Gellert Grindelwald



"A law that has us scuttling like rats in the gutter. A law that demands that we conceal our true nature. A law that directs those under its dominion to cower in fear, lest we risk discovery. I ask you, Madam President, I ask all of you - who does this law protect? Us, or them? I refuse to bow down any longer."

- Gellert Grindelwald

Gellert Grindelwald (c. 1883 – March, 1998) was considered one of the most dangerous Dark Wizards of all time. A student at Durmstrang Institute, Grindelwald was expelled for conducting twisted, dark experiments. He later fostered a friendship with a young Albus Dumbledore, making plans to find the Deathly Hallows and lead a Wizarding revolution to end the International Statute of Secrecy, creating a benevolent global hierarchical order led by wise and powerful witches and wizards that dominated Muggles. Their partnership fell apart after the two were involved in a three-way duel with Aberforth Dumbledore that resulted in Ariana Dumbledore's death.

Grindelwald left Britain and soon stole the Elder Wand from Mykew Gregorovitch, proceeding alone with the revolution he and Dumbledore had planned. He established a power base in continental Europe at the fortress Nurmengard. Grindelwald was a complex figure, highly idealistic and talented but marred by his links with the Dark Arts. A revolutionary operating outside the law, he and his followers committed numerous crimes, including several known murders. In 1945, at the height of his power, Dumbledore confronted and defeated him in a legendary duel. He was subsequently imprisoned in his own fortress for decades, and was slain there by Voldemort in 1998 when he refused to give up information on the location of the Elder Wand.

Early life
"Educated at Durmstrang, a school famous even then for its unfortunate tolerance of the Dark Arts, Grindelwald showed himself quite as precociously brilliant as Dumbledore. Rather than channel his abilities into the attainment of awards and prizes, however, Gellert Grindelwald devoted himself to other pursuits. When Grindelwald was sixteen years old, even Durmstrang felt it could no longer turn a blind eye to his twisted experiments and he was expelled."

- The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore describing Grindelwald's school days

Gellert Grindelwald was born around 1883. He was educated at Durmstrang Institute, where he excelled at magic and absorbed much of the strength-obsessed and Dark Magic-flavoured school culture, while also running afoul of the school's rigid hierarchies. An extremely talented wizard with an attractive, winsome personality and a "merry, wild" disposition, Grindelwald also possessed an insidious streak and, like many before him, felt the pull of the Dark Arts. Dumbledore noted to Harry that 'twisted experiments' had been the reason for his expulsion from Durmstrang before graduating, but his mischievousness and disdain for rules probably played a role as well in such an authoritarian institution as Durmstrang. His darkly ambitious nature was apparent from a young age: he and Dumbledore discussed quite openly the idea of ruling Muggles as benevolent overlords, and suggestions were made to the effect that his experiments were too dark even for Durmstrang (a school with a dark reputation to begin with), thus leading to his expulsion.

Keenly interested in history, lore, and the powerful mystique of magical artefacts, Grindelwald became fascinated with the Deathly Hallows, to the point of appropriating their runic symbol as his own personal emblem and engraving it on the walls of Durmstrang prior to his departure.

Friendship with Dumbledore
"He didn't like that. Grindelwald didn't like that at all. He got angry. He told me what a stupid little boy I was, trying to stand in the way of him and my brilliant brother... Didn't I understand, my poor sister wouldn't have to be hidden once they'd changed the world, and led the wizards out of hiding, and taught the Muggles their place? And there was an argument... and I pulled my wand, and he pulled out his...."

- Aberforth Dumbledore reminiscing to the trio about his brother's past

After expulsion, Gellert's quest for information about the Hallows led him to Godric's Hollow, England, where Ignotus Peverell, said to have been the first owner of Death's Cloak of Invisibility, had been laid to rest. Conveniently, his great-aunt, acclaimed wizarding historian Bathilda Bagshot, lived there and provided a place for him to stay, complete with a treasure trove of books and documents and a minimum of supervision. It was in Godric's Hollow in late 1898 or early 1899 that Grindelwald met and befriended Albus Dumbledore. The two teenagers had a lot in common: they were intellectuals and class-toppingly talented young wizards who were idealistic and ambitious. Albus, who felt trapped in a boring town out of familial obligation, gained a glamorous, attractive connection to the excitement of faraway places and things in Gellert. Gellert, an ego case, gained a powerful ally, complete with stimulating conversation, who didn't threaten his sense of control. It is clear that the pair were very close and the friendship was genuine on both sides. They shaped one another's ideas, powers, as well as destinies from that day forth.

They also shared two preoccupations. The Deathly Hallows held their fascination for many shared reasons, but their most fundamental reasons they didn't quite have in common. Gellert wanted (together with his friend) to acquire all three and wield the power of Master of Death.

They also dreamed of overturning the Statute of Secrecy and creating a new order in which wise and powerful wizards and witches were the benevolent overlords of their world, including Muggles. Again, Dumbledore's reasons were subtly different from Grindelwald's: as a young man, Dumbledore had witnessed and been powerless to stop a group of Muggle boys tormenting his younger sister, Ariana, to the point that the sweet-natured girl suffered an emotional breakdown and her repressed magic became dangerously unstable. Dumbledore's father was sent to Azkaban for taking revenge on the Muggle boys and his mother was killed in one of Ariana's accidents. He wanted power to protect his loved ones (and by extension the whole world) against cruelty and xenophobia like that shown by the Muggles. They coined the phrase that would become Grindelwald's slogan and the justification for his moral indiscretions and atrocities: "For the Greater Good."



The friends' plans to leave Godric's Hollow, acquire power, and begin their revolution turned serious. When Dumbledore's brother Aberforth became aware of this in the summer of 1899, he was disgusted with Albus's ambition, but was concerned about it as well, knowing that he and Ariana would need to be brought along as she would not receive the care and attention she needed to keep her stable. The tense situation boiled over into a confrontation and Grindelwald, enraged, inflicted the Cruciatus Curse on Aberforth. Albus moved to defend his brother, igniting a vicious three-way duel in which Ariana was accidentally killed. Aberforth and Albus were devastated. Presumably Grindelwald was also remorseful, as there is no evidence he was an emotionally cold person. Unwilling to face Albus, he fled the country and received putative blame for Ariana's death, thus confirming his place on the wrong side of the law and touching off his career as a Dark revolutionary, which would last until 1945.

Rise to power
"In a list of Most Dangerous Dark Wizards of All Time, he'd miss out on the top spot only because You-Know-Who arrived, a generation later, to steal his crown."

- The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore on Gellert's reputation



Grindelwald delved into his research on the Deathly Hallows and uncovered the location of the Elder Wand. Rumours had been circulating that the renowned wandsmith Gregorovitch had the wand and was trying to duplicate its properties. Grindelwald broke into Gregorovitch's workshop, lay in wait for the wandmaker, stunned him, and stole the wand, thereby becoming its new master. He had had likely gotten the idea that the old owner of the wand need not be killed in order for it to recognise a new master from Dumbledore, as the prevailing interpretation of the lore at the time was that ownership passed only by murder

International wizardhunt
"I will not be lectured by the man who let Gellert Grindelwald slip through his fingers!"

- Seraphina Picquery to Heinrich Eberstadt



Following his acquisition of the Elder Wand Grindelwald began amassing an army of followers. Eventually he and his legions of "fanatics" launched several devastating attacks across Europe, committing mass-slaughter, and garnering international attention from wizarding authorities. Several of the attacks also drew the attention of the Muggle world, risking exposure and war. In response to Grindewald's actions an international wizardhunt ensued, and was reported on in periodicals such as the Daily Prophet and the The New York Ghost

At some point Grindelwald was almost captured, but was able to evade his pursuers, and disappear. Magical Congress of the United States of America President, Seraphina Picquery would later lay the blame for Grindelwald's escape on Heinrich Eberstadt, claiming that he had let the fearsome dark wizard "slip through his fingers".

Impersonating Graves
"We've lived in the shadows for far too long."

- Gellert Grindelwald to Credence Barebone



Unbeknownst to Picquery, Grindelwald had already infiltrated MACUSA by assuming the identity of her right-hand man Percival Graves. Grindelwald believed the mysterious attacks occurring in New York City to be the work of a powerful Obscurial, which he felt would be a great asset for his plans of world domination. Using his disguise as Graves, Grindelwald came into regular contact with Credence Barebone, whom he believed to be connected to the Obscurial due to a vision he received. Believing Credence was an orphaned Squib, Grindelwald manipulated him into helping him find the Obscurial with the promise of protecting him from his abusive adoptive mother and teaching him magic.

During this time, Grindelwald (as Graves) arrested Newt Scamander, whose escaped beasts were believed by the MACUSA to be the cause of the Obscurial's attacks. During his interrogation, Grindelwald discovered the Obscurus within Newt's suitcase, and in an effort to hide his tracks, had him and Tina Goldstein sentenced to death. Afterwards, he approached Credence after Mary Lou Barebone was killed by the Obscurial and had him track down his adoptive sister Modesty Barebone, believing her to be the source of the Obscurial. Once they found Modesty, Grindelwald cruelly rejected Credence, as he had no further use of him. This angered Credence, who then revealed that he was the Obscurial, much to Grindelwald's surprise. Grindelwald attempted to convince Credence that he had nothing to fear any more and to join his ranks, but this further angered Credence who began rampaging through the city. When Grindelwald and Newt were both finally close to talking down Credence, President Picquery and her other Aurors appeared at the scene, and she orders them to attack the Obscruial. With Credence being seemingly destroyed at the Aurors' hands, Grindelwald was so beside himself with rage, that he, lead by his extreme idealism, began to break his disguise, expressing his utter disgust for being forced to hide from the No-Majes. Picquery subsequently ordered the other Aurors to bring "Percival Graves" in, but Grindelwald, no longer suppressing his tremendous magical prowess, holds his own against all of the Aurors simultaneously, and gradually begins to bring them down one after the other, until Newt finally managed to catch him off-guard by restraining Grindelwald's hands from behind with his Swooping Evil, with Tina then promptly disarming him. Newt then casts a charm, making Grindelwald's disguise fade away, revealing his true face. Even apprehended however, Grindelwald was unfazed, arrogantly questioning President Picquery's ability to contain a wizard of his reputation and power. Right before he is lead away, Grindelwald meets Newt's gaze and mysteriously asks the latter: "Will we die, just a little?"

Grindelwald eventually escaped the MACUSA and established a prison, Nurmengard, to serve as a form of containment for his enemies, apparently sufficiently impregnable that he was later imprisoned in it, inaccessible to his former supporters and breached only by Lord Voldemort many years later. In what few accounts of Grindelwald's revolution exist, his great power as a wizard is mentioned often, but there is less mention of his crimes. One murder is noted, that of Viktor Krum's grandfather, and presumably there were others.

Fall from power and imprisonment
"...while I busied myself with the training of young wizards, Grindelwald was raising an army. They say he feared me, and perhaps he did, but less, I think, than I feared him... It was the truth I feared. You see, I never knew which of us, in that last, horrific fight, had actually cast the curse that killed my sister... I think he knew it, I think he knew what frightened me. I delayed meeting him until finally, it would have been too shameful to resist any longer. People were dying and he seemed unstoppable, and I had to do what I could."

- Albus Dumbledore on Gellert's reign



Albus Dumbledore hesitated to confront Grindelwald, despite the belief held by many, including quite possibly both men themselves, that he was the only wizard skilful enough to stop his former friend. His reasons for hesitating may have included residual affection for his ex-flame, residual sympathy for his revolutionary goals, or shame over his role in shaping Grindelwald's revolution, but the reason Dumbledore himself gave Harry was that he was afraid Grindelwald knew better than he did who exactly was responsible for killing Ariana and he didn't want to find out. But Dumbledore, at this point about 63 years old and Head of Transfiguration at Hogwarts, was finally importuned by people who suffered from his former friend's actions to move against him. Eyewitnesses stated that it was the greatest duel ever fought between wizards. Dumbledore bested Grindelwald, becoming the master of the Elder Wand, and sending his defeated foe back to his homeland, where he was tried. Grindelwald was convicted and imprisoned in the topmost cell of Nurmengard, where he spent the rest of his life until his murder by Voldemort.

Death
"Kill me, then. Voldemort, I welcome death! But my death will not bring you what you seek… There is so much you do not understand…."

- Grindelwald to Voldemort shortly before his death



Fifty-three years after his defeat, Grindelwald was slain in his prison cell by Voldemort, who was searching for the Elder Wand for himself. It was only during the confrontation in Grindelwald's cell that Voldemort learned Albus Dumbledore had claimed the wand long ago. Grindelwald showed no fear during this confrontation, taunting Voldemort by name and laughing at his desire for the wand. Voldemort ended Grindelwald's life with the Killing Curse in the spring of 1998.

Physical appearance
As a young man, Grindelwald had golden blond hair and a "merry, wild" face. Harry Potter thought he had "a Fred and George-ish air of triumphant trickery about him".

While he was middle aged, Grindelwald's hair was pale blond and shaved on the sides of his head giving him a sleek look; he also had a thin white moustache. His right eye grey, while his left was dark, and his face was pale.

Near the end of his life, when Voldemort found him at the top of Nurmengard, Grindelwald was emaciated - a frail skeletal figure with a skull-like face, great sunken eyes, and wrinkled cheeks, with most of his teeth were gone.

Personality and traits
"They say he showed remorse in later years, alone in his cell at Nurmengard. I hope that is true. I would like to think that he did feel the horror and shame of what he had done. Perhaps that lie to Voldemort was his attempt to make amends... to prevent Voldemort from taking the Hallow..."

- Dumbledore discussing Grindelwald after his death

Grindelwald was charming and brilliant as a young wizard, and most who encountered him considered him so - Albus Dumbledore himself confessed that Grindelwald was extremely charming, so much that it had induced him to fall in love with him, and it was partly the reason Dumbledore had been initially blind to just how dangerous Grindelwald truly was. His attraction to the Dark Arts, noted previously, was predictable given his personality and background, and not necessary malevolent in its initial stages. He was highly intelligent, magically talented, idealistic, as well as ambitious to the point of ruthlessness, with a vicious temper: for example, when Aberforth Dumbledore challenged his and Albus's plans and tried to convince his brother to abandon them, Grindelwald "lost control" and used the Cruciatus Curse on Aberforth. The very fact that Grindelwald resorted to this curse in particular indicates that Grindelwald was intensely sadistic as well as fierce-tempered and (judging by how a Cruciatus Curse must be properly performed) he genuinely wanted to cause pain to people who challenged him. Another instance of his unique sadism was when Grindelwald duelled Newt Scamander, since after swiftly overpowering his opponent, he opted to torture him with lightning curses instead of killing him right away. Some considered Grindelwald the most powerful Dark Wizard in history, aside from Lord Voldemort. Of course, history is very long indeed, and the most recent parts are often best remembered.

Grindelwald was extremely arrogant and self-centered, but able to recognise talent in others and form (or pretend to form) close human connections. In comparison to the "stupid" evil exhibited by some beings such as trolls, the "officious" evil exhibited by the likes of Dolores Umbridge, or the "chaotic", "narcissistic" evil characteristic of the psychopathic Lord Voldemort, Grindelwald is probably best understood in terms of sociopathy. He was filled with intrinsic manipulative traits and the willingness to use them for his own purposes, as well as a malleable moral compass. Judging by Aberforth's testimony, he had little interest in, or patience with, those he considered beneath him. He considered Albus Dumbledore an equal and praised the tremendous potential of the Obscurial Credence Barebone, for instance, but was dismissive of the less talented and intelligent Aberforth, the permanently damaged Ariana, and also, initially, Credence, whom Grindelwald initially callously discarded when he seemingly became no longer useful, as Grindelwald assumed Credence to be a Squib, whom it would be impossible to magically train. In addition, while disguised as Percival Graves, Grindelwald questioned Newt Scamander in an interrogation as to why Dumbledore would have such faith in Newt - this special attention towards Dumbledore's opinion about Newt indicates that Grindelwald was intent on further understanding Dumbledore, showing how Grindelwald truly didn't fully understand his former ally, was possibly against anything associated with his nemesis, or likely also even somewhat jealous of Newt, unlike himself, still having the faith of Grindelwald's former best friend.

In addition to being a fierce elitist (in that he appreciated and recognised power and intelligence, but discarded anything below this), Grindelwald possessed a genius-level intellect and a ruthless streak that made him frightening and dangerous. Aside from his ability to create carefully-woven plans to achieve his goals, he was able to mimic the personality of Percival Graves for presumably some time without arousing suspicion. Speaking of which, one example of Grindelwald's manipulative traits was by how he effortlessly exploited Credence by appealing to the boy in a way nobody else tried to, and offering to accept the boy into his ranks. Even after it became clear that Credence, as an Obscurial, was extremely powerful and phenomenally dangerous, Grindelwald calmly continued to try and exploit him, and was outraged when the MACUSA President opted to have her Aurors seemingly destroy him. Grindelwald was idealistic to an extreme, having absolutely no complaints about the murder of hundreds of innocent people who, from his perspective, were lesser than he, as long as that accomplished his long-term goals of finding all three Deathly Hallows and establishing a new world order, with wizards dominating Muggles, all "for the greater good". That being said, he did understand at least the rudiments of how death affected other people, judging from the fact that he fled in fear of his life after the intense duel between himself, Dumbledore, and Aberforth that resulted in Ariana's death. Indeed, Grindelwald's idealism even prompted him to break his disguise in New York, expressing his disgust for being forced to hide from Muggles, and then proceeding to attack the MACUSA Aurors who had seemingly killed Credence. Even when apprehended by Newt Scamander, Grindelwald was unfazed, arrogantly questioning President Picquery's ability to contain a wizard of his reputation and power.

There is evidence that Grindelwald regained some perspective after his downfall, apparently expressing remorse for his crimes late in his life. He held Lord Voldemort in complete contempt, considering him a powerful idiot who understood nothing of importance. He also apparently lost his will to live in his long confinement. When, trapped and unarmed, Grindelwald faced certain death at the hands of the only Dark Wizard to ever be considered possibly more dangerous than himself; he was openly defiant and even mocking, goading Voldemort into killing him. Indeed, he seemed to exhibit a grotesque remnant of the "merry, wild" temperament of his youth, as though glad he finally had someone interesting to talk to before his long-awaited death. His last words consisted of the dressing-down of Voldemort and a rather enthusiastic outlook on "the next great adventure" seems clear in its connection to his old friend, Albus Dumbledore.

Perhaps due to his great skill and beliefs in his own superiority, Grindelwald rarely displayed fear. For instance, when he was taken away by the Aurors after his capture in 1926, he did not show any concern, despite knowing perfectly well that the Magical Congress of the United States of America executed high-risk criminals rather than imprisoning them, displaying a kind of quiet confidence, merely sneering and questioning their ability to hold him against his will if he choose to leave their custody. Even more notable was Grindelwald apparent lack of fear during his aforementioned encounter with Lord Voldemort himself, the only Dark Wizard said to possibly be more powerful than him, nor of the likelihood of death, even using Voldemort's name while openly mocking him. Like Voldemort, however, Grindelwald did seem to have some fear of his former friend Albus Dumbledore, as he quickly fled the scene after Ariana was killed while trying to intervene in a duel he started, and later in life when he refrained from attacking Great Britain, despite his possession of the Elder Wand, out of fear for his former friend. Dumbledore himself later told Harry that he believed that Grindelwald feared the possibility of being defeated by him, though it should be also noted that Dumbledore feared his former friend at least as much, as Dumbledore feared the possibility of Grindelwald knowing who it was that cast the stray curse which killed Ariana.

Some consider Grindelwald to have been an unambiguously evil Dark Wizard, more or less a Voldemort-before-Voldemort. But there are two pieces of evidence that suggest otherwise. First, his decision to stun, not kill Gregorovitch, when he acquired the Elder Wand from the latter, which hints at a willingness not to kill simply as a matter of course. However, this might have been a calculated decision, perhaps considering that people were more likely to give credence to Gregorovitch's claims that he'd had the Elder Wand if he was murdered, as that was the traditional method of passing it on. Second, part of his motivation for refusing to give Voldemort any information about the Elder Wand may have been a desire to prevent Dumbledore's tomb from being desecrated, or even out of remorse for his own crimes. Alternatively, he may have merely wanted to taunt Voldemort, though Harry Potter and Dumbledore himself both suspect the former two reasons to be more likely.

Magical abilities and skills
"Do you think you can hold me!?"

- Grindelwald taunting MACUSA Aurors as he is captured

Grindelwald was outstandingly talented even while still a Durmstrang student, being one of the most brilliant students ever to have attended the school. His skills in magic are comparable with those of Albus Dumbledore and Lord Voldemort, the latter of whom he may even have exceeded in power, therefore making Grindelwald a wizard of frighteningly tremendous power, indeed, one of the greatest in history. As a former master of the Elder Wand, Grindelwald's already extremely formidable magic was further enhanced by the artefact's legendary powers, allowing him to perform spells more powerful than any believed to be magically possible otherwise. Even after stealing Percival Graves's wand to maintain a disguise (with it being unclear whether or not he had properly won said wand) and suppressing his abilities enough to not arouse suspicion, Grindelwald was still extremely powerful and dangerous.
 * Magical Mastery: Grindelwald was noted to be extremely talented and prodigiously skilled while still a student of Durmstrang Institute, and his skills, mastery, and understanding of magic, were considered to be on par with those of Albus Dumbledore, which induced the two young men to befriend one another. As an adult, Grindelwald perfected almost every aspect of Dark magic, and was generally considered to be the most dangerous Dark Wizard who had ever existed, until Lord Voldemort emerged many years later. Grindelwald's frighteningly tremendous skills, further amplified by his mastery over the Elder Wand, would make him a seemingly unstoppable opponent. Grindelwald terrorised much of wizarding Europe, only being defeated by his former friend Dumbledore in a duel of legendary proportions. While Grindelwald ultimately lost the duel and mastery over the Elder Wand, it should be noted that he had been able to fight off Dumbledore at the height of the latter's power for three long hours, and Dumbledore himself would later admit that he had been only "a shade more skilful" than Grindelwald. Furthermore, Grindelwald had an immense knowledge and understanding of magic, seeking to understand any information within reach, which gave him enough confidence to openly mock Lord Voldemort himself moments before the Dark Lord killed him, with Grindelwald openly holding the latter in complete contempt, considering Voldemort a powerful idiot who understood nothing of importance. In addition, Grindelwald had managed to successfully master and wield the Elder Wand, and only lost it only in prolonged duel with an equal, which hints that Grindelwald had a better understanding of how the wand worked than Voldemort did, as the latter had never succeeded it attaining mastery over it.
 * Intellectual genius: Grindelald was not only a great wizard, but also possessed an incredible intellect, as he was considered to be equally brilliant to Albus Dumbledore (who was the most brilliant student Hogwarts had ever seen up to that point) when both of them had been 17, which induced the two young men to quickly become best friends. Indeed, Grindelwald and Dumbledore's intellects were so complementary to one another, that, according to Bathilda Bagshot, even after spending an entire day in intellectually stimulating discussions with Grindelwald, Dumbledore would still unexpectedly send Grindelwand messages by owl right after sudden ideas struck him, with him having to let Grindelwald know of them immediately . As an adult, aside from his ability to create complex and carefully-woven plans to achieve his goals (subtly apprehending President Picquery's right-hand man Percival Graves and infiltrating the MACUSA by assuming his identity), Grindelwald was able to perfectly mimic the personality and accent of Percival Graves, and carry out his many duties (as an Auror, the Head of MACUSA's Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and the Director of Magical Security), while also gradually managing to locate the rampaging Obscurial, all for presumably some time, without arousing suspicion.
 * Dark Arts: Grindelwald had an exceptional talent and passion for the Dark Arts from a young age. In his school days, he experimented with Dark Arts on his fellow students at Durmstrang with lethal results, and was expelled for it, as his experiments had been too dangerous even for Durmstrang, despite the school notably having a tolerant outlook on the Dark Arts. Even while still seventeen, Grindelwald was already adept at casting the extremely powerful Cruciatus Curse, notably using it against Aberforth Dumbledore. Later, while impersonating Percival Graves, Grindelwald tortured Newt Scamander with lightning curses.
 * Duelling: Grindelwald was a duelist of frighteningly tremendous, almost unrivalled skill. He quickly and effortlessly stunned Gregorovitch in order to master the Elder Wand, fought a three-way duel with Albus and Aberforth Dumbledore when the three were in their late teens, defeated and killed many powerful witches and wizards in duels during his reign of terror in wizarding Europe, overpowered the extremely skilled Auror Percival Graves before he assumed his identity, won every single one-on-one duel while in his Percival Graves disguise (easily besting and torturing Newt Scamander and even highly skilled former Auror Tina Goldstein, despite himself holding back at the time), even simultaneously fending off more than ten Aurors (themselves all extremely skilled duelists) with relative ease, and beginning to incapacitate them one after the other in rapid succession, before Newt managed to catch him off-guard by restraining his hands from behind with a Swooping Evil. Ultimately, Grindelwald was even able to fight against Albus Dumbledore when the latter was at the height of his power: indeed their legendary duel has entered history as the greatest duel ever fought between two wizards. However, despite wielding the Elder Wand, Grindelwald was ultimately unable to defeat Dumbledore, who later remarked that it was because he had been "a shade more skillful" than Grindelwald, though it should be noted that even Dumbledore was only able to win after duelling Grindelwald for three hours straight, a testament to the latter's incredible duelling skill.
 * Charms: Grindelwald was extremely skilled in charms. Albus Dumbledore claimed that Grindelwald could render himself invisible without the use of an invisibility cloak. To achieve such a state, Grindelwald would have used an extremely powerful Disillusionment Charm, which is a tremendous feat, especially considering that Grindelwald was able to achieve it when he was only seventeen. As such, the Cloak of Invisibility would be the Hallow that Grindelwald was least interested in, and continued his search for it only because the Cloak completed the trio of legendary artefacts. Grindelwald's shield charms were also incredibly powerful, protecting him from a barrage of spells fired at him by over ten Aurors simultaneously.
 * Healing magic: Grindelwald had an understanding of healing charms, being able to heal the cuts on Credence Barebone's hands by touching them.
 * Potions: Grindelwald was exceptionally proficient in potion-making, being able to brew enough of the highly complex Polyjuice Potion to assume the identity of Percival Graves for an extended period of time without raising suspicions.
 * Apparition: Like most adult wizards, Grindelwald was able to Apparate, though he did so at higher speeds than most, and with with pin-point precision, as he avoided the violent attacks of rampaging Obscurial Credence Barebone with notable ease.
 * Occlumency: Grindelwald was an extremely accomplished Occlumens, as even Lord Voldemort himself, who was reputed to be the most accomplished Legilimens alive, was unable to penetrate Grindelwald's mind to gain information in his search of the Elder Wand.
 * History of Magic: Grindelwald had good knowledge of magical history and lore, especially the portions of it that pertained to powerful magical artifacts such as the Deathly Hallows and wandlore. For example, he knew that Ignotus Peverell, owner of the Cloak of Invisibility, had been laid to rest in Godric's Hollow.
 * Divination: Grindelwald had some aptitude for divination, as he had a vision about the existence of a powerful Obscurial linked to Credence Barebone. However, he is not an expert in this magical field, as Grindelwald initially misinterpreted the vision, believing that Credence would lead him to a child while in fact, Credence was the Obscurial himself. It should be noted, however, that Credence is the only known Obscruial ever to have lived past the age of 10, so Grindelwald could not have possibly anticipated this.
 * Wandless and Nonverbal magic: Grindelwald was extremely skilled in both wandless and nonverbal magic, either of which is often difficult to perform even individually, making Grindenwald's prowess all the more impressive, as he usually performed both simultaneously. He generated forceful shockwaves to move and otherwise exert force on people and objects, and using only silent hand gestures. He was able to break apart the ground near him to send the pieces of it flying at an opponent, or even send an automobile flying across a street at Tina Goldstein with a silent wave of his hand, notably without breaking concentration from the fierce Priori Incantatem that Grindelwald was (also silently) maintaining between himself and Tina. Grindelwald summoned Newt Scamander's suitcase to him without using his wand, causing it to fly across a room and land next to him with a silent wave of his hand. In the same instance, Grindelwald also lifted Newt Scamander from the ground from across the room and magically restrained him, Tina Goldstein and Jacob Kowalski simultaneously (with yet another silent hand gesture), before putting Newt back down on the floor. When interrogating Newt, he summoned the protective orb containing an Obscurus to his side by silently gesturing it forth, and Grindelwald even fended off over ten Aurors simultaneously without speaking a single incantation. Aside from telekinetically manipulating objects from a distance, Grindelwald also caused the cuts on Credence Barebone's hands to vanish by silently putting his hand over them.
 * Knowledge of Wandlore: Grindelwald was well-versed in wandlore, having a superior understanding of the Elder Wand to Lord Voldemort, since unlike Voldemort, Grindelwald actually succeeded in attaining its mastery, as he was aware that to take control of the Elder Wand, he needed to not just steal the wand, but also to defeat the previous owner.
 * Magical Dexterity: Grindelwald was good at recognizing and imitating the magical prowess of witches and wizards less skillful than himself. While infiltrating the MACUSA in the guise of Percival Graves, Grindelwald suppressed his own tremendous abilities to ensure that he did not arouse suspicion by using magic that strayed beyond the capabilities of the wizard whose identity he had stolen.
 * Wand Versatility: Grindelwald could use wands other than his own with little or no handicap, as he notably wielded Percival Graves' wand while infiltrating the MACUSA in the guise of Graves.
 * Leadership skills: Under Grindelwald's leadership, his army terrorised much of wizarding Europe in the Global Wizarding War for years, in their attempt to overthrow the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy.
 * Charisma: As a young man, Grindelwald displayed a talent for the manipulation of others, being able to charm and manipulate his best friend Albus Dumbledore into accompanying him on his intended grand wizarding revolution and quest for the Deathly Hallows, with only the timely intervention of Aberforth stopping Albus, much to Grindelwald's fury. Years later, Grindelwald displayed his superb manipulation skills again, this time with Credence Barebone, while himself being disguised as Percival Graves, in order to gain the young wizard's trust, and use him in his own search for the Obscurial. He successfully played the role of a friendly and supportive mentor figure towards Credence, being able to console the latter in moments of depression, through feigned support and affection. Grindelwald also seemed confident in his ability to talk down Credence in his dangerous Obscurial form, and was therefore beside himself with fury when President Picquery and her other Aurors seemingly destroyed Credence. Grindelwald was also successful in inspiring loyalty in a sufficient number of witches and wizards to rise an army of fanatical followers who, under Grindelwald's leadership, terrorised much of Europe in the Global Wizarding War for years in their attempt to overthrow the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy.
 * Improvisational acting: Besides his immense magical skills and extensive knowledge of magic, Grindelwald also proved to be a superb actor, evidenced by him successfully hiding his true nature from even his best friend Albus Dumbledore for months, and even successfully convincing the latter to participate in a quest for the Deathly Hallows and a grandiose wizarding revolution against the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, claiming that it would be "for the greater good". It should be noted, however, that Dumbledore's judgement was at the time hampered because Dumbledore was in love with Grindelwald, and he would eventually come to see the error of his former friend's reasoning. Years later, Grindelwald again showed his immense acting skills, successfully infiltrating the MACUSA by assuming the identity of President Picquery's right-hand man Percival Graves, perfectly imitating Percival's personality traits and American accent, as well as suppressing his own tremendous abilities just enough to not arouse suspicion.

Possessions

 * Gellert Grindelwald's wand: Grindelwald's original wand, notably used by him to permanently carve the Deathly Hallows symbol into the wall of Durmstrang Institute, and later used in the three-way duel between himself, Albus and Aberforth. Grindelwald's last known use of his wand was to stun Gregorovitch and attain mastery over the legendary Elder Wand.
 * Percival Graves's wand: While infiltrating the MACUSA in the guise of Percival Graves, Grindelwald wielded Graves' wand, which, while as yet unconfirmed, is likely to have been made by the American wand-maker Johannes Jonker, who was renowned for his recognisable trademark of having his wands inlaid with mother-of-pearl. Such a signature can be seen in all depictions of Graves' wand.
 * Elder Wand: Gindelwald wielded this wand, the most powerful wand in existence, known also as the "Wand of Destiny" or the "Deathstick", and one of the Deathly Hallows. He attained mastery of it after stunning Gregorovitch, but Grindelwald ultimately lost it at the end of his legendary duel with Albus Dumbledore.

Albus Dumbledore
"Did I know, in my heart of hearts, what Gellert Grindelwald was? I think I did, but I closed my eyes."

- Albus Dumbledore to Harry Potter, about his friendship with Gellert Grindelwald



Albus Dumbledore first met Grindelwald when he was seventeen. They were introduced by Grindelwald's great aunt, Bathilda Bagshot. They got along almost instantly, according to Bagshot. They had much in common, including the quest for the Deathly Hallows and edgy ideals about the structure of a wizard-led society. Dumbledore's romantic feelings towards Grindelwald went most likely unrequited, but their friendship was nonetheless very close. But Grindelwald was a sociopath, and may have sensed that the depth of his friend's affection for him could be used to monopolise his attention and push his moral envelope. They were very close for two months, making plans to find the Deathly Hallows and lead a wizarding revolution, but Albus neglected his younger siblings, Aberforth and Ariana, as a result. When Aberforth confronted the pair over this, Grindelwald lost his temper and attacked Aberforth. Albus rushed forward to defend his brother, and during the duel Ariana was killed. Grindelwald fled, his friendship with Albus over.

Over the next few decades, Grindelwald caused considerable havoc on behalf of his revolution and Dumbledore refused to face him out of fear that Grindelwald knew who had really killed Ariana. Grindelwald himself also seemed to fear the idea of facing Dumbledore. Eventually, however, Dumbledore could no longer stand idle with his former friend becoming an increasing source of terror on the continent. In 1945, Grindelwald combated Dumbledore for a second time in a legendary duel, said by eyewitnesses to be the greatest duel ever fought between wizards. Dumbledore won in the end, took possession of the Elder Wand, and imprisoned Grindelwald in his own prison, Nurmengard.

Many years later, in 1998, Grindelwald refused to give any information to Lord Voldemort about the Elder Wand despite the fact that he was imprisoned, wandless, and face-to-face with the only Dark Wizard ever considered more powerful than himself. This seems to indicate that Grindelwald no longer held with the views of those who practised the Dark Arts. It was speculated by Harry Potter that Grindelwald had given his life to prevent Voldemort from desecrating Dumbledore's tomb, perhaps indicating that Grindelwald retained some respect and affection for his old friend.

Aberforth Dumbledore
Aberforth disliked Grindelwald immensely, as he was Albus's friend after Hogwarts. While Aberforth was taking care of Ariana, Albus and Grindelwald were planning to enslave the Muggles. As the two boys were planning to travel around the world, they also planned to take Ariana with them. Aberforth opposed them, telling them that he would be able to take care of Ariana once more. Grindelwald became very angry and used the Cruciatus Curse on Aberforth; Albus then defended his brother and the three boys had a duel, in which Ariana was accidentally killed. Grindelwald escaped and left the country. Aberforth retained bitter memories towards Grindelwald for many years after their fateful encounter, and when he recounted the events that led to his sister's death Harry noted the "positively dangerous" look that came over his face when Grindelwald's name was mentioned.

Newton Scamander
Grindelwald had few interactions with the gifted Magizoologist (and mostly disguised as Percival Graves), but held him in clear disdain and mockery despite Newt overpowering and revealing him to the MACUSA. Grindelwald did everything in his power to have Newt take the blame for the Obscurial deaths and nearly had him executed, Grindelwald also revealed to Tina Goldstein that Newt had been expelled from Hogwarts for nearly killing a student in a experiment. Grindelwald was also curious as to why Dumbledore had stood for up for Newt but the young wizard refused to answer him. When Newt intervened in Grindelwald's plan to acquire Credence Barebone, Grindelwald dropped all pretence and attempted to kill Newt duelling with him ferociously, even torturing Newt with lightning spells. Newt managed to capture Grindelwald by use of Swooping Evil and revealed his true identity to MACUSA, before being carried off Grindelwald turned to Newt and said mysteriously  "Will we die, just a little?" at which Newt didn't respond.

Credence Barebone
Grindelwald used Credence to try and locate the Obscurial and tossed him aside when he thought he had obtained his goal (assuming he was a Squib). When it was revealed that Credence was the Obscurial, he offered to train him, but Credence declined having been heart broken by the older wizard. He continued to attempt to recruit Credence until he vanished after being attacked by many Aurors.

Etymology

 * Gellert is the Hungarian version of Gerard, which comes from the Germanic ger, "spear", as well as hard, "brave, hardy". Saint Gellert was an Italian-born missionary and martyr who worked in Hungary.
 * Gellért Hill is a high hill overlooking the Danube in Budapest, Hungary. Gellért Hill was named after Saint Gerard who was thrown to death from the hill. The famous Hotel Gellért and the Gellért Baths can be found in Gellért Square at the foot of the hill. The Gellért Hill Cave is located within the hill, facing toward Hotel Gellért and the Danube River.
 * Grindel is old German for "bolt," and is also similar to the mythic monster Grendel who was defeated by Beowulf. This forms a parallel with Albus Dumbledore, whose middle name is "Wulfric". Wald is German for "forest". Grindelwald is also the name of a ski resort in Switzerland.
 * It is of interesting but purely speculative note that the name Gellert is very close to the name Gelert, the name of a legendary dog of cultural, but little historical, significance to Northern Wales. According to local mythology, Gelert was the most faithful companion of Prince Llewelyn, mistaken for the assailant of the prince's infant heir. His "grave" is a site in Beddgelert (literally Gelert's Grave), Gwynedd, as well as the legend is popular in the area.
 * In German, wald is "forest." Grind is a scab, as in the hardened covering over a scar, could also be grinsen, a grin or big smile. The words grindel or grendel appeared in early versions of several Germanic languages, including English. Grindan in Old English meant "to grind," and further "destroyer," someone who grinds up others. In Middle English, grindel meant "angry." In Old Norse, grindill was taken from "storm," and also meant "to bellow," or produce a loud, frightening yell. In Danish legend, the Grendel was a fearsome, murderous monster of humanoid form. He was later defeated by the Scandinavian hero Beowulf in the medieval story of the same name.

Behind the scenes

 * Grindelwald is portrayed by Johnny Depp in the first and second instalment of the Fantastic Beasts film series. Since Grindelwald spends most of the first film disguised as Percival Graves, Colin Farrell portrays him in those scenes.
 * In Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Grindelwald sports an undercut hair style, which was standard for members of the Hitler Youth.
 * British actor Jamie Campbell Bower portrays the young Gellert Grindelwald in the film adaptations of, whereas Michael Byrne portrays the character as an old man.
 * In a 2005 interview around the same time was published, Rowling stated that it was not a coincidence that he was defeated in 1945, hinting at a connection with  and at least the European front of  . Grindelwald seems to be the wizarding version of Adolf Hitler. As referenced by Rowling, the date of Grindelwald's duel with Dumbledore coincides with the downfall of Nazi Germany. There are other similarities as well. Grindelwald adopted an ancient symbol as his sigil (the symbol of the Deathly Hallows) just as the Nazis adopted the manji, switching its facing to create the swastika, itself an ancient symbol. Furthermore, the prison Nurmengard shares a similar name to the Franconian city of, where war criminal trials of former Nazis were held. Nurmengard's dual role as prison to both the victims and later the perpetrator may be a reference to Nuremberg's dual significance in World War II, which, aside from being the site of the Nuremberg Trials, was also the site of the proposal and adoption of the Nuremberg Laws, infamous discriminatory laws against Jewish people. Nurmengard also bears a sign that reads "For the Greater Good", which may correspond to the infamous "Arbeit Macht Frei" sign (German for "Work Makes [One] Free") which hung above the entrance to Auschwitz. Grindelwald's eventual sole imprisonment in his own prison is possibly a reference to the fate of Rudolf Hess, who from 1966 until his death in 1987 was the sole prisoner of Spandau prison. But the reader should beware imagining too close of a connection, as J.K Rowling probably used Muggle history as a jumping off point for her imagined Wizarding history but didn't intend to create a deep, multi-layered metaphor and instead chose to go in her own direction.
 * It was revealed by J. K. Rowling during a tour in 2007 that Albus Dumbledore was homosexual, as well as harboured romantic feelings for Grindelwald . Although she did not initially comment on Grindelwald's sexuality, Rowling later clarified that although Grindelwald was aware of Dumbledore's feelings, he merely used them to manipulate the other boy and did not reciprocate romantically.
 * Despite being expelled from school, Grindelwald never had his wand confiscated and destroyed, as he had it with him when planning for the revolution and attacking Gregorovitch for the Elder Wand, although he might have simply found another wand as replacement. It is possible that the wizarding law of Grindelwald's home country allowed him to keep his wand after expulsion.
 * In a 2005 interview around the same time was published, Rowling stated that Grindelwald was dead . However, it was revealed in  that he was still alive and imprisoned in Nurmengard. This would indicate that Grindelwald's inclusion in the novel was a late decision.
 * In the film adaptation of, Grindelwald's historical significance is not explained in the slightest. Also, it appears that Voldemort doesn't kill Grindelwald, but simply leaves the prison room. It isn't made clear whether he killed him or not in the film.
 * It is unknown as to why Grindelwald is considered less of a Dark Lord than Voldemort as Voldemort himself is only known to terrorise Britain while Grindelwald terrorised all of Europe; Grindelwald's power was certainly equal to, if not greater than, Voldemort's, and even Dumbledore considered Grindelwald his equal in skill, while Voldemort was always considered slightly below Dumbledore.
 * A possibility is that Voldemort is more dreaded in Britain because his attacks were more focused on Wizarding Britain, and are also more recent and thus more vivid in everyone's memory.
 * Alternately, it may be because, in spite of their equal dangerousness, Voldemort was, on a personal level, "darker" than Grindelwald; while Voldemort was a crazy maniac who sought to slaughter all Muggles, Grindelwald was a more cool-headed wizard who merely wished to rule them. This difference in personality might have made it easier for Grindenwald to gather followers, thus allowing him to exert power over a larger area than Voldemort.
 * Another reason may be due to Voldemort's creation of Horcruxes, objects that are considered the darkest and most depraved form of magic overall, while Grindelwald seemingly had no interest in them.
 * Yet another reason may be due to Grindlewald also expressing remorse and shame for his past malevolent actions, something that Voldemort would never do, not even when Harry had implored him to try before their final duel.

Appearances

 * PS undefined
 * PS F
 * PS G
 * Fantastic Beasts 2 (film)
 * Fantastic Beasts 2 (film)
 * Fantastic Beasts 2 (film)
 * Fantastic Beasts 2 (film)
 * Fantastic Beasts 2 (film)
 * Fantastic Beasts 2 (film)
 * Fantastic Beasts 2 (film)
 * Fantastic Beasts 2 (film)
 * Fantastic Beasts 2 (film)

Notes and references
Геллерт Грин-де-Вальд

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