Newt Scamander

From a purely experiential point of view, Apparition felt worse than traveling by fireplace.

Vaughn felt like he had been stuffed into a narrow tube and spun rapidly around a central axis, disoriented and dizzy, before being forcefully spat out at the end. When he finally set foot on solid ground again, he staggered, nearly fell, and his stomach churned unpleasantly.

Fortunately, he managed not to vomit.

Dumbledore chuckled in a cheerful tone. "You handled it better than I expected, Vaughn. In fact, Fawkes has always been rather impatient, and when it comes to Apparition, he's far more aggressive than most wizards."

"Then you could have warned me, Albus."

"Wouldn't that have ruined the surprise?"

"No! No wonder Professor Snape said you had terrible taste, were eccentric, and hopelessly confusing."

"I didn't know Severus thought so little of me," Dumbledore replied, smiling as if pleased. "How sad. He still doesn't understand fun!"

Dumbledore glanced around and grinned. "Ah, Fawkes didn't get it wrong this time. Come along, Vaughn—my dear old friend must be preparing a warm welcome."

He paused again, looking around with renewed delight. "It seems Fawkes remembered the Scamander residence. I thought he'd take us to the seaside again, like last time."

Vaughn also looked up and surveyed the surroundings.

They had Apparated onto a quiet country road. Behind them, the sea shimmered with faint moonlight, and the distant crash of waves could just be heard.

Scamander...

Vaughn immediately guessed who they had come to visit—Newt Scamander!

Was this Dorset County?

Ever since raising Hexby, Vaughn had developed a keen interest in magical creatures. And when it came to expertise in that field, the current wizarding world had no one more renowned than Newt Scamander, author of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

During the summer holidays, Vaughn had even asked Arthur to help him find out where Newt lived.

But since he'd never met the man, all he knew was that Newt lived in seclusion somewhere in Dorset. Of course, his situation was nothing like Nicolas Flamel's. No one would target a retired magizoologist.

As a result, Newt's house wasn't hidden at all. It stood openly on the roadside near where they'd arrived—a two-story villa with red bricks and white tiles, simple yet charming.

Dumbledore led Vaughn to the front door and knocked.

Before long, the door creaked open, revealing a thin, elderly woman.

Dumbledore raised a hand in greeting. "Good evening, Tina, I—"

Before he could finish, the old lady glared at him, slammed the door shut, and disappeared.

Vaughn tugged on Dumbledore's robes. "Is that the warm welcome you promised?"

Dumbledore: "…"

----

Ten minutes later, inside the cozy villa—

A warm fire crackled in the fireplace, casting a golden glow over the sitting room. Dumbledore and Vaughn sat on the sofa as Newt Scamander brought them each a cup of tea.

"Sorry about that, Dumbledore. Tina's just—"

Before Newt could finish, Tina reappeared and snatched Dumbledore's teacup away. "Didn't he come to ask you for help again? I saw through him ages ago. We're retired, do you hear me? RETIRED."

Newt gave an awkward laugh. "Tina, come on, don't be like this. There's a child here."

Tina turned to Vaughn. Her frosty expression softened, and she offered a kind smile. "Don't worry, dear. Grandma Tina isn't a bad person. The one sitting next to you—Dumbledore—is the real troublemaker."

While the two old people looked at Vaughn, he was also watching them, especially Newt.

Newt had an unremarkable appearance—nothing striking about his face—but his eyes were unusually bright. Not the awe-inspiring brilliance of Dumbledore's gaze, but rather a soft, childlike innocence that seemed untouched by age.

It reminded Vaughn of Hagrid and Professor Kettleburn from the Care of Magical Creatures class.

He suddenly realized something. People who loved magical creatures often seemed to have simple, pure hearts.

"Your last name's Weasley, right?" Newt asked. "Hard to miss. The family's quite famous. Back when I worked at the Ministry, I remember a Weasley in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Department. And not long ago, I went to Romania to look into dragons—another Weasley was there too."

Vaughn nodded politely. "The one in the Ministry is my father, Arthur Weasley. The one in Romania is my brother, Charlie Weasley, Mr. Scamander."

"Oh, I see... That's wonderful," Newt said, stumbling a little as he tried to make conversation. Then, too awkward to continue, he left Vaughn in Tina's care and turned to Dumbledore. "So, you want me to take in the unicorns for a while?"

"Yes, Newt. I can't think of anyone more suitable."

Newt didn't hesitate. "Of course, I can help. There's room in the basement. But it can't be for too long. Unicorns are creatures that long for freedom—captivity doesn't suit them."

Dumbledore nodded. "It won't be long. Once the dark wizard is dealt with, they can return."

"Hard to believe there are still such vile dark wizards out there..." Newt muttered, visibly angry.

Like Hagrid, he was fiercely loyal and kind. After finishing his tea with Dumbledore and Vaughn, he reluctantly excused himself and went upstairs.

A few minutes later, he came down, changed, holding an old, scuffed suitcase in his hand.

"I knew you came with bad intentions," Tina scolded Dumbledore. "Should've stuffed you into the fireplace when I had the chance."

Despite her complaints, she stepped forward and gently helped Newt straighten his collar.

Dumbledore smiled serenely. "Tina, I promise—it won't be dangerous."

Tina didn't respond. She turned to Vaughn with a kind expression. "Come now, child. Let those old fools do what they want. Grandma will show you the magical beasts."

With that, the two old men Apparated away. Dumbledore winked at Vaughn before disappearing.

Vaughn suddenly understood everything. He had asked Dumbledore to act as his 'muscle'—but the old man had turned him into a tool.

Dumbledore knew Tina hated him and would probably slam the door. So he had brought Vaughn along on purpose, betting that Tina wouldn't cause a scene in front of a child.

Damn it.

They were evenly matched.

---

Meanwhile, in the Forbidden Forest—

Dumbledore reappeared, walking beside Newt as they searched for the unicorn herd.

"What do you think of that boy, Vaughn Weasley?" Dumbledore asked.

Newt hesitated. "He's... complicated. Doesn't feel like a child."

"Exactly," Dumbledore sighed. "He's sharp, powerful, and mature beyond his years. Too rational, too focused on power. I don't know how to guide him."

Newt blinked, confused. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Earlier, he suggested we relocate the unicorns. That's a good sign. He seems to have a genuine interest in magical creatures. I was thinking—maybe we could encourage that."

Realization dawned on Newt. "You want me to teach him?"

Looking at Dumbledore's calm expression, Newt suddenly thought Tina had been right all along. If this old man came knocking, it could only mean trouble.

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