A/N:This is my first story that is going to be written over multiple chapters, and should be finished in the space of a few weeks. It will follow Newt Scamander over his Hogwarts journey with one day from each year. Obviously we don't know very much about Newt's school life yet (hopefully we will find out more in the new film!), so I've done as much research as possible, but I will probably have to make up a lot of the professors and side characters. Anyway, on with Newt's first year! Please leave a review and follow to get notified when I add the next chapter!

I do not own Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

Year One

"Hufflepuff!"

Newt smiled shyly at the Sorting Hat's proclamation and quietly slipped off the three-legged stool. His new housemates cheered as he wove through the throng of students still waiting to be sorted and gratefully sat down at the end of one of the long benches. The next few moments passed in a flurry of handshakes and pats on the back before he turned his attention back to the sorting.

"Ravenclaw!" Cheers.

"Gryffindor!" A roar of approval.

"Hufflepuff!" Another shout of joy and applause from his table as he felt himself join in, clapping proudly.

"Ravenclaw!" More jubilation.

"Slytherin!" A resounding clamour from the housemates of the new student, but the rest of the hall was relatively silent with just a smattering of hesitant applause. Newt himself started clapping, along with several other Hufflepuffs, but not many students joined in. In fact, he was sure he'd heard a few boos and hisses echoing around the room.

The rest of the sorting passed quickly. Much faster than it had seemed when he was waiting for his turn. Finally, the headmaster stood up and gave a short speech, welcoming the new students to Hogwarts, wishing them the best for the year ahead, droning on about his expectations for their behaviour and performance...

"That's Professor Dumbledore to the left of the headmaster's chair." Newt felt the third-year next to him whisper in his ear. He looked across the hall at the young, dark-haired professor and nodded. "You'll have transfiguration with him. He's a good teacher."

"And who's that on the end there? With the grey robes?" Newt whispered back.

"That's Professor Merrythought... Defence Against the Dark Arts. She's a bit intimidating, but she's good."

As the headmaster's speech finally drew to a close, the long tables suddenly seemed to sprout dishes and platters full of hot food. Everything from pork pies to vegetable soup, as well as cakes and fruit for afters. Newt dug in along with everyone else, his ability to inhale food the same as that of any other eleven year old. He looked around as he ate. He'd hoped to be sorted into Hufflepuff. He'd always heard that students from this house were kind and welcoming. That he'd feel at home amongst them and find friends.

Once everyone had eaten their fill, the headmaster stood up again to dismiss all the students, sending them off with their head boy or girl to find their dormitories and settle in for their first night at school. Newt filed out of the great hall with the others, gazing up as he shuffled along, intrigued by the enchanted night-sky where the vaulted ceiling should be. Stars peeked out from behind the wisps of cloud that drifted lazily above the hall, and Newt was sure that he even saw a shooting star for just a moment as it darted across the magical mirage.

As he passed through the massive doors into the entrance hall of the castle, he glanced around quickly, having momentarily lost his housemates after getting distracted. Catching sight of them, he jogged down the corridor to catch up, tailing behind the group, trying to look at each painting and tapestry lining the walls as he moved along with the group. They passed a large hanging depicting a hippogriff flying through the sky above a forest and he smiled, thinking of the creatures that his mother worked with back home.

Suddenly they were stopping. Newt stood on his tiptoes to peer at what lay ahead, but could only see a stone wall. The head boy was speaking now. "Listen up first-years! The middle barrel in the second row from the bottom... you've got that?" Then Newt heard the sound of knuckles on wood in a pattern of five knocks. Soon they were all filing through an opening in a stack of barrels and making their way through an earthy passage before bursting out into the cosy, warmly lit common room.

Looking around, Newt took in the bright yellow hues and the leafy plants in copper pots and barrels around the room. Smiling to himself, he turned to see the portrait of a pleasant-faced woman above the fireplace. She seemed to be gazing down at the cluster of new Hufflepuffs with pride as they explored their new home.

The head boy was trying to get their attention again. "Alright, first-year girls, your dormitory is through there... boys, yours is this side here." He gestured towards the round, wooden doors leading off the common room. "You'll each find that your trunk has already been delivered and placed at the foot of your bed. You're free to start unpacking and getting to know your housemates. We will have an official welcome in the common room to explain rules and answer questions tomorrow morning before breakfast, but you can come see me anytime if you need help with anything." He beamed at the group of eleven-year-olds in front of him. "Now, get a good night's sleep, and welcome to Hufflepuff!"

Newt rushed behind the other first-year boys into his dormitory. The brightly-coloured patchwork quilts made the room feel cheerful and cosy, along with the warm light that seemed to illuminate all the Hufflepuff rooms. He quickly found his trunk and opened it, starting to unpack as he glanced over at the other boys, listening to their chatter, to shy to join in without being invited.

One of them seemed to notice this after a few minutes and came over, extending his hand in greeting. "You alright? I'm Lucan."

Newt's eyes darted to the taller boy's smiling face, and he gave a nervous grin in return, shaking hands politely. "My name's Newt. Newton really, but no one ever calls me that. Well my Grandfather does, but no one – no one else..." He swallowed hard as he came to an abrupt stop, realising that he was speaking too fast.

Lucan blinked at Newt's rushed explanation, but smiled and gestured over to the others. "Do you want to meet everyone else?"

Newt nodded hesitantly and followed Lucan across the room to meet the other three boys. They immediately opened their circle allowing Lucan to re-join the group and to welcome Newt, all shaking his hand and introducing themselves.

"Hello! I'm Ben!"

"Hi Newt, I'm Leo."

"Elijah... nice to meet you!"

Newt nodded cheerfully, suddenly feeling as though he belonged here. "Nice to meet you too!" After chatting for a few minutes, the boys dispersed and returned to their trunks, unpacking pyjamas and books, photos of family, sweets, games, and stationary.

Haphazardly pulling his belongings out of his trunk, Newt proceeded to pack his books neatly into the shelf beside his bed. Along with his required school reading, he carefully stashed his own favourites too. 200 Magical Creatures volumes 1 and 2. Hippogriffs Around the Globe. Muggle Monster Myths: What they might have seen.

Newt sorted through his clothes and other belongings, filling his drawer with personal items, hanging up his spare robes, and packing his school supplies into his satchel. Finally, he pulled his new ash wood wand from his trunk and placed it carefully next to his bed, a small smile twitching at his lips as he looked forward to his first lessons. Glancing around at the room, he felt a bubble of happiness in his chest at the warmth, the friendly greeting he'd received, the way he felt so home so soon, as though he really belonged here.

Pulling one of his books from the shelf, Newt flopped down onto his bed, leaning against the headboard and pulling his feet up underneath him as he started reading from where he'd left off on the train. Lucan, having finished his own unpacking, wandered over, leaning down to see the pages of his housemate's book.

"Occamies? I've heard of those! They're really dangerous!"

Newt looked up, expecting to see an expression of the same wonder on Lucan's face that he himself felt when reading about these amazing creatures. However, all he was met with was a look of confusion tinged with fear.

"Oh.. oh well..." He stammered, realising that his potential new friend was maybe not as excited by Occamies as he was. "They're just very territorial," he explained, "because their eggs are made of real silver, but they are amazing creatures! They grow and shrink to fit the space available for them, and can get as big as fifteen feet long!"

His starry-eyed description didn't have its intended effect. Lucan nodded slowly. "So you like dangerous beasts then?"

Newt blinked. "They're only dangerous if you don't respect them."

"Right. Yeah." Lucan said hesitantly. He nodded again, glancing at the other titles on Newt's shelf. "Well, goodnight."

Newt lowered his book, his heart sinking at the confusion and disinterest. "Oh, yeah. Goodnight." He offered a shy smile that was only half returned as his housemate drifted back to his own corner of the room, re-joining the other boys who were discussing quidditch and the classes that they either were or weren't looking forward to facing.

With a sigh, Newt closed the book, no longer in the mood to get excited about his fascinating creatures. Rolling onto his side so that he faced away from the others, he hugged his pillow against his chest and stared at the wall, fighting back tears that he told himself were just homesickness.