WARNING: SPOILERS
Do not read if you have not seen 'Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald'.
Those who are lucky enough to have watched 'Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald' will know that the end of the film hid one of the biggest revelations in the saga. And although this twist was quite enough to leave the audience with their jaws wide open, it also has caused much skepticism among fans, seeing as the "discovery" does not sit with what J.K. Rowling has already established in the 'Harry Potter' books. Since the release of the film last Friday, theories have already started circling around the web about how the twist could fit into the 'Harry Potter' canon.
When, in the final moments of the film, Grindelwald revealed to Credence that his true name is Aurelius Dumbledore, it caused a justified wave of shock among audiences. However, what also shocked them was the fact that until now there has only been three Dumbledore siblings; Albus, Alberforth and Ariana. Therefore, the first theories to emerge about the twist is simply that Grindelwald is lying; this could seem logical as we have already seen how well Johnny Depp's character can manipulate those around him to suit his own interests. Furthermore, with this lie he would give Credence sufficient reason to feel anger towards Dumbledore in order to want to confront him, seeing as we know that both Grindelwald and Dumbledore cannot go head to head directly, due to their blood pact. This theory would also support the moments in which Grindelwald does not stop Credence searching for his identity; perhaps to manipulate him more easily, knowing that the search would be a dead end?
If, on the other hand, we want to believe that we really are faced with a fourth Dumbledore sibling, there are various theories which support the possibility, although Rowling's novels make them less probable. Aurelius could be a secret son of Percival, the father of the Dumbledores, but he would have to have been conceived in Azkaban, in which the man was imprisoned and finally died a few years after the death of Albus' mother, as is shown in the Rowling Library. Other theories simply ignore the fact that Grindelwald refers to Albus as Credence's brother, to suggest that Ariana could be the mother of Aurelius; a result of the attack she suffered at the hands of a few muggles, which could have implied rape.
Another popular theory utilizes the concept of the Obscurus which is introduced in 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them', saying that the thing which makes Credence a Dumbledore is the fact that his Obscurus is in fact Ariana, which is therefore the reason Grindelwald refers to Albus as Credence's "brother". As highlighted in Elite Daily, even though it has not been confirmed that Ariana was an Obscurial, the description Rowling gives of the young sister in 'The Deathly Hallows' has caused many fans to think that this is effectively what she was. This would explain the enormous interest Grindelwald shows in Credence as the dark wizard would already have seen the power of the Obsurial through knowing Ariana, who died during a dual between Grindelwald and Albus.
The readers of eCartelera and Movie'n'Co have also thrown in their own attempts to understand this new revelation, given the information that we have. Rinoa83 has developed an idea based on the assumption that Grindelwald is lying; the theory suggests that the boy actually belongs to the Gaunt family, the descendants of Salazar Slytherin and the family of Lord Voldemort. According to this user, the grandparents of Tom could have had another son about whom nobody knew until now, since at his birth he was believed to be a squib (a wizard-born with no magical powers) and thus was rejected by his father. The theory continues that Credence's mother therefore was forced to take him on the ship to the United States, at which point Leta Lestrange exchanged him for her brother, thus saving his life. Rinoa83 adds, in support of their theory, that Nagini, only ever appears alongside Credence in the film, and we already know that she will turn into the loyal servant of the Dark Lord.
An Ending that Shocked Us All
With such a surprising and unexpected ending fans who have already been able to see the film have not delayed in sharing their reactions on social media, making it clear that, although we do not have a clear answer as to whether or not Credence is a true Dumbledore, this revelation has been enough to change everything we thought we know about J.K. Rowling's world. While fans continue to suggest theories to try to explain the true origen of Credence, we will have to wait two more years for the return of the saga to the big screen, when the third 'Fantastic Beasts' will arrive in cinemas, hopefully bringing with it the answers we all deserve.
