The Secrets of Dumbledore is the third installment in the Fantastic Beasts film series, serving as a prequel to the main Harry Potter saga. The story centers on Albus Dumbledore tasking Newt Scamander and his allies with a mission to thwart the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald's escalating plans for global domination. As a film adaptation, its events and characters exist within the film canon and may differ from or expand upon the information presented in the original seven Harry Potter novels. All information in this entry is sourced from the film unless otherwise specified.
The narrative begins with Albus Dumbledore, who is prevented from directly moving against Gellert Grindelwald due to their magical Blood Pact. Aware that Grindelwald has the power of Divination and can foresee any direct counter-move, Dumbledore devises a complex plan to confuse him. He assembles a team, which he refers to as the first army to stand against Grindelwald, consisting of Newt Scamander, his brother Theseus Scamander, Ilvermorny Charms professor Eulalie "Lally" Hicks, French-Senegalese wizard Yusuf Kama, Newt's Muggle friend Jacob Kowalski, and Newt's assistant, Bunty Broadacre. The team's mission is to disrupt Grindelwald's plot to be illegitimately elected as the new Supreme Head of the International Confederation of Wizards (ICW). Grindelwald's plan hinges on using a captured Qilin—a rare magical creature capable of seeing a person's pure soul—to endorse him during the election in Bhutan. He kills one of the newborn twin Qilins and uses Necromancy to reanimate it, intending for the corrupted creature to bow to him. Dumbledore's team, armed with identical suitcases to create confusion, travels to the German Ministry of Magic in Berlin to disrupt a dinner for the ICW candidates and to rescue Theseus, who has been captured. During these events, Grindelwald publicly frames his political opponent, Vicência Santos of Brazil, for an assassination attempt he orchestrated himself. He also tasks Credence Barebone, his tormented follower, with assassinating Dumbledore. The final confrontation takes place in Bhutan during the Walk of the Qilin ceremony. Thanks to Dumbledore's confusing plan, Newt successfully presents the surviving twin Qilin to the world. The creature first bows to Dumbledore, who declines leadership, and then to a shocked Vicência Santos, who is recognized as the worthy leader. Enraged, Grindelwald attempts to kill Credence, but Albus and Aberforth Dumbledore cast protective spells. The collision of these opposing spells finally breaks the Blood Pact. Freed from their magical bond, Dumbledore and Grindelwald engage in a brief but intense duel before Grindelwald disapparates. The film concludes with the wedding of Jacob Kowalski and Queenie Goldstein at Jacob's bakery, attended by Newt, Tina Goldstein, and other members of the team.
This film expands upon the backstory of the Dumbledore family and the conflict with Grindelwald, which was primarily detailed in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows through the accounts of Aberforth Dumbledore and Rita Skeeter's biography, The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore.