
And the Peverell brothers, as featured in the children's fairy tale collection The Tales of Beedle the Bard, either discovered or - more likely - created the Deathly Hallows. Merlin, for example, was a Slytherin who championed Muggle rights (he may even have been taught by Salazar Slytherin himself, although he clearly rejected Slytherin's anti-Muggle philosophy). The establishment of a dedicated learning center led to a massive boom in the discovery of new spells, with some sorcerers growing to real prominence and significant influence. Until the founding of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter timeline, most British witches and wizards had been homeschooled. The following is a detailed breakdown of the most important moments in wizarding history in the Harry Potter/ Fantastic Beasts canon timeline. There are a handful of minor continuity issues brought about by the expansion of the universe to spin-off stories (the casting of Fiona Glascott as the young Professor McGonagall in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is the perfect example) but, in general, Rowling has a masterful understanding of continuity, and plot and character threads weave through the decades and even centuries.

The Harry Potter timeline is remarkable in its consistency. Related: Fantastic Beasts Fails By Ignoring What Made Harry Potter So Great And there is always the chance that another book, movie, or even television show about Harry Potter himself could manifest in the future. Meanwhile, Rowling continues to use her Pottermore website to fill in more details about the history and culture of her Wizarding World. The franchise is slowly building the story of the rise and fall of Gellert Grindelwald, a dark wizard defeated by Albus Dumbeldore in 1945. It has been suggested that the third film in the franchise, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore takes place in 1937. Looking forward, any future Fantastic Beasts films are expected to continue to explore the first half of the 20th century.

Those are the essential events in the Harry Potter timeline so far, but the franchise continues to expand.
