Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore hit theaters on April 15 and premiered on HBO Max last week, after several pushbacks due to COVID-19 shutdowns. But the pandemic is hardly the only reason the Harry Potter prequel faced delays in production. The Fantastic Beasts series has faced numerous controversies throughout their run, and fans have been confused about the intent of the franchise, despite the fact that it's been announced as a five-part saga. Although it was originally pitched as a “creature feature” loosely inspired by J.K. Rowling’s 2001 companion guide, the series has transformed into a full-on Harry Potter prequel centered on the First Wizarding War.

The previous film Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald introduced Jude Law as the younger version of Albus Dumbledore during the late 1920s. Long before he became the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Dumbledore served as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. In the post-World War I era, the Wizarding World is at a standstill, as the charismatic dark lord Gellert Grindelwald (then played by Johnny Depp) has gained favor among many witches and wizards with his belief in the inferiority of muggles. Dumbledore and many others fear that Grindelwald’s radical beliefs could provoke a full-on conflict between the two worlds.

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Dumbledore knows of Grindelwald’s lethal nature from his own personal experiences. As revealed in the book Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and adapted in both film versions, the two were childhood friends who pursued cutting edge magic together. Although the book doesn’t state it outright, it was largely believed among Harry Potter fans that the two were romantically involved. Rowling’s official comments on the matter have been a subject of serious debate over the course of both the novels’ and films’ release; Rowling has frequently confirmed that the two were romantically linked, but has been slow to include any actual evidence of their relationship within the text itself.

Either way, The Secrets of Dumbledore re-explains the backstory of how Albus and Grindelwald were split apart by their political differences, and the lasting impact their time together had on Albus’s younger brother, Aberforth. The Secrets of Grindelwald introduces Richard Coyle as the younger version of Aberforth within the Fantastic Beasts timeline. Ciarin Hinds appears briefly as the older Aberforth in The Deathly Hallows, Part 2, where he’s revealed to be the barman of the Hog's Head Inn, and a secret ally to the Order of the Phoenix resistance group. The Secrets of Grindelwald shows that the allegiance between the two began many years prior; the younger Aberforth helps to smuggle Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) and his allies into Hogwarts by allowing them to stay at the Hog’s Head.

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During their youth, Aberforth grew wary of Albus’s connection with Grindelwald, and feared his dark magic could push Albus down a darker path. Grindelwald temporarily convinces Albus to join him in a campaign to make muggles “subservient” to the wizarding world, and they plan to start a conflict together. Aberforth confronts the two about their plans, and the three young wizards are drawn into a fearsome three-way duel at the Dumbledore family home of Godric’s Hollow.

Amidst their battle, a spell accidentally kills the youngest of the three Dumbledore children, Ariana. Ariana is a teenager at the time, and unable to control her magical powers. It’s never revealed whether Albus, Aberforth, or Grindelwald was the one responsible for the curse, but in The Secrets of Dumbledore, Albus reflects that it “didn’t really matter.” The ambiguity haunts all three of them for the rest of their lives. Grindelwald flees the scene, effectively ending his relationship with Albus, and Aberforth never forgives his brother.

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Although Ariana’s death had been previously established, the final moments of The Crimes of Grindelwald revealed that Ezra Miller’s character Credence Barebone was also part of the Dumbledore family. Similar to Ariana, Credence was unable to control his magical powers, and accidentally unleashed his Obscurus. Credence falls under the guidance of the auror Percival Graves (Colin Farrell), who is later revealed to be Grindelwald in disguise. Grindelwald hones Credence’s abilities and recruits him to join his dark army. Credence swears allegiance to Grindelwald after learning his true name: Aurelius Dumbeldore.

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In The Secrets of Dumbledore, Credence tracks down Albus, demanding answers about his lineage. Albus confirms his relation, and later explains how they are all connected to Newt. Aurelius was an illegitimate child of Aberforth’s. His mother is killed, and as a result Aberforth is unable to care for his son. Credence is taken to America and put up for adoption, a fact known to no one but Leta Lestrange (Zoe Kravitz). Credence grows up unaware of his magical powers.

Aberforth yearns to reconnect with his son, but the trauma of losing both his sister and wife makes him nervous. He’s grown accustomed to tragedy within the Dumbledore family. Albus urges Aberforth to reach out, hoping to be a better uncle than he was a brother. Aberforth and Aurelius secretly communicate through writings on a mirror in the Hog’s Head.

Ultimately, Aurelius betrays Grindelwald and chooses to reveal his deceits ahead of the Wizarding World Election. Although he’s critically wounded in the battle, Aurelius is finally able to reconnect with his father, under Albus’s watchful eye. The reunion draws Albus and Aberforth closer together. While his ultimate fate by the time of the Harry Potter timeline is a question for the fourth and fifth Fantastic Beasts films to answer, for the time being, the Dumbledore family may know some peace.