Newt Scamander

Newt Scamander is the author of the book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, a book used by students in the Harry Potter series as a school textbook. He is a magizoologist, or a scholar of magical creatures. The Fantastic Beasts film series, whose first instalment aired in 2016, features Newt as a principal character and explores his past, love life and career as a magizoologist, as well as his encounters with the dark wizard Grindelwald.
As a character, Newt did not receive a great deal of fannish attention until the announcement of the Fantastic Beasts films in 2013, after which point fans began speculating and creating headcanons about Newt, particularly when it was announced that he was a member of Hufflepuff House (see Newt's Hogwarts House) and when it appeared that he might be a character of colour (see Hopes for a PoC Newt Scamander), although those hopes were later dashed when it was announced that Eddie Redmayne would be portraying Newt in the films.
Newt Scamander is also known to be the grandfather of Rolf Scamander, who married Luna Lovegood after the events of the Harry Potter series.
==Canon==
===Before the movie spin-off===
In the Harry Potter books, Newt is mentioned as the author of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. In 2001, J.K. Rowling published a print version of that book, with proceeds going to Comic Relief UK. This (particularly About the Author and the Introduction) was the main canon source for Newt Scamander before the Fantastic Beasts movies.
===Fantastic Beasts Movies===
==Fandom==
===Newt's Hogwarts House===
Fans who consider themselves members of Hufflepuff house were delighted at the announcement of a series with a well-rounded Hufflepuff main character, showcasing the values of their house, which was very much sidelined in the main series.
The actor playing Newt Scamander, Eddie Redmayne, made a “public service announcement” video with MTV in honour of the upcoming premiere of Fantastic Beasts, in which he declared himself a “proud Hufflepuff” and pointed to other notable excellent Hufflepuffs, including Cedric Diggory and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.Newt Scamander Defends Hufflepuff Pride, Inverse. Published November 15, 2016 (Accessed December 23, 2017).
Some fan thoughts on Newt's house:
===Hopes for a PoC Newt Scamander===
::See also Race and Fandom.
J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. announced the Fantastic Beasts movie project on September 12, 2013. J.K. Rowling's official statementJ.K. Rowling post on Facebook, September 12, 2013. Accessed 22 July 2018. included this line:
Some of the fandom put together place: New York City and time: 1920s, and arrived at Harlem Renaissance, a notable period of Black American excellence - giving rise to hopes that the Fantastic Beasts films might tell the story of a Black/PoC Newt Scamander in 1920s New York, particularly as there was no definitive canon information about Newt's appearance (including, crucially, his race).
====Rebuttals to the "historical accuracy means Newt should be white" argument====
====The 2014 Quidditch World Cup final====
In July 2014, J.K. Rowling released Rita Skeeter's gossip column from the Quidditch World Cup final match. The gossip column included a line that described Rolf Scamander, Newt's grandson, as "swarthy" - i.e., dark-skinned. Fans were quick to pick up on this very specific word choice:
====PoC Newt fancasts====
A number of fancasts or suggested castings for a PoC Newt Scamander (some of them gender-swapped) were put forward by fans in the lead-up to the film's release, including:
Richard Ayoade:
* Richard Ayoade as Newt Scamander picset by pinkmand (14 Sept 2013)
* Richard Ayoade as Newt Scamander gifset(?) by prideandprejudiceandkittens(?) (reblogged by Racebending 14 Sept 2013)
Angel Coulby:
* Angel Coulby as Newt Scamander picset by quantumspork (July 2018 link requires you to be logged in to Tumblr; see also a reblog by alterocentrist)
* Angel Coulby as Newtella Scamander picset and dialogue by thestarkinwinterfell (posted September 15, 2013)
Idris Elba:
* Idris Elba as Newt Scamander fanart by coughingupghosts (reposted with credit to tumblr by simplypotterheads (July 2018 link) (posted no later than July 2014)
Janelle Monáe:
* Janelle Monáe as Newt picset by marrowskies (September 2013)
Dev Patel:
* Dev Patel as Newt Scamander by sweatersnervously (posted no later than July 2014)
Suraj Sharma:
* Newt's story will start in New York picset by korraavatars (July 2018 link) (13 Sept 2013?)
Nathan Stewart-Jarrett:
* Newt Scamander, resident tea-lover picset by shakesqueers (posted no later than 15 Sept 2013) (July 2018 link)
* Nathan Stewart-Jarrett as Newt Scamander picset by jochiang (14 Sept 2013) (July 2018 link)
* Nathan Stewart-Jarrett as Newt Scamander gifset by afishlearningpoetry (15 Sept 2013?)
* what a fantastic beast where do I find one fanart by geniusbee (15 Sept 2013?)
* Newt Scamander’s adventures in America fanart by geniusbee (14 Sept 2013)
* Nathan Stewart-Jarrett for Newt Scamander. by alterocentrist (posted no later than July 2014)
* Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them gifset and teaser text by lordbyronsbloomers, with bonus Angel Coulby as Nella Larson and Gary Carr as Duke Ellington (posted no later than 6 July 2014) (July 2018 link)
* fantastic beasts and where to find them fanposter by shakesqueers (posted between July 2014 & July 2015) (July 2018 link)
"In support of a Newt of color: Diversity in the wizarding world" by Marissa Lee (a founder of Racebending) was published 3 April 2015 on Mugglenet. As of 23 July 2018, it is in the sections "Blogitorials" and "The Quibbler"; compare to "Casting Newt Scamander", published 15 Sept 2013 on Mugglenet, which has no author named and is in the sections "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them film" and "News."
====Meta/Further Reading on Hopes for a PoC Newt====
* "In support of a Newt of color: Diversity in the wizarding world" by Marissa Lee (3 April 2015)
* Fantastic Beasts & Invisible Diversity in the Harry Potter Series by Stitch (25 Nov 2015)
==Gallery==
File:Newt Scamander by Ahmed Abdel Al.jpg|Newt by Ahmed Abdel Al
==Links & Resources==
* Newt Scamander at the HP Lexicon
* Newt Scamander tag at AO3
==References==
Category:Fantastic BeastsCategory:Harry Potter Characters