Details surrounding Albus Dumbledore’s (Jude Law) relationship with Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen) have been in focus before, but Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore has a chance to reveal crucial details in the pair’s backstory. The Secrets of Dumbledore, directed by David Yates, serves as the third Fantastic Beasts installment. The series continues detailing the lives of notable Harry Potter figures but with a focus on a period decades before the events of J.K. Rowling’s initial book series and the movie adaptations that followed.

After focusing on magizoologist Newt Scamander and his run-in with Gellert Grindelwald (previously played by Johnny Depp) during a mission in 1926, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald put Albus Dumbledore back in the spotlight. This prequel version, played by Jude Law, was still the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts. That said, he already had authority among the wizarding community, particularly with Newt, who he sent on the New York City mission. He also put it upon himself to end Grindelwald’s uprising. As the movie went on, more details regarding Dumbledore and Grindelwald’s past were unveiled.

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While the Fantastic Beasts movies have made Gellert Grindelwald a key character, he first appeared in the Harry Potter books during tellings of the famed Headmaster’s past. More of Dumbledore and Grindelwald’s backstory will come to light through book details and Fantastic Beasts. However, ahead of The Secrets of Dumbledore, here’s everything to know regarding Dumbledore and Grindelwald’s relationship.

When Albus Dumbledore & Gellert Grindelwald Met

According to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Albus Dumbledore officially met Gellert Grindelwald in 1899 when they were both in their late teens. Grindelwald ended up in Godric’s Hollow, where he stayed with his great-aunt, Bathilda Bagshot. Dumbledore, of course, grew up in Godric’s Hollow and was in town when Grindelwald arrived, seeing as he was taking care of his family following the death of the Dumbledore matriarch, Kendra.

Despite graduating from Hogwarts, Dumbledore wasn’t in a positive mindset during the summer of 1899. However, his initial encounter and quick friendship with Grindelwald was a bright spot in an otherwise dark period. The pair were seemed to be cut from the same cloth, serving as gifted wizards who hadn’t yet found a chance to show the Wizarding World their full potential. Through Grindelwald’s focus on finding the Deathly Hallows, Dumbledore also became interested as their relationship took a new turn.

Were Dumbledore & Grindelwald In A Romantic Relationship?

Though the Harry Potter series and Fantastic Beasts franchise have spent time side-stepping the subject thus far, Albus Dumbledore is gay and had a romantic relationship with Gellert Grindelwald in canon lore. Author J.K. Rowling announced the truth regarding the Hogwarts Headmaster in 2007, but since then, the franchise hasn’t done much to directly represent the LGBTQ+ community in terms of Dumbledore’s prequel arc. Still, commentary from Rowling confirmed the teens were lovers during their short time together in 1899. The closest Harry Potter has come to confirming Dumbledore’s romantic relationship with Grindewald was in The Crimes of Grindelwald, when the then-Hogwarts professor shared that he and the dark wizard were “closer than brothers.” The line alluded to the truth regarding the romantic side of their relationship in addition to the pact they put in place.

Dumbledore & Grindelwald Were Both Obsessed With The Deathly Hallows

By the time Grindelwald arrived in Godric’s Hollow, he was deep in his search for the Deathly Hallows, which became an obsession. According to Harry Potter canon, this obsession and dark behavior eventually led to Grindelwald’s expulsion from Durmstrang Institute. Conversely, the expulsion gave Grindelwald the chance to focus on his Deathly Hallows quest, leading to his arrival in Godric’s Hollow, where a twist of fate resulted in his encounter with Dumbledore.

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Through Grindelwald’s intense research, Dumbledore also became obsessed with the Deathly Hallows. More specifically, Dumbledore was curious about the invincibility of the Master of Death, or the one who possessed all three artifacts. While Grindelwald may have steered the purpose of the quest for the hope of a new-look future, there was no question that Dumbledore shared a high interest in the three magical objects.

Dumbledore & Grindelwald’s Blood Pact & Revolution Plans Explained

One of the most interesting subplots to come out of The Crimes of Grindelwald was the blood pact between Dumbledore and Grindelwald. Credence Barebone was (and still is) at the center of the conflict between the two wizards in the Fantastic Beasts series. Granted, there was a legitimate reason why Dumbledore couldn’t hunt down and duel Grindelwald himself: the two share a blood pact. Dumbledore and Grindelwald created this magically-binded pact during the height of their romance in 1899 when they both swore never to fight one another. The creation of this pact was shown in The Crimes of Grindelwald as Dumbledore looked at a flashback through the Mirror of Erised. While it has current consequences with the timeline in focus, it became a pivotal moment in Dumbledore and Grindelwald’s backstory.

With their blood pact in place, the two young wizards began to shape their plan for a revolution. Due to the notion of the Master of Death, Grindelwald had his sights set on immortality, with the hope of overturning the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. By using Dumbledore’s motto of “For the Greater Good,” Grindelwald was able to mask his mission of a new world order by convincing Dumbledore the revolution would be worth it in the long run.

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Dumbledore & Grindelwald’s Involvement In Ariana Dumbledore’s Death

Dumbledore may have been blinded by Grindelwald’s dangerous motivations at the onset, but not long after, their plans for a revolution stalled due to tragedy. The pair knew they must leave Godric’s Hollow to set forth their plans to gain power, but Albus’ brother, Aberforth, caught wind of the revolution plans. A three-way duel broke out, with fourteen-year-old Ariana Dumbledore getting caught in the crosshairs. She died due to the duel, but it’s still a mystery who was directly responsible for killing Ariana that day.

It can be argued that all three young men were at fault, but Grindelwald’s rage caused the duel as he targeted Aberforth first. Therefore, Grindelwald had no choice but to flee the country as he returned to his quest to find the Deathly Hallows alone. After stealing the Elder Wand from wandmaker Mykew Gregorovitch, Grindelwald continued enacting movements for his dark revolution, as seen in the Fantastic Beasts movies. Meanwhile, Dumbledore embarked on a teaching career at Hogwarts, but he never forgot Grindelwald.

Dumbledore & Grindelwald’s 1945 Duel & Fates In Harry Potter

In the Harry Potter books, the next major event to involve Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald was their historic duel in 1945. Following their separation caused by Ariana’s tragic death, the books confirmed that the pair didn’t meet again for nearly 50 years when Deathly Hallows shared the background information. According to the book, Grindelwald set for the global wizarding war to overturn the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, with events coinciding alongside WWII. At some point after 1927, Dumbledore found a way to destroy the blood pact, allowing him to finally duel his former lover. Dumbledore’s defeat of Grindelwald not only marked the end of the wizarding war but also gave Dumbledore the possession of the Elder Wand.

Shortly after, Dumbledore became the Headmaster at Hogwarts, a profession he kept until the start of the Harry Potter series. Grindelwald, on the other hand, was taken prisoner to Nurmengard, where he remained until he was killed by Lord Voldemort in 1998. The fellow Dark Wizard was searching for the Elder Wand’s whereabouts, and Gellert refused to give in to the demands, suggesting that some allegiance to Dumbledore might have remained until the very end.

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What Fantastic Beasts 3 Can Reveal About Dumbledore & Grindelwald’s Backstory

While the Harry Potter series provided some of Albus Dumbledore’s backstory with Gellert Grindelwald, the Fantastic Beasts series still has work to do to fill the pieces of the puzzle. Flashbacks can still explain what happened following Ariana’s death in 1899 and Grindelwald’s resurgence in the 1920s. However, the bigger mystery still surrounds the blood pact. The Secrets of Dumbledore trailer shows Dumbledore fighting Grindelwald, suggesting the pact becomes destroyed. Still, the Fantastic Beasts sequel will need to explain how these events lead to the 1945 duel, barring a major Harry Potter retcon.

The Secrets of Dumbledore must also finally put Dumbledore’s romantic past with Grindelwald in focus. The Fantastic Beasts 3 trailer footage shows Law’s character admitting the phrase “I was in love with you” when speaking to Grindelwald, indicating that the romance could be put in the spotlight. It’s no question that the two men have complicated pasts, and there’s no hope of a happy ending, but several chapters in their story still need to be told. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore may not fill in all of the blanks, but the sequel could finally give a better overall picture of the relationship between two of the most powerful wizards in history.

Key Release Dates
  • Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022)Release date: Apr 15, 2022
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About The Author


Kara Hedash
(1744 Articles Published)

Kara Hedash is a features editor and writer for Screen Rant. From time to time, she dives into the world’s most popular franchises but Kara primarily focuses on evergreen topics. The fact that she gets to write about The Office regularly is like a dream come true. Before joining Screen Rant, Kara served as a contributor for Movie Pilot and had work published on The Mary Sue and Reel Honey. After graduating college, writing began as a part-time hobby for Kara but it quickly turned into a career. She loves binging a new series and watching movies ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to hidden indie gems. She also has a soft spot for horror ever since she started watching it at too young of an age. Her favorite Avenger is Thor and her favorite Disney princess is Leia Organa. When Kara’s not busy writing, you can find her doing yoga or hanging out with Gritty.

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