Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald - 19 Easter Eggs & References Explained

12. Owls In The Ministry Of Magic

Fantastic Beasts The Crimes Of Grindelwald French Ministry Of Magic
Warner Bros.

One of the smartest and most crowd-pleasing Easter eggs in the movie occurs when Newt first visits the British Ministry of Magic in the hope of having his travel ban rescinded.

Those paying attention might notice a poor, suffering house elf cleaning up some owl droppings, in what's clearly a reference to The Order of the Phoenix, where Arthur Weasley (Mark Williams) explains to Harry that owls were formerly used to deliver mail, though they had a habit of pooping all over the place.

As a result, they were eventually "retired" and replaced with enchanted envelopes, because who has the time or inclination to clean up owl crap all day?

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