Newt Scamander Did Appear In A ‘Harry Potter’ Film – What Does It Mean For ‘Fantastic Beasts’?

While it’s only this month that Newt Scamader made his big screen debut with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, he already appeared in one Harry Potter film. Potterheads have known Newt as the author of the renowned Hogwarts textbook but recently, some eagle-eyed fans have noticed that he had a small presence in the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Newt Scamander's name appeared in the Marauder's Map in 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'.#KLIPSmy #DidYouKnow #FantasticBeasts pic.twitter.com/IvTWfOd6ew

— KLIPS (@klipsmalaysia) November 20, 2016

It was the scene where Fred and George taught Harry how to use the Marauder’s Map. Whoever is inside the castle, the map is capable of showing his or her location, and in that scene, the name “Newt Scamander” appeared. Some have theorized that Newt might have been in the castle to visit Dumbledore. After all, the headmaster has a fondness for Newt and his craft that he even opposed against Newt’s expulsion from the school.

Another theory is that the Prisoner of Azkaban is the film where Buckbeak’s execution takes place and the news about the hippogriff’s fate might have reached Newt. As a lover of magical creatures, he could have gone to Hogwarts in an attempt to save Buckbeak.

There are many questions left to be answered by the upcoming Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them movies. J.K. Rowling even had to respond to a fan who asked about the different circumstances of Newt. Curious Twitter user Claire Simmons asked why is Newt allowed to keep his wand and still do magic even after his Hogwarts expulsion. In the Harry Potter books, expelled wizards and witches are no longer permitted to perform magic and to make sure they adhere to this rule, they have their respective wands broken.

All will become clear. Trust me. https://t.co/NwA12ZzgsA

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) November 21, 2016

One example is Hagrid who was falsely kicked out from Hogwarts after being accused of unbolting the Chamber of Secrets. The British author did not explain the inconsistency, but she promised fans that everything would become clear in time.

What Do We Know about the Fantastic Beasts sequel?

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them will now head to Paris, although the film’s entirety won’t be set there. As per the U.K. fansite Leaky Cauldron, director David Yates told them that the sequel “would go back to the U.K. as well – it’s U.K. and Paris.”

Another aspect that somehow shocked viewers is that Newt, despite his astronomical contributions in the first film, won’t always be the “big star” in the upcoming films. Producer David Heyman told Cinema Blend that he’s unsure if Newt “will be at the heart” of all the remaining movies. For him, Dumbledore, Credence, and Grindelwald will be the main players, and despite Credence’s destruction in the film courtesy of the Macusa aurors, he is actually alive. It is terrifying to think what he is capable of doing.

It is certain that fans will know the whole story behind Newt’s expulsion. As promised by Rowling, the films will also shed light Newt’s exemption from the expelled students’ rule. Heyman similarly told Cinema Blend that they will soon introduce Leta Lestrange and her relationship with Newt.

“Yes. Leta Lestrange comes into the second movie. She’s quite complicated and damaged and confused, and Newt is absolutely still in love with her. So, she has a kind of power over him, and she, yeah, she’s a kind of tragic figure, so we will see a bit more of her in the second movie.”

The timeline of the first Fantastic Beasts film started in the 1920s but the last film in the franchise will end in 1945 – the year Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald which put an end to his reign of terror.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 2 will come out in November 2018.

[Featured Image by Warner Bros.]