The relationship between Dumbledore and Grindelwald has become complicated, but these are dark waters! Do you wonder how the two greatest wizards of all time are on the opposite end of the moral spectrum and still feel so connected?

In this article, I will explore the relationship between Dumbledore and Grindelwald. You will also learn that Hogwarts House traits as we go through the personality of Dumblebore!

J.K. Rowling has always made a stance on the sexual orientation of Dumbledore. However, it was never in the spotlight until the book and movie franchise of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them were released. This movie follows a much younger Dumbledore and traces the complexities of his mind and heart.

If your fascination goes way beyond Harry Potter and Hogwarts, you will be interested in knowing how Dumbledore’s and Grindelwald’s journeys are significant for the wizarding world. It also impacts the muggles because of the practice of “Greater Good”!

Origin Of Dumbledore And Grindelwald’s Love!

To know all about the blood oath between Dumbledore and Grindelwald, you must read about their love’s origin! This will make you wonder about the kind of relationship they shared, especially because these two avoided each other for a long time.

In the main Harry Potter movie franchises, there were a few times that Grindelwald’s name has come up! Dumbledore has hardly shown any response except in a very offhand manner. In The Deathly Hallows Part 2, Grindelwald has also been established as the one disclosing the location of the elder wand to Voldemort.

Even though in the book, when Voldemort tortures Grindelwald to disclose the location of the elder wand, he never says anything, leading to his death at the hands of the Dark Lord. Does Rowling try to hint at the love between the two wizards with this plot?

It all started in Godric’s Hollow when Dumbledore, aged 17, and Grindelwald, maybe a couple of years younger, spent time together. Albus was born in 1881, while Gellert, in 1883, used to live in his great aunt Bathilda Bagshot’s house. So, were Dumbledore and Grindelwald lovers?

The two met each other when Dumbledore came back from Hogwarts! On the other hand, Grindelwald had been thrown from the Durmstrang wizarding school for quite twisted experiments. They became involved romantically as their relationship started getting influenced by each other’s ideas and passion.

Who Will Love Dumbledore Now That The Blood Oath Is Broken?

After returning from Hogwarts, Albus spent some time in Godric’s Hollow, where his younger brother, Aberforth, and a younger sister, Ariana, lived. It was an incident of muggle boys who tortured Ariana after they caught her practicing magic.

This led to Ariana being emotionally scarred, leading to sudden outbursts of magic, one of which their mother was killed. This forced Dumbledore to care for his two siblings, giving up his dream of the greater good. No wonder, Dumbledore never spoke to Hermoine Granger and the group anything about his past!

He was infatuated with Grindelwald as the two young boys talked about magic and witchcraft! In The Fantastic Beast, Dumbledore highlights the relationship as “two months of insanity” in which both of them fostered grand ambitions of each other.

During this period, they created the blood oath, a blood promise they committed to each other. According to the oath, they cannot attack or even think of harming each other, or the blood pact will destroy the offense.

Lovers Or Enemies For A Cause?

The blood oath made by Dumbledore and Grindelwald when they were young represents their love for each other. In the blood pack, the two of them hold their hands after they have cut it with wands. They then recite an oath through which their blood mixes.

When completed, the pact becomes a shiny silver vial with drops of the two individuals’ blood swirling inside the vial. They become bonded cells, and the bond and the vial are completely indestructible.

In the beginning, when Dumbledore commissioned Newt to go against Grindelwald, there was doubt even a hint of his feelings. It seemed like Dumbledore felt drawn towards Grindelwald even with all the mistakes and could not directly go into attack mode.

But later, it was revealed that it was due to the blood oath that they both have taken, which prevents them from directly attacking each other or even thinking about it! And yet, when the blood oath breaks in the movie Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, Grindelwald says, “Who will love you now, Dumbledore?”

They are fixated on each other regarding their love, but the greater good makes Dumbledore step away and stand against Grindelwald, leading to the biggest duel in wizarding world history.

At times, I wonder, Dumbledore could see Grindelwald in Draco Malfoy because of the way he treated him! The way he was condescending knowing that they are going the wrong path and yet trying to give him a hand!

How Did Ariana Dumbledore’s Death Factor In All This?

When Ariana, Dumbledore’s younger sister, was severely traumatized by muggle boys, he took up an agenda and offense against them. He agreed with Gelert’s idea of hurting the world to prove that wizarding was the greatest gift. Both of them also become obsessed with the Deathly Hallows to some extent.

And yet, Dumbledore became a beloved and respected professor at Hogwarts, employed as the professor of Defence against the Dark Arts of Hogwarts! Over the years, Dumbledore realized the significance and responsibility of being a wizard, yet Grindelwald worked toward his cause of revolutionizing wizardry.

Eventually, there is a face-off between two of the strongest wizards of all time in 1945; we hope that we will get more answers regarding the blood oath in the next movie. The film might also give us more insight into the relationship between the two wizards and what happens to Credence.

The Blood Oath Breaks But Why?

In the movie Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, the blood oath breaks, and both the wizards look shocked for some time. At a certain point, they also look disappointed because now they know nothing is stopping them from going against each other.

Now, coming to the reason as to why the blood oath breaks, considering nothing can destroy a blood oath, we have to go with the justification given by the headmaster himself! Dumbledore and Newt rationalize that Grindelwald’s spell was to kill Credence while Dumbledore’s spell was to protect him.

The protection spell canceled the spell cast by Grindelwald, which was created to kill Dumbledore, who can be any family member. This phenomenon of two contradicting spells blocked the ritual of the blood oath to harm Dumbledore and nullified it.

The pact between the two wizards then shattered, allowing them to fight directly with each other!

Finishing Off…

Some of your curiosity regarding Dumbledore and Grindelwald has come to a standstill, especially with how they interacted, even when dueling! Talking about love even when aiming to attack? Feeling each other’s hearts beat? If that is not the pain of love, I don’t know what is.

Comment on what you think about the two powerful wizards’ relationship with each other and how it left them broken forever!