelwald. With Newt's deep passion for magical creatures, it's possible that he could track one of these Boggarts down, and Albus's greatest fear could be exposed.
Taking credit for other peoples' accomplishments may be a trait more commonly associated with Gilderoy Lockhart, but Dumbledore is also guilty of this sin. Rita Skeeter's in-universe book "The Life And Lies Of Albus Dumbledore" features an interview with the wizard Ivor Dillonsby, who states that he determined eight of the uses for dragon blood before Albus stole his notes and claimed all the credit.
Dumbledore's secret betrayal of Ivor's trust could make for an interesting plot point in the upcoming movie. Newt is an accomplished author, and with plagiarism a particularly major issue in literature he is likely to take a stern view on those who steal others' ideas. Albus having passed off somebody else's work as his own is therefore likely to cause a rift between himself and his former student.
Dumbledore may be more widely known as one of Hogwarts' most powerful professors, but the wizard is also a skilled lawyer. The fifth Harry Potter movie Order Of The Phoenix sees Dumbledore defend Harry during his trial for using underage magic. He displays a considerable amount of legal knowledge during the proceedings, as he tears the prosecution's arguments to shreds.
The Fantastic Beasts franchise takes place during the period where the future Hogwarts headmaster should be a member of the Wizarding court of law known as the Wizengamot, which makes it curious that Dumbledore has yet to mention his legal standings. With Albus having assisted Newt in breaking his travel ban in the previous movie, it seems likely that his secret law career could be exposed, as his place in the Wizengamot is thrown into jeopardy.
One of Dumbledore's most famous achievements is taking down Grindelwald, however what the Wizarding community may not realize is that these former friends were once on the same side. Before becoming one of the Wizarding World's greatest heroes, Albus was keen on partnering with Grindelwald to rule over the Muggles, something which he has kept a secret ever since.
It's hard to imagine what the Wizarding World may have been like if two of Harry Potter's most overpowered characters had teamed up. Thankfully Albus currently acts as one of Newt's most loyal allies in the Fantastic Beasts franchise, with both wizards keen to stop Grindelwald's evil plans. It is possible that Grindelwald could use this dark secret against Albus in the third movie, however, and spread an air of mistrust between himself and Newt.
As arguably the Wizarding World's most powerful wizard, Dumbledore has a remarkable skillset. One of his lesser-known capabilities is his ability to turn invisible. Whilst the first Harry Potter book features a scene where Dumbledore discloses his invisibility powers to Harry, the movie version of Albus is notably more secretive about this skill.
With Grindelwald's army of followers continuing to increase, Fantastic Beasts' third movie would seem like a good time for Dumbledore to reveal this hidden ability. Powers of invisibility could prove to be a valuable asset in the fight against the Wizarding dictator, with Albus perhaps being able to use these capabilities to listen in on his old friend's plans undetected.
A major plot point of Harry Potter's fifth film concerns the notion of a "Dumbledore's Army", the idea that Dumbledore had formed a secret group of students to overthrow the Ministry Of Magic. While in Order Of The Phoenix this turns out to be the work of Harry Potter under Dumbledore's name, on an earlier occasion Albus did actually set up his own army of Hogwarts pupils.
During the time of Grindelwald's rise to power, Albus decided to use his position as Hogwarts' Defence Against The Arts Teacher to train students against the wizard dictator. With Fantastic Beasts' present time following the adventures of Albus's former student Newt, it's possible that Fantastic Beasts 3 will explore more of Dumbledore's teaching career, and give a clearer look into his secret ulterior motives.
