Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore had the titular wizard, Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law), making some pretty brave choices, but it turns out one of the worst decisions he made actually redeemed his character from his biggest wrongdoings of the whole Harry Potter franchise. When Dumbledore formed his first Dumbledore’s Army, he made the choice to add a muggle into the mix. This came with tremendous risk as a muggle taking part in a battle among powerful wizards was unheard of and could very likely end poorly. But having faith in the strength of a non-magical person was a powerful redemptive action for him to take considering Dumbledore’s past with his one-time best friend.
As detailed in the lore of the Fantastic Beasts and Harry Potter franchises, Albus Dumbledore once held the belief that wizards held superiority over muggles. He developed the philosophy that having powerful wizards rule over muggles was for the greater good. This view was perhaps his biggest flaw and one he ultimately left behind. Possibly the best, and first, indication he no longer felt this way was his decision in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore to recruit the muggle Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler) to his team preparing to stop the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen) from rising to power. This unique addition to the team said more about the wizard who put him there than the muggle himself.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore focused heavily on the strength and history of the blood pact between Dumbledore and Grindelwald. The concept of wizards ruling over muggles was the two men’s initial goal, and they made a vow at a young age to keep this philosophy as the driving force for their actions together. But Dumbledore came to appreciate and respect muggles, so he eventually abandoned the cause. His inclusion of the muggle Jacob in his plans to combat Grindelwald was a meaningful sign that Dumbledore’s respect for muggles had indeed become so great that he would trust one in a fight against some very powerful magic. This indicates just how much his position has changed and goes some way towards resolving his biggest mistake across the entire Harry Potter saga – allying himself with Grindelwald to begin with.
Having a muggle around also helped change Dumbledore’s perspective of himself and the Wizarding World around him. Jacob was relatively new to the discovery of the existence of magic and was constantly experiencing marvels and spells for the first time. Even entering Hogwarts Castle was a magnificent event for him as muggles were generally not able to enter or even see the school. For Dumbledore, having such a wide-eyed character around was a way to frequently see magic from a different viewpoint. It gave him a deeper appreciation of his own magical powers rather than the arrogance he possessed in his youth.
Considering Jacob was the most vulnerable of all the individuals in “Dumbledore’s first army”, putting him in so many perilous situations was a precarious decision on Dumbledore’s part. Jacob was the most likely to be defeated if Grindelwald’s forces were to have prevailed. So trusting him to make it out of dangerous predicaments involving the dark wizard Grindelwald showed Dumbledore’s willingness to have faith in the most unlikely places. When Dumbledore accompanied Jacob to the streets of Bhutan towards the end of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, the protective regard he held for Jacob, and probably muggles in general, when it came to entering the most life-threatening of situations was on display. Though this did result in Jacob suffering the Unforgivable Cruciatus Curse, it further evidenced the connection Dumbledore felt with the type of individual he once felt superior over.
It was Jacob’s willingness to risk his own safety to protect others that proved he was a good fit among brave wizards, but it was Dumbledore’s faith in him that assured his place on the team. Dumbledore’s regard for muggles was central to his story from the first scene in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore to the very last. While putting a muggle in The Wizarding War was a risky and unwise decision, it proved just how far from his past beliefs Dumbledore had come.
