Fantastic beast (lots of SPOILERS) can anyone tell me

[Cranky17]

What was actually going on?

Credence was the crying baby? Who lestrange swapped with a non crying baby, and no one noticed, so credence surely drowns when the boat capsizes and the baby who lived is no relation to dumbledore at all
So not dumbledores brother at all.
Feel like I may have misunderstood though

The crying baby was Lestrange’s little brother who presumably drowned
The non crying baby who lived is Credence. And Grindelwald tells him he is a Dumbledore, and that his brother wants to kill him

We don’t know if Grindelwald is telling the truth or how he would know (3 months ago he didn’t know who Credence was at all and he’s spent the time since in jail)

We don’t know that the brother who wants to kill him is Albus. Do they have cousins?

I enjoyed the film but it felt like a tv episode - I need the next one now!

However, if you think about the back story I don't see how he can be a Dumbledore. Dumbledore is easily 20 years older than Credence. Dumbledore's mother was dead long before he turned 20, so he's not a younger brother and his father was in Azkaban by the time Ariana was 6 where he died. He's not Albus' child as Albus is gay.

So you have three options

1. He's Aberforth's child - although we know that Aberforth was mainly interested in goats.
2. Dumbledore's father had another baby in Azkaban which seems unlikely.
3. There's another wing of the Dumbledore family who have conveniently never been mentioned before.

I may have been overthinking this

AD is born in 1881. CoG is set in 1927 so AD is 46. He was 17-18 when he met GG so the year would be 1899/1900. AD mother died around this time from an accident which stopped AD from doing the grand tour of Europe. This means in order to be the son of KD CB would need to be over 28 years old which he is obviously not!

PD died in Azkaban in 1890. CB would have to be 37 to be his son.

Can't get the number / years to add up it's bothering me soooo much!!

Just checked it was 1899 when AD and GG met.

My theory is he is the son of AD’s sister (although only 14 when died) possible G is the Dad? Would explain why he is such a risk to both parties as he contains both their blood.

Ok so he’s not necessarily dumbledores brother..
my other question is why was credence in the boat in the first place? Surely it’s too random, it wouldn’t have been a boat full of wizards as they would have travelled in a different way, so I think it’s too much of a stretch that he was swapped for another wizard

although only 14 when died

That's the bit that seems too dark for JK Rowling. Also seems unlikely on the basis that Ariana was described as being tortured into insanity when her magic turned inwards, being hard to control.

It also ( another over thinker) why was dumbledore and all the cast really dressed so no wizardry. All of them goes from a good dressers to cloaks

The only problem is according to wiki CB was born in 1901 and AD died in 1899.

The dates are driving me crazy.

Yes the numbers don’t add up at all some I think it will be some other branch of the family that no one ever mentioned 🤔

Ariana was described as being tortured into insanity when her magic turned inwards, being hard to control

Exactly but then she exploded in anger or fear which killed her mother (exactly the same way as credence)

Although it is slightly darker, I think JK has gone that route. Maybe Ariana is not dead!

JK said in the 20's and before wizards had to travel by boat the same as muggles.

There was the hoo har of why newt traveled by boat I the first one xx

Damn it dunno why I added the xx I'm losing my marbles clearly!

Oh ok thanks didn’t realise, wasn’t overly impressed with fantastic beast and where to find them so didn’t take much in

I think dates don’t add up or matter because Grindelwald is lying. He’s telling Credence something he thinks might get him to do what he (Gridelwald) wants him to.

Maybe Ariana is not dead!

But she had a portrait in The Deathly Hallows in Aberforth's living room, only dead wizards have portraits.

I also think Ariana is not dead and survived the implosion. Especially as Dumnledore says he did not so enough to save her. Maybe she is Credence's mother and Grindelwald knows this because of his 'closer than brothers' relationship with AD.

Don't get me started Mcgonagal's age - must be her mother?

She could have died in childbirth two years later (after AD thought she was dead) and why she still has a portrait.

I am giving this too much thought.

My theory is grindelwald told a half truth. He meant the obscurous inside credence is a dumbledore. So ‘your brother is trying to kill you’ meant the obscurous is Ariana.

She could have died in childbirth two years later (after AD thought she was dead) and why she still has a portrait.

Dumbledore saw her die though. He saw the right between Aberforth and Grindelwald. He saw Grindelwald use the Crusciatus curse on Aberforth and at the end of the fight Arianna was dead.

*fight, not right.

Can someone explain to me who the baby was who was killed? Not the one in the boat, whatshisname Lestrange, the one sitting on the floor in the bedroom, in Paris I think it was.

It was the baby of the people who they killed to take their house. The baby was more in the way than anyone of note.