It's been an agonizing wait for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them [1], but now we've officially made our triumphant return to the wizarding world. With such an iconic series [2] to live up to, it's hard to watch Fantastic Beasts without thinking of Harry Potter [3] and our favorite gang of witches and wizards. And, well, there are a lot of sly references to be found. You just have to look, listen, and think. Warning: Spoilers below!
The Echoes of John Williams' Original Score
Even from the start of the film, you can hear the nods to the original series. Specifically, you can hear the unmistakable notes from "Hedwig's Theme."
The Non-Magical Person Terms
In Fantastic Beasts, we learn that American Wizards call a normal human a "No-Maj." Newt, of course, shares the more familiar, British iteration of the word: Muggle.
The Albus Dumbledore Name-Drop
During one crucial scene, Tina kidnaps Newt and presents him to the entire Magical Congress, and Madame President Seraphina Picquery calls for his capture. During the ensuing interrogation, Percival Graves says, "Kicked out of Hogwarts for endangering human life with a beast. Yet one of your teachers argued strongly against your expulsion. I wonder, what makes Albus Dumbledore so fond of you, Mr. Scamander?"
The Spells We Know by Heart
There are four notable spells from Harry Potter [7] that appear in the movie. "Alohamora" pops up more than once to unlock doors, Newt uses "Petrificus Totalus" to freeze a banker, and Tina uses "Accio" to snatch Percival's wand near the end. Plus, the "Obliviate" spell is probably mentioned close to a dozen times, and we don't need to go over the heartbreaking way Hermione uses it in Harry Potter.
The Nods to Hogwarts
In addition to Graves' nod to Hogwarts, it comes up another time. When Tina and Queenie go down into Newt's briefcase for the first time, Queenie makes a brief mention of the American wizarding school, Ilvermorny. She calls it the best wizarding school in the whole world. Newt says, "I think you'll find the best wizarding school in the whole world is Hogwarts," to which Queenie retorts, "Hogwash!"
Newt's Little Pun About Quidditch
At the very beginning, Newt stumbles upon the "Second Salemers," a band of fanatics determined to expose the wizarding community. Gauging Newt's "interest," leader Mary Lou asks Newt, "Are you a seeker?" and he quips, "I was always more of a chaser."
The Deathly Hallows Symbol
As Percival Graves presses Credence to discover the identity of the powerful child in New York City, he offers a necklace for protection. Percival puts it around Credence's neck and says to touch it when the child is found. The necklace is actually the symbol of the Deathly Hallows, which results from the combination of the Elder Wand, the Sorcerer's Stone, and the Invisibility Cloak.
An Ancestor of Bellatrix Lestrange?
Newt Scamander keeps a picture of a girl (Zoë Kravitz) in his briefcase. When Jacob asks about her, Newt reveals her name is Leta Lestrange. Judging from the way he talks about her, it seems they were, at some point, romantically entangled.
Gellert Grindelwald
Grindelwald is mentioned quite a bit in Harry Potter [8]. Here are the basics: he's one of the most infamous and dangerous dark wizards in history. He becomes obsessed with the Deathly Hallows and eventually steals the Elder Wand once he discovers it. He develops a deep, personal friendship with Albus Dumbledore. And above all, Grindelwald is in adamant opposition of the International Statute of Secrecy, which was the law that put the Wizarding World in hiding in the first place.
Newt's Hogwarts House
Now we know why Eddie Redmayne so passionately defended Hufflepuff [9]: because it's Newt's Hogwarts house! We know this because he wears a Hufflepuff scarf in one of the final scenes.
The Literary Textual Ties
I mean, it's the title of the series, and the title of Newt's book: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. But let's not forget, it's also an official textbook at Hogwarts by the time Harry and the gang arrive! Seeing as Newt got expelled, isn't that some kind of sweet revenge?