Although Newt Scamander officially made his live-action debut this month in “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”, the former Hufflepuff student has always had a small presence in the Potterverse.
Potterheads know Newt as the author of the renowned Hogwarts textbook on magical creatures, but recently, some eagle-eyed fans have pointed out that he was previously in “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” some years back. Well, kind of.
It was during a “blink and you’ll miss it” scene in the 3rd “Harry Potter” instalment where Fred and George Weasley were showing Harry how to use the Marauder’s Map. That’s when the name Newt Scamander appeared on the map. Since the map is capable of locating every single person in the castle, it’s safe to assume that the magizoologist was somewhere on the grounds at the school during that moment.
Although his appearance could be nothing more than a fun easter egg in “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”, that hasn’t stopped devoted fans from coming up with a few interesting theories on why Newt was visiting Hogwarts in the early 2000s.
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
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Some fans have pointed out that Newt may have been visiting Dumbledore. The headmaster was formerly Newt’s teacher and had strongly fought against the decision to expel him from Hogwarts. Dumbledore also contributes a foreward in Newt’s book, so perhaps his visit was in regards to that.
Another theory suggests that Newt may have gotten wind of Buckbeak’s unfair death sentence in “Prisoner of Azkaban”. As an animal lover, it would come as no surprise that he would try and prevent the execution of the hippogriff. Newt’s mother was after all, a breeder of hippogriffs.
Like we said, Newt’s name on the Marauder’s Map could be nothing more than a harmless easter egg, but it’s still a nice little touch, especially now.
In the meantime, feel free to check out our “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” movie review and some fun facts about the characters in the film.
Sources: Cinema Blend, Movie Web.
