- "Aw, don't worry, honey. Most guys think what you was thinking, first time they see me."
- — Queenie regarding her own physical appearance[src]
Queenie Goldstein[8] (b. 6 January, 1903[1]) was a half-blood[2] American witch[9] and the younger sister of Tina Goldstein. She attended Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where she was sorted into Pukwudgie house.
After graduating from Ilvermorny, Queenie acquired a desk job in the Wand Permit Office[10], within the Magical Congress of the United States of America. Because of her beauty, she was described by others as being a "bombshell". She was also an extremely accomplished Legilimens, someone with the ability to extract feelings and memories from another’s mind.
While initially on the same side as her sister Tina and friend, later brother-in-law Newt Scamander, Queenie was ultimately swayed to join Gellert Grindelwald's side with the offer to be free to love and marry her No-Maj boyfriend Jacob Kowalski, as well as the offer to provide his freedom to others.
Biography
Early life
Queenie was born on 6 January, 1903.[1][9] She had at least one sibling, an older sister, Tina.[11][12] The sisters lost their mother and father when they were young due to Dragon Pox.[13] Afterwards, they were left to "raise each other," an experience that lead them to share a very deep bond into adulthood.[14][15] They may have been of Jewish heritage.[16]
During her youth, Queenie attended Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,[17] where she was sorted into Pukwudgie.[7]
Adult life
- "Teenie — you brought men home?"
- — Queenie meets Newt Scamander and Jacob Kowalski[src]
At some point after her graduation, Queenie landed a menial desk job in the Wand Permit Office at the Magical Congress of the United States of America.[6][18] Tina worked as an Auror, but after she used magic in front of N.S.P.S. leader Mary Lou Barebone, she was demoted to a position in the same department as Queenie. Still, Queenie insisted that Tina was the career girl, not her, as she "spends most days making coffee or unjinxing the john."[6][18][19][20]
Global wizarding war
Making new friends
In 1926,[20] Queenie was sharing a brownstone at 679 West 24th Street in New York City with her sister[18][14][21] when the pair were introduced to the soon-to-be-famous British magizoologist and author Newt Scamander and No-Maj Jacob Kowalski. She took quite a liking to Jacob, as he was the first No-Maj she had ever had a decent conversation with (even if most of them were read by her). She was rather upset when she and Tina found that the men had left with the suitcase in the middle of the night, especially after she made them cocoa.
The next day, while bringing coffee to a meeting room, she suddenly dropped the tray, breaking the glasses, when she realised Tina was to be executed. Whether it was by instinct or her Legilimency, she knew the danger Tina was in, as well as Newt.
While on her way to find Tina, she spotted Jacob being escorted by Sam, an Obliviator. She originally offered to "obliviate" Jacob because someone called for Sam, but he caught her bluff, as that wasn't part of her department. Queenie then resorted to blackmail, threatening to tell Cecily that he's been seeing Ruby. Hastily, Sam left, leaving Queenie with Jacob. The two managed to break into Graves' office and retrieved Newt's suitcase and his and Tina's wands. When they finally caught up to an escaped Newt and Tina, Queenie ordered all three of them to get into the case. As she was the only one of them who wasn't wanted, she safely smuggled them and the suitcase out of MACUSA, with the excuse that she was heading home because she felt ill. When her supervisor Abernathy asked what the suitcase was for, she told him it was "lady things" and he questioned her no further.
After regrouping and devising a plan, the group headed for The Blind Pig. Before they gained entry, Queenie and Tina used magic to make them look more presentable for the speakeasy. When they entered, Queenie and Jacob shared some gigglewater, while Newt and Tina negotiated with Gnarlak. After he revealed a possible creature located near Macy's, the MACUSA showed up, revealing Gnarlak's betrayal. Queenie noted that the wanted signs behind her changed to the faces of Newt and Tina. She was delighted when she witnessed Jacob knock out Gnarlak. The group than Apparated away.
When they arrived at Ginzberg Delaunay, they spotted the Demiguise, who eventually led them to the storeroom, where an escaped Occamy, immense in size, had been residing. Queenie slowly approached the creature but accidentally kicked a Christmas ornament, disturbing the Occamy. Terrified, she and Jacob looked for cover as it attacked. The group then tried to find an insect and a teapot, as Newt ordered. While looking, Queenie was knocked down by the Occamy. She then watched as Jacob threw a cockroach into the teapot that Tina found, and the Occamy flew directly into the teapot, shrinking in size, to devour the insect.
Finally, all the creatures were caught and safe. Tina and Queenie marvelled at Newt's suitcase and his creatures. While there, Queenie noticed a picture of Leta Lestrange inside Newt's shed. Through her natural talent for Legilimency, she extracted the story between Leta and Newt despite his discomfort and embarrassment. She told Newt that "she was a taker, you need a giver". When Tina showed up and asked what they were talking about, she said they were talking about school. She then tells Jacob and Newt that she and Tina went to Ilvermorny, while Newt says he went to Hogwarts, which he believes is the best wizarding school. Queenie pronounced such a belief "Hogwash". Before anyone can say anything else, the Thunderbird interrupted, as, according to Newt, he sensed danger.
Obscurial attack on New York City
The group then witnessed the Obscurial cause havoc across the city. Newt gave his suitcase to Tina and asked her to watch after his creatures. He then apparated away. Worried for Newt's safety, Tina hastily handed the suitcase to Queenie as she followed Newt through her own apparition. Unable to let her sister go, Queenie was about to repeat the pattern, but she was stopped by Jacob. Although resistant to his pleas, she read his mind and understood what he went through during the war.
Eventually, Tina and Newt found Queenie and Jacob after the apparent death of Credence and the arrest of Graves, who was actually revealed by Newt to be Gellert Grindelwald. Queenie pushed through the crowd to hug her sister, relieved to see her sister alive. She then witnessed the breathtaking moment when Frank took the Swooping Evil venom to the raining sky to contaminate the water, therefore Obliviating every No-Maj of the incident. The happy ending is short-lived, however, when they received orders that Jacob had to be Obliviated as well. Queenie tried to convince Jacob to let her go with him, but he refused, thinking that there are other men like him. She strongly disagreed, saying that he was the only one. After the tearful goodbye with the group, Jacob entered the rain. Queenie managed to gently kiss him before he "woke up".
Reunion with Jacob Kowalski
A few months later, Jacob had opened the successful bakery of his dreams, with pastries that resembled some of the magical creatures he encountered with Newt and the Goldstein sisters. One day, Queenie entered the shop in her usual pink attire, and Jacob's memories were rekindled as he touched his neck where the Murtlap bit him and he smiled. However, the true reason of his memory being restored is because of the venom, which only erases bad memories.
Around September 1927, Queenie travelled with Jacob to London to visit Newt. She announced that she and Jacob were engaged and planned to be married. Newt noticed Jacob's odd behaviour and realised he had been enchanted by her, using a powerful love charm. After a brief argument Queenie agreed, and Newt lifted the spell. Jacob refused to marry her, fearing that she would be punished for marrying a no-Maj.
Joining Grindelwald's Army
Rejected by Jacob, Queenie leaves for Paris, where her currently estranged sister was researching hints about Credence Barebone's whereabouts: however, all alone, she's soon left lost and distraught. Vinda Rosier approached the upset Queenie in the rain and came to her help, and invited her round for tea.
When Queenie informed she needed to leave, Rosier introduced her to Gellert Grindelwald's ideals, and to Gellert himself. Queenie initially showed a strong hostility towards the dark wizard and even raised her wand to him, but he reassured her he meant no ill will towards her and wished to be her friend. Grindelwald convinced her to join his cause by leveraging over her loving and compassionate nature, hinting that in a world where Wizardkind must no longer hide, she would be free to love Jacob and that his Wizarding world would have no place for Rappaport's Law.
As such, Queenie attended to Grindelwald's meeting Lestrange Mausoleum, giddily hearing about him describe the muggles as merely different, to protect from themselves and not oppress, and told Jacob Kowalski (who was warned of her presence there by Nicolas Flamel) that by joining Grindelwald they could finally be together. Jacob refused, leaving her heartbroken, but she still went away with Grindelwald to Nurmengard Castle, clinging on her hope of a future with Jacob as her husband.
Once established at Nurmengard, using her skills as a legillimens, she acted as an advisor to Gellert Grindelwald, telling him what Credence Barebone was wanting to hear to join his cause. Due to her loving nature, she would have provided much-needed support and guidance to the confused and broken young wizard.
Physical appearance
Queenie was a stunning witch with blonde hair.[3] She was noted for her beauty, being described as a "bombshell".[9]
Personality and traits
Queenie was a free-spirited, kind-hearted woman.[21] She was very empathetic and skilled in the art of Legilimency, which sometimes affected her relationship with others, but deepened the one she shared with her sister.[20][21][22] She was also considered to be "very brave."[22] Queenie was unperturbed by the prejudice of her fellow wizards towards No-Majs, as ferociously evidenced by her relationship with Jacob Kowalski, and her empathy towards him. Having been sorted into Pukwudgie, Queenie was incredibly kind towards people she realised were in pain or torment, as shown by how she consoled Newt Scamander about his relationship with Leta Lestrange - stating that Leta was a taker, whilst he needed a giver.
However, it was ironically Queenie's love and compassion towards others that induced her to join Gellert Grindelwald, who managed to persuade her that under his new world order, she and others would have a newfound freedom to love whomever they wish, since laws like Rappaport's Law would be abolished by him. Moreover, Grindelwald's Seer intention to fight against the future Second World War of the Muggles, appealed to Queenie's peaceful personality. Hence, Queenie agreed with Grindelwald's ideology so much, that she was even willing to stick with Grindelwald after her boyfriend Jacob Kowalski tearfully refused to join her, and sadly accused her new fanaticism as "crazy". While certainly heartbroken at losing Jacob, Queenie not only still believed that she can still have a future with Jacob as her husband but also saw in the importance of the free love cause which she could not yet have for herself, and she thus accompanied Gellert Grindelwald to Nurmengard Castle.
Magical abilities and skills
- Newt Scamander: "You're a Legilimens?"
- Queenie: "Mm. Yeah. But I always have trouble with your kind; Brits. It's the accent."
- — Queenie discussing her Legilimency skill[src]
- Legilimency: Queenie was an extremely accomplished Legilimens, who could relatively easily look deep down into the story of someone if she really wanted to. However, an Occlumens of immense power (like Gellert Grindelwald) was able to fully conceal his true thoughts from her, as Queenie was unable to see through his Percival Graves disguise[23]. Queenie was said to have a natural talent at Legilimency and did not need any training at all[24]. However, Queenie claims to have "trouble" reading the minds of individuals with strong foreign accents in English, such as the British Newt Scamander, and the French Vinda Rosier, while the latter two were thinking in English. Moreover, Queenie's Legilimency is not a helpful tool for finding people, since when she notably tried to find Jacob Kowalski's thoughts in Paris after briefly hearing them once, Queenie ended up painfully overwhelmed by the thoughts of the many other people around her.
- Love: Queenie, as a member of the house Pukwudgie, was an extremely loving person, and her immense love and compassion for people was strongly reflected in her magic, given her capability to cast a very powerful love enchantment on her then-boyfriend Jacob Kowalski, possibly an Entrancing Enchantment in order to persuade him to get engaged as soon as possible, since otherwise Jacob did not wish to legally endanger his beloved by marrying her. Ironically, Queenie would become fanatically loyal to Gellert Grindelwald's cause mainly because the Dark Wizard had skilfully appealed to her feelings of love and compassion, promising to make his For the Greater Good new world order a more compassionate one, and that the horrifying future Second World War of the Muggles would be fought against. Despite being an acolyte of Grindelwald, Queenie was as compassionate as ever towards the Obscurial Aurelius Dumbledore, telling Grindelwald how to best appeal to the troubled young man while at Nurmengard.
- Defence Against the Dark Arts: Queenie told Newt Scamander and Jacob Kowalski that her job at MACUSA mainly involved "unjinxing the john" and making coffee. Additionally, when she unknowingly visited Grindelwald's safe house in Paris, she raised her wand to him when suddenly approached by Grindelwald, implying she was confident she could defend herself against the greatest Dark Wizard of the time long enough to escape, most likely with duelling and martial magic, although Grindelwald, who had most likely seen her abilities in defensive magic when he was Percival Graves, did not appear to be threatened by this notion.
- Charms: Queenie appeared to be very talented at charms, as not only did she know some basic opening spells, including the Unlocking Charm and Aberto, but also was an expert in food-related charms, notably preparing a strudel by using magic. Indeed, Queenie's food-related charms were good enough to greatly impress Jacob Kowalski, himself an extremely talented baker. She could also cast an Umbrella spell which shielded her from the rain laced with Swooping Evil venom when saying goodbye to Jacob. She was also capable of casting a highly potent love enchantment on her boyfriend Jacob Kowalski to bewitch him into proposing, the effects of which had a profound effect on his mental condition, further showing her impressive proficiency for charm-work.
- Transfiguration: Queenie had some skill in this notably complex branch of magic, notably being able to transfigure her clothing into a dress before entering the Blind Pig speakeasy.
- Apparition: Queenie, like most adult wizards and witches, was capable of Apparating with relative ease.[25]
- Nonverbal magic and Wandless magic: Queenie could use Legilimency by merely looking at a person, without speaking the incantation, and without a wand. Moreover, Queenie was also able to prepare a meal for four people in mere moments without uttering a single word. Additionally, she was able to wordlessly transfigure her clothing into a dress. This implies she was a highly powerful, skilled and accomplished witch, as both non-verbal and wandless magic is extremely difficult to perform.
Possessions
- "That’s got to be the closest thing to a sexy wand I’ve ever seen."
- — Description of Queenie's wand[src]
- Wand: Queenie's wand was made from an unknown wood and core, and was of unknown length. It was described as "sexy" and had an Art Deco-inspired design.[26] The handle was in the shape of a shell and made of mother of pearl.
- Chadwick's Charms: A seven-volume series of Charms textbooks written by Chadwick Boot and used at Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Tina and Queenie Goldstein owned these books while living in an apartment together.
- The Witch's Friend: A monthly American wizarding women's interest magazine that was published in the early 20th century. Tina and Queenie Goldstein apparently subscribed to this magazine, owning the September 1925 issue.
- The Flap of the Cape: A wizarding book written by Abigail R. Cankus. Tina and Queenie Goldstein owned these books while living in an apartment together.
- The Owl Airforce: A wizarding book by Simon Dentata.
Etymology
Queenie is an affectionate name derived from the term queen, which is thought to be derived from the Old English word "cwen". Goldstein is an occupational German name and an Ashkenazi Jewish surname, meaning "gold" with Stein being translated to "stone".
Behind the scenes
- Queenie is portrayed by Alison Sudol in the Fantastic Beasts film series.[27]
- It is possible that Queenie's first name originates from Rowling's list of Hogwarts students ("The Original Forty") written early on in the development of the books, some of which never appeared anywhere in the series. One such name is "Queenie Greengrass.", who was later renamed, Daphne.
Appearances
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay (First appearance)
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (film)
- Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay
- Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
- LEGO Dimensions
- LEGO Harry Potter
- The Case of Beasts: Explore the Film Wizardry of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Character Guide
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Magical Movie Handbook
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Newt Scamander: Cinematic Guide
- The Beasts: Cinematic Guide (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them)
- The Archive of Magic: The Film Wizardry of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (see this image) of Queenie Goldstein's MACUSA identification card.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (film) (see this image) - Her sister Porpentina's blood-status is half-blood. As long as they have the same parents and grandparents, Queenie's blood-status would be the same, although oddly, Queenie's ID does not specify her blood-status (see this image).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay, Scene 41
- ↑ (any rlation to Anthony Goldstein) Yes (but distant). posted by JKR on Twitter on 15 August 20s15
- ↑ "Behind the scenes: the wands of the Fantastic Beasts characters' from Pottermore
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Fantastic Beasts reveals a new magical power" from Entertainent Weekly
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Tina: Thunderbird. Queenie: Pukwudgie. by J.K. Rowling on Twitter
- ↑ Well, I think it's widely known that that characters of (Porpen)tina and Queenie are sisters, but not that their surname is Goldstein. posted by JKR on Twitter on 15 August 2015
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 "Everything we know about ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’" at Boston.com
- ↑ Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
- ↑ .@MaddieDUHx Queenie's younger. by J.K. Rowling on Twitter
- ↑ "Kate Upton, Saoirse Ronan, Dakota Fanning Eyed for J.K. Rowling’s ‘Fantastic Beasts’ Trilogy (Exclusive)" at The Wrap
- ↑ Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay, Scene 44
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 "‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’: 43 Things to Know about the New Wizarding World Story" from Collider
- ↑ Behind-the-scenes video from the official Pottermore account on Twitter
- ↑ J. K. Rowling revealed in a tweet that Anthony Goldstein was Jewish. Since she has also confirmed that Anthony is distantly related to Porpentina and Queenie, it is possible that the sisters were Jewish as well.
- ↑ @emmalineonline1 Newt's a Hufflepuff, but the other heroes went to the American school of wizardry (and yes, I know their houses). by J.K. Rowling on Twitter
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 See this image of Porpentina Goldstein's MACUSA identification card on display as part of a prop exhibition in Japan.
- ↑ "'Fantastic Beasts' Character Descriptions Revealed" (Porpentina "Tina" Goldstein) from Entertainment Weekly
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 "Everything we've learned about ‘Fantastic Beasts' this week" from Pottermore
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 "'Fantastic Beasts' Character Descriptions Revealed" (Queenie Goldstein) from Entertainment Weekly
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Queenie's powers are 'a lot to take on', says actress Alison Sudol
- ↑ https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/809361237054201856
- ↑ https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/811588195309723650
- ↑ LEGO Dimensions
- ↑ Pottermore - News: "Meet wand designer Molly Sole: a real-world Ollivander", by The Pottermore Correspondent
- ↑ "'Harry Potter" Spinoff 'Fantastic Beasts' to Star Singer-Songwriter Alison Sudol" at The Hollywood Reporter
Magical Congress of the United States of America |
---|
The Alliance | ||
---|---|---|
Leader | Gellert Grindelwald | |
Acolytes | Abernathy | Aurelius Dumbledore (defected) | Carrow | Queenie Goldstein (defected) | Krafft | Krall (deceased) | MacDuff | Nagel | Vinda Rosier | Zabini | |
Followers | Cassius Bell | Gunnar Grimmson | Helmut | Karl | Anton Vogel | Henrietta Fischer | |
Headquarters | Unidentified home | Nurmengard |