Some of the relationships in the Harry Potter franchise might feel tertiary, but the majority seen in Fantastic Beasts 3 feel well-earned and significant. J.K Rowling, writer of both the Harry Potter novels and the Fantastic Beasts screenplays, is infamous for retconning and adding certain elements to her own world, which has rightfully earned her staunch criticism in a post-Deathly Hallows world. The Fantastic Beasts lore that Rowling has developed seems to be an effort to cement her own Wizarding World mythology by linking it to certain characters from the original Harry Potter film series.
With the release of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, the Fantastic Beasts franchise now has roots to rival the original Harry Potter films, given that many of its previously established characters also link to earlier Fantastic Beasts entries. This helps establish a much more cohesive Wizarding World packed with new context that helps make the Harry Potter franchise even richer. This includes its ever-growing character base, some of who share surprising connections. Here are all the characters related to one another in both Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts:
Aberforth Dumbledore & Aurelius Dumbledore
In Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, it is revealed that Aberforth Dumbledore (Richard Coyle), the younger brother of Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law), fathered a son with a woman from Godric’s Hallow. This son turns out to be Credence Barebone, born Aurelius Dumbledore, son to Aberforth, and nephew to Albus. While not much is known about Aurelius’s mother, Albus tells Newt Scamander that she was “sent away,” assuming she took the infant Aurelius with her. Since the two brothers were emotionally distant, Aberforth doesn’t share that he’s fathered a long-lost child with anyone. Albus realizes the relation between Credence and Aberforth when the ashes of Credence’s phoenix fall onto his suit coat, all while Aberforth communicates with this son by way of the mirror in the Hog’s Head. Aberforth is reunited with his son after the confrontation with Grindelwald. During Fantastic Beasts 3′ emotional climax, Aurelius asks Aberforth if he’s ever thought of his son, to which he replies with the infamous Severus Snape line “Always.”
Bellatrix Lestrange & Leta Lestrange
Though it is safe to assume Bellatrix (Helena Bonham Carter) and Leta (Zoë Kravitz) are related due to their shared surname, the Lestrange family tree is much more convoluted than it initially appears. Though Bellatrix was originally born into the Black family, she eventually married Rodolphus Lestrange, with the pair’s potential blood relation throwing a spanner in the works. Rodolphus’ ancestor, Radolphus Lestrange, served as Minister for Magic from 1835 to 1841. In Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindewald, Corvus Lestrange IV (Keith Chanter) is introduced, residing in France during the 1920s and dying shortly after sending his daughter Leta and son Corvus away from the country – which means there’s a disconnect in the Lestrange family tree between the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films.
There is another possible version of the Lestrange lineage in the bloodline of Cyrille Lestrange I, with Cyrille and his brother, Corvus I, being Leta Lestrange’s great-great-grandfather. Cyrille’s lineage ended with Nozéa Lestrange in 1927, who was unmarried and without children. Rodolphus might have descended from this line of Lestrange’s, but he isn’t shown on the Lestrange family tree seen in The Crimes of Grindewald, even though he served as Minister for Magic during the mid-1800s. The family tree seen in the sequel film spans the 1700s to the 1900s, so, in theory, Rodolphus should appear, though he may have been removed as a blood traitor given he went on to become Minister for Magic, much like Sirius Black was from his family tree in the original Harry Potter timeline. While there are not yet any canonical relationships between Leta, Bellatrix, and Rodolphus at the time being, Lestrange remains a very familiar surname in the Wizarding World and could yet be explored in the fourth installment of the Fantastic Beasts franchise.
Lord Voldemort & Nagini
In Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Nagini (Claudia Kim) is re-introduced as a woman who is kept captive in the Circus Arcanus by its ringmaster, Skender (Ólafur Darri Ólafsson). She eventually leaves this twisted circus to help her friend, Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller), find his family. It is subsequently revealed that Nagini is a Maledictus, whose blood curse will permanently transform her into a snake. Nagini isn’t in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, so her future in the Fantastic Beasts franchise is uncertain, but given her portrayal in the films as a kind, loyal friend who refutes Gellert Grindewald’s influence on Creedence, imploring him to stay with her instead of joining the dark wizard, it doesn’t necessarily align with her eventual relationship with Lord Voldemort. It’s apparent that she eventually succumbs to the curse and joins Voldemort in his quest for power, becoming his loyal servant and eventual Horcrux, but exactly how the character ends up refuting one dark wizard in favor of another is left unexplained for now. The connection that Voldemort and Nagini share is unbreakable; the two share a deeply personal bond. Voldemort possesses her to attack Arthur Weasley at the Ministry of Magic, and it is Nagini’s venom that helps keep Voldemort alive. If the two other Fantastic Beasts films are greenlit, Nagini’s story could be a pivotal plot point in the future.
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Luna Lovegood & Newt Scamander
Before the release of the first film, Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, Newt Scamander was simply known as the author of the book by the same name which was recommended reading for Hogwarts students in their first year of school. Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) purchase their copies of Newt’s book at Flourish & Blotts, and the character isn’t mentioned further. However, J.K Rowling does bring up the surname Scamander once again after the publication of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows after Rowling confirmed what happened to Luna Lovegood after Harry Potter. Rowling states that Luna ends up marrying Rolf Scamander, grandson to both Newt and Porpentina Scamander (née Goldstein). Rolf followed his grandfather’s footsteps and became a magizoologist himself, eventually falling in love with Luna. This makes Luna Lovegood the great-daughter-in-law of both Newt and Tina Scamander, further cementing another prestige family lineage in the Harry Potter canon.
