In the Harry Potter universe, there are plenty of things that boggle our brains about Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald on their own. The two brilliant but flawed characters are bound to have their idiosyncrasies, but some facts about the wizards just don’t make any sense. For example, why does Grindelwald have an English accent when he’s known to have attended Durmstrang Academy rather than Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? Between numerous timeline mix-ups, the fact that Dumbledore is portrayed as a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher in the Fantastic Beast films and several other inconsistencies, there’s enough confusion regarding one or the other powerful wizard as is.
Put the two together, however, and their relationship is even more mind-boggling. While fans generally love the backstory between the two wizards since it not only alludes to Dumbledore’s preference, which is never fully embraced in the books as it should have been but also demonstrates how even the brightest and most gifted wizards remain highly flawed human beings who make mistakes, too many problems and inconsistencies exist throughout their histories. Not only were too many things pulled out of the blue to randomly add dramatic flair to the films, wholly going against what we know from the original Harry Potter book series, but many facts about the pair violate the words of author J.K. Rowling herself.
From that weird oath to the Mirror of Erised’s revelations in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, here are 25 Things That Make No Sense About Dumbledore And Grindelwald’s Relationship.
No Blood Pact Was Mentioned In The Original Series
When fans heard about the mysterious Blood Pact, most felt nothing but confusion. Why was this special wizard pinky promise never mentioned at all in the Harry Potter books? Sure, we get to hear about new spells, creatures and wizard culture all of the time in the new movies, but we’ve been introduced to the Unbreakable Vow before, so this seems unnecessary. Why create this new oath?
It would make more sense to call this an Unbreakable Vow, which would link it with the rest of the series. It also feels shadier than an Unbreakable Vow since it involves blood, so why not use that for Snape’s promise instead?
Dumbledore And Grindelwald Fought Before
Whatever the reasoning behind using a previously unmentioned Blood Pact, it doesn’t make sense that Dumbledore and Grindelwald made one since they had an incredibly wild and irresponsible Duel that resulted in the loss of Dumbledore’s sister Ariana before they parted ways. Given that the Duel was the last time they saw each other, when on Earth did they make this pact that would have had to occur after the Duel?
It’s super unlikely that they would pause and rationally make this pact while Ariana’s lifeless form lay in the rubble of their terrible fight, and since they haven’t seen her since, they couldn’t have made this treaty.
Their Closeness Was Barely Alluded To In The Films
There’s been a big focus on the closeness between Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald in the Harry Potter books, and it’s helped to explain everything from how Dumbledore himself has changed and grown to how he became the person to defeat the most dastardly wizard who lived before Voldemort.
So why do we see quite a bit of Grindelwald and Dumbledore without this context in the film? What little hints we receive are ambiguous at best, with fans speculating on the nature of their actual relationship to the point where J.K. Rowling had to step in and explain, even though she’s already stated that there was once love between the men.
Dumbledore Was On Board For World Domination
Dumbledore was totally swept up in Grindelwald’s dreamy eyes, gleeful expression… and plan for world domination. Many fans think that you need a pair of yoga pants for a stretch like that.
Dumbledore was famous for being a bit of an intellectual snob, it’s true, but that’s a huge step from being a maniac. He reveals to Harry that he was simply caught up in the wizard’s charisma and intellect, and for a young wizard who resented having to use his unique gifts to care for his sister, romancing someone new and interesting makes sense. Hatching a muggle elimination scheme with him doesn’t.
Dumbledore Was Attracted To Grindelwald’s Dislike
We get that Dumbledore thought that Grindelwald was dreamy because of his curly blonde hair, his intellect, and even his magical abilities which rivaled his own. Albus likely rarely experienced meeting wizards at his own level. It was probably exciting to meet someone like Gellert, especially when he was bitterly stuck in Godric’s Hollow as a babysitter.
But we have a hard time seeing how he could have been attracted to the dislike that Grindelwald exhibited toward muggles. It’s one thing for opposites to attract, but if one of those people has an intense dislike towards a group of people, it seems like it should instill revulsion instead of fascination.
The Mirror Of Erised Doesn’t Show Flashbacks
There are a few issues with the Mirror of Erised in The Crimes of Grindelwald. One glaring issue is the fact that it seems to be used more as a flashback device rather than a representation of what the person desires most. It’s not a Pensieve, after all.
While it makes sense that one might desire their past, the Mirror flashed from past to present, illustrating a past memory prior to settling on the current faces of Dumbledore and Grindelwald, which is what it should have simply shown in the first place. This felt like a sloppy way of explaining the pact. Why would Dumbledore want that as his deepest desire?
Dumbledore Would Never Make A Blood Oath
While we’re still hazy on the nature of just what a Blood Pact means to wizards, as we stated earlier, they seem like pretty dark magic. We might expect dark wizards to employ the kind of magic that requires the draining of blood, but not those who subscribe to the power of good. It’s only dark wizards (and double agents) whom we’ve seen make Unbreakable Vows, after all.
Dumbledore doesn’t seem like the kind of person who’d make such a promise. Even so, we do learn that we don’t know Albus nearly as well as we thought we did, which is one of the points of the series.
Rowling Said Dumbledore Saw His Family Reunited In The Mirror
What was the point in including the Mirror of Erised in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald when it introduced new inconsistencies? Dumbledore once told Harry Potter that he saw some thick woolen socks in the Mirror of Erised, and as tempting as those sound, J.K. Rowling admitted that he really saw “his family alive, whole, and happy – Ariana, Percival, and Kendra all returned to him, and Aberforth reconciled to him.”
He certainly didn’t see Gellert Grindelwald or evidence of their Blood Pact, as we see in the movie. As fans have pointed out, our desires change as we grow and age, so it might make sense on that level.
The Blood Pact Cheapens The Meaning Behind Their Relationship
Knowing that Dumbledore is gay and that he once loved Grindelwald deeply, fans were rooting for some representation in the film. By changing his reluctance to act against Grindelwald as something inaction due to his feelings to an actual magical binding by a weird Blood Pact, not only was the nature of their relationship muddied, but its very meaning was cheapened.
This was the perfect opportunity to include a gay couple in a series that unnaturally has a million characters without representation, and it was a disappointment for so many fans. Hopefully, it will be addressed in a powerful moment later in the Fantastic Beasts films.
Grindelwald Knows Dumbledore Has A Brother When Albus Doesn’t Seem To Know
Many fans are speculating that there’s much more to the story than Credence Barebone’s real identity as Aurelius Dumbledore. It certainly sounds like a lie Grindelwald could concoct, but what makes it most fallible is that Albus himself doesn’t seem to know his own brother exists.
We’ve never heard of Aurelius Dumbledore, despite Rita Skeeter’s digging, and if Albus knew of a long lost brother, he’d certainly be on that knowledge like, well, himself on lemon drops, seeking out his brother and attempting to connect with his family, especially after losing Ariana. If he does know and just doesn’t care, that’s out of character for the wizard.
Grindelwald Escaped So Easily
For the world’s most dastardly wizard, how is Grindelwald not only captured so easily but left to escape so easily? As stylish as his escape was, it really wasn’t all that complicated, and one would think that Dumbledore would have been consulted in order to suss out the perfect ways to not only capture but contain him.
Perhaps the mysterious Blood Pact that Grindelwald and Dumbledore made when they were young prevents Dumbledore from aiding the Ministry in his capture, but he was able to speak about it freely enough with Newton Scamander, so it’s reasonable to think that he could have given some helpful advice.
Why Is Grindelwald Even Threatened By Dumbledore?
Dumbledore makes it clear the weird “Blood Pact” renders him unable to act against Grindelwald. Knowing, or at least insisting, that Credence Barebones, the Obscurial, is a Dumbledore, Grindelwald seems as if he needs even more leverage against Dumbledore than the Elder Wand alone. If he feels so threatened by Dumbledore, we need to know why.
Grindelwald has to know that the blood pact keeps him protected from a Duel with Dumbledore. Obviously, it weighs heavily on Dumbledore’s own mind. But if Grindelwald knows the Blood Pact protects him, what does he have to fear in the first place? Maybe the next film will shed more light on the mysterious Blood Pact.
We Don’t Even Know What A Blood Pact Is
Speaking of their big promise made in blood, we really have no idea what a Blood Pact is. How binding is the act? Is it something that can easily be undone? It’s obviously strong, according to Dumbledore, but given that we have had zero context about this promise, not to mention years of speculation and explanations about the Unbreakable Vow, we really have no idea what this pact is.
Is it evil? Does it point to yet another element of Albus Dumbledore that we don’t know about and what lengths he might go to for Grindelwald? Presumably, we’ll find out more in the next movie.
Dumbledore Just Let Him Go After Ariana’s Accident
“Thanks for maybe blowing up my sister, I guess. See you around.” For some reason, it’s difficult to believe that’s how it went down between Dumbledore and Grindelwald during the Duel the two had in their youth, yet it seems as if Dumbledore just let his buddy go after losing his beloved sister.
One might think he’d be following the wizard closely, attempting to stop him in his plan for muggle domination or at least help authorities keep him in check with his inside knowledge on the wizard. Even with Dumbledore’s disdain for law enforcement and politicians, his own loss should have driven him forward against Grindelwald.
Dumbledore Let Grindelwald Live, While Insisting That Voldemort Could Not
Dumbledore kept it a secret from Harry that either The Boy Who Lived or Lord Voldemort would have to be destroyed, one of the most unforgivable acts fans hold against him. Given how Dumbledore is never truly sure about anything, even when he himself holds all of the cards, why would he find it to be such a certainty?
He let Grindelwald live, even though the wizard was responsible for so much loss. Why did he not feel as if the wizard might still be a threat and call for his demise as he did for Voldemort’s? Even if Harry is a Horcrux, surely he could have at least hoped to find another solution.
Dumbledore Was Attracted To Grindelwald In The First Place
There is much emphasis on what a snobby wizard Dumbledore once was regarding talent, intelligence, and wizarding prowess, but if he held his wizarding standards so tightly to his chest, why would he fall for a wizard who was expelled from Durmstrang for almost offing someone? Dumbledore’s fierce principles should have made him appalled rather than attracted to not only this behavior but Gellert’s expulsion from school.
We have to remember that this was a much younger Dumbledore who likely wouldn’t have made allowances within gray areas, not the elderly fellow who understood that each situation is different and welcomed people like Hagrid into his life.
Grindelwald Thought Dumbledore Was The Only Wizard Who Could Stop Him
It’s insinuated that Grindelwald is afraid of Dumbledore, much like Voldemort was, but how did Grindelwald even know that Dumbledore was the only wizard alive who had a chance to defeat him? Did Grindelwald meet every wizard at the time and just find them all wanting? Chances are that there were several other powerful wizards in the world who stood a chance against him.
Some say it’s because of their history, or because he was still in love with the wizard. At King’s Cross in Deathly Hallows, it’s stated that he also knew Dumbledore was “a shade more skilled than him,” but that doesn’t mean he was the only wizard who was at the time.
Neither Look Like They’re Supposed To
Given that J.K. Rowling has confirmed the wizards were a romantic item, we can guess that the wizards were attracted to one another. Those appearances that spoke to one another, however, seem to differ greatly from the books and how we originally imagined them.
Grindelwald was supposed to have not only curly, blonde hair, but a “gleeful look” about him, and we are all well aware of (and adore) Dumbledore’s flowing robes and flamboyant colors. So why were the two changed so noticeably for the films? We’re pretty sure there are other reasons to put Jude Law in a suit and most of us were hoping to see him in his wizard’s robes.
They Don’t See Each Other Again Until Dumbledore Defeats Him
After witnessing Dumbledore plot and plan for years regarding Harry Potter’s fate with Voldemort, it came as a shocker that Dumbledore didn’t see Grindelwald for over a decade until he fought and defeated the evil wizard. This doesn’t seem to fit Dumbledore’s modus operandi at all.
Why wouldn’t Dumbledore meet with Grindelwald and attempt to reason with his old friend as he did with Tom Riddle? We can chalk it up to his feelings regarding the wizard, but if anything, this makes his reluctance to deal with Riddle years later even more worrisome, since he should have learned how bad it could be from his first experience dealing with a dark wizard.
How Does The Ministry Have Access To Dumbledore’s Memories Of Grindelwald?
As we’ve witnessed previously in the Harry Potter universe, memories may be accessed via Pensieve if the wizard opts to remove the memory and place it inside the magical device for viewing. Memories may even be stored in vials, as we’ve seen Harry himself witness as Severus Snape shared a memory in his last moments with the young wizard. What makes no sense is how the Ministry of Magic might have access to Albus Dumbledore’s memories of Gellert Grindelwald.
Why would Dumbledore give any memories to the Ministry, let alone those? Were he questioned about his friend, those records, from someone else’s memory, might work into the plot, but not Albus’s own direct memories.
