#grindel newt

[willofhounds]

Many people considered the Scamander family Light. They were not Light except in the politics of the current generation. His family had been distinctively neutral with hints of dark in their cores. In past generations they had been neutral in politics as well.

There were two main forms of magic in their world. High magic which was used by most witches and wizards. They required incantations and a focus to be used at full strength. Then there was Low Magic which consisted of connections. Wards, runes, and elemental all fell into low magic.

Once there were just as many who could use low magic as there were who could use high magic. A war long forgotten that he didn't know the specifics of had practically wiped it out.

Newt had been a rare exception to the normal of their world. He was born with a black and green band around his wrist. Runes were etched into the band that no amount of research helped him decipher. Even before he knew what it meant he was forced to wear a wristband over it. He was forbidden from telling anyone of its existence.

For the most part he obeyed that but when he had been expelled from Hogwarts for bringing a dangerous creature in he could not lie to Theseus. Their parents had died the previous year and he could no longer hold the burden alone. Theseus had been surprised but supportive. He understood Newt better now about his struggles in school and why he disappeared so often. High magic did not come naturally to him. Using Low Magic to perform the same tasks was easier. Especially if he drew in from the ambient magic around them. Places like Hogwarts or the Ministries were like the endless seas. So much so he struggled not to be overwhelmed.

[evening-rose-309]

"Nea, why is your father like this?"

To his credit, the Vipertooth's answer was simple as it was short. Balefully he snorted, which was more that any of his brothers or the man in question has ever deigned to give Newt within the time that he'd been here.

"Well that's understandable, but what I don't see is why he has to be like this twenty four seven."

A curious keen.

"That means twenty four hours for a week long. A week isn't twenty four hours, you're right, I just meant that he's like this almost everyday for seven days a week and it's..."

Frustrating. It was frustrating. Newt tried not to look at it that way, but it was.

Sighing, he leaned back against the rock he was sitting by as he absently pet the globe sized domes of the dragon's arrow shaped head. Strange, he thought passively. You would think that a hybrid of Lernaea's calibre would take the physical traits of both parents, but he and his hatchmates seemed to take a very distinctly sort of Vipertooth way of things. Unlike his 'brothers', neither the twins nor Azriel were much distinguishable in their breed as the triplets were. You had to be very observant of the dragons to tell what crosses they were. Say, the twins' size and their forward facing horns or Azriel's azure flame and clubbed tail. Latter had taken Newt a considerable amount of time to figure out, being a three way cross, instead of the arguably more simple two that the twins were. Once he had though, it'd been easier to guess their temperaments, list out their likes and dislikes from interaction and Magda's ramblings, understand them, even if it was from afar.

If only it were so simple with their 'Father'.

"Mornin' there, oh bride-to-be." Newt smiled. Speak of the devil, or rather the devil's withered old aunt treking up the sand bank in old gardening boots.

"Whatcha lookin' at love," Magda queried as she bent down to greet him. "Spyin' on the groom? Now that's not a very gentleman thing to do."

Newt found himself laughing. Yes, he supposed he was spying, but Gellert did say he wanted to spend time with him on the island, so it wasn't entirely his fault. Scooting over a bit- "S'cuse me Mister Noodle Britches, tryin' to sit with my son-in-law here, there you go." -he let the old woman settle next to him, Lernaea's wriggling neck promptly plopped down on her skirts.

"What's the matter love?" Newt noted the concern in her voice. "Could see you poutin' all the way from the shack. Sighing too- oh there we go, there it is again. Come on love, tell old Maggie what's gotcha down."

Newt sagged into the rock face, his one free hand tiredly excepting hers and the little circles she ran into his palm.

"Tell us love," and what could he do to deny her? It wasn't like it meant anything anyway, his sluggish little wonderings. What was the harm, it wasn't like she was going to tell him or that he would listen.

Sighing, again, Newt kept his eyes on the man on the docks even as he addressed the woman at his side.

"It's..." he started, words not coming to him as easily as he thought they would. They never did, when he was addressing humans. "It's, well it's...."

"It's what?"

What indeed. What was it.

"Him." Yes him. Which him, he hadn't the faintest. Magda squeezed his hand.

"Him," she repeated, surer than Newt was. "Him, and what of him?"

Newt bit his lip, his breath passing through noisily again.

"He's...." What? "He's so....."

"Difficult?"

So sure. Then again, she had lived with the man for over two decades. She knew more of him than Newt could. She could make sense of him, the things he did. The things he didn't. Wouldn't. Could have, but never.

It was Magda's turn to sigh then. "You two really are made for each other. He can't make sense of you either."

The last part she added when Newt gave her a curious look. He was still curious, if not a just a tad confused.

"S'not your fault really," she said, shifting to ease her knees under the dragon's heavy weight. "Either of you. You've both been broken in ways. You don't tell each other things, which is fine, you know. Men have got to have their secrets, but more importantly..."

Newt shifted when she paused. "More importantly?"

She spared him a meaningful look. "More importantly," she twinned their fingers, "you'll learn. He'll learn. Nothing makes sense now, and believe me, it won't for a long time, but it will. The moods, the drinking, the asking for company only to fly away-"

She stopped. A burst of laughter had sounded from the docks. Newt turned his head. His fiance, that strange man, was floating amongst his children, skipping listlessly between their maws and cackling when they snapped at nothing. A strange cackle, a melody, pleasant. Not at all like any other visage of the word. For a moment, Newt thought to New York. He must have heard it somewhere, sometime, within those weeks when they pretended that life was good and things were better. Strange that he'd only heard it now, this true melody, this genuine sound. Not the grin of a drunk man or the chuckle of a creature on verge of breaking down in tears by his feet. He wondered if that sound- if that sound could only be heard when its maker thought no one else was around or perhaps when he felt safe.

Was he only safe when dancing with teeth and pretending to be someone else's husband?

"I don't understand him," and Magda let out a sound that can only be thought as disparaging. "How can he be so- so different all of the time. Sad. He's always so sad all the time. I can never tell if he's smiling to humor me or if he actual wants to because he's happy."

Happy. What was happy to them? To people like Gellert Grindelwald and Newton Scamander? A beaten man's son and a neglected ex-husband? A monster with a broken heart and a magizoologist with too many pieces to give never sure if they fit?

Watching him, so caught in his own thoughts, Newt nearly missed the words that parted sternly from the keeper's lips.

"Pardon?"

"Go to him."

Newt swallowed as he turned. Magda held his gaze sharply as she cupped his hand.

"Go to him," she said, gentle but firm. "You said you didn't understand and I'll tell you this: you don't have to."

He didn't have to. He didn't have to understand.

"Go," she urged. "Enjoy him. Enjoy him. When that sadness is gone, he's the brightest thing, but you have to enjoy him. He goes quick, sometimes faster than you can blink, and you have to catch him. Don't think about the sadness. That's his to keep, but for you, give him something else. Go and take your piece and give him something else to remember."

Something else to remember. Something to bade away the sadness. The- the sluggishness.

Newt looked to the docks, to the man who was on them standing proud. For a split second their eyes met. A split second and Newt saw something he now realized- now realized he very much wanted to see more of. That's why I took the ring, the thought spun, I took the ring, but that's a shared piece, I want more-

-I need to give him more, and suddenly Newt knew what to do.

He got up.

|-]

Whew, that was a doozy. Hope you like it, @willofhounds. Hope this time it goes on smoothly. Enjoy!

[eveneechan]

Tina Goldstein and her relationship crumbs on SoD (spoiler!)

Despite her limited screentime, there's still some relationship progress/paralell/crumbs with Tina's most important people: Queenie, Credence, Newt

1. Queenie and Tina = Queenie and Kama

When Queenie reads Kama's memory, her expression looks really sad when she mention about "sister's memory" and GG took that memory from Kama

Can't help but wonder if Queenie looks really sad just because reading Kama's memory, or is it also because it remind her with her sister?? ;n;

Later in gala dinner scene, Kama took Queenie's hand to bring her go, leaving Jacob

It's paralell with (deleted shot) of Tina took Queenie's hand during Jacob's farewell

Should i mention the BGM when Kama's took Queenie's hand is Queenie's theme during Jacob's farewell too? ;n;

And both Kama and Tina are older siblings ;w;

(Edited) Bonus:

Tina is the one who met Kama first in CoG. Kinda wondering if they build some kind of friendship later. And then Tina ask Kama to looking out for Queenie

***

2. Tina and Credence

In FB1, Tina was stand up for Credence and telling him about GG (Grindel!Graves):

"He's using you"

Now in FB3, Credence can stand up by himself, and telling others about GG:

"He's lying to you"

Love how Credence now grow up and can stand up for himself (and probably kinda learnt that from Tina) (even tho Tina can't reach him anymore)

(And Tina must be saw that from afar at MACUSA HQ)

***

3. Newt and Tina

Newtina crumbs on SoD that i've wrote before:

part 1

part 2

***

Thanks for reading my TED talk

[skiplo-wave]

Newt: Ikea is the Gucci of all furniture.

Gellert: Newt please, it’s 4:00am, good to sleep.....and NEVER say such things about Gucci again

[sweetiebriar]

Okay, do they expect us to be so hype about Dumbly and Grindel talking together and all, not to notice Tina’s absence? I mean… sure the movie isn’t out yet, but not a single reference to her in the trailer, not a word from Newt, or Queenie, or anyone else for that matter.

They even completely removed her from the movie poster whereas the character of Yusuf Kama is still here, right in the centre!

His presence is quite curious though. I know his life is still in jeopardy because of the unbreakable vow, but what does that have to do with Newt and the others? It has already been asserted that Credence/Aurelius was not Corvus Lestrange, the one he is supposed to kill to avenge his father and fulfil his promise?!

But I’m digressing, let’s get back to the main subject.

I know that Katherine Waterston had been tested positive for COVID-19 during the filming. And without exactly following all the drama around JKR’s recent comments, I also just learned she had publicly opposed JKR… So perhaps you could assume that because of all of this, she (as an actress) was moved out of the franchise.

Nonetheless, it doesn’t explain why Tina’s character is no more mentioned at all? If Katherine no longer is part of the FB franchise because of her opposition, they could just have changed the actress (after all, they’re so good at that game 😒).

Seriously, Tina is not some minor character you can throw out and forget. You could do that with Vinda Rosier or as a matter of fact Kama, I would even allow it with Jacob (a terrible mistake, but still possible), but not Tina. Tina’s supposed to become Newt’s wife, she is Queenie’s sister. Considering the trailer, Jacob returned to his bakery in NYC after the events of Paris, but Tina should have been looking for her sister all this time, trying to win her back from Grindelwald…?

I do hope she hasn’t been swept away and forgotten in the script as if she never existed. I do hope for the plot there will be a reasonable explanation for her absence. And I swear, if they go with the stupid and cliché excuse of "off-screen, Newt and her married, and she is now pregnant and cannot move around"… that would be hitting rock bottom. Frankly, WB can forget about FB4 & FB5 after that…

[adiarosefandoms]

Pride Month Ship 1: Grindeldore

Grindeldore

Fandom: Harry Potter/Wizarding

Grindel= Gellert Grindelwald

Dore= Albus Dumbledore

From the Harry Potter/Wizarding World fandom, the friendship of these two wizards would first be brought up in the sixth Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, and expanded upon in the seventh, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Dumbledore would reveal that in his early days as a more glory-hungry man, he would believe in and even strive for Gellert’s dream and motto of “For the Greater Good.” A young Dumbledore would meet Gellert in Godric’s Hollow where he would go to following his seventh year graduation and the death of his mother Kendra, which would settle him with his brother Aberforth and his perceived mentally ill (but later revealed to be obscurus) sister Ariana. Gellert would be in the village too visiting his great aunt, Hogwarts A History writer Bathilda Bagshot.

The two would dream of searching for the Deathly Hallows together, becoming the Masters of Death and no longer having to hide from the muggle world. Aberforth, Albus’s younger brother, however saw this as a foolish idea and urged Albus to care for Arianna as he promised, saying he couldn’t possibly go off with Grindelwald and search for the Hallows with Arianna, nor could he morally leave without her. Angered at trying to keep Albus from going with him, Grindelwald used the cruciatus (second of the unforgivable curses) on Aberforth causing Albus to intervene. From there a duel broke out. Eventually a stray curse would land on Arianna, killing her, creating an eternal rift between brothers, and causing Gellert to flee.

Despite the sixth novel being published in 2005, the ship would not gain traction until 2007 when in an interview JK Rowling confirmed that Dumbledore is, in fact, gay. From there the fandom would take the ship running, creating gorgeous fanart, fics and headcanons including the two men. The fics would tend to go in one of two directions. Either one, Gellert and Grindelwald would fall in love with each other following their school years (Hogwarts for Albus and Durmstrang for Gellert) and that love would persist even through the battles they would fight. Or two, Dumbledore would fall in love with Grindelwald and the dark wizard would manipulate Albus into campaigning for his cause. It really depended on how much angst the author wanted to include and how idealized their version of Albus Dumbledore was.

Their popularity would further grow with the release of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them which gave us a live action performance of Grindelwald as the main villain rather than a off handed shot of Jamie Campbell Bower or an insane Gellert being killed by Voldemort (some theorize that he was not truly insane until he heard Dumbledore passed, and that was his final straw). But it is in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald where we would get a young Dumbledore as well. This gave fans a vision of what the men could look like, young and together as there is a stigma or general avoidance of elderly couples in fandom. (A conversation for another day.) Plus it was Jude Law and Johnny Depp specifically, and that certainly didn’t hurt.

Grindeldore would become canon, or one sided canon, in the third FB movie, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore which opens with a diner scene (coffee shop AU anyone?) where Dumbledore and Grindelwald meet. When they begin talking and Gellert said Albus used to be committed to his dream, Albus said, and I quote, “No. I went along because… Because I was in love with you.” By the end of the movie the blood pact created by the two men is destroyed, meaning they can fight each other as they swore not to do.

There are some drawbacks to this ship. First and foremost, the way it ends. As a prequel series, we know the endgame of the FB movies. Newt and Tina go on to live a lovely life together with children, Newt’s book becomes part of the school curriculum, and Grindelwald is defeated by Dumbledore in an epic duel. So if you are determined to ship these two men, you’d better get comfortable with angst real quick, because you are not in for an easy ride. Secondly is that while it is undeniable canon that Albus is in love with Gellert, we have no confirmation that Gellert is in love with Albus. As a matter of fact, we probably couldn’t take a declaration of his love seriously unless it’s done outside of the presence of Albus, to ensure that it wasn’t just a manipulative move. And that feeds perfectly into the third reason you may have not to ship them. Is this a tale of doomed love, or is it one of emotional abuse and manipulation? Only time as the series goes on will tell.

So with all these cons, why would you ship them? Well, there is something devastatingly romantic about the idea of two people who love each other, more than they’ve ever loved anyone else, forever stuck on warring sides of a cause. Both wanting peace, but in different ways causing irremediable differences that they can never come back from. If you do ship them, than Fantastic Beasts acts as a heartbreaking tale of a love that could never be. Like something out of a Shakespearean tragedy.

Grindeldore is not the easiest pair to ship. It’s complicated, it’s incomplete, it’s destined for a sad ending. But it’s also fascinating. Depending on the angle you look at it from, the pairing can explore themes of forbidden love, the individuals happiness vs the societies, the individuals happiness vs their partners, the inclusion of choice in love, and inevitability. It’s a very interesting relationship, and we get to explore it as a fandom while the story is still developing. We may know the endgame of Grindeldore, but we have two more movies of information about the ship to come. So strap in, because the Grindeldore story, canon and fanon, is still going.

[kajrsti8722]

This Confuses me so much. This shows Dumbledore as the Defense against the dark arts professor but he taught transfiguration

Parallels of the two adorables aka Newt Scamander and Neville Longbottom’s hilarious yet understandably relatable boggarts 

[gramanderinchief]

a continuation of this, as requested by @webgottrash (because it wouldn’t let me tag your other handle for some reason)

on the president’s orders, the obscurus--credence, newt reminds himself, his name was credence--is destroyed. there’s anguish on tina’s face, and newt’s heart knots his twisting stomach. percival, however...

...percival is furious.

newt’s seen that silent storm before: the set of his brow, the thin line of his lips, the faint twitch in the muscle of his jaw. it was after theseus learned how newt chose to spend their last night in america, that night he went to percival’s room instead of his own. 

he hadn’t introduced them for percival to fuck his baby brother, is what theseus said. had he known this to be the result, theseus continued, he’d never have invited percival to meet his family.

as hurtful as those words were, it wasn’t what pushed percival into his quiet rage. no, what sparked that fire was when theseus turned on newt. in his anger, he called newt a harlot, easy, foolish; now, theseus claimed, he’d have to carry the shame of newt’s actions to spare their parents. and oh, god, what would their father say?

before theseus could continue, percival’s violent, silent magic launched theseus across the room and into the far wall. pictures fell, glass shattered. and as powerful a wizard as theseus was, he hadn’t mastered wordless magic as percival had.

“say what you want about me,” percival warned. “but do not disrespect your own flesh and blood. newt is your brother, and if anything were to shame your parents, it would be your treatment of him in this moment.”

theseus stormed off after percival released him. and once theseus was gone, percival kissed newt like the world was ending, soft apologies whispered between gentle brushes of damp lips.

and now that anger, that rage, that power focuses on the american wizarding president and a team of aurors. he faces down at least a dozen glowing wands, and it’s only tina’s hand on his arm that keeps him with her amongst the rubble. he wants to help percival, to stop this utter madness from continuing any further, but as his brother had always said, newt is foolish. the president already resents him, and percival, for whatever reason, has forgotten him.

the aurors fall one by one beneath percival’s whip-crack magic, and the president seems unafraid. foolish, newt thinks, because though he is not on the receiving end of percival’s fury, he had been on the receiving end of percival’s indifference, when he and tina had been sentenced to death without a trial. 

still, he cannot stand by while the american wizarding president is under attack. even if it is percival graves doing the attacking. for better or worse, the man betraying his country is not newt’s percival. tina tugs him weakly when he stands, but she’s easy enough to brush aside and doesn’t attempt to hinder him a second time.

from within his coat, he launches the swooping evil, it’s sticky venom enough to bind percival’s hands behind his back and bring him to heel. a murmured spell from a dispassionate, powerful woman, and percival isn’t percival at all.

there is no relief to be felt when grindelwald is revealed. dread is what crushes newt’s ribs to lance his lungs, his breath drawn short. tina puts a hand at the small of his back as if to comfort him; she thinks it’s shock.

but all newt can think is, where’s percival?

[silverynight]

lol seeing Eddie in that court room makes me wish their was actually court scene in FB1. Albus and Thesus decide to be his lawyer. Serphina: Well the the accussed have anything to say before we announce the verdict? Albus: Yes ma'am Newt done nothing wrong. Serphina: He smuggled illegal beasts! Theseus: So they live a better life! Look at my brother-I mean client he's harmless! Grindel!Graves: I agree Newt is indeed cute.

Seraphina just wants everything to end as soon as possible because she's about to get a headache and even though she already knows the verdict she has to ask the jury anyway.

"We find him cute! I mean–not guilty!"

***

You're right, it would've been really interesting to see that in the movie. 😏 Especially seeing everyone being on Newt's side just because they find him cute lol.

[mister-tom-a-dildo-lover]

"But it wasn’t Dumbledore’s responsibility to cure him" - Nobody says he should've cured him. But preventing him from turning into a full-blown Voldemort would've helped. Teaching him that he shouldn't be afraid of death would've worked magic on Tom's mental state.

This excuse is always weird because people don’t seem to realize that Dumbledore had no right to Harry Potter’s life and yet controlled it thoroughly. He interferes where it benefits him and no sooner. And people are just okay with that because Harry was the Chosen One!

Hell, Crimes of Grindelwald showed us he was doing the weird interference thing in the early 1920s! He’s the one who sent Newt to NYC in hopes of him meeting Grindels and Credence and intervening! So he has no issue in forcing his way into situations that don’t involve him, but in regards to his own students… he cannot be bothered.

By CoG, he’s considered The Great Albus Dumbledore meaning he’s powerful enough to have some type of skill if people revere him and Grindels is scared of a one on one fight. But he apparently can’t help a student who is very obviously fucked up? He hears about the kids and the rabbit and yet brings up the stealing as if that’s Tom’s worst crime! No comment about assault not being tolerated at Hogwarts and how it’s wrong? Burn his possessions to make him not steal things(which didn’t work btw) but don’t confront him about his other concerning behaviors. That’s real smart!

[willofhounds]

Have we lost our way or have we found it (https://archiveofourown.org/works/30435864) by Willofhounds

Part 10 of the One shots series (https://archiveofourown.org/series/2130027)

Fandoms: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)

Rating: Not Rated Category: M/M Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Gellert Grindelwald/Newt Scamander, Credence Barebone & Gellert Grindelwald

Additional Characters: Theseus Scamander, Jacob Kowalski, Queenie Goldstein, ...

Tags: Tumblr Prompt, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Hurt/Comfort

Summary: Prompt: "I'm not going to run away from you anymore. I promise." Grindlenewt

Words: 1,059 Chapters: 1/1 Kudos: 0 Last Updated: April 02, 2021

[helly-watermelonsmellinfellon]

Fantastic Beasts: CoG Thoughts and Observations

*SPOILERS* Press ‘J’ if you want to skip to the next post.

Grindelwald is a badass. I don’t even like him and yet he’s a fucking badass. He was in fucking prison for 6 months and they had to change his guards multiple times because he’s so damn charismatic that he kept luring the Aurors to his side!

He then got out long before he was supposed to be transported and literally took out everyone on the transport team. And he drove the damn carriage and without even looking behind him, directed bolts of lightning to take out some of the Aurors on their brooms.

He did not come to play.

Newt is still my adorable child. He’s so awkward and still feels like he did in the first film which is great. A lot of people whined about how he wasn’t ‘manly enough’. Because Newt shows compassion on the regular and is more soft-spoken and not interested in ‘manly professions’ or some shit, so he doesn’t fit the ridiculous type of masculinity Hollywood shoves down our throats and dudebros can’t relate to him.

“There are no strange creatures, only wicked people,” is a great line and should be used in reference to animals as well since some people still walk around acting like sharks and pitbulls are evil incarnate. I really love Newt.

Leta knows him well enough to know what he’d say in response to her comment. They have an awkward air of camaraderie about them.

Newt stood up to a teacher with that line of his and got a month’s worth of detention. Leta left a dungbomb in his office to get back at him so she could join Newt. Good friends fight the intolerant assholes in charge of your education together.

Theseus gives off this smarmy vibe. I seen people praise him as a good brother but at present just the way he stands annoys me. And it makes me sad that Newt feels like he can’t be himself in order to be rightfully treated like a human being should be treated.

The dude playing Theseus really does resemble Eddie though, so props for getting that right at least. I can believe they’re siblings.

As usual the Ministry is useless. Grindels is literally the reason NYC got fucked up. Him and his messing with Credence. Newt made some mistakes but actually worked to fix them and then saved all their asses in the process. Why is he getting blamed with misinformation? Even in the 20s Magical Britain’s Ministry is full of morons.

There’s a black dude in a high Ministry position. I think there are more POC in this film than all the HP films combined, jfc. ‘bout time!

Also, they never told Newt that Credence is alive and are now using that fact as a way to try and guilt-trip him into joining the Ministry. Cleverish I suppose, but I still don’t like them.

Some dude just referred to Credence as an IT. wtf? Credence is a wizard who, because magical people suck at getting abused children the help they need, ended up a massive mess. He’s not some thing to be treated like shit!

The brothers are arguing and Newt starts spouting off things he’s mostly likely heard from Theseus and his parents. I will admit Theseus seems less annoying now that he’s spoken a bit, but the fact that Newt starts saying, “Okay, right, here we go, selfish, irresponsible-” speaks of somebody who is used to being compared to another and having what others consider to be ‘faults’ shoved in his face and complained about. That sucks a lot.

Okay, Theseus isn’t as annoying as I expected him to be. He does seem to care for Newt and understand how his mind works to an extent. He isn’t offended that Newt doesn’t go to hug him back. Newt is just awkward with physical contact from humans. He’s always seemed to be on the spectrum for me and I’ve only recently found out that others feel the same, which makes his character more interesting imo.

Grindels is in lift shoes! Needs that extra height that badly? 5′10 isn’t short or anything but he really needed that lift to 6′0″? XD

At least Grindels and the Gang are only using AKs(silently btw). I don’t get why everyone always acts like AK is the absolute worst spell in HP when literally it’s just a quick and painless death. There are a bajillion others spells that are actually terrifying.

Newt easily noticing that he’s being followed and fucking with his stalker is the best. People who say Newt is weak are effin stupid.

I would not take the hand of some random glove hovering in my face. Now way, no how. idc who it might belong to, that’s some shady shit. I don’t trust people.

Though we have to admit that the glove forcibly Apparating him, even if it’s a small distance is pretty cool. Dumbles annoys me but as Phineas Nigellus will say in the future, “He’s got style.”

The fact that Newt knew it was Dumbles makes me wonder if Dumbles has done this before.

Dumbles literally just summoned a big ass fog to cover the city! I don’t like him but he keeps impressing me! It’s annoying! Stop it!

“A Phoenix will come to any Dumbledore in desperate need.” Interesting.

A wizard doing sleight of hand. Oi vey. Dumbles is a drama queen to the umpteenth degree.

God he was a cryptic asshat even back then. It’s very easy to believe this dude becomes the Dumbledore we all know. I think people are just bitching because they refuse to see Dumbledore for who he is. Lots of people whining about ‘how manipulative Jude’s Dumbledore is’ not realizing that HP-Dumbles is literally a Master Manipulator.

Baby Nifflers are effin adorable and I love how well Newt knows them!

Newt literally has someone working for him. And he’s been nothing but reassuring in his own way. He especially tells her to avoid the Kelpie because he doesn’t want her to get hurt. I have seen several people whining about him ‘being mean’ to her and I just have to ask, are y’all fucking stupid? He knows his creatures and when he tells her to not go near one alone because of how dangerous it is and she might lose a finger, he’s not being mean. He’s being a responsible employer. I know some of your bosses don’t give a shit about your well being, but Newt is actually a decent bloke. Chill the fuck out.

She’s flirting with him and is really bad at it. But it’s kinda funny at the same time.

Also can we just stop and talk about how talented Newt is that he can create such realistic habitats in such seemingly small and cramped places? He’s really good at magic.

Queenie and Jacob are cute. And to all the people whining about how ‘unnecessary’ he is to the plot, can y’all chill? He is there for a reason. To show how fucked up MACUSA is when it comes to dealing with Muggles. Queenie will literally be imprisoned if they find out she’s with a Muggle. It’s ridiculous and his character is supposed to show how even the American wizards are messed up.

Queenie calling Newt, ‘honey’ is sweet. I swear she’s the Molly of this new group of friends. Seems like she wants to take care of people and just adopts everyone who comes along.

God, even the magical gossip rags are shit even back then. They deliberately made it so it looked as if Newt and Leta were a thing. Though tbh nothing really happened between Newt and Tina in the first film so her being all offended over him possibly marrying another woman is ridiculous.

These weird shots that are supposed to be directly from someone’s point of view are a bit annoying, I must admit. It’s kind of like watching through a somewhat less annoying fish-eye lens, but still annoying anyway.

Newt is very smart. He notices very quickly that Jacob is out of sorts and that he hasn’t been acting normally. He deduces very quickly that something is up and then stops it.

I really like how level-headed Jacob is about everything considering all the crap he’s just thrown into. He cares enough about Queenie to not want her to be imprisoned/possibly killed for breaking a stupid law. I got really emotional at that part because MACUSA is full of idiots.

Jacob is right though, she’s not being sensible. There’s a lot at stake and it isn’t smart for them to marry yet no matter how much they want to. 

Jacob looks at the bird thing and then’s just like, “I got my own problems.” He’s been through enough shit to just not care atm.

And now everyone’s basically going to Paris anyway.

Walking through weird barriers into new places should no longer impress me but it still does!

The magical circus looks kind of awesome but the I’m also not a fan of how circuses are handled. So it’s this cross between amazement and annoyance at the inhumane way animals(in this case creatures) are being handled.

Literally, they are kept locked up in filthy places, I am unhappy! Also Claudia Kim, who portrays Nagini, is so very beautiful and I am so very gay.

Nagini’s hair has that little serpent-like curl at the end as it rests against her neck. It’s such an awesome little detail to throw in there.

Her transformation is really cool btw.

Wow! You treat the creatures like shit and mock them, and get all confused when they attack you? I hope pain was dealt.

What is it with all the bad guys in everything having to incorporate skulls into their dirty business? Is this supposed to be a play on the whole skulls and crossbones thing meaning death?

Though Grindels does make it more interesting than some wiggly tattoo at least.

Dumbles is considered the greatest threat to his cause when he’s practically been doing nothing but playing teacher. That’s some high praise I suppose.

He’s already known as ‘The Great Albus Dumbledore’! What did he do to gain such belief in his prowess? He’s like 46!

Newt’s asking Jacob for advice on what to say when he sees Tina again, and Jacob gives him great advise. “Best not to plan these things.” It’s good. And then Newt’s like, “She has eyes just like a salamander,” and Jacob’s tune changes immediately! XD “Don’t say that!”

Jacob is a good friend. I really like him!

Jacob’s reactions are the greatest because he’s literally like an in-universe representation of the fandom when we saw magic in the movies for the first time!

Do people know that Eddie Redmayne actually licked the ground?

Newt talking about how narrow Tina’s feet are and Jacob just being like, ‘okaaaaaaay’ is the best!

Queenie must be so lost. Hearing all these thoughts and not knowing the language they’re in. And it must be stressful to not only be in an unfamiliar place but also be completely unprepared for everything going on.

That is the perfect moment to trick her. Literally, I don’t get how people can’t see that she’s emotionally vulnerable and a prime target for manipulation right now.

Credence is just a mess. He needs friends. Glad Nagini seems to be filling in that role but honestly he needs a few more. Those who are ‘cursed’ in essence, like he is. So they’ll understand him.

I really love Jacob’s character. He’s just so amazed by magic and all the things it can do. ^-^

Newt! Knows how to tame and capture creatures he’s never even met before! Zuowus are cute imo.

Hedwig’s Theme, I am crying!

Also, Hogwarts brings back my feels.

Very confused about the McGonagall thing unless this involves time-travel which idk how advanced that was at the time.

The fucking Aurors just break into the class and Head dude’s like, “I can go wherever I please. OUT!” And all the kids just standing there and look to Dumbledore for direction. It’s fucking hilarious that they won’t even listen to the dude who could imprison them with whatever excuse he can make up. 

Now, there seems to be students of all ages in this classroom, which makes me wonder if it’s actually a class or Dumbledore has a Dueling Club set up, because he’s literally teaching a Gryffindor how to not make the same mistakes in a duel, right before owning his ass. idc what anyone says, no class of 17/11 year olds will have multiples students the size of first/seventh years in it. People are either really really tall or really really short. So I vote for a Dueling Club happening.

The Gryffindor who just lost the duel gets up in the dude’s face and is like, ‘he’s the best teacher we’ve got’. Props.

Dumbledore is way better than this Travis dude. And I mean by power and presence. I don’t like him any more than I do the Travis dude. Meaning not at all, But you get what I mean. Dumbles is far better for the good guys than this hoity toity asshat who thinks that because he’s Head Auror he can do anything he wants. Him ignoring Dumbledore’s warning is going to get a lot of people killed.

“We were closer than brothers.” How else can anyone take that? What is closer than a familial tie? A romantic one! Duh!

He’s banned from teaching DADA. But he isn’t banned from teaching any other class! Travis should have been more specific! This is probably how Dumbledore ended up teaching Transfiguration during Tom’s time at school since he doesn’t fight Grindels until 1945. I love loopholes!

Are the candles in the Great Hall just lit all the time?

I for one, think that ‘Talk Shit, Get Hit’ is a very wonderful saying to take to heart. So when people were talking shit about Leta, she damn well deserved to tear them a new asshole over it! I applaud her for cursing that gossiping little bitch’s mouth shut in the corridor. She deserved it. I am a blood-thirsty bitch!

Young-Newt literally looked like a young Eddie Redmayne. Superb casting on that part, God damn! He even got all of Eddie’s chosen mannerisms down!

You know, I’m not shocked that Leta’s being harassed by Gryffindors. The whole school treats Slytherins like shit the moment they’re Sorted. Even when they aren’t raised on the magical side and know nothing about Slytherin’s reputation.

I have mentioned how annoying I find the weird fish-eye-like lens view, right? ‘Cause it’s annoying me again.

BTW, I will always firmly believe that Hufflepuff/Slytherin friendships are the strongest. That is a deadly combination right there.

Albus admits that he didn’t love Ariana as much as he should have. Age does somewhat remove that veil from the eyes, doesn’t it?

I really, honestly think that people just decided that anythngn they saw in this movie was going to be horrible and that’s why y’all are being a bunch of whiny bitches over everything. Queenie didn’t just up and decide hey, I’m joining Grindels! She’s honestly at the end of her rope and is getting manipulated. Y’all are fucking ridiculous. Don’t pay for tickets if you intend to find fault in everything the movie has to offer.

The good sis stands up and points her wand at Grindels despite knowing full well she wouldn’t be able to do shit to him. Temerity ftw.

You gotta give Grindels some props. This dude knows how to play on everyone’s soft points. He just sees them and immediately goes in for the kill. Was Voldy like this in the 70s? It makes more sense that people would follow him if he acted like this before ‘dying’ the first time. ‘Cause after his resurrection he wasn’t follow-worthy imo. Too frantic and mad to take seriously.

He literally tells her that she’s an ‘innocent’ and that ‘he doesn’t wish her harm’. He then tells her to leave, which puts her under the impression that she’s safe from him and can make her own choices. This is a prime manipulation tactic because she’ll come back eventually once she remembers that he supposedly gave her a choice and no one else will. She told Jacob he wasn’t giving her a choice, and now Grindels, the supposed bad guy, is doing just that. And he makes it like he understands her suffering in her desire for love without restriction. Even good guys make mistakes. Y’all want to kiss Dumbledore’s ass for every shit thing he did by saying he was trying to save the world, so you can get over Queenie having a lapse of judgment during an emotionally and mentally trying period.

Ah, the Mirror of Erised, in which you see your heart’s greatest desire. And Dumbledore sees him and Grindelwald alone.

Also, I’m just saying that pressing their hands together would have been enough to make the blood mix. Linking their fingers is not necessary at all.

Finally it’s just Grindelwald as he currently is, staring him down with an innocent expression. And Dumbledore’s sad smile is the only thing we see as the scene fades to black.

Newt is so good with creatures, I love him!

Every time he comes out of that case I am reminded of how slight Eddie is.

Newt asks Jacob to get the tweezers from his bag, but after the mishaps in the last film where British and American English were proven to be different to a degree, he goes on to explain what they look like and both Tina and Jacob are like ‘we know what they are, dude’. XD

They disinfect the unconscious dude, Tina gets her info and heads off. And Jacob tries to get her to come back and then looks at Newt and is all, “You didn’t mention salamanders, did you?”. XD

Upon Jacob’s insistence he goes after Tina and tells her she’s different from other Aurors because she’s got Middle Head, in reference to the middle head of a Runespoor which is said to be a Visionary/Dreamer and doesn’t argue like the heads on either side of it. Tina doesn’t want to kill Credence like everyone else which makes her a different kind of Auror.

So that whacky black shroud that covers the city is Grindels’ way of calling his peeps together?

Grindels’ appears before Credence and tells him he ‘wants nothing from him and wants everything for him, that Grindels never had’. He and Dumbles are perfect for each other. Master Manipulators. A certain kind of Dynamic Duo. Grindels even uses the whole ‘my boy’ thing!

The shot is on Jacob. His stomach growls and it pans down and then up. And Flamel is right behind him when it comes back up! Shit like that always gets me in films! The only kind of jumpscare I’m not into. I don’t like my back being exposed so shots like this kill me.

The Flamels don’t keep food in their house. What exactly was the exchange for living so long? Like, I just thought the Stone kept them youthful and stopped their aging, you know? Apparently they have no need of food. Wouldn’t living that long be boring as hell when you can’t even enjoy the basics of life?

“You don’t look a day over 375.” I love Jacob! XD

Seriously though. Nicki looks like he’ll fall apart at any moment. Is living forever like this really worth it?

Nicki “Hasn’t seen action in 200 years,” OMG!

Newt Polyjuices himself into looking like Theseus and calls him ‘an Auror and a hugger’ in this long-suffering but fond tone.

Theseus and Leta are literally right there too!

It was all going so well and then Theseus looks down and isn’t it always like that? The plot must continue on somehow? I’m dying! XD It was a good plan until that happened.

Tina gets him down with a flick of the wand? The War Hero? Really? Good for her!

Newt is such an awkward turtle. I love that they didn’t insist upon Eddie changing up the way he portrays him!

Newt describes Tina’s eyes as “Having and effect in person. Like fire in water, dark water,” and if that isn’t the nicest way to describe dark brown eyes idk what is. HE’S TRYING SO HARD NOT TO SAY THE SALAMANDER LINE! XD

SHE SAID IT INSTEAD! XD How she got that I have no idea. I don’t know shit about salamanders.

And Leta finds them and runs with them. I wonder if Tina is feeling awkward.

He’s known the Zouwu for so little time and it’s already cuddling up to him! The Snow White of fucking wizards, everyone! He is a cinnamon roll and must be kept safe!

Honestly I am proud I kept up with the whole Lestrange family tree business because holy shit it was convoluted!

The Lestranges are so sexist. Only the men get recorded on the family tree, what bullshit. Leta’s father Raped her mother via Imperius and never loved her. Frankly, a child being jealous of a new sibling that he did love shouldn’t be surprising. Kids make mistakes all the time and hating her for making a rash decision she didn’t fully understand at that age, is ridiculous. She didn’t even mean to get him killed. It’s not like she’s some super horrible person for that.

Newt gets this! He literally gets it! And she tells him “You’ve never met a monster you couldn’t love”. I hurt. She’s not a monster, she’s a fucking human being who made a grave mistake when she was like 7 and it haunted her for the rest of her life.

Nagini doesn’t trust Purebloods because, “They kill the likes of us for sport”. Her life must have sucked.

And here’s where is all leads up to. The literal Crimes of Grindelwald. And not in the sense of law-breaking, although there has been a lot of that. The title means in reference to an act of of great offense which isn’t illegal but still considered morally reprehensible, against another person or persons. He’s spent this whole time manipulating the hell out of everyone and doing things both illegal and simply sinful. Lying isn’t against the law, but the way he’s doing it is wrong, and it helps him commit his ‘crimes’.

Also what the hell is with evil people and graveyards/tombs? Is this a requirement in joining the dark side?

Grindels finds muggles “Not disposable but of a different disposition.” He’s really workin’ it because he knows the kinds of people who showed up to this little speech thing of his and he’s getting all of them at once.

He’s literally showing them a vision of what will happen in WWII with the bombs in order to scare them into joining his side. It’s what will ‘rise up’ from the muggles, and Jacob understands it instantly. Scare tactics ftw! He has a point in a sense. Could we really say that the leading governments of our world wouldn’t try to enslave magicals in order to have the most power over all other countries?

The Aurors are called down to face the crowd and Grindels knows just what to say to stir up feelings of distrust. Though they’re cops so it’s not shocking. They’re all power-hungry and with the experience a lot of the people have with Aurors, plus Grindels sweet-talking them all, of course some chick just up and moves against them and get murdered on the spot. Not even detained. Cops kill first and ask questions later, not shocking magic ones do the same.

Auror used an AK without hesitation. But you know, everyone says that is the most evil spell in HP, right? And no one, not even Aurors, should use it?

And as expected, it all plays in Grindels’ plans. I’m not shocked. “Spread the word. It is not we who are violent.” Right after an Auror just murdered someone. Talk about playing on the emotions.

The fire Grindels’ conjures is blue, compared to normal fire. Which means it’s hotter. Voldy’s fire was also blue. Is this just because they’re magically powerful or are both Dark Lords?

Grindelwald uses magic like he’s a conductor. It’s interesting because everyone else but Voldy has only ever had a death grip on their wands. Voldy holds his wand more gracefully and loosely.

Nagini does not side with Grindelwald. And she has a point. He knows what Credence is, not who he is.

Okay, so a lot of people died in the blue fire, but Newt was able to hold the fire off from consuming him several times. My child is so powerful! He’s just never violent with it! *APPLAUSE*

Queenie’s desperation makes me so sad. She and Jacob love each other but go about it very differently.

I can’t tell if Leta was saying ILY to Newt or Theseus. Maybe to both but with different meanings? Romantic Love isn’t the only kind of love out there. One is her long-time friend whom she could have romantic feelings for if their bond is deep enough. The other is her fiance though her bond with him doesn’t seem that deep. Confusing and shot deliberately like that to confuse us too.

She tries to kill Grindels knowing it won’t work. I like Leta. I don’t get why people don’t like her.

He’s literally using his fancy Fiendfyre to destroy Paris. This dude aims big!

Flamel is a genius and a bunch of people, most who aren’t trained Aurors, just had to put out some powerful magic that would have destroyed a whole city.

Newts hugs Theseus!

The Niffler lives and got the Blood Pact thing from Grindels! How did he not notice it?

Queenie’s skills are very useful to Grindels in how to deal with Credence without scaring him off. He knew what he was doing in manipulating her to his side.

Grindels and Dumbles agreed not to fight one another. Wonder what would happen if they turned their wands on each other with intent to do harm. Pain? Or maybe... their spells being directed elsewhere by some unseen force and hitting nearby things(*cough* Ariana *cough*)? 

So here’s where I am confused but I have many thoughts. A.) Percival Dumbledore died some time after 1890 but no date is given. He was in Azkaban during the time and immoral things happen in prison. He could be the father. B.) Kendra Dumbledore died in 1899 and Credence was born ‘circa’ 1901(meaning around that time frame but no specific details are known) so she could have birthed him. Albus wouldn’t know since he wasn’t very present at home and was distant to his siblings. Kendra isn’t actually a Dumbledore but she had the name, Credence doesn’t know the details, and Grindels could have sent the Phoenix in some way. C.) Grindels is just lying altogether but he’s really believable. D.) He used the word ‘brother’ to mean family, like how he addressed the people as his ‘brothers and sisters’. His fellow magical people. So perhaps he meant as in like Credence’s kin. So he could be a child of Aberforth who would be old enough to sire a child(teens do it all the time), or of their Aunt Honoria who could have had a kid for all people know.

Dumbles is the one to tell us all about the Phoenix thing first. Grindels strengthens that fact later on, making it not just some children’s tale. It’s all left to us to wonder if he’s lying about Credence or not.

I observed a lot.

So for the cinematography, it was really well done save for the fish-eye lens crap. I really didn’t like that. But I am a sucker for panning from above. Also clever use of the camera while certain people speak. Angles can do wonders to tell a story.

I thought the plot was very easy to follow. I’ve seen people whine about it not making sense but literally, in stories about multiple people, the POV shifts. A lot. In order to understand why everyone is doing what they are doing, you need to know what is going on from their ends. So yeah, why is everybody just randomly in France of all places? Paying attention lets you find out!

I do have one really big annoyance and it’s more for it taking this long instead of it happening at all. In the original HP films there really aren’t a lot of non-white actors portraying characters, even if they’re just extras to fill in for other students and such. In this film there were extras of all kinds of nationalities. I saw a lot of Black and Asian folks just filling up the background. And I’m glad the universe now seems more realistic and diverse. It’s just annoying that the most diverse of all the films in this fictional world, is the newest one and kinda makes the others a bit disappointing since the 20s were less progressive than the 90s.

My initial opinions on certain characters did change. Naturally I hate Dumbledore as a character no matter what but he’s more interesting than before. And I don’t really like Grindels all that much but he is a badass and watching him is interesting. Theseus and Leta grew on me with such little time. I cried for both of them. I’m disappointed but not shocked or angry at Queenie’s actions. I cried for her too. Flamel creeps me out still. I like Nagini. She’s been through some tough shit and is mildly distrustful of everyone. And now she’s away from possibly her only friend(I got not romance vibes between she and Credence btw).

I liked all the story-telling. There were a lot of creatures. A lot of talking. A decent amount of action. And humor spread out here and there for some levity.

I thought it was a fine film. It was good. I’d re-watch it with the first without hesitation. I had moments where I laughed, moments where I cried, and moments where I wasn’t sure what I was feeling at all.

Grade: A

[eveneechan]

Fantastic Beasts (Updated) Elder Wand Theory

Some official statement from movie tie-in book "Fantastic Beasts The Crimes of Grindelwald: A Spellbinding Cinematic Tour" and article from Pottermore (now Wizarding World website) have strong proof that maybe:

Tina WAS really a Master of Elder Wand

How it can happen?

In this statement from movie tie-in book, it was confirmed:

Tina's Accio counted as disarm

It was also got teased in Pottermore that maybe:

Tina was the only witch who ever become a master of Elder Wand, but undocumented

But....

It also officially stated in same movie tie-in book that Kama disarm Tina. So probably:

Kama is the master of Elder Wand right now

and maybe it is his future plot? How the wand allegiance move from Kama back to Grindy?

Because right now he seems didn't have plot anymore, so this can be very important plot

***

FAQ (since many people ask the same thing xD)

Q: Wait, if Tina's accio can counted as disarm, could Newt's magical rope that he use before Tina use accio can counted as disarm then??

A: yes! Probably it can counted as disarm. I mean, even in Deathly Hallows, Harry "punch" Draco PHYSICALLY, without magic, and it was counted as disarm. So yeah, maybe Newt's magical rope counted as disarm and made him the master of Elder Wand instead of Tina.

BUT we saw in CoG, Kama disarm Newt. So yeah still, right now it is Kama who are the master

Q: But Grindel!Graves didn't use Elder Wand when he battle with Newt and Tina!!

A: yes, he didn't use Elder Wand at that time. BUT back again, let's see Deathly Hallows. Draco also didn't use Elder Wand when battle with Harry, and yet Harry can stole elder wand's allegiance from Draco

A: But Newt/Tina doesn't aware about the elder wand rules. Can they become master without them knowing it? And then the mastery change to Kama?

A: yes, they can. Draco never know he was master of Elder Wand at that time, he doesn't even know the rules. But yet, Harry can still stole the wand's allegiance from Draco

[skiplo-wave]

Gellert: Quick, take my hand!

Newt: *grabs his hand* Now what?

Gellert: Nothing. I just wanted to hold hands.

[hail-dondus]

Credence is NOT a bad person

(an indirect sequel to my post, ‘Leta Lestrange is NOT a bad person’)

Okay, so I kind of agree that Credence wasn’t given a huge amount in CoG, given that this film was supposedly him searching for who he is but I’m blaming that on David Yates - the man fucked up the last 4 Potters and cut a LOT of great scenes from CoG: Tina/Leta protecting Newt/his case, scenes of Queenie and Grindelwald, and of course the scene where Credence and Nagini are on the rooftop of a building. We’ve seen the latter scene in trailers, and according to a few of the making-of books, it was supposedly a scene where Nagini and Credence discussed a) her condition and her wanting to remain human for as long as possible, and b) Credence’s obscurial power/him being able to control his obscurus. 

(You fucked up Yates)

Anyway, I respect that a lot of people don’t like Credence, that’s all personal taste and I can see what people mean when they say he hasn’t been given a lot to do yet because he hasn’t - hopefully the other films will explore his full potential as a wizard. However, I’ve seen a few people flat out despise him because he’s ‘a bad person’/’selfish’ etc. etc., which I personally don’t agree with.

As always, this is all my own personal opinion - I’m not trying to force people to change their minds, I just want to offer my own take on things.

Credence was raised in an abusive household from the time he was a baby - we know this because Irma says she took him to Mary Lou when he was a baby/the baby swapping etc. His birth date is a little tricky to place since the screenplay says 1901 for the boat scene, but the MinaLima adoption certificate says Corvus (who must be roughly the same age, given that they were swapped with no one noticing) was born in 1904 or 1905 (I can’t remember which). So that puts Credence at 21-25 in the first Beasts (18-25 if you include Ezra saying he was told Credence was 18 in the first film) - meaning Credence experienced about 17-24 years of abuse, give or take and depending on what year is actually canon. 

That’s approximately two decades of beatings and emotional torment, of being forced to repress his powers, of having no love or friends save perhaps Modesty later on, and then ‘Graves’ (who’s really Grindelwald). Arguably, Graves doesn’t count as a friend since he was a) actually Grindelwald and b) Grindel!Graves was manipulating Credence the whole time. Then there’s Tina, who’s described in the screenplay as “the only person to show him an uncomplicated act of kindness” - but she’s soon demoted and not allowed to interact with him or help him. 

So, again, he’s alone and suffering inside because of the abuse he’s been suffering since he was a baby. That seriously messed him up, there’s no doubt about it: he can barely hand out flyers without his hands shaking, he hunches over, he develops an obscurus and it lashes out when he’s angry/hurt/upset. The guy is seriously messed up and needs love/affection desperately. 

In FBAWTFT, Mary Lou says, “Your mother was a wicked, unnatural woman” - implying she knew his mother was a witch, that he was magical. Did Mary Lou know that? Or was she told something else perhaps? Did she think Irma was his birth mother? However you look at it, it outright implies she knows about who he really is, and it wouldn’t surprise me if that’s what made Credence want to seek out his real mother - he feels if he knows who she really is, then maybe he’ll know who he is too. 

We need to remember that at this point (pre-CoG), all Credence really knows about himself is a) he’s adopted, b) his mother was supposedly like him (i.e. magical), c) MACUSA want him dead because he’s dangerous, and d) he possesses magical powers. MAYBE he knows his actual birthday/birth date too, maybe not. But he doesn’t know his family history, who his parents are, who he is. After escaping Mary Lou’s abuse, it’s not surprising that he wants to carve a new identity for himself - something other than “abused Second Salem freak” or “dangerous monster”. He wants to reclaim his old/true identity - why would he want to continue living as Credence Barebone, the abused and lost ‘freak’? Why would he want to continue using his abusive adoptive mother’s surname? 

Which then leads to CoG; sometime between the movies, Credence joins the circus and meets Nagini. They form a friendship and she becomes his only friend; we don’t know the specifics on how they became close or anything, but we do know they’re close. Perhaps because they both understand what it’s like to be considered a ‘freak’, a ‘monster’ - Nagini is slowly losing control over her ability to go between human and snake (and she knows one day she will be trapped as a snake forever), whereas Credence seems to be slowly gaining control over his Obscurus power. I’m pretty sure I read in one of the making of books that she encourages him to use/gain control of his powers instead of hiding them (in the deleted rooftop scene, I’m assuming). 

There are different interpretations to the dynamic between Credence and Nagini; close friends, romance - or even a somewhat motherly/son bond. This is ALL speculation at this point, but we know that later Nagini is key in helping Voldemort be nursed back to full health (because of her venom being used in a potion or something). The Maledictus curse is passed from mother to daughter - for this reason, perhaps Nagini doesn’t want children because of the risk of passing it on to a female child (again, I’m speculating). In CoG, she seems to comfort Credence (eg. Irma’s death) by holding him and letting him cry into her shoulder, and she even attempts to protect him when Kama threatens to kill him (in the screenplay, she’s in her snake form and trying to protect him whereas in the film she’s merely just in front of him as a human). Of course, this could just be a protective friendship, but it makes me wonder a bit since Credence is so desperate for a mother in this film.

The thing that people are bringing up in their anti-Credence posts is the ending, where he joins Grindelwald and ‘abandons’ Nagini. Look, I agree, Nagini is vulnerable and needs a friend/support as she has literally no one else, and I personally was a little disappointed he just left her to basically die there given that she’s his only friend, but the more I think about it, the more I think it makes sense. 

Here’s the thing: CoG is about CHOICES. It’s literally the central theme/decision for the characters: the time’s coming where everyone must pick a side. Everyone in this film makes their own choice.

Credence made his: he believed Grindelwald could tell him who he really is - there’s no indication he’s really in it because “all muggles are vermin” or anything, his reasoning is “he knows who I am”. We know that Credence is desperate to know who he is, where he came from, his true identity and history. At the end of the film, he’s even debating/unsure as to whether he made the right or wrong choice - which speaks volumes to me about how confused he is. Even wanting desperately to know who he really is, he’s still uncertain as to whether he made the right choice. Grindelwald knows that he’s vulnerable/confused, and is using that for his own cause. But the point remains that Credence made a choice.

Nagini made a choice too, even if it’s not focused on: given that she’s on Voldemort’s side later, its somewhat surprising that she does NOT join Grindelwald. She could have decided to go because she wanted to remain with Credence, but she didn’t - she knew that she had no other options when it came to getting out. Nagini a) has no wand and perhaps is not magical in a wizard/witch sense like the others (IDK, it’s debatable but she doesn’t use any magic in the film) and b) she knows the fire is killing anyone attempting to flee. Yet she doesn’t join Grindelwald; perhaps this is because she’s not a witch (debatable), perhaps because she mentions people like his followers (i.e. pure-bloods) hunt people like her “for sport”. 

Credence and Nagini made their own individual choices, whether for the better or the worst. Neither of them are bad people because they both had their reasons for choosing the sides they did. 

Personally, Credence is one of my favourite characters; I’m intrigued as to who he is, how he fits into the story - apparently he’s going to be a ‘huge’ character in this franchise, someone important to the story. To add, Ezra Miller is absolutely amazing (yes, I’m biased) and does a wonderful job portraying Credence’s vulnerability and struggles; even with little material, he manages to have a stand-out performance. Honestly, I think Ezra’s performance is part of the reason Credence is so compelling to watch, so intriguing. I’m looking forward to seeing where he goes in the series (I have a nasty feeling it won’t end well for him though...)

[fandomsardonic]

So, here’s a neat tidbit from this EW interview with Johnny Depp on playing Grindelwald.  ----------------------------- What does Grindelwald think of Dum­bledore at this point? I think he’s just waiting. He’s looking forward to [their inevitable showdown]. I think there’s probably a lot of residue left over from days gone by. They quite bonded, you know? When you loved someone, and cared for someone, and it arrives into a [combative] arena — as it has with Dumbledore and Grindelwald — it’s very dangerous when it becomes personal.

----------------------------- Did Depp just admit that Albus’s feelings for Geller were reciprocated? BECAUSE IT DEFINITELY SOUNDS THAT WAY.  Also, when did I become such a Grindeldore shipper?  I kept reading, and it gets better:  ----------------------------- There’s been lots of focus on Dumbledore’s sexuality and how much should be in the film, but very little speculating about Grindlewald. What’s your take on your character’s sexuality and how much of that is apparent in the portrayal? I think it should be left up to the audience to feel it first, and when the time comes … It makes the situation with Dum­bledore all the more intense. I think there’s a jealousy with Scamander. He sees Scamander as Dumbledore’s protégé — his boy, in a way. That in itself is enough for Grindelwald to want to take Scamander down in a way that is ferocious and eternal. ----------------------------- Okay, so remember that scene when Grindel!Graves is interrogating Newt and says “What makes Albus Dumbledore so fond of you?”. Many of us jokingly stated, “What Grindy, are you jealous?”.  YEAH. WELL, MAYBE HE ACTUALLY WAS.  Johnny is hinting that Grindelwald may be a bit possessive of Albus. Pretty interesting.