On the fifth day of Fantastic Beasts, my true love said to me... Come on, this is a JK Rowling story. Shouldn't there be an Animagi lurking about?
Welcome to day 5 of the 12 Days of Fantastic Beasts! Scroll below the spoiler spacing for speculation regarding a hidden animagi!
SPOILERS ABOUND! DO NOT PROCEED IF YOU HAVE NOT YET SEEN THE MOVIE OR READ THE SCRIPT BOOK!
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| Dung Beetle by Kayla Perkinson |
A Possible Animagi in Fantastic Beasts
I fully expect that an Animagi in hiding will appear within the series at some point. With that in mind, I watched carefully for any stray animal sightings within the script book. The one that intrigues me the most is the pigeon at the Second Salem Church that Credence scares away in scene 28. In fact, this scene, as written, is only two paragraphs long, and the first and longest of the two is all about the pigeon. It’s as if this scene exists to show that pigeon.
Is the pigeon a witch or wizard watching over Credence?
The person I would most suspect of watching over him would be Teenie Tina. Maybe she can be very teeny, like a bird. And as it so happens, she has a magazine called Transfiguration Today in her apartment. If Tina were an Animagi, with her peaceful and somewhat awkward demeanor, I think a pigeon would suit her quite well.
However, she is supposedly in the company of Newt at the time the pigeon visits Credence. The scene at the church falls between the opening of Jacob’s case in front of Graves at the wand permit office in MACUSA, and Newt and Tina back on the streets of the city to locate Jacob. It's also set in the script as the scene tag slips from “Day” to “Afternoon.”
Tina could have slipped away from Newt briefly before they left, perhaps during a bathroom break, leaving him under someone else’s guard. But it is not mentioned. However, we see in Scene 33 how easily Newt slips away briefly from her. Is this a clue that she could have done the same earlier?
Later, after escaping from MACUSA, the team lands on a rooftop overlooking the city where a pigeon coop is housed. As if to make sure we noticed the pigeon reference, Queenie reads Jacob’s mind that his grandfather kept pigeons.
One of the cons against Tina as the pigeon is that she didn’t transform to save herself during the execution scene. I could see this being explained away in a couple of ways—MACUSA could have protections against this sort of transformation, as Hogwarts did against apparating. Or, she could have hesitated to do, hoping to save Newt as well, until it was too late.
Whether the pigeon is Tina (my bet!) or another witch or wizard, I will be on the hunt for another sighting in the next movie.
One last thought—would a talented wizard who had a strong enough interest in animals to become a Magizoologist not also care enough to become an Animagi? Perhaps that’s why Newt seems to understand their language so well.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this theory. What do you think? Is Tina an Animagi? Could Newt be? Could they go on an animal date in a future movie?
Be sure to check out the other posts for the 12 Days of Fantastic Beasts!
About the Book:
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| Fantastic Secrets Behind Fantastic Beasts |
Explore JK Rowling's secrets, one clue at a time!
Fantastic Secrets Behind Fantastic Beasts is THE guide for all Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them fans eager to experience anew the excitement of of finding clues and sharing speculation, just like they enjoyed during the height of the Harry Potter series. New fans will be amazed at the secrets lurking underneath the surface of Rowling's newest film. Diving deeply into the story's mysteries, S.P. Sipal offers a detailed analysis of the analogies, myths, and clues JK Rowling hid on screen and on page to charm her fans once again.
Discover and explore such questions as:
- Is there an Animagi hidden in the story?
- Why will there be FIVE movies?
- What secret is Modesty hiding?
- Did Frank wipe out ALL the memories from that fateful night?
- And was Grindelwald already in possession of the Elder Wand?
S.P. Sipal has analyzed the mysteries behind the Harry Potter series for over a dozen years. A sought-after presenter at fan, writing, and academic conferences both at home and abroad, her books have also delighted writers, teachers, and fans alike. Now she turns her expert attention to investigating the beginning of Rowling's exciting new series. Join her as she prepares you to dig into the layers of subtext yourself to claim what treasures await...before the Niffler beats you to it!
