Harry Potter is back... in a way. While the boy who lived doesn't appear in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the new movie by J.K. Rowling does take place within the same universe; albeit seven decades earlier. The film follows Newt Scamander, wizard and eventual author of the titular book, who travels to New York City in 1926 and inadvertently lets loose a suitcase full of magical creatures. So with the magizoologist functioning as the protagonist for the new franchise, fans are wondering if Newt Scamander is related to anyone from Harry Potter.
With the exception of his grandson Rolf Scamander, who was revealed to have married Luna Lovegood in Rowling's Pottermore writings, the film doesn't reveal any other relatives of Newt with whom fans would be familiar. It's possible, however, that there could be some familial connections between Newt and certain other characters from the Harry Potter franchise. Perhaps the most notable is Dumbledore, a younger version of whom is currently being cast for the film's sequel and who figures to play a big role in the five film franchise. But are Newt and Dumbledore actually related by blood, or are they connected in some other way?
As of right now, it's only known that the two shared a very close student/teacher relationship. When Newt was expelled from Hogwarts for endangering human life with a beast, Dumbledore argued unsuccessfully to allow him to remain at the school. In a teaser for the film, someone asks Newt why Dumbledore is so fond of him. Could it be because they're actually secret cousins? The film doesn't indicate that being the case, and right now there is zero evidence that the two are related, but it's clear that there has to be some reason as to why Dumbledore was "so fond" of Newt.
It's also known, since Newt has a grandson who bears his last name, that he eventually has a child; most likely a son. Though the identity of this son has not yet been revealed, it's probably not anyone fans have heard of before, because he would bear the last name of Scamander (a dead giveaway). Unless, of course, some scandal caused him to go by another name, a scandal that wasn't resolved until Rolf was able to reclaim the family name. Do I have any proof of this being the case? Not a shred, but it's fun to speculate on such things!
Fans just simply don't know yet if Newt Scamander has any significant relation to other characters from Harry Potter lore, but with the Fantastic Beasts franchise expected to run for five films, the odds are that he'll probably be connected to a few of them.
Images: Warner Bros. Pictures; Giphy
