Fantastic Beasts Theory: Was Ariana Dumbledore An Obscurial? | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

Fantastic Beasts Theory: Was Ariana Dumbledore An Obscurial?

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them"

52
Fantastic Beasts Theory: Was Ariana Dumbledore An Obscurial?
Wizards and Whatnot

If you have yet to see the brilliance that is "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" I suggest you click out of this article immediately because there will be spoilers. You have been warned.

After much anticipation, I finally saw "Fantastic Beasts" this past week, and let me tell you I was not disappointed. I'm still not happy with Johnny Depp as Grindelwald (#NotMyGrindelwald) but that is for another time. One singular question has been plaguing my mind ever since I stepped foot out of the theatre: was Ariana Dumbledore an obscurial?

An obscurial is a young witch or wizard who develops an obscurus. An obscurus is a parasitic force of dark magic. A child develops an obscurus when their magical abilities are repressed. This is the main antagonist of "Fantastic Beasts" when we learn that Creedence Barebone is a very powerful wizard, but his adoptive Second Salem mother beats him, and his repressed magical energy develops into an obscurus.

Obscurus are very dangerous. A child's obscurus appears as a dark cloud of dark magic, and they burst out of their host because the child usually cannot control it. They are highly unpredictable, and the only two known obscurials were killed by their obscurus. Creedence is the only obscurial we know who was able to mildly control his obscurus, but was still killed by it in the end.

Now how does this relate to Ariana Dumbledore? As you may not know, Ariana Dumbledore was the younger sister of Albus and Aberforth Dumbledore. She was kept hidden away from the world from a lot of her life, and she died at age fourteen. When Ariana was six, and her magic was just developing, she and her brother Aberforth were viciously attacked by some muggle (non-magical) boys. After this traumatic event, Ariana never used magic again, and her mother Kendra Dumbledore kept her inside at most all times.

"It destroyed her, what they did: She was never right again. She wouldn't use magic, but she couldn't get rid of it; it turned inward and drove her mad, it exploded out of her when she couldn't control it, and at times she was strange and dangerous. But mostly she was sweet and scared and harmless." --Aberforth Dumbledore on his sister Ariana

The way Aberforth describes her, in addition to what we see in "Fantastic Beasts" leads me to believe that Ariana Dumbledore was in fact an obscurial. As I said before, an obsurus is created after the repression of magical abilities and after her attack, Ariana refused to do magic. But magic isn't like a rewards card, it doesn't expire if you don't use it. So instead it turned inward, and developed into this parasite of dark magic.

There are of course other factors that lead me to believe she is an obscurial, the biggest one being the way her mother died. After the attack on Ariana, Kendra Dumbledore moved her entire family from Mould-on-the-Wold, a small wizarding village, to Godric's Hollow. She also kept Ariana secluded from the outside world, in order to keep her safe.

When an obscurus takes over a host, it lashes out and attacks whenever the host is in great distress. As we saw in "Fantastic Beasts", the host can sometimes be talked down, and the obscurus controlled. Aberforth Dumbledore did this with Ariana.

"I could get her to eat when she wouldn't do it for my mother, I could calm her down, when she was in one of her rages, and when she was quiet, she used to help me feed the goats." --Aberforth on his sister

When Ariana was fourteen she had an episode where her emotions and magic spun out of control. Aberforth wasn't there to calm her down and she killed her mother Kendra. The way this is described in the book, it sounds exactly like an obscurus.

Again, this is only my theory. You can put as much stock into it as you want, you can add on to it, you can do whatever you like with it. But in my opinion, all of the evidence points to Ariana Dumbledore being an obscurial.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

192062
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

15964
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

458705
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

27083
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments