FANTASTIC BEASTS: The Secrets of Dumbledore

*CUT TO THE CHASE*

NOTE: This spoiler was submitted by Jeremy

The film opens in London, where Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) goes to a restaurant. He is met by Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen). Dumbledore is holding the blood pact they made to prevent them from fighting each other. He talks about how they used to be in love, but Grindelwald’s hatred of Muggles has led to his vendetta against them. Grindelwald tells Dumbledore that he will destroy the Muggle world with or without his help, and there is nothing that can be done to stop him. Grindelwald leaves and appears to set the place on fire.

In China, Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) finds a creature called a Qilin. The mother gives birth to a baby Qilin, which Newt tries to take care of until he is found by Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller), along with Vinda Rosier (Poppy Corby-Tuech) and two other Grindelwald followers. They use the Killing Curse on the mother, prompting Newt to run away with the baby. The villains catch up to him and incapacitate him, and they take the baby Qilin with them. Newt returns to the dying mother but is surprised to find that she had twins, and the other Qilin is unharmed. He takes the second baby with him as one of his creatures comes out of his briefcase to fly them away to safety.

Credence delivers the Qilin to Grindelwald. After the followers leave, Grindelwald cradles the baby until he slits its throat and sees visions of the future in its blood. This is witnessed by a horrified Queenie Goldstein (Alison Sudol). She later goes to talk to Credence, who sees the words “Forgive me” written in fog on the mirror.

Newt brings his brother Theseus (Callum Turner) to meet with Dumbledore. They meet his older brother Aberforth (Richard Coyle) in a pub. Albus shows them the blood pact and shows how it acts against him physically because it senses his desire to betray the pact so that he can fight Grindelwald. They agree to form a plan to take him down.

Back in New York, Jacob Kowalski’s (Dan Fogler) bakery has fallen on hard times after he lost Queenie to Grindelwald’s side. He even imagines seeing her returning to him, but he is still terribly depressed. Outside, a professor from American magic school Ilvermony, Eulalie “Lally” Hicks (Jessica Williams), is supposedly being harassed by three men. Jacob steps outside to confront them, but it turns out Lally was working with them to get Jacob’s attention. Despite Jacob’s refusal to be involved in more magic business, Lally convinces him to go along as she uses a portkey to teleport them away.

Jacob and Lally board a train to meet with Newt, Theseus, Yusuf Kama (William Nadylam), and Newt’s assistant Bunty Broadacre (Victoria Yeates). They discuss a plan to defeat Grindelwald by trying to confuse him, since he now possesses the ability to see future events. Newt gives Jacob a wand that Dumbledore let him have for the purpose of fooling Grindelwald. Yusuf goes off to join Grindelwald’s followers under the pretense of betraying Dumbledore, and managing to get through when Grindelwald confirms with Queenie (who reads Yusuf’s mind) that he is telling the truth. Grindelwald also removes Yusuf’s memory of his half-sister Leta to ease his pain over her death.

The rest of the group arrives in Berlin, Germany for a political rally, as there are currently two candidates vying for the position of Supreme Mugwump – Chinese Minister of Magic Liu Tao (Dave Wong) and Brazilian Minister Vicencia Santos (Maria Fernanda Candido). Grindelwald is also there with the intent to throw his name into the race. German Minister Anton Vogel (Oliver Massuci) absolves Grindelwald of his crimes to allow him to enter the race. Theseus begins to follow Grindelwald’s acolytes and is incapacitated and arrested. Before Newt can pursue them, Lally tells him they are outnumbered and would not stand a chance.

Albus and Aberforth are having a quiet dinner together, their relationship clearly strained. They are visited by Professor McGonnagall (Fiona Glascott), who informs Albus of what has happened in Berlin. Aberforth also sees a message written on the mirror – “I know what it’s like to be alone.”

Bunty goes to get Newt’s briefcase replicated for each member of the group. Meanwhile, Newt, Jacob, and Lally attempt to get Grindelwald’s men to give up the location to where Theseus is imprisoned, but to no avail. They are met by Dumbledore, who tells Newt the prison where Theseus is.

On the streets of London, Credence confronts Dumbledore and attempts to use his Obscurial powers on him after being ordered by Grindelwald to kill him. He also tells Albus to call him by his true name, Aurelius. Dumbledore fights back and subdues Credence, placing him in a sort of mirror realm. After incapacitating him, Albus tells Credence that while he is indeed a Dumbledore, he is not of the same relation that Grindelwald had led him to believe (meaning he is not Albus’s brother). He also knows Credence and Aberforth have been exchanging messages through the mirror. Albus apologizes to Credence for the pain he has gone through and he brings him back to reality where he helps him back on his feet.

Newt goes to the prison where he must leave Pickett (the Bowtruckle) and Teddy (the Niffler) in a locker along with his wand. Newt uses a lantern and must makes specific movements to keep little scorpion creatures from attacking him, all while having to avoid the much larger beast at the bottom of the prison that picks random prisoners to devour, leaving the remains to the little ones. Newt finds and frees Theseus, just barely managing to escape the giant scorpion when their lantern goes out. Pickett has managed to free himself and Teddy, and Newt and Theseus flee with them before the warden of the prison is implied to be eaten.

Jacob and Lally attend a gathering where Grindelwald and his followers are, as they are plotting to assassinate Santos by slipping her poisoned wine. Lally manages to destroy the glass, but Jacob approaches Grindelwald with his wand after seeing Queenie and becoming angered. Fearing retaliation, Lally creates a storm indoors and escapes with Jacob.

Newt and Theseus rejoin everyone at Hogwarts. Dumbledore leads them all to a portkey of his own where they return to Aberforth’s pub. At night, Newt overhears the brothers talking about how Credence is truly Aberforth’s son that he conceived with a girl he met at Godric’s Hollow. Newt speaks to Albus, who talks about his sister Ariana, who was also an Obscurial that lived past the suggested age most children with that affliction live past. Albus explains that he and Aberforth got into an argument when he did not support Albus’s relationship with Grindelwald. The three of them drew their wands, and a stray blast killed Ariana as she came down the stairs. Albus and Aberforth have lived with this guilt ever since.

The group later travels to Bhutan as moment of the election draws near, where the Qilin will be used to decide who is pure of heart and worthy of leading the magical world. Grindelwald has bewitched the Qilin that he killed and manipulated it in his favor. After subduing his henchmen, the group comes to the front just as the bewitched Qilin bows to Grindelwald. He rallies his people and tries to use Jacob’s assassination attempt as an incentive to go against the Muggles. Bunty then shows up with the briefcase containing the real Qilin, and it bows to Albus first, but he says there must be someone else worthy. The Qilin bows to Santos, making her the official new leader. Grindelwald attempts to use the Killing Curse on Credence for failing him continuously, but Albus and Aberforth draw their wands and deflect the attack, breaking the blood pact for good. Albus and Gellert duel briefly before the mad wizard makes his escape. As the people celebrate Santos’s victory, Aberforth finds Credence growing weaker as the Obscurial curse is starting to kill him. He offers to bring his son home at last, which Credence accepts.

The group returns to New York, where Queenie returns with her friends and marries Jacob at the bakery. As Newt prepares his best man speech, he is reunited with Tina (Katherine Waterson), who has been busy as she was promoted to Head Auror of MACUSA. Before going back inside, Newt briefly talks to Dumbledore. He watches the ceremony from outside and proceeds to walk home alone.

Newt Scamander teams up with his brother Theseus, Jacob Kowalski, American Professor Eulalie "Lally" Hicks, his assistant Bunty Broadacre, Yusuf Kama, and Albus Dumbledore to take down Gellert Grindelwald as he plans to rig an election to make him Supreme Mugwump, ruler of the magical world. Albus must also come to terms with his past, including his relationship with Grindelwald, his estrangement from his brother Aberforth, and their relation to Credence Barebone, who is revealed to be Aberforth's son.

Grindelwald uses a creature called a Qilin, killing and bewitching it, to have it see him as worthy so he can be voted for the position. Newt and his friends subdue his followers and bring out the real Qilin (a twin) to pick a true worthy leader. Grindelwald tries to kill Credence for failing him, but Albus and Aberforth intervene, breaking the blood pact that Albus and Grindelwald made to prevent them from fighting each other. After reaching a stalemate, Grindelwald retreats.

Queenie Goldstein rejoins her friends after her brief time with Grindelwald, while Aberforth brings Credence home, as the Obscurial magic within him is beginning to kill him. Queenie and Jacob are married in New York, and Newt is reunited with Tina.