Many people considered the Scamander family Light. They were not Light except in the politics of the current generation. His family had been distinctively neutral with hints of dark in their cores. In past generations they had been neutral in politics as well.
There were two main forms of magic in their world. High magic which was used by most witches and wizards. They required incantations and a focus to be used at full strength. Then there was Low Magic which consisted of connections. Wards, runes, and elemental all fell into low magic.
Once there were just as many who could use low magic as there were who could use high magic. A war long forgotten that he didn't know the specifics of had practically wiped it out.
Newt had been a rare exception to the normal of their world. He was born with a black and green band around his wrist. Runes were etched into the band that no amount of research helped him decipher. Even before he knew what it meant he was forced to wear a wristband over it. He was forbidden from telling anyone of its existence.
For the most part he obeyed that but when he had been expelled from Hogwarts for bringing a dangerous creature in he could not lie to Theseus. Their parents had died the previous year and he could no longer hold the burden alone. Theseus had been surprised but supportive. He understood Newt better now about his struggles in school and why he disappeared so often. High magic did not come naturally to him. Using Low Magic to perform the same tasks was easier. Especially if he drew in from the ambient magic around them. Places like Hogwarts or the Ministries were like the endless seas. So much so he struggled not to be overwhelmed.