How Did Newt Keep His Wand?

Ever since watching the first Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them , a million questions have been flying around our heads. I don't want to give any spoilers, but everyone who's seen it will know exactly what I mean when I ask, "So who was really...?" or "But how did he...?" or "Where did the...?" But here's the main one, and assuming you've already watched the trailer closely enough to notice that Newt Scamander got expelled from Hogwarts for "endangering human life", it doesn't involve any spoilers whatsoever. If Newt got expelled, how come he got to keep his wand?

I'm not the first person to notice this. In fact, J.K. Rowling's been addressing the issue on Twitter — albeit in a rather sly, non-committal way. When asked why Newt's experience after expulsion was so different from fellow animal-lover Hagrid's, Rowling simply said: "All will become clear. Trust me." Now, while I obviously do trust J.K. with my life, that answer isn't really good enough for me, especially considering we might be waiting until 2024 for the fifth and final Fantastic Beasts movie.

So instead, I've been taking matters into my own hands — and coming up with a host of theories for why Newt got to keep his wand (and even work for the Ministry) after being expelled from Hogwarts.

1. Newt Will Become The Reason That Rule Is Set In Place

Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them is set in 1926, nearly 20 years before Hagrid was expelled from Hogwarts and had his wand cruelly snapped. It's possible that the events of the next few films will see Newt cause such damage with his ill-behaved beasts that the Ministry of Magic have to set a new rule in place: expelled students must not keep using magic.

2. J.K. Rowling Is Making A Point About Prejudice

The Harry Potter series have always functioned as an allegory for real life; within their pages, you'll find themes of racism, class divides, and war. So far, Fantastic Beasts is about tolerance — and perhaps J.K. is only going to push this point further to show how strongly prejudice can influence our treatment of our fellow humans. Perhaps Hagrid's punishment was more severe than Newt's for no better reason than that he is a half-giant, and therefore unfairly feared by his wizarding companions.

3. Newt Was Already A Qualified Wizard

Throughout the movie, Newt shows an aptitude for Apparition — and assuming he didn't learn it illegally, that would suggest he remained at Hogwarts at least until he was 17. By that point, he would have taken his O.W.L.s and come of age — making him a qualified wizard. Perhaps once a wizard comes of age, the Ministry no longer has control over their use of magic, even if Hogwarts decides not to keep them on as a student.

4. Maybe We're Being Conned

OK, here's where things get really interesting. In the original Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them book, which was released in 2001, it clearly states that Newt Scamander graduated from Hogwarts. J.K. Rowling has made it clear that we are to take everything from the Fantastic Beasts movies to be canonical — meaning there's a seeming contradiction here.

So perhaps it's a lie. Perhaps Newt was never expelled, but he wants us to think that — for whatever reason. Are we all about to get embroiled in the biggest long con since that time we thought Snape was the bad guy for seven whole books?

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