![10 Little-Known Facts About Newt Scamander](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Eddie-Redmayne-in-Fantastic-Beasts-The-Crimes-of-Grindelwald.jpg)
Whether you love the latest installment of the cinematic world of Harry Potter (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald), or can’t get over the multiple issues with plot holes, we can all still agree to love the main character: Newt Scamander. Newt (Eddie Redmayne) is the adorably shy and sweet wizard who isn’t really great with people, but who has a true connection to the world of magical beasts (and anyone who prefers dogs to humans can relate to that).
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In the films, he’s a young man working to help Dumbledore in the 1920s, but of course, we know so much more about him than just what comes up in the films, thanks to the extensive universe that JK Rowling has created over the years. Do you know these ten fun facts about the author of Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them?
10. His First Name Isn’t Newt
![](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Eddie-Redmayne-as-Newt-Scamander-in-Fantastic-Beasts.jpg)
The witches and wizards of Rowling’s magical world have some interesting names… and Newt Scamander is definitely not the kind of moniker that you’d expect a muggle to have! But Newt is actually a nickname for this lover of fantastic beasts. According to Pottermore, Newt’s full name is actually Newton Artemis Fido Scamander; a name that clearly draws from Greek mythology. It’s also interesting that so much of his name seems connected to his love of animals; a newt is a small salamander, Artemis is the Greek goddess of wild animals, Fido is (obviously) a common name for a Muggle dog, and Scamander sounds very much like Salamander.
9. He Was Born In The 1800s
![newt scamander closing his suitcase full of fantastic beasts](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/newt-scamander-closing-his-suitcase-full-of-fantastic-beasts.jpg)
Sometimes, the ages and dates of characters in this magical world can make us do a double take… especially when it comes to wizards born over a century ago! Another little fact from his Pottermore profile is that Newt was born in 1897, making him around 30 years old during the events of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald. Rowling doesn’t give him an exact birthday on Pottermore, however, a tweet from the official Fantastic Beasts account showing a photo of his application for a permit for international travel reveals that he was born at the start of the year; February 24.
8. He’s A Hufflepuff
![Hufflepuff Hogwarts Harry Potter](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Capture.jpg)
Hufflepuffs rejoiced when it was announced that the main character of the Fantastic Beasts franchise would be a member of this Hogwarts house… after all, this is definitely the most neglected Hogwarts house in the original Harry Potter series. Newt’s house isn’t mentioned a lot in the films (so far)… although they do talk about Hogwarts and the American school of witchcraft and wizardry, Ilvermorny. However, his hard work, loyalty, and kindness shine through, and these are definitely Hufflepuff traits. His house has also been officially confirmed by Pottermore and J K Rowling.
7. His Mother Bred Hippogriffs
![Harry Potter and Buckbeak the Hippogriff, One of Many Fantastic Beast](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Harry-Potter-and-Buckbeak-the-Hippogriff-One-of-Many-Fantastic-Beast.jpg)
Newt comes by his love of magical creatures honestly – and from childhood, he was raised around fantastic beasts, thanks to the fact that his mother raised hippogriffs. His mother’s name is not revealed anywhere (we’ll just call her Mrs Scamander until the day that Newt decides to get married), but this little tidbit about her profession was part of Inside The Magic: The Making Of Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them… which also revealed that she wasn’t a fan of her son’s career choice, despite being a hippogriff breeder herself.
6. He Was Expelled From Hogwarts
![Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Newt Scamander Eddie Redmayne Hogwarts](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Fantastic-Beasts-Expelled-1.jpg)
The rules surrounding expulsion from Hogwarts seem to be a little confused… when Hagrid was expelled in his third year, his wand was broken and he was forbidden from using magic. However, Newt was also expelled, after taking the blame for an experiment of Leta LeStrange’s – one that endangered the life of a fellow student. He was expelled in 1913, when he would have been around sixteen years old – so perhaps his ability to continue using his wand and magic is because he would have already passed his OWLs.
5. He Worked With Dragons In The War…
![](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Dragon-Hungarian-Horntail-Goblet-Of-Fire-Harry-Potter.jpg)
After his expulsion from Hogwarts, Newt went on to work at the Ministry of Magic. In the Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them Cinematic Guide, his career path is laid out; from 1914, he was at the Eastern front, where he was with a group of wizards trying to use dragons as a weapon. Specifically, they were working with Ukranian Ironbellies, reputed to be the largest dragons in the world. However, the program was scrapped after the wizards found the beasts too difficult to control… although Newt had little trouble getting them to respond to him.
4. …Before Working With House Elves
![Dobby the House Elf](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Dobby-the-House-Elf.jpg)
After his work with dragons, Newt moved on to a far less interesting post in the Ministry; working for the Office Of House-Elf Relocation. Although this is part of the Department For Regulation And Control Of Magical Creatures, House Elves are not exactly the kind of magical creature that Newt really enjoys working with. According to the ‘About the Author’ section of Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, Mr Scamander found this job ‘tedious in the extreme’… and was happy to move on to the Beast division after a couple of years.
3. He’s Studied Beasts In Over A Hundred Countries
![Newt Scamander and Niffler in Fantastic Beasts Movie](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Newt-Scamander-and-Niffler-in-Fantastic-Beasts-Movie.jpg)
After being asked to write the book that would later make him famous, Newt began traveling the world whenever he could, investigating the magical beasts that he found across the globe. As he says in Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, he has studied magical creatures in over a hundred countries on five continents… leaving us to wonder which continents he hasn’t yet visited! We know he’s been to Africa, Europe and North America (all confirmed in the film), and it’s likely he’s yet to head to Antarctica… but which other continent has he missed out? Perhaps we’ll discover as the franchise continues.
2. He Has Written More Than One Book
![](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Fantastic-Beasts-2-Book-Image.jpeg)
Newt may be famous for his work on Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them (which would even become a Hogwarts textbook in time), but this is not the only book that he has written. Thanks to Harry Potter Limited Edition – A Guide to the Graphic Arts Department: Posters, Prints, and Publications from the Harry Potter Films, we know that Mr Scamander also wrote a children’s book about magical beasts, titled: A Children’s Anthology Of Monsters. He’s also received the Order of Merlin, and even has a Chocolate Frog Card.
1. His Grandson Married Luna Lovegood
![](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Luna-Lovegood.jpg)
Yup, everyone in the Harry Potter universe is connected… and that includes Mr Scamander. It’s been established that the quirky Luna Lovegood married into the Scamander family – although that doesn’t mean that he’s related to Neville! Instead, Luna and Neville broke up after leaving Hogwarts, and Luna went on to marry Rolf Scamander, Newt’s grandson. The two had two children of their own; Lorcan and Lysander. It’s also confirmed that he does marry Tina, so (spoilers) we can expect these two to go the distance in the next few films.
Next: Harry Potter And Fantastic Beasts Official Timeline
Key Release Dates
fantastic beasts and where to find them 2
Release Date:2018-11-16Fantastic Beasts and the Crimes of Grindelwald
Release Date:2018-11-16