It’s Not Harry Potter, But "Secrets of Dumbledore" Brings Politics Into the Wizarding World

By Kathryn Taleporos

April 29, 2022

Finally bringing the world of “Fantastic Beasts” back to Hogwarts, Warner Brothers’ latest installment of the Wizarding World franchise, Secrets of Dumbledore, leaves fans with answers about the past, questions about the future, and a powerful political message that brings together the fantasy of magic with the harsh realities of our own world.

The third installment of the Fantastic Beasts franchise, the movie Secrets of Dumbledore explores storylines from the previous Fantastic Beasts franchise, and the past Harry Potter stories. After the cliffhanger in the previous movie, Crimes of Grindelwald, Credence (Ezra Miller) continues to pursue answers to his past.

Set in the context of the election for leader of the Wizarding community. Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelson) campaigns for political power, while a team led by Albus Dumbeldore (Jude Law), and Newt Scamander (Eddie Redymane) fight to stop Girndelwald’s dangerous political pursuit. The team also features returning favorites from previous movies such as Jacob Kowolski (Dan Fogler), Theseus Scamander (Callum Turner), and Bunty (Victoria Yeates). The film also features a new character, Professor Eulalie Hicks (Jessica Williams). Each member of this unlikely team has their own moment in the fight against Grindelwald’s quest for power.

Written by celebrated author J.K Rowling, fans may expect Secrets of Dumbledore to live up to the legendary status of “Harry Potter”. However, in that aspect, the film drastically disappoints. While this film was superior to the past two films in the new “Fantastic Beasts” franchise, finally connecting “Fantastic Beasts” back to the world of Harry Potter, the film in no way measures up to magic that is encapsulated in the original Harry Potter movies. But out of the three Fantastic Beasts movies, Secrets of Dumbledore easily triumphs as the top movie.

The message in this movie sets it apart from the others in the franchise. While J.K Rowling has a controversial past on LGBTQ issues, her political messages throughout Secrets of Dumbledore fit perfectly in the context of today’s tense political climate. As the film follows Grindelwald in his pursuit to be leader of the Wizarding community, Rowling explores the ideas of tyranny, and hatred towards others. These ideas correlate perfectly with current issues such as the Russian-Ukraine war, and past issues as well. The film is set during the late 1920s/ early 1930s, right before the start of World War 2. Grindelwald’s quest for ultimate power, and his desire to control those with non-magical abilities, and ultimately eliminate them, matches the messages of hate and power that existed during this time period, as well as the same dangerous messages we hear today.

If you are looking for another Harry Potter movie, this is not it. While it does not live up to the status of an original Harry Potter movie, Secrets of Dumbledore, stands out compared to the two Fantastic Beasts” movies that came before it. Delving into a strong political message, and bringing back memories of Hogwarts and traditional Harry Potter settings, this movie is a must see for any fan of the franchise.