overview: A couple of weeks have gone by since you and Theseus started to hang out and the pair of you can’t help but notice each other more and more
A/N Hope you guys like part 2!! Thank you so much for all of the love for part 1 :) Any requests for Imagines let me know.
Like and reblog!
Word Count: 979
It’s terrible isn’t it?”
Theseus Scamander looked up from the parchment, his slightly dazed expression focusing on your anxious one. He paused, wanting to build the suspense. “Much better,” he grinned, pushing the parchment back to you “defiantly better than your last essay.”
You whooped in delight, not caring about the scowls you received from the group of fourth years huddled around the wireless spitting out muggle Christmas tunes. Theseus chuckled. He watched as you read back his feedback, racking his brain for something funny or charming to say. It had been three weeks since you two had started to study with each other, and every time he went over conversation topics in his head. He’d deliberately started to leave his work later and later despite the niggling anxiety that’d would sit in his stomach- the more he had to do the more time he got to spend with you.
“How did your muggle studies go?” You asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.
“Not great.”
“Oh no.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he brushed off “I’ve been given an extension.” You knew he wasn’t telling the truth though. The deep frown lines between his eyebrows were a clear sign that he wasn’t happy with what he got. You couldn’t help but feel guilty. What had started as the occasional hour or two had become every night meet ups until the very early hours of the morning. Same tables, same time. You’d listened to Theseus’s excited rants about him wanting to become an auror, that this was what he’d wanted to be once since his first year. He couldn’t afford to start to drop now, and he knew that.
“Give me the book.”
“Why?”
“I’m going to test you.”
“Y/N no” he shook his head and almost knocked off his glasses in the process “you don’t have to.”
“I don’t have to, I want to.”
“Y/N-“
“Theseus” you cut him off, grabbing his hand that was trying to get the book and held on, trying to ignore the part of your brain where all you were thinking about what how lovely it felt having his thumb instinctively hook around yours “let me help you.” He opened his mouth to protest, but when he saw your wide eye gaze, he felt his pride melt away. He nodded.
“Okay,” you flipped open the book “where shall we start?”
You spent the next two hours testing him on the muggle world war, prompting and correcting until he was able to answer any question without hesitation. Once again, the sun had set and the library was starting to empty, causing the early December chill to start to set in your joints.
“When was it believed for the war to finish?” You asked, your teeth violently chattering.
“Christmas 1914,” Theseus cocked an eyebrow “are you cold?”
“What? Nooo.”
Dropping his quill, he started to pull his jumper off, messing up his hair into an adorable halo. You tried not to look at the exposed skin by his waist-you failed. The jumper was stretched and faded, but when you pulled it on you couldn’t help but sigh as the warmth engulfed you.
“Very cute,” Theseus teased. You struck an over dramatic pose, flicking your hair “I really rock the baggy look.”
“Defiantly,” Theseus nodded, before realizing how eager he’d looked and then mentally slapped himself. You didn’t notice however, as a second later you yelled so loudly you heard a pile of books fall a few aisles away, followed by someone swearing colorfully.
“It’s snowing! Theseus look!” You knelt on the desk to get a better view, Theseus leaning over with his head by your shoulder. Although it was pitch black outside, thick flurries of white snow were dashing by the window as thick as Cotton wool balls.
“Just in time for Hogsmead as well.”
“You were planning on going?” Theseus asked casually.
You nodded “I’ve got to get Christmas presents I time to send them before the last owl.”
“Me too.” He hesitated. Took a deep breath and pushed any of his nerves aside “would you want to go with me?”
You looked at him. He nibbled his lip nervously.
“But then you might see what I get you for Christmas.”
“I promise I won’t look,” Theseus smiled “I’ll even take my glasses off.”
“Don’t, you know I find your glasses cute.”
“That’s why I always wear them.”
Ignoring the urge to have a whole-body reaction to his last comment you said “it’s a date.”
“Cool.” You looked down at him, his smile so charming you couldn’t help but smile back. His hands were clasped under his chin, pushing his face to look rounder and more childlike. He opened his mouth as if he was about to say something. You felt your breath catch. You leaned forward slightly, letting the sleeves oh his jumper to hide your clenched fists to hide your nervousness. He paused. Then, a heavy blush coloring his pale skin, he closed it again. You both went to looking back at the snow, both brains thinking the same yet too stubborn to do any more. Both pulses thumping and disappointment on your faces. The clock struck one. Time to go. Reluctantly, Theseus started to pack up your stuff, and distinguishing the candles with a flick of his wand. He held out a hand and helped you down, politely nodded goodnight to the Librarian skulking at the desk waiting for you to leave so she should lock up. You walked together in silence through the shrouded corridors to the west wing where you would part ways to your different common rooms. Theseus said goodnight, and started to walk when you called “I still have your jumper!”
Theseus turned back, his smile soft and his voice full of adoration.
“You keep it. It never looked as good on me as it does on you.”
When two strangers show up at you and your father’s home, the night turns very eventful
Word Count: 1,319
A/N: This takes place in that one scene in Crimes of Grindewald and reader is about 15/16
You had been downstairs finishing up some of your chores with your father’s creatures when you heard the crash from upstairs. You knew he was home so you decided to let Newt deal with the problem upstairs. You figured it was just one of the Nifflers causing problems. You went back to finish feeding the Diricawls when Bunty stopped by.
“Your father asked for me to send you up to him when you’re finished here,” she said.
“Okay thanks,” you said, looking up from your work and smiling at her.
She nodded at you and waved goodbye, you returning the favor. You quickly finished up and then headed upstairs into the house.
When two strangers show up at you and your father’s home, the night turns very eventful
Word Count: 1,319
A/N: This takes place in that one scene in Crimes of Grindewald and reader is about 15/16
You had been downstairs finishing up some of your chores with your father’s creatures when you heard the crash from upstairs. You knew he was home so you decided to let Newt deal with the problem upstairs. You figured it was just one of the Nifflers causing problems. You went back to finish feeding the Diricawls when Bunty stopped by.
“Your father asked for me to send you up to him when you’re finished here,” she said.
“Okay thanks,” you said, looking up from your work and smiling at her.
She nodded at you and waved goodbye, you returning the favor. You quickly finished up and then headed upstairs into the house.
You heard voices and some giggle that didn’t belong to your father. As you reached the living room, you saw your dad talking to two other people.
“Father?” you asked, hoping he could answer some questions about the strangers in your house.
Newt turned around after hearing your voice to look at you, “Oh Y/n,” he said, pulling you to stand next to him. He faced back to the others in the room, “Uh Y/n this is Queenie and Jacob. I met them in New York.
You looked at them and gave them a small wave.
“Oh this is the famous Y/n yo told us about,” the woman, Queenie said, “It’s very nice to finally meet you,” she smiled brightly at you.
“You too,” you mumbled. Like Newt, you were an awkward person, especially around people. You smiled at her again and then looked at Jacob, who did not seem to be acting very normal, “Is he alright?” you asked.
“Oh yes he’s fine,” Queenie responded, helping Jacob stand up straighter. She then turned to your father, “Shall we have dinner?”
~~~~~
You and your father were now sitting across from Jacob and Queenie. You could hardly eat because you were so focused on what Jacob was doing. He could barely eat and Queenie had to do almost everything for him. You could tell your father was trying hard not to notice either but it wasn’t working.
“Tina and I aren’t talking to each other,” Queenie explained.
“Why?” your father asked her, watching her tuck a napkin into Jacob’s shirt and sit in her own seat.
“She found out about Jacob and I,” she said, “And you know the laws. Not allowed to date or marry No-Majis.”
“I always thought that was ridiculous,” you said. It was the first thing you had contributed to the conversation tonight.
“Y/n ,” your father said softly. While he agreed with you, he didn’t need you chastising the person who was giving him the details he wanted on Tina.
“Sorry,” you mumbled, going back to eating your dinner.
“And anyways,” she continued, “She was all in a tizzy because of you.”
“Me?” your father asked, shocked.
“Yes you!” she exclaimed, “It was in Spellbound Newt.”
He looked over at you, confused and hoping you would have an answer for him but you were just as confused as him. You looked over at Queenie and gave her a confused look.
“I brought it for you to see,” she said, using her wand to pull the magazine out of nowhere and flip to a page with your father, your uncle Theseus, and Leta.
“Newt Scamander and fiance Leta Lestrange and brother Theseus with an unknown woman.”
“No that’s wrong,” Newt said quickly, “Theseus is marrying Leta.”
You had to suppress your giggles at the scene unfolding in front of you.
Queenie smiled at the realization that her sister’s crush wasn’t engaged, “Oh.”
It took her another second to realize that it wasn’t necessarily a good thing, “Oh dear.”
“What?” your father asked again.
“Well see, Tina read that and so she started dating someone else,” Queenie said quietly, “He’s an auror. His name is Achilles Tolliver.”
“I’ve heard of Tolliver,” you said, “He was mentioned in one of my classes at Hogwarts.”
Jacob started laughing and wheezing, causing you all to look over at him, “Tolliver?” he asked, in between laughs. He was wheezing so hard, you thought he might stop breathing.
“Are you sure he’s alright?” you asked, repeating your question from earlier.
“Of course he is sweetie,” Queenie said to you, wrapping her arm around Jacob who was already starting to calm down, “Anyways, we’re real excited to be here. It’s a special trip for us.”
She began to pour herself and Jacob a glass of wine, “You see, Jacob and I are getting married!” she exclaimed while giggling.
You looked over to your father, who seemed as surprised as ever by the news. You watched him look over to Jacob as he began to raise his glass.
“I’m marrying Jacob!” he said loudly, throwing the liquid on himself, making you gasp lightly and jump in your seat. Queenie then pulled out her wand, shooting confetti from the end.
Newt looked over to Queenie as she pulled the napkin from Jacob’s shirt and began to dry him off, “What? I have not,” she said.
“Will you stop reading my mind?” your father asked out loud.
You looked at the woman sitting next to you, “You’re a legilimens?” you asked. She nodded while continuing to read your father’s mind.
“That is an outrageous accusation,” she said, wiping off Jacob’s face more, “Look at him. He’s just happy.”
“So then you wouldn’t mind if I,” Your father started, standing up from the table and pulling out his wand, Queenie matching his actions.
“Please don’t,” she said, moving her arm in front of Jacob, who grabbed on to it.
“You’ve got nothing to fear if he wants to marry you,” Newt explained gently, “We can just lift the enchantment and he can tell us himself,” he continued, raising his want up to the other man.
Queenie slowly pulled her arm away from Jacob and he continued to look at her. She backed away from him, causing the man to look at you and your father’s directions. You hadn’t moved from your seat at the table but your father was ready to remove the enchantment Queenie put on him.
“Whatcha doing with that?” Jacob asked, chuckling, “Whatcha doing with that Mr. Scamander.”
Newt flicked his wand, “Surgito,” he said.
Jacob shook as the love enchantment was removed and he was back to normal. He took a deep breath before looking around the room.
“Congratulations on your engagement Jacob,” your father said.
“Wait what?” Jacob asked, clearly not knowing he was engaged. He looked at your father confused before he noticed he was looking up at Queenie, “Oh no,” he said.
You looked to the woman who was already packing up her stuff and heading for the door, too upset to stay and listen to Jacob begging her to. She grabbed her jacket and left the house, letting the door slam shut.
Jacob went after her but stopped and turned to your father, “It was nice seeing you,” he said to Newt. He glanced over at you, not realizing you were there before now, “And it was nice to meet you kid.”
You gave him an awkward smile.
“Also, where am I?” he asked.
“London,” you answered.
“Oh!” Jacob exclaimed, “I always wanted to go here!” he yelled as he left the house, following Queenie.
Once the door was shut, you looked over to your father, “So those are the friends you met in New York?”
He looked over to you, “Yes although, they weren’t that out of sorts when I met them.”
“Interesting,” you replied. You stood up from the table and pushed your chair in, “This has been a very eventful evening so I should be going to bed.”
Before Newt could respond, you were already running upstairs and to your room. He heard your door open and close shut. He sighed and plopped back down in his chair, shaking his head.
You decided to take a sick Bowtruckle to bed with you, without your father knowing.
Word Count: 524
A/N: Uhh this is my first HP fic and my first time writing for Newt! Hope you enjoy! Reader is about 15/16
Earlier in the day, you noticed that Poppy, one of your father’s bowtruckles, wasn’t feeling well. You suspected she had the same cold that Pickett had gotten over a few days ago. You had heard your father say that Pickett just needed body warmth so you decided you would just keep her with you like he had done. Before you got ready for bed, you snuck back downstairs and grabbed her and brought her back up to your room. You got into your pajamas and into bed. Newt was still up but since you were “sleeping” he wouldn’t disturb you.
You decided to take a sick Bowtruckle to bed with you, without your father knowing.
Word Count: 524
A/N: Uhh this is my first HP fic and my first time writing for Newt! Hope you enjoy! Reader is about 15/16
Earlier in the day, you noticed that Poppy, one of your father’s bowtruckles, wasn’t feeling well. You suspected she had the same cold that Pickett had gotten over a few days ago. You had heard your father say that Pickett just needed body warmth so you decided you would just keep her with you like he had done. Before you got ready for bed, you snuck back downstairs and grabbed her and brought her back up to your room. You got into your pajamas and into bed. Newt was still up but since you were “sleeping” he wouldn’t disturb you.
You pulled Poppy out of your pocket and she climbed up your arm and rested on your shoulder. You carefully leaned over to grab the book and your wand resting on your nightstand. You opened up the book to the page you left off on.
“Lumos,” you said, using your wand as a reading light so you could read aloud to Poppy and so you didn’t strain your eyes. You kept your voice quieter so your father wouldn’t hear.
~~~~~
Newt was finally on his way up to bed himself when he passed by your door and noticed a light coming from underneath. It didn’t look like the normal lamp or candle light that you would forget to deal with if you were extremely tired so he knew you were still up.
You heard the footsteps walk by your door and then stop. You knew you were about to be caught reading late and with one of the creatures so you quickly tried to put Poppy away and extinguish your wand before your father came in. The doorknob turned and the door opened before you had a chance.
“What are you doing up?” Newt asked, stepping into the room.
“Reading,” you said, trying to block Poppy from his view.
“I see you have a friend with you,” he said, walking over to the bed and sitting next to you.
You shrugged, “She has a cold,” you explained.
Your father nodded slowly, “So you were keeping her warm right?”
“Yes,” you said, “And I thought I could read out loud to her. She was actually enjoying it.”
Newt looked at the small bowtruckle now trying to hide under your pillow.
“You are too much like me for your own good,” he said, resting his hand on the top of your head.
“Well I am your daughter,” you said back, giving him a cheeky smile.
“Sadly yes,” he joked, ruffling your hair.
“So can she stay with me then?” you asked hopefully.
Your father looked from you to Poppy, and then back to you, “Just for tonight you two,” he said.
“Thank you,” you said, throwing your arms around him and hugging him.
“Just go to bed now it’s late,” he said, kissing the top of your head.
He got up from your bed and walked to the door. He stepped out of your room and then closed the door behind him.
Poppy poked her head out from under your pillow so you tucked her in before cuddling under the blankets yourself. You fell asleep shortly after.
Lally Hicks and Theseus Scamander through the prism of visual storytelling: an interesting dynamic in sight…
Okay, just a random thought but— the fact that Eulalie and Theseus’ style of clothing are nearly similar just gets me. We all know for a fact that costume design in cinema tends to reflect a lot of (hidden) things about a character’s emotions and personality… but in this trailer— oh boy, there’s a lot to unpack. Studying visual storytelling can help us grasp/speculate on Eulalie and Theseus’ evident connection throughout this third installment of FB. I don’t know whether the nature of their relationship will be romantic or platonic, still, this refreshing duo appears to be as interesting as it is promising and I’m here for it. (aka in which im delivering a mini speculating meta nobody asked for).
Firstly, I think it’s necessary to understand why I’m specifically focusing on these two. On one hand, we have the official introduction of the queen herself, Ilvermorny’s Charm professor, the one and only Eulalie “Lally” Hicks. Her role in TCOG was very decisive. Let’s not forget that she was the one who ignited courage in Nicolas Flamel’s heart before Grindelwald’s rally at the cemetery of Père Lachaise. Without her words of encouragement to the old alchemist, Paris would have definitely been destroyed. Thus, her voice and knowledge constitute a powerful asset for Dumbledore’ squad. On the other hand, our war hero/auror Theseus Scamander is getting more and more amount of screen time as well (hell yeah!). Exploring his grief, his progressive trust in Dumbledore and the reasons explaining his complex relationship with Newt is going to be particularly interesting. Getting to know the conflicted man the war hero actually is sounds so good! In other words, those two characters are getting a proper introduction in the Potterverse (as it should be!). Not only they’re fully becoming protagonists, they’re also paired up together in 90% of the trailer.
Now that I’ve set the context, let’s dive into the visual storytelling. In order to do this analysis, it’s important to draw on the elements composing the image. I’m gonna focus on the shot where Lally and Theseus are back to back, ready to fight Grindelwald’s followers in (what seems to be) Tibet/China (not very sure?). There’s just so much to breakdown. This beautiful shot appears right after this title card :
“War of worlds” holds a lot of meanings. At first glance, we can think of the war between Dumbledore and Grindelwald, the good side/peace/unity vs the bad side/chaos/division, ignorance vs knowledge, lies vs truth… Yet, if we link the title card with this following shot, another shade of meaning colors our understanding of this expression. You need to keep in mind that each second, each frame in a teaser/trailer leave nothing to chance. Thus, “War of worlds” could eventually imply the clash between the two professional worlds in which Lally and Theseus belong to : the professorial corps vs the executive branch led by Hector Fawley, the British Ministry of Magic’s minister.
The rule of thirds highlights even more this opposition, though it also showcases a certain union. Studiobinder.com defines the rule of thirds as “one of the most common camera framing techniques used in film or photography. It’s about positioning a character to show their relation to other elements in the scene”. In this perspective, after decomposing the shot in three distinct parts, a visible asymmetry is particularly telling of what we could expect from their relationship. Lally and Theseus’s different background and profession oppose them, hence their back to back stance. But their skills make them as powerful as they are equal (not them being the same height and i oop!). As such, their differences are strengths that build their union. Placed in the center of the middle column, their figure flirt with its frontiers as well as four intersection points mostly known as power lines. They’re usual points where the human eye tends to mainly focus on. The real essence of shot is going to be captured within those elements. Here, it’s the perfect asymmetrical closeness of our professor and auror’s bodies, emphasized by the look they’re giving to each other, a sign of understanding. They’re ready to join forces and fight Grindelwald’s minions.
Overall, I love how this shot conveys both conflict and complicity at the same time.
In the other scenes Lally and Theseus share in the trailer, they’re always seen together : face to face in the nameless fancy train, walking side by side toward the German (?) ministry of magic, standing next to each other in Hogwart’s great hall as well as the room of requirement. We feel like they’re forced to work together, therefore, I can already picture some banter and disregard at first. After all, you can already sense Theseus’ wariness merely by the way he introduced Eulalie : “a school teacher”. Uhm, sweetie, she’s more than that, and trust me, you’ll quickly find out. A partnership might slowly blossom after a series of tensions, potentially transforming itself into something more : pure friendship or a slow burn romance.
Secondly, I’m digging how both of them are sharp dresser. Lally and Theseus sport a very elegant style : a long overcoat, a button up shirt, a tie, a waistcoat, and pocket watch. The finesse radiating from their garments invite us to notice a certain ressemblance. They are meticulous and sedulous, paralleling, mirroring each other. That being said, I tend to remember Coleen Atwood’s comment (FB’s costume designer) about Theseus’ costume design in The Making of Fantastic Beasts TCOG (2018). He’s “more by-the-book feel of someone trying to do everything the right way”… just like Lally right ?
Furthermore, two colors are mainly present on our characters’ outfits. Let’s start with Eulalie : Burgundy. According to Colorpsycologymeaning.com, burgundy generally symbolizes “high status, prestigious, elegant, luxurious, determined, ambitious, sophisticated and confidence. Dark reds like these are often used for the decor and branding for prestigious schools, universities and other institutions”. An interesting description indeed. This description perfectly fits our Ilvermorny teacher, doesn’t it? She’s almost wearing a formal teaching uniform (a bit like Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore) with her tie and her blouse tucked in her long skirt. Yet, that’s not it. Indeed, Lally’s also a woman of style. Her elegance is assertive, combining both femininity and masculinity. Delicacy and authority originating from her clothings could foreshadow her personality. In my head, she’s radiating a bad bitch energy— my oh my, what a badass!
After zooming on Lally’s shirt, I noticed how much the motif was practically the same as the handle of Theseus’ wand. The mix of tortoise shell/amber color dotting the black brings an exquisite touch highlighting a “more classic sense of the period” (C. Atwood about Theseus’ style of clothing). I don’t know if this point is relevant to the plot lmao…Coincidence? I think not!
As for Theseus, it’s blue. We can note a change of color of his attire between TCOG and TSOD. It radically changes form his grey suit he worn in the beginning of TCOG. It represented his inner conflict, his own confusion (and the viewer’s) regarding which side he’s taken in this war : Dumbledore’s? Newt’s? The ministry’s? The fact that Theseus followed Torquil Travers’ orders (the Head of Magical Law Enforcement), yet still listened to Dumbledore’s advices blurred the lines, translating itself into his attire. This conflict is similar to Newt’s, evidenced by his blueish grey overcoat. The magizoologist didn’t “do sides” in FB2 but still executed Dumbledore’s missions. In fact, blue (for Colorpsycologymeaning.com) represents “reservation, confidence, conservation, persistency, trust”. It also illustrates “independence, it is more of a leader rather than a follower and likes organization and is professionally minded”. These are definitions that perfectly captures Theseus and Newt’s personalities. But most importantly, blue is the color of unity, a symbol that the Scamander’s brothers are on the same side : resistance. The dark tone of their garments presage the dark turn their story arcs are going to take.
Anywho, what’s your take on this interesting duo? I might be wrong all the way but it feels so good to speculate on crumbs to fill the void. I seriously can’t wait to feast upon The Secrets of Dumbledore!
What a brilliant analysis! I also had a diffuse feeling that there’s a closer connection between Theseus and Eulalie, but I had no idea about all those details!
I love Theseus and I hope the story will end well for him! I’m also super excited for his and Newt’s scenes. Still, I hope they won’t just set him up for the next romance. Leta would have been nothing more than a plot device if they just killed her to make Theseus rethink his allegiance, and to pair him up with somebody else in the next film.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m super excited for Eulalie, she looks super cool, and I really hope Theseus and she will have a close relationship - I just rather hope that it will be friendship. Newt and Jacob are so precious, I would like to see more of this “we are really different people but we are the best friends you could ask for” dynamic! It just feels so awkward to me that in most stories/movies/franchises every major character needs to have a love interest. (And just btw, if they want to tell a love story, how about Tina and Newt?) Please make them bicker and fight side by side and take bullets for each other (no, DON’T make them take bullets!) and talk about their past! That’s all I ask for. :) I’m so excited to see all the adventures they’re up to!
Hey@newt-and-salamander! Firstly, thanks for your reblog :) I just love reading people’s thoughts on what is being seen and understood in this trailer. Your interpretation is particularly insightful in the light of Theseus’ former arc in TCOG. For me, this movie didn’t do justice for most of the characters, especially Leta’s (a pure disgrace ugh). She was definitely the most compelling and mysterious one. Unfortunately, underdeveloped in a movie which prioritized plot over a hatful of new characters, we didn’t get the opportunity to explore the depth of her backstory, her family, her relationship with the Scamander brothers and her life in the British Ministry of magic… a shame. Can you believe the amount of precious cut scenes we’ve never actually got to see? I feel awfully robbed (time for me to riot). This is why I need her memory to be present throughout the franchise. Her legacy has to be remembered in order to show that her existence and death weren’t in vain. Let’s hope Steve Kloves involvement in the writer’s room might rectify some of the plot holes left by you know who. In any case, this trailer looked very good so far, I’m really optimistic :)
I agree with you dear. Eulalie Hicks’ introduction in FB holds a lot of promises. I’m liking the fact that she’s a young successful professor. She’s going to teach the characters (and viewers) a thing or two about charms, Ilvermorny, power and so much more. Like Tina in FBAWTFT, it’s be fun to have an American/feminine point of view on the conflict. You know the phrase : “scientia potentia est”, knowledge is power… especially at war. She’s a necessity, a weapon, an asset. I’m really curious to discover her own personal journey as well as the way she’ll (perfectly) fit in Dumbledore squad. About her connection with Theseus, I feel like friendship and/or romance are certainly going to be on the table— it’s up to the canon to evaluate the pertinence of their relationship’s nature regarding the plot. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind if they do the romance as long asthe writers stay true to FB’s overall storytelling and the characters’ personality/psychology. If it’s rushed, incoherent and irrelevant to the story, I don’t want it. In my opinion, it’s really important to make it very, very, very slow so it takes into account the international dimension of this dangerous war, Theseus’ grief, his mistrust in Dumbledore, Eulalie’s backstory, feelings and integration into the resistance. That way you do not only respect the characters but also the story you’ve created. It’s all about balance.
In the end, my only wish for TSOD is this : every interactions between the members of our witchy squad have to be nailed (especially between Newt and Theseus)! Please give me banter, quirkiness, humour, emotions— I want it all! In the meantime, we only have to wait (speculate!) and see…and hope this third installment leaves us pleasantly surprised! ✨
Lally Hicks and Theseus Scamander through the prism of visual storytelling: an interesting dynamic in sight…
Okay, just a random thought but— the fact that Eulalie and Theseus’ style of clothing are nearly similar just gets me. We all know for a fact that costume design in cinema tends to reflect a lot of (hidden) things about a character’s emotions and personality… but in this trailer— oh boy, there’s a lot to unpack. Studying visual storytelling can help us grasp/speculate on Eulalie and Theseus’ evident connection throughout this third installment of FB. I don’t know whether the nature of their relationship will be romantic or platonic, still, this refreshing duo appears to be as interesting as it is promising and I’m here for it. (aka in which im delivering a mini speculating meta nobody asked for).
Firstly, I think it’s necessary to understand why I’m specifically focusing on these two. On one hand, we have the official introduction of the queen herself, Ilvermorny’s Charm professor, the one and only Eulalie “Lally” Hicks. Her role in TCOG was very decisive. Let’s not forget that she was the one who ignited courage in Nicolas Flamel’s heart before Grindelwald’s rally at the cemetery of Père Lachaise. Without her words of encouragement to the old alchemist, Paris would have definitely been destroyed. Thus, her voice and knowledge constitute a powerful asset for Dumbledore’ squad. On the other hand, our war hero/auror Theseus Scamander is getting more and more amount of screen time as well (hell yeah!). Exploring his grief, his progressive trust in Dumbledore and the reasons explaining his complex relationship with Newt is going to be particularly interesting. Getting to know the conflicted man the war hero actually is sounds so good! In other words, those two characters are getting a proper introduction in the Potterverse (as it should be!). Not only they’re fully becoming protagonists, they’re also paired up together in 90% of the trailer.
Now that I’ve set the context, let’s dive into the visual storytelling. In order to do this analysis, it’s important to draw on the elements composing the image. I’m gonna focus on the shot where Lally and Theseus are back to back, ready to fight Grindelwald’s followers in (what seems to be) Tibet/China (not very sure?). There’s just so much to breakdown. This beautiful shot appears right after this title card :
“War of worlds” holds a lot of meanings. At first glance, we can think of the war between Dumbledore and Grindelwald, the good side/peace/unity vs the bad side/chaos/division, ignorance vs knowledge, lies vs truth… Yet, if we link the title card with this following shot, another shade of meaning colors our understanding of this expression. You need to keep in mind that each second, each frame in a teaser/trailer leave nothing to chance. Thus, “War of worlds” could eventually imply the clash between the two professional worlds in which Lally and Theseus belong to : the professorial corps vs the executive branch led by Hector Fawley, the British Ministry of Magic’s minister.
The rule of thirds highlights even more this opposition, though it also showcases a certain union. Studiobinder.com defines the rule of thirds as “one of the most common camera framing techniques used in film or photography. It’s about positioning a character to show their relation to other elements in the scene”. In this perspective, after decomposing the shot in three distinct parts, a visible asymmetry is particularly telling of what we could expect from their relationship. Lally and Theseus’s different background and profession oppose them, hence their back to back stance. But their skills make them as powerful as they are equal (not them being the same height and i oop!). As such, their differences are strengths that build their union. Placed in the center of the middle column, their figure flirt with its frontiers as well as four intersection points mostly known as power lines. They’re usual points where the human eye tends to mainly focus on. The real essence of shot is going to be captured within those elements. Here, it’s the perfect asymmetrical closeness of our professor and auror’s bodies, emphasized by the look they’re giving to each other, a sign of understanding. They’re ready to join forces and fight Grindelwald’s minions.
Overall, I love how this shot conveys both conflict and complicity at the same time.
In the other scenes Lally and Theseus share in the trailer, they’re always seen together : face to face in the nameless fancy train, walking side by side toward the German (?) ministry of magic, standing next to each other in Hogwart’s great hall as well as the room of requirement. We feel like they’re forced to work together, therefore, I can already picture some banter and disregard at first. After all, you can already sense Theseus’ wariness merely by the way he introduced Eulalie : “a school teacher”. Uhm, sweetie, she’s more than that, and trust me, you’ll quickly find out. A partnership might slowly blossom after a series of tensions, potentially transforming itself into something more : pure friendship or a slow burn romance.
Secondly, I’m digging how both of them are sharp dresser. Lally and Theseus sport a very elegant style : a long overcoat, a button up shirt, a tie, a waistcoat, and pocket watch. The finesse radiating from their garments invite us to notice a certain ressemblance. They are meticulous and sedulous, paralleling, mirroring each other. That being said, I tend to remember Coleen Atwood’s comment (FB’s costume designer) about Theseus’ costume design in The Making of Fantastic Beasts TCOG (2018). He’s “more by-the-book feel of someone trying to do everything the right way”… just like Lally right ?
Furthermore, two colors are mainly present on our characters’ outfits. Let’s start with Eulalie : Burgundy. According to Colorpsycologymeaning.com, burgundy generally symbolizes “high status, prestigious, elegant, luxurious, determined, ambitious, sophisticated and confidence. Dark reds like these are often used for the decor and branding for prestigious schools, universities and other institutions”. An interesting description indeed. This description perfectly fits our Ilvermorny teacher, doesn’t it? She’s almost wearing a formal teaching uniform (a bit like Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore) with her tie and her blouse tucked in her long skirt. Yet, that’s not it. Indeed, Lally’s also a woman of style. Her elegance is assertive, combining both femininity and masculinity. Delicacy and authority originating from her clothings could foreshadow her personality. In my head, she’s radiating a bad bitch energy— my oh my, what a badass!
After zooming on Lally’s shirt, I noticed how much the motif was practically the same as the handle of Theseus’ wand. The mix of tortoise shell/amber color dotting the black brings an exquisite touch highlighting a “more classic sense of the period” (C. Atwood about Theseus’ style of clothing). I don’t know if this point is relevant to the plot lmao…Coincidence? I think not!
As for Theseus, it’s blue. We can note a change of color of his attire between TCOG and TSOD. It radically changes form his grey suit he worn in the beginning of TCOG. It represented his inner conflict, his own confusion (and the viewer’s) regarding which side he’s taken in this war : Dumbledore’s? Newt’s? The ministry’s? The fact that Theseus followed Torquil Travers’ orders (the Head of Magical Law Enforcement), yet still listened to Dumbledore’s advices blurred the lines, translating itself into his attire. This conflict is similar to Newt’s, evidenced by his blueish grey overcoat. The magizoologist didn’t “do sides” in FB2 but still executed Dumbledore’s missions. In fact, blue (for Colorpsycologymeaning.com) represents “reservation, confidence, conservation, persistency, trust”. It also illustrates “independence, it is more of a leader rather than a follower and likes organization and is professionally minded”. These are definitions that perfectly captures Theseus and Newt’s personalities. But most importantly, blue is the color of unity, a symbol that the Scamander’s brothers are on the same side : resistance. The dark tone of their garments presage the dark turn their story arcs are going to take.
Anywho, what’s your take on this interesting duo? I might be wrong all the way but it feels so good to speculate on crumbs to fill the void. I seriously can’t wait to feast upon The Secrets of Dumbledore!
@treagus sent me a set of through a DM but Tumblr did…well, what it usually does, so I’m forced to respond to her this way. Stay awesome, Tumblr.
So here, have some WIP Scamander/Goldstein Christmas-time fluff. Yes, I know Tina is Jewish but I just had to do something with this idea in the aftermath of CoG, so…
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The electric fairy lights paint the dingy walls in watercolor shadows when Newt steps through the basement door, brightening his tiny flat. He smiles to himself and toes off his battered work boots, only to come up short when Tina turns from her place on the couch to acknowledge him, a blue light reflecting off the darkest part of her eyes, making them flash.
“Hi,” she greets him quietly, lifting her coffee mug before blushing down at her lap.
“Hello,” Newt manages without stammering, drinking in his fill of the delicate curve of her cheek, the graceful line of her neck before snapping himself out of it and shuffling across the room to the tree.
Newt tries very hard not to dwell on the fact that she’s wearing his pajamas, the ones he had loaned her nearly three months ago, in the immediate aftermath of Paris and the heartbreak it had wrought. The light mustard-colored silk looks better on her than they ever did on him, and he places his gifts beneath the tree — heartened to find a goodish pile already there, in a variety of colorful papers — before reverently touching one of the strands of popcorn and berries they had strung together the previous evening, enhanced by her shy smile as they lingered over tea and delicate little sandwiches.
“Hey, Newt,” Jacob calls from the kitchen in a knowing tone, snapping Newt from his reverie. He looks up quickly, flushing with presumed guilt, only to meet Jacob’s twinkling eyes. “You wanna help me with these eggs? I think your brother’s a bit lost, here.”
“I’m not lost,” Theseus grumbles, peering with obvious confusion at a bent fork. “I’m only just…aren’t these for eating?”
Newt snorts despite himself before standing. He dips his head to find Tina watching him with a tiny, secretive smile, and it lifts him enough that he can’t be entirely sure his feet touch the floor the three steps it takes him to pluck the fork from Theseus’ fingers. “They’re also good for beating eggs,” he tells him wryly, holding out a hand for the extravagantly rose-spangled apron that had been a Christmas gift from their mother before donning it.
“Suit yourself,” Theseus rumbles, chucking Newt on the shoulder before brushing past him to pour a cup of tea. “I never was any bloody good in the kitchen. In fact, Leta…” he trails off, a familiar sadness darkening his eyes before he shrugs it off with visible effort, rallying a lukewarm smile. “Leta, she used to say it was a minor miracle I could manage toast without burning the flat down.”
“Looks like Newt here got all the kitchen skills, then,” Jacob says with an understanding smile for Theseus before winking broadly. “Guess your talents lie elsewhere, eh, Theseus?”
Newt looks up from where he’s cracking eggs into a bowl. “That’s not quite fair,” he interjects quietly, heartened when Jacob and Theseus turn to listen to him. “I’d argue we both received those other ‘talents’.”
Jacob brays laughter at that, shoulders shaking as he portions off the spicy-smelling dough and covers the baking pan with a tea towel. Theseus even cracks a true smile, shrugging self-deprecatingly before nabbing a slice of toast from the awaiting pile. “I think that’s more about my little brother than I’d really like to know,” he says with a chuckle, “but I’m sure there’s a woman out there who could appreciate his…talents.”
Newt’s eyes go like a magnet to Tina, who is fingering the afghan covering her lap and watching them all with a species of simple joy he hasn’t seen on her in…Merlin, months. Her eyes meet his, prompting a familiar and pleasant tingle to surge from the crown of his head to the tip of his toes. He manages a weak, “Yes, perhaps,” and maintains poignant eye contact until Theseus snaps his fingers beneath his nose, breaking the temporary spell.
“Oi, Newt, get your mind back to London now, or do you actually prefer your eggs crunchy?”
“Bugger off, Theseus,” Newt sighs. He digs his elbow none-too-gently into his older brothers ribs, earning a laugh, and sets about digging out the shards of shells as Jacob and Theseus flow around him, forcing himself to ignore the tidal pull of Tina’s regards as he focuses on helping to get the morning started off on the right foot.
People keep hating on Fantastic Beasts when there isn’t a good reason to. I don’t understand why some people feel the need to fight with other fans. Where does that get us? You don’t need to like the series but don’t ostracize and bully those of us that do. We all have different ships and that is wonderful! Why do we need to pit ourselves against each other when we all love the same magical world?
(The fanart is mine–it’s just a pencil version of one of Leta’s CoG posters.)
