Warning! Major spoilers ahead for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.
There is a lot to unpack in the latest installment of Fantastic Beasts. The Crimes of Grindelwald picks up only a few months after the events of the first film and follows the creation of the dark wizard's army. While our favorite cast of characters race to ensure Grindelwald doesn't secure the most important piece of his puzzle — Credence Barebone (Surprise, he's still alive!) and the power of his Obscurus — the dark wizard is seemingly always ten steps ahead of them. By the end of the film, he's able to convince more people to join his sinister scheme — including Credence. It's during the final moments of the film that Grindelwald drops the bombshell that Credence is actually . . . a Dumbledore!
Yep, you read that right. To be fair, there are several clues in the film that suggest we're going down this particular road. Credence's big journey during The Crimes of Grindelwald is his burning desire to know who he truly is. On the other side of the coin, we begin delving into the past of Albus Dumbledore, as it ties deeply with Grindelwald's rise to power. In two fairly pointed bits of foreshadowing, Albus mentions that his grandfather always said a phoenix will appear to Dumbledore family members in their moment of need, and avoids answering Leta Lestrange when she asks him if he's ever lost a brother. Instead he tells her that he's felt the loss of a younger sister and implies that it was the reason for his estrangement from Grindelwald.
Later in the film, Leta corrects everyone's assumption that Credence is her younger half-brother Corvus by revealing that he died during a trip to America with the family midwife. A young Leta, frustrated by the baby's incessant crying, switched her brother with another baby (Credence) when the ship carrying them began to sink. The lifeboat with Corvus and Credence's mother capsized and sank to the bottom of the sea, causing Leta's lifelong fear and guilt.
All of these seemingly random pieces of information come together when Grindelwald breaks the "news" to Credence that he's actually a Dumbledore. He gives him a wand, tells him that his brother wants to hurt him and gives him the name "Aurelius Dumbledore." This seems to fill Credence, er Aurelius, with new purpose, because he lets out a huge burst of magic that causes a nearby bit of mountain to explode. Obviously this revelation opens up a bunch of questions, since fans have only ever known there to be three Dumbledore siblings: Albus, Aberforth, and Ariana. And the timeline doesn't add up, for a lot of reasons. So, how is Credence actually related to the Dumbledores? Let's see if we can figure it out.
I Want More! Get our Celebrity & Entertainment newsletter by tapping the button below. Instant Subscribe By signing up, I agree to the Terms & to receive emails from POPSUGAR. 1. Credence Is Albus's Younger Brother 
Let's say that Credence is really Aurelius and he's Albus's blood brother. Since Albus's mother has been long dead by the time Credence is born (which is probably sometime around 1908), she can't have given birth to him. Which means he would have to come from an affair of his father's, making him a half-brother to the Dumbledore siblings. However, Percival Dumbledore was in Azkaban for attacking the boys who hurt Ariana, so he couldn't have fathered any other sons. I highly doubt the Dementors were letting anyone have conjugal visits in Azkaban and, as we know, Sirius Black is the first person to ever escape the prison. Plus, Percival was also dead before Credence's birth. So unless we do some very creative math, there's just no possible way that Credence is another Dumbledore sibling.
2. Credence Is Albus's Nephew 
Let's look at it another angle. Perhaps Credence is a Dumbledore, but not a sibling. Maybe he's the son of another Dumbledore, specifically the only other one who could have a grown son — Aberforth Dumbledore. This would be the most plausible way to relate Credence and Albus, especially since he did have a phoenix come to him. Maybe Aberforth had an affair with a woman who was originally from America, and that's why she was on the boat going back. Or perhaps she was running away from England because of personal trouble. There are a lot of ways this could play out, if we're determined to believe he is related to the Dumbledores in some way.
3. Grindelwald Is a Lying Liar Who Lies 
I can't be the only who how thinks this is most likely the answer. Like I said, none of it adds up. Considering when they both died, Credence is too young to be the son of either Dumbledore parent. Also, if Credence was truly a Dumbledore that his siblings knew of (which Grindelwald seems to imply Albus does), Grindelwald would have known who he was when they met in Fantastic Beasts.
He and Albus were far too close growing up for that little secret not to have been shared before. Another clue to Grindelwald lying is that he tells Credence that he's giving him the name that should have been his birthright, implying that he is naming him and it isn't his actual birth name. As for the phoenix appearing to him "in his time of need," we've seen a phoenix help out people who aren't Dumbledores — Harry Potter for instance — so I'm taking that with a grain of salt. Maybe Credence is that good with animals that a wild phoenix took a liking to him.
But why would Grindelwald lie about Credence being Albus's brother? It's the perfect way to turn him against the other man. By taking him in when his "family" seems to work against him, Grindelwald ensures that Credence will follow his plan and work for him. He gets the power of an Obsurus and a tool to destroy Albus, since he can't personally fight the other wizard.
