This is an intriguing question that many Harry Potter fans have pondered. In order to answer it properly, we need to examine the evidence from the books and movies and analyze what we know about the timeline of events and characters involved.
Who is Credence?
Credence Barebone is a major character introduced in the Fantastic Beasts films. He first appears in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them as an adopted son of Mary Lou Barebone, the leader of the New Salem Philanthropic Society – a group whose goal is to expose and destroy witches and wizards. Credence is described as a troubled young man who is often physically abused by his adoptive mother.
Over the course of the first Fantastic Beasts film, it is revealed that Credence is an Obscurial – a young wizard who has developed a parasitic magical force called an Obscurus due to their magic being suppressed. Credence’s Obscurus gives him powerful and destructive magical abilities. By the end of the first film, he is seemingly destroyed after unleashing his Obscurus on New York City.
In Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, however, it is revealed Credence survived. He joins forces with Gellert Grindelwald, who claims Credence is actually Aurelius Dumbledore, the long-lost brother of Albus Dumbledore. This raises many questions, as Dumbledore’s family history had never mentioned a brother named Aurelius before.
Who is Voldemort?
Voldemort, birth name Tom Marvolo Riddle, is the main antagonist of the Harry Potter series. As a student at Hogwarts, he became obsessed with Dark magic and preserving his immortality. After graduation, he delved further into the Dark Arts, eventually transforming into the evil wizard known as Voldemort.
Voldemort launched the First Wizarding War in an attempt to take over the wizarding world. He was thought to have been killed after his Killing Curse targeting infant Harry Potter backfired. But due to his Horcruxes preserving his life force, he was able to return later and spark the Second Wizarding War. He was finally defeated for good by Harry Potter during the Battle of Hogwarts.
Key facts about Voldemort’s backstory:
- His mother was Merope Gaunt, a direct descendent of Salazar Slytherin
- His father was Tom Riddle Sr., a wealthy Muggle tricked into marriage by Merope using love potions
- He was born on December 31, 1926
- He opened the Chamber of Secrets and released the basilisk while a student at Hogwarts in 1943
- He created his first Horcrux using the murder of Moaning Myrtle in 1943
When do the events of Fantastic Beasts take place?
The Fantastic Beasts films are set in the 1920s. The main events of the first film take place in New York City in 1926. The second film jumps ahead to 1927. This places the Fantastic Beasts storyline about 20 years before the birth of Voldemort and about 90 years before the events of the original Harry Potter books.
Could Credence be Voldemort’s father based on the timeline?
Based on the timeline, it does not seem possible for Credence to be Voldemort’s father. Here are some of the key reasons why:
- Credence was born around 1901, based on clues in the Fantastic Beasts films. This makes him about 25 years older than Voldemort.
- The Fantastic Beasts events take place in the late 1920s, still 20+ years before Voldemort’s birth in 1926.
- Voldemort’s parents are established as Merope Gaunt and Tom Riddle Sr in the books and movies. Their lineage does not include Credence.
- Credence is portrayed as a young man in his 20s during the 1920s. He could not have fathered a child who was born in 1926.
The significant age gap between Credence and Voldemort makes it conclusively impossible for Credence to be Voldemort’s biological father. Based solely on the officially established timelines in Rowling’s stories, Credence is too young to have parented Voldemort.
Is it possible Credence could be related to Voldemort in another way?
While Credence cannot be Voldemort’s father, some fans have speculated about other possible familial connections between Credence and Voldemort:
- Grandfather – Some speculate Credence could be Voldemort’s grandfather. But this still does not fit the timeline, as Credence was only in his 20s in the 1920s and would be too young still to be Voldemort’s grandfather given Voldemort’s birth in 1926.
- Uncle – If Credence were Voldemort’s uncle, the timeline could potentially work. But there is no family evidence to support this connection.
- Cousin – It’s feasible Credence could be a cousin or distant relation to Voldemort through a line of Slytherin descendants. But again, there’s no evidence for this link in either family tree.
- Brother – Grindelwald claims Credence is Aurelius Dumbledore, so if this were true, he and Voldemort could only be brothers through Dumbledore, not Gaunt/Slytherin lineage.
While fun to theorize about, there are currently no definitive clues Credence and Voldemort are related in any way. Credence’s history and heritage remain shrouded in mystery. Many speculate his true origins have yet to be revealed.
What does author J.K. Rowling say?
J.K. Rowling has not made any official statements confirming or denying a familial connection between Credence and Voldemort. However, she has disputed some of the assumptions about Credence’s timeline:
“I’ve seen people saying that [Credence] is over 100 years old when he’s clearly about 20 so I think that’s a fan mistake more than a plot hole.”
– J.K. Rowling
This seems to refute the ideas that Credence could be Voldemort’s grandfather or other direct ancestor, as Rowling reiterates Credence is about 20 years old in the 1920s timeline of Fantastic Beasts. She leaves the door open for other twists related to Credence’s history but has yet to reveal any definitive link between him and Voldemort.
Conclusion
Based on all currently known evidence from the books, movies, and comments from J.K. Rowling, it seems clear Credence cannot be Voldemort’s biological father. The established timelines simply do not match up to make this possible. While an indirect familial link is not fully ruled out, there is no definitive evidence Credence and Voldemort are related. Fans will have to wait eagerly for future Fantastic Beasts installments to see if any surprising connections between the two are revealed.