A burning summer

Day, 30th June 1899

NOTES:

SPOILER FOR "FANTASTIC BEASTS - THE SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE" AHEAD

So, after four years we finally have the third movie of the series. As I specified at the end of the last published chapter, I waited to see "The Secrets of Dumbledore" in case we were given more details regarding the relationship between Grindelwald and Dumbledore. What I hadn't anticipated (and I guess none of us did) was that this third instalment of the saga would introduce such massive changes to the Wizarding World canon as we knew it until now. Honestly, I don't fully grasp the reason behind these decisions by J. K. Rowling, but, although I'm not even 100% sure whether to consider what happens in this third film as canon, she remains the "goddess-creator" of this world, so there is nothing else to do. I started with the intention of writing a canon-compliant fanfiction and now I'll stick to it.

Obviously this sudden sprouting of new branches in the Dumbledore family tree is a problem for my story for several reasons:

- I cannot simply ignore the existence of Aurelius Dumbledore (is this even his real name?), nor "write around it" because in short, the procreation of a child is slightly difficult to oversee

- the fact that Aberforth is only 16 years old in the summer of 1899 (if I consider 1883 and not 1884 as his birth date), which implies the introduction of a fairly heavy new theme, namely teen parenting

- absolutely not knowing who Creedence/Aurelius's (?) mother is and/or if she is important in any way

So expect the introduction of this new narrative thread, albeit in a vague way, because, oh dear, I really don't know where to put my hands.

Moving on to the next big problem: the blood pact.

My expectations for this film included an explanation of how exactly a blood pact works and above all how it was possible for Albus and Gellert to fight in the three-way duel or whether this duel and therefore not respecting the blood pact killed Ariana. Now, the fact that the blood pact strangles the creator if not respected seemed to me a weak and not really logical explanation, but I am ready to accept it. What seems really inexplicable to me is the fact that in the end a pact that seemed "indestructible" is broken by faith. It is literally what Dumbledore says: "Call it faith" and excuse me, but no. So another thing you can expect is that in this case I will really try to "write around it" without breaking the canon.

My dear readers, I really don't know what to tell you. Sure, "The Crimes of Grindelwald" was somewhat problematic, but at least it respected the canon, "The Secrets of Dumbledore" instead will be a boulder to digest for all the fandom.

But by now I have embarked on this literary adventure and I am not going to disappoint you if you'll bear with me. So, wands at the ready, there's a lot of work to do! May the Muses, and while we are at it also Merlin and Morgana, support me!

Albus woke up after what seemed like a long and beautiful dream to him. It was that feeling you get as a child when sitting wrapped in a blanket and listening to a fairy tale. He remembered the dancing fire of a feast, an angelic voice singing, a blue stream flowing under a sky of stars and a kiss, a secret kiss in the middle of the night.

Soon after, when the young wizard opened his eyes completely, he realised a couple of things that made him pass in an almost brutal way from the dream dimension to the real one. In fact, the feast had really taken place: he had gone to Godric's Glimmering Gathering with his siblings. Secondly, he was lying sideways on his bed and he wasn't wrapped in blankets at all, but fully clothed and was definitely feeling a slight hangover headache. Finally, the last thing he realised, and which made him jump up and almost fall out of bed, was that if everything else hadn't been a dream at all, neither were the kisses he and Gellert had exchanged. His cheeks suddenly turned hot despite being alone in his room.