So I've just read, for the very first time, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

[Pause for screaming]

Actually, I've just read for the very first time everything from Goblet of Fire onwards, but that's-

[More screaming]

-BUT THAT'S not relevant. It's DH that I have a question about.

Is there any consensus as to who or what the 'wretched creature' hanging out in Ghostly King's Cross was? Dumbledore refuses to say (except that it's pointless to waste pity on or try to help). I wondered if it was Voldemort, but a) he's still alive (though maybe unconscious), and b) Dumbledore is clear that the Horcrux-fragments are 'destroyed', not just dead.

So then I wondered if it could be Grindelwald? They do talk about him a fair bit, he has only recently died, and he and Dumbledore have A History, so it would explain why Albus was hanging out with him.

Or is it someone or something else? I can't really think of anything that would fit (the spirit of the first owner of the Elder Wand?), but...

hS

PS: Oh, but this version of Deathly Hallows has the best ending. The much-debated epilogue ends at the bottom of the front side of the very last page. I turn it over, and see, printed large on the inside back cover itself, JKR standing by her desk with a smirk on her face that seems to say, "Yep, I just did that. Nope, you can't argue it away. Yep, it's canon now."

I tried to find a copy of the picture online, but honestly, she always smirks like that. Look at all the pictures!

hS (again)

Had while perusing the newspaper image:

Dragot = dragon-ingot? We know JKR likes portmanteaux (or blend words? I forget how that discussion ended), and it sounds like something wizards would come up with to me.

~Neshomeh, because fictional etymology is fun.

In the other trailer, there's a big shot of someone reading a newspaper. You can find it here.

The big, eye-catching WANTED poster tells of a 3500 dragot reward for the arrest of one Alberto Macellarius (aka 'The Rat'), for the crimes of 'counterfeiting wands and murder'. The text underneath seems to read:

reward ??? [number] dragots will be paid for information
leading to the arrest and conviction of this wizard. MACUSA officers
??? ??? ???? and will take care of the prosecution.

Bearing Wand and
Extremely Dangerous!

So here's what I can tell you about MACUSA from that:

-They consider wand counterfeiting to be a higher crime than murder.
-They're happy to ask the general populace to try and capture someone accused of murder.
-They're also happy to try and trick people out of their money - the reward only goes through if he's convicted. If he happens to splinch himself while Apparating down the stairs, well, tough luck.

MACUSA: looking out for YOU. As in, 'we see you when you're sleeping...'

hS

Teaser Trailer (TT)

-At TT 0:26, we see the strappy dress Female wears in the speakeasy and poster scenes.

-Around TT 0:29 we see the bank that Newt Disapparates from (I think) in the current trailer. Maybe that's the big columny building? It has a small front door that looks out into an open space, so it could fit. That might mean Newt's worried look while standing in line (TT 0:31) is a reaction to the Thunderbird outside.

-Aha! TT 1:11 shows Female, Blonde, Newt, and Muggle (I assume he's a Muggle?) outside what seems to be the speakeasy - at least, the strappy dress is there. It's not a continuous shot - Female lowers her glowing wand between frames - so maybe this is where the portrait is.

-Shaw's big do seems to take place in the columny building (TT 1:18). If he's a witchhunter, the Thunderbird could've chosen somewhere better, no?

-Why is there a manic child at TT 1:25?

-It looks like the 'lethifold' might invade Shaw's party; at least, there's some sort of smoke efect before everyone falls down at TT 1:29.

-TT 1:43 - heeeeey, it's Pickles out of work clothes. I don't think I've seen this trailer, actually, I need to watch it with sound sometime.

hS

(PS: This was written before Matt's reply below. Just to keep things organised.)

-Location data!

--We get a shot down the street from the house that got destroyed, but it doesn't show any obvious landmarks.
--When Newt comes in we get a lovely skyline shot. It took a bit of searching, but this postcard shows the same spot: Lower Manhattan, as seen from the Hudson. Good, so we're definitely in New York. ^^
--The building with the ornate facade in the next shot (MACUSA HQ?) looks like it must be a real place, but I don't know how to find it.
-When Newt walks down the street (0:47), we see a fairly distinctive flat-topped skyscraper in the background. Anyone know it?
--Ice skating! Central Park, maybe?
--A couple of quick flashes of places, but nothing to pin down.
--That glowing line. Is that a defence system, or a trace on the creature? Correction, three creatures: there's two little lines growing separately to the main one. Either way, it clearly marks where the action takes place. I've traced it out approximately on the map: the lower small line comes straight out of the Empire State Building.
--Bridge. Clearly the ice skating scene again. If we're down on Lower Manhattan (as the map suggests), maybe it's not Central park after all.
--Thunderbird taking off in front of a very nice building. Some sort of library or museum, or maybe government? Intriguingly, it looks like Thunderbird is actually coming out of the ground here (next to the Subway); that's strange, and suggests it's more than just an escaped creature. Or is it flying away from the collapse?
-Somewhere with lots of neon. One readable sign is for Arrow Collars, which seems to be <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TheArrowCollarMan">this. 'Cluett, Peabody & Co' sounds wizardly to me. ^_^ The other signs ('NOW SHO') suggest maybe Broadway? Which puts us down below the line on the map before.
--Oh, yeah, that must by Broadway. There's a sign ending 'PHEUM', and there's an Orpheum Theatre in New York. Okay, it's actually not on Broadway itself, but the samge general area.
--And there we are, third time lucky: it's Times Square. Or maybe it just has the box-office for it? Regardless, this is where the potential Lethifold is playing around.
--And then we're back to the 'museum' from earlier, and some awesomely-dressed shooty guys. Still no idea where it is.

Okay, so that... didn't reveal much. On to Other Stuff.

-Alas, there's not a lot of MACUSA shenanigans in this one. They do seem to have an undercover investigator type, so clearly their dedication to staying out of Muggle business is partly put-on, but other than that...
-The sewing scene: did you notice that the blonde woman changes into the blue dress mid-scene? Guess that explains the look on Newt's face.
-The 'Lethifold': that doesn't match the description of a Lethifold at all. It's not sneaking up on you and eating you while you sleep: it's burrowing underground, smashing stuff, and throwing cars. I also get a hint of claws from some of the frames; I'm almost thinking 'giant mantis'. Are there any insectoid Fantastic Beasts? Though it does have the Dementor shadow effect...

Now, that painting:
-It could be Isolt. That would probably imply we're heading to Ilvermorny, when there's no hint anywhere else that we're leaving Lower Manhattan.
-Could it be the blonde lady from a bit later? Probably not - Female Lead is wearing a strappy dress in the portrait shot, but a coat in the blonde's.
-It seems to be a poster on a brick wall; could it be the entrance to the speakeasy? It is immediately followed by a shot of gambling. That would make it nobody in particular. It's a bit Art Nouveau in style, which makes it a little outdated for the '20s. Actually, Female Lead is wearing the strappy dress in the speakeasy, so I'm going with this answer.
-Regardless of who it is, there's at least two people standing outside it - one clips out of the right-hand side of the shot as we zoom in. That makes it Newt and Female - and in the speakeasy shot, it looks like Newt (out of focus in the background) might have an injured right hand.


And...
-Shaw. Do we know the name Shaw? He's America's Future, I hear. He doesn't seem to be a real US politician (ie, there's no relevant Wiki page), so I'm guessing he's one of those evil witchhunters. Did we know this already?

In conclusion: Newt Scamander is the Eleventh Doctor in disguise. That is all.

hS

Apparently, the creature I've assumed to be an albino griffin is actually a Thunderbird!

And also, what I've assumed to be a cockatrice is an occamy.

Also, I completely agree with Herr Graubart - that is totally a female goblin. Why on Earth did I say a female House Elf?

I’d say it’s a female goblin. Have we ever seen female goblins?

HG

This movie in November, and a new Doctor Who Christmas episode in December... :D I'm happy.

That a lethifold will appear in the movie? I mean, it would be awesome if it did, but I haven't heard anything about it and a quick Google search just brings up speculation about what we'll get to see. Not to mention, how would a people-eating blanket known for slipping under doorways cause that much destruction, or why? I think, if anything, it would be something new we haven't seen in the book.

also lethifolds aren't confirmed to be cousins of the dementor, that's just speculation

I like the nogtail idea, though. That was my first thought as well.