The first full-length trailer for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald was released on Tuesday, sending fans of the Harry Potter universe into a social media frenzy, especially as some eagle-eyed viewers pointed out a potential blunder in the debut footage.
The action-packed clip, posted on the official Warner Bros. YouTube channel, features a mix of both familiar and new magical characters, including a young Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) who appears to be working closely with Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) to thwart the plot of the infamous dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp).
However, within moments of the sneak-peek being shared online, Wizarding World aficionados cast their wands aside in favor of their muggle keyboards, using Twitter as a platform to voice their concern over a seemingly “glaring plot hole” in the Fantastic Beasts sequel.
The controversial moment transpires in the opening montage of the new trailer, whereby the Minister for Magic and a group of men apparate onto a bridge, which connects Hogwarts castle to the adjoining grounds, seemingly breaking one of the biggest rules of witchcraft and wizardry.
For those that aren’t up to speed, apparition is a magical method of teleportation typically operated by the most highly skilled wizards but, as outlined in J.K. Rowlings’ seven-book Harry Potter series, this mode of transport is banned on Hogwarts grounds, as the castle is protected by an anti-apparition charm.
A number of diehard Potterheads used the #FantasticBeasts hashtag to call out the potential mistake and criticize David Yates, who directed the final four Harry Potter films, together with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and the upcoming sequel.
Honestly, David Yates, if you would only read Hogwarts: A History, you would know that you can’t apparate onto school grounds… pic.twitter.com/xcJ3yHzi78
— James Taylor (@JamesTaylor21) March 13, 2018
You?Can’t?Apparate?Within?The?Grounds?Of?Hogwarts?
— Mallory Hayes (@malloryahayes) March 13, 2018
However, others recognized that this apparent “plot hole” would be a “ridiculous oversight,” considering fans’ vast knowledge of the fantasy novels, and proposed that the excerpt may rather be teasing an important plot point.
On this side of the debate, some people reasoned that Hogwarts might only have become an apparition-free zone following the events of this movie, which is set in the 1920s, 70 years before Harry Potter enrolled at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Okay Potter fans I know some of you are Mad Online™ but what if events in this movie ARE the reason you can’t Apparate onto the Hogwarts grounds HMMM
— Proma (@promawhatup) March 13, 2018
Keeping an open mind on the brief glimpses of the spin-off sequel so far, others argued that the bridge could be viewed as being outside the realms of the castle, providing a simple explanation for the group’s ability to apparate there, as this particular passageway may not be considered Hogwarts grounds.
One thing is for sure: We now have another reason to book our tickets for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald ahead of its release in theatres on November 16, 2018.
