What Happened Between Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts Movie Events? Timeline Explained

The Wizarding World was home to a variety of major events between the adventures of Newt Scamander and Harry Potter.

Updated on May 26, 2024  |  01:40 PM IST |  34.5K
IMDb
Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts (PC: IMDB)

The Wizarding World's history is magical but not always peaceful. There were periods of great difficulty, such as the Harry Potter film series and its prequel, Fantastic Beasts. Fans witness epic battles between good and evil as two dark wizards attempt to seize power. These series are not the defining moments of the Wizarding World's history, but an important part of it. Each era had its own important moments that could have reshaped the world that fans love.

In between Newt Scamander's globe-trotting adventures and Harry Potter's time as a student at Hogwarts, there were a number of other major events that occurred. Major wars took place within the British Wizarding community, battles were waged between secret societies, and, of course, many characters enjoyed lighthearted adventures that embodied the thrilling magical world the characters lived in. While the franchise does tend to revolve around Harry Potter and Newt Scamander, they are not the sole focus of this world.

What happened after the events of Fantastic Beasts series?

After the Fantastic Beasts film series, Albus Dumbledore faced Gellert Grindelwald in a terrifying duel on November 2nd, 1945. Despite his longstanding affection for Grindelwald, Dumbledore confronted him, ending the Global Wizarding War. Grindelwald was imprisoned in Nurmengard, a prison he had built himself, and would remain there until his death at the hands of Lord Voldemort. This event marked the beginning of the end of the Wizarding World and the beginning of the end of the Global Wizarding War.

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Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (PC: IMDB)

Dumbledore's victory over Grindelwald solidified his position as the world's greatest wizard, securing his vaunted skills and the world's most powerful wand. He later became the Headmaster of Hogwarts, a position he would maintain for his entire life.

Not much is known about the world's history after that. Based on the little information that is provided, it can be assumed that the Wizarding World enjoyed twenty-five years of peace, as there were no major conflicts until Voldemort made his first grab for power.

However, it can be speculated that the most significant events during this time was the education of a young Tom Riddle and his eventual transformation into the Dark Lord Voldemort. Beyond that, little else can be said regarding the major events between Grindelwald's fall and Voldemort's rise, something the people of this universe are probably grateful for.

Lord Voldemort's rise 

Lord Voldemort spent his years at Hogwarts and preliminary murders during the Global Wizarding War, preparing to travel the world and immerse himself in the dark arts. He built connections at Borgin and Burkes, learned more about the dark arts, and eventually befriended Hepzibah Smith, a collector of rare artifacts. He murdered Smith to acquire the Cup of Helga Hufflepuff and the Locket of Salazar Slytherin, but he vanished from the public eye for years.

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While there are no exact details about what Voldemort did during these lost years, it is known that the Dark Lord traveled across Europe and Asia, acquiring more and more knowledge about dark magic and gaining several followers from the less-than-reputable parts of Wizarding society.

During this time his experiments resulted in physical and mental transformations that, while they did make him stronger, ultimately turned him into a monster, finally reflecting what was inside him. The gang of companions he had at school had now become an organization that followed him known as the Death Eaters.

His rise to power was stalled by his former teacher, Dumbledore. During this time, he had risen to positions of authority in the International Confederation of Wizards and the Wizengamot. Dumbledore used these positions to enact legislation that would reduce the threat of dark magic to Wizarding society in England as a whole, delaying Voldemort by years.

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Voldemort applied for the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor position at Hogwarts, aiming to recruit students and explore Hogwarts for the Sword of Godric Gryffindor. However, Dumbledore refused, and Voldemort placed an unknown jinx on the position to prevent anyone from holding onto it for more than a year.

The Wizarding War and the fall of Lord Voldemort

Voldemort initiates his first open attacks on the Wizarding World, using his followers to attack muggles and the Ministry of Magic. He plans to exhaust them and topple the government to establish a new world order. As his actions escalate, he attacks witches and wizards deemed "blood traitors" and "mudbloods," and has Death Eaters take high-level positions within the Ministry to destabilize it.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (IMDb)

With the Ministry not being effective at combating Voldemort, Dumbledore founded the Order of the Phoenix, a small group that could take the fight directly to the Death Eaters. During this time, James and Lily Potter defied Voldemort's offer to join his side, earning them his ire and they were shortly married after the event, eventually having their son, Harry Potter.

During the First Wizarding War, Dumbledore met with Sybil Trelawney, who aimed to impress him and become the Divination teacher at Hogwarts. Despite unsuccessful attempts, Trelawney entered a magical trance and prophesied the birth of a wizard who would rival and defeat Lord Voldemort.

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Severus Snape, a Death Eater, overheard the Dark Lord's plan to kill Harry Potter and defected to Dumbledore's side to protect Lily and her family. Dumbledore agreed, but was betrayed by Peter Pettigrew, leading to Voldemort's murder of James and Lily.

Despite his efforts, Voldemort failed to kill Harry, causing his curse to rebound and breaking his power. The First Wizarding War ended, allowing the Wizarding World over a decade of peace, but Voldemort would eventually return to cause more chaos.

ALSO READ: Daniel Radcliffe Shares Whether He Will Cameo in Harry Potter TV Reboot; Read

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With a Masters in English, Barsha is a movie buff and a K-pop stan who is fascinated by the

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