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14 'Harry Potter' references you may have missed in 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'

A MACUSA worker pulls a silver wisp of Tina's memories out of her head, in a scene where Tina is sentenced to death.

14 'Harry Potter' references you may have missed in 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'

She extracted a memory. It works in the same way Dumbledore and other characters extracted their memories for the Pensieve.

She extracted a memory. It works in the same way Dumbledore and other characters extracted their memories for the Pensieve.

Percival Graves thinks Credence Barebone is a squib, which is a magician-born person who can't practice magic.

Percival Graves thinks Credence Barebone is a squib, which is a magician-born person who can

A few characters in "Harry Potter" were squibs, like Argus Filch, the Hogwarts caretaker. Some people also thought Dumbledore's sister, Ariana, was a squib.

A few characters in "Harry Potter" were squibs, like Argus Filch, the Hogwarts caretaker. Some people also thought Dumbledore

We learn about Obscurials, young wizards and witches who suppress their powers and dangerously lose control.

We learn about Obscurials, young wizards and witches who suppress their powers and dangerously lose control.

It may be a reference to another famous "Potter" character. Was Ariana Dumbledore an Obscurial?

It may be a reference to another famous "Potter" character. Was Ariana Dumbledore an Obscurial?

It sure sounds like it.

Ariana, Albus and Aberforth's little sister, always had a hazy backstory. Now, it's more clear: she might have become an Obscurial after she stopped practicing magic at a young age. Her magic "turned inward and drove her mad," in the words of Aberforth Dumbledore.

When he needs information from Gnarlak the goblin, Scamander offers him a Lunascope. "I've got five," Gnarlak responds.

When he needs information from Gnarlak the goblin, Scamander offers him a Lunascope. "I

Lunascopes are mentioned in "Prisoner of Azkaban," "Goblet of Fire," and "Order of the Phoenix." They're astronomy devices that make it easier to read the moon.

Lunascopes are mentioned in "Prisoner of Azkaban," "Goblet of Fire," and "Order of the Phoenix." They

Mary Lou, the head of a group of No-Majs who want to root out wizardry, calls out to Scamander in a crowd and asks if he's a "seeker after truth."

Mary Lou, the head of a group of No-Majs who want to root out wizardry, calls out to Scamander in a crowd and asks if he

"I'm more of a chaser, really," Scamander responds. It's a Quidditch reference that goes over Mary Lou's head (Seeker and Chaser are two of the positions on a Quidditch team).

"I

You may have spotted Newt Scamander's canary yellow and black scarf throughout the movie.

You may have spotted Newt Scamander

They're Hufflepuff colors. Newt Scamander went to Hogwarts and his scarf shows off his school pride.

They

Scamander seems to have had a school romance with a girl named Leta Lestrange.

Scamander seems to have had a school romance with a girl named Leta Lestrange.

While Queenie and Newt are speaking, she inquires about a girl in a photo on his desk. Using her Legilimency skills, she reveals her name was Leta Lestrange.

Is she related to the Lestrange family from "Harry Potter" that Bellatrix married into?

Is she related to the Lestrange family from "Harry Potter" that Bellatrix married into?

We doubt it's a coincidence. You can read more about the Lestrange family here.

Jacob Kowalski is a No-Maj who falls in with Scamander and the crew as they search for Scamander's escaped animals in New York. His initials look familiar...

Jacob Kowalski is a No-Maj who falls in with Scamander and the crew as they search for Scamander

Oh yeah! Author J.K. Rowling!

Oh yeah! Author J.K. Rowling!

Jacob's initials may be a nice nod to the "Fantastic Beasts" creator, another muggle who is surrounded by her magical wizarding world.

When Jacob first heads to the bank to take out a loan for a bakery, his initial sketch of the bakery shows it referred to as J. Kowalski's.

Kowalski gets bitten by a Murtlap, which leaps out of Scamander's briefcase. It's kind of like a giant pink rat with a growth on its back.

Kowalski gets bitten by a Murtlap, which leaps out of Scamander

Murtlap Essence, extracted from the animal's anemones, have healing properties. Harry treats his hand with it in "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" when Dolores Umbridge makes him write "I must not tell lies" into his hand.

Murtlap Essence, extracted from the animal

Umbridge also punished Lee Jordan, so Harry recommended Murtlap Essence for his own hand. Later in the book, Fred and George use Murtlap Essence to fix the side-effect boils from their Snackboxes. They got the recommendation from Lee.

One of the animals Scamander has to track down is his Niffler, which likes to steal shiny stuff.

One of the animals Scamander has to track down is his Niffler, which likes to steal shiny stuff.

Hagrid taught about Nifflers in his Care of Magical Creatures class, and Lee Jordan uses them to wreck Umbridge's office.

Hagrid taught about Nifflers in his Care of Magical Creatures class, and Lee Jordan uses them to wreck Umbridge

Another escaped animal in "Fantastic Beasts" is Dougal the Demiguise.

Another escaped animal in "Fantastic Beasts" is Dougal the Demiguise.

Because Demiguises can turn invisible, their fur is used for Invisibility cloaks.

Because Demiguises can turn invisible, their fur is used for Invisibility cloaks.

Harry's invisibility cloak had unusual magical properties (like being a Deathly Hallow), so it was made from something else, according to Dumbledore.

The most dangerous animal that escapes from Scamander's briefcase is the Erumpent. It looks like a giant rhino, its hide repels spells, and it can inject deadly fluid into objects with its horn, which makes them explode.

The most dangerous animal that escapes from Scamander

It also has a really small, cute mouth.

When Harry, Ron, and Hermione visit Xenohilius Lovegood in "The Deathly Hallows," there's an Erumpent horn mounted on the wall — and it explodes.

When Harry, Ron, and Hermione visit Xenohilius Lovegood in "The Deathly Hallows," there

Hermione notices "an enormous, gray spiral horn, not unlike that of a unicorn, which had been mounted on the wall, protruding several feet into the room." Xenophilius says it's the horn of a Crumple-Horned Snorkack, an animal that probably doesn't exist.

"There’s a description in 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'! Mr. Lovegood, you need to get rid of it straightaway, don’t you know it can explode at the slightest touch?" Hermione says.

When the Death Eaters crash into the Lovegood home a bit later, a stray spell hits the Erumpent horn and blows up the house.

Percival Graves gives Credence a necklace with a Deathly Hallows symbol on it. Back then, it was better known as Grindelwald's sign. But it looks familiar ...

Percival Graves gives Credence a necklace with a Deathly Hallows symbol on it. Back then, it was better known as Grindelwald

We saw Xenophilius Lovegood with it in the "Potter" series.

We saw Xenophilius Lovegood with it in the "Potter" series.

Could it be his necklace or is this a different one?

Queenie Goldstein is a natural Legilimens, meaning she can search into people's minds.

Queenie Goldstein is a natural Legilimens, meaning she can search into people

It seems like it's an innate magical ability, kind of like how Metamorphmagi can transform appearances.

Voldemort might have also been a natural Legilimens.

Voldemort might have also been a natural Legilimens.

He performs Legilimency without a wand, and interrogates other people's minds — allies and enemies alike. He might have developed the skill over the years, or he was just born with it. His ancestor, Salazar Slytherin, was also famous for his Legilimency, and enchanted the Sorting Hat with that skill.


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