Bryan stopped his movements, his gaze shifting from the three kneazles that had appeared in the prison to the wizard who had just apparated nearby.
From the newcomer's completely gray-white short hair and beard, as well as the deep creases and wrinkles on his forehead and cheeks, one could tell that this old wizard wearing a dark gray overcoat with a vest underneath was quite old in age.
Yet, like Dumbledore, he appeared mentally sharp and vigorous. Moreover, from how he landed effortlessly from several feet above the ground without the slightest wobble after apparating, it was clear his physical agility remained intact.
Their eyes met, and like Dumbledore, this old wizard's gaze held not the weariness one would expect from someone his age, but rather clarity and composure.
"Please stop provoking this poor little creature, Mr. Watson," Newt said, looking at Bryan suspended in mid-air. "Unless I've mistaken you for someone else—though I haven't made that kind of error in many years."
"Why?" Bryan asked with unhurried composure. "This Nundu has caused quite a disturbance tonight. In my opinion, confining it more securely would be the wise course of action."
"Unless you intend to kill it, you won't succeed," Newt's gray-white eyebrows twitched. "It's too proud—it will almost never learn to submit to violence."
Bryan's expression shifted slightly as he looked toward the Nundu charging left and right within the wooden prison.
Just as Newt Scamander had said, even trapped in this prison, the Nundu had never given up trying to break free. It desperately crashed against the massive logs forming the prison walls, but these magically protected timbers were unbreakable—no matter how it charged, it couldn't budge them an inch. The fire net above was even more dangerous, deadly to the touch.
Gradually, the black eyes of this wretched Nundu, smuggled to New York, began to show despair. It stood panting in place, gazing up at the bright golden fire dragons over its head. It seemed to be aiming for the gaps in the net, as if planning a desperate final gambit.
"Then what do you think I should do?" Bryan asked thoughtfully. "Not give it the chance to end its own life—just knock it unconscious?"
"Oh, perhaps we could try a more gentle approach." Newt's brow furrowed sharply, recalling what Albus had told him about this young man's sometimes decisive methods. He quickly said, "If you'd allow me to go in, I might be able to calm it down."
Bryan slowly descended onto one of the massive logs. "Of course, no problem. But please hurry—I think the Muggles will soon notice the commotion here, and MACUSA's Aurors will arrive quickly too. They've had plenty of trouble tonight and may not have the patience to wait for you to tame it."
"I believe I can resolve this quickly," Newt said.
Bryan waved the wand he had borrowed from Amelia, and the log beneath his feet suddenly shot upward, immediately revealing a person-sized opening.
The anxious Nundu immediately noticed the gap in the enclosure. It stared intently at the opening, whimpering softly as it crept closer bit by bit, afraid this might be some kind of trap.
The three kneazle prowling nearby leaped onto Newt's shoulders and head. These little creatures sensed the dangerous aura emanating from within the enclosure and stood guard over Newt like protective spirits.
"Don't be nervous, Hoppy, Milly, Mauler—we can handle this, can't we?" Sensing their tension, Newt gently reassured them. He rummaged in his coat for a moment, pulling out a vial containing a potion that glowed with a pale blue-green light, then stepped through the opening Bryan had created.
"Poor little thing, look what you've been through," Newt said with compassion when he saw the Nundu. He immediately noticed the scars on its shoulder and sniffled with sympathy. "I can help ease some of your pain, but you mustn't bite my neck—deal?"
The Nundu looked at Newt who had appeared in its field of vision. A flash of confusion passed through its pitch-black pupils. It could sense a gentle aura from him and felt an inexplicable urge to approach, but its experiences over the past two months made it restrain this impulse. It bared its teeth at Newt, warning him not to come any closer.
"A Nundu's breath contains extremely deadly poisonous gas—this toxicity comes from its poison sac. But it's a double-edged sword. While it has tremendous resistance to its own toxins, they still cause it pain. I've prepared a potion using venom from another magical creature that I believe will help—"
Newt talked to himself as he pulled out the stopper and tapped the vial's mouth with his wand. The glowing potion inside quickly evaporated, and the bottle began emitting an endless stream of mist that shimmered with pale blue-green fluorescence.
Then Newt waved his wand again, and a sudden gust of wind appeared, almost instantly filling every inch of the enclosure with the glowing smoke.
Watching the thin blue-green smoke swirling below, Bryan felt the urge to cast a Bubble-Head Charm on himself—
But the effect was instant. The sudden appearance of the mist startled the Nundu, which quickly retreated several steps. However, when the smoke entered through its black nostrils, the ferocity in the Nundu's eyes faded at a visibly rapid pace.
Hiss... hiss...
The Nundu slowly abandoned its attack posture. It crouched on the ground, breathing deeply, and the large poison sac around its neck which had been pulsing with rhythmic red light like breathing began flashing less frequently and seemed to shrink somewhat.
"Oh, look at that—it's working," Newt said happily. "But I'd better make some preparations before approaching it."
He pulled out two more potions from his pocket. After drinking one of them, he belched several times, and brown mist emerged from his nose and ears—clearly a precaution against the poisonous gas in the Nundu's breath.
Newt shooed the three kneazle off himself, but the little creatures were obviously reluctant. They lingered around him, pawing at his trouser legs with their claws.
"Oh no, you can't come with me—you wouldn't be able to handle its toxic breath—"
Newt shook his head seriously at the three kneazle, then pointed to Bryan. "Go wait with him. If something happens, he'll protect you."
Hoppy, who had previously encountered Bryan, hesitated. It glanced back at the gray-haired wizard, then met Newt's determined gaze. Finally, it called out twice to alert Milly and Mauler, and all three kneazle scampered up the wooden wall.
Hoppy climbed onto Bryan's shoulder with ease, while Milly and Mauler, after sniffing his trouser legs, also scrambled up without shyness.
Feeling the large weight on his shoulders and head, Bryan's mouth twitched, and he suddenly felt the urge to eliminate something but he restrained his emotions and watched Newt below with concern.
This was a world-renowned expert of magical creatures, whose understanding of magical beasts was unmatched. But given his old age, Bryan was somewhat worried he might throw out his back—
As it turned out, Bryan's concern was completely unnecessary. Once in motion, Newt displayed agility completely at odds with the slowness expected of someone his age.
He bent down and placed both hands on the ground, apparently mimicking the Nundu. This was not an uncommon method for approaching wild magical creatures—the only issue was that you had to understand the creature's behavior sufficiently well, or else you'd be delivering yourself into the lion's den.
Purr, purr... roar—whine whine—
Newt moved forward several feet on all fours, then suddenly rolled on the ground, making strange sounds at the Nundu while constantly shrugging his shoulders and making licking motions toward his shoulder.
Bryan pressed his lips together, his mouth continuing to twitch.
The Nundu also seemed somewhat bewildered. The beast stretched its neck and stared at Newt, its massive body unconsciously beginning to sway as its attention gradually focused entirely on Newt—
Gurgle gurgle...
Newt rolled closer to the Nundu again, and a granite-colored stone egg fell from his pocket, rolling with a gurgling sound right up to the Nundu. Upon seeing this stone egg, the Nundu's black eyes immediately lit up, and even Bryan who had tensed up thinking Newt had made a mistake could see that the Nundu seemed to really like this stone egg.
The Nundu let out an affectionate low growl toward Newt, who was still on all fours. Then it crouched down again, using its strong, powerful forelimbs to bat the stone egg closer to itself, playing with it between its two paws and occasionally licking the hard stone with its spiky tongue.
Seeing this scene, the wrinkles on Newt's face relaxed noticeably. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief and moved even more energetically in that strange manner as he approached the Nundu.
What happened next was relatively simple.
Newt slowly shuffled closer to the Nundu's side. He nuzzled the creature's foreleg with his cheek, and after a few seconds of hesitation, the Nundu lowered its massive head which was nearly half the size of Newt's entire body and gently nuzzled Newt's cheek in return, almost knocking him flying in the process.
Both parties seemed to have established a basic foundation of trust.
The Nundu continued playing with the stone egg Newt had given it. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Newt secretly drank the potion in his other hand, then slowly approached the Nundu's injured shoulder. Finally, he pressed his lips close to the raw, exposed flesh and gently sprayed the medicinal liquid from his mouth onto the wound.
This startled the Nundu, which had been happily playing with the stone egg. But immediately afterward, it squinted its eyes and stretched its neck, letting out a deeply satisfied howl—clearly, Newt's potion made it feel wonderfully comfortable.
It turned its head and nudged Newt again with its skull, then clutched the stone egg tightly with both forepaws. Remarkably, it yawned, rested its head on its paws, and slowly closed its eyes.
Rustle...
A gentle breeze stirred, and the leaves dancing in the wind created a rustling sound that was soothing and pleasant to hear.
Bryan blinked, staring speechlessly at the Nundu that had simply fallen into peaceful sleep like that.
Damn it—if he'd had this kind of ability in his school years, the orphanage probably would have built high-rise building by now.
Pop!
Bryan apparated to the ground with the three kneazles, waved his hand to dispel the fire net, and restored everything around them to normal.
Newt pulled out a whole collection of bottles and vials to continue treating the Nundu's injuries. Under his aids, the wound on the Nundu's shoulder healed at a visibly rapid pace. Bryan instinctively wanted to move closer to observe and learn—
But when he approached to a certain distance, the sleeping Nundu suddenly snorted in irritation, seeming on the verge of waking up.
"Oh, don't come closer, Mr. Watson—stay right there," Newt quickly waved at Bryan, speaking seriously. "This fragile little one doesn't much like you."
'This Nundu was neither fragile nor little,' Bryan grumbled inwardly, but he still followed the expert's advice and remained at a safe distance.
"What is that stone egg?" Bryan asked, genuinely curious about this knowledge he lacked.
"A Diricawl egg," Newt replied, concentrating intently on treating the Nundu's wounds while answering Bryan's question.
"Nundus are proud, lonely creatures, Mr. Watson. This means that in their youth, they have few playmates and of course, few animals could withstand their rough play. So typically, Nundu mothers will find Diricawl eggs for their young to play with, as they have the hardest shells among all known magical creatures.
Moreover, Diricawl eggs emit a scent that wizards cannot detect, but this scent is quite remarkable—it can ease the nervous tension that Nundus experience due to their own toxins.
Of course, these eggs aren't easy to find. Both Muggles and wizards are constantly searching for gold mines, and Diricawls depend on gold for survival."
Bryan thought for a moment, then raised an eyebrow. "But I didn't see any mention of this in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."
"There was," Newt said, tilting his head. "This information was included up until the seventeenth edition of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, but later I realized I shouldn't have written it in the book—it was a disaster for both Diricawls and Nundus.
Wizards and goblins would capture Diricawls to help them find gold mines, and wizards would use Diricawl eggs to subdue Nundus. So, after consulting with Tina, I removed this information when revising the eighteenth edition."
Finally, Newt finished treating the Nundu's injuries. He gently patted the sleeping creature's head and slowly backed away.
"It will probably need two days of rest to recover its strength," Newt said, a trace of fatigue appearing between his brows. After all, he was a hundred-year-old man, and that awkward dancing had been rather taxing for him.
"Now then—"
The three kneazle leaped from Bryan's shoulders and head back onto Newt. Newt playfully touched Hoppy's nose and said seriously, "I need you to keep this secret, understand? You mustn't tell Tina about today's events. Ever since I threw out my back last time, she won't let me interact with unfamiliar magical creatures anymore.
Oh, I can't make her understand—they're not dangerous at all. They just don't know how to interact with wizards. If we approach them in a friendly manner, there won't be any problems. Especially you, Hoppy—I know you love tattling the most."
Watching the old wizard speak so earnestly to the kneazle, Bryan began to understand Dumbledore's assessment of Newt during one of their casual post-dinner conversations—"a remarkably pure wizard."
"Well then, I suppose I don't need to bother with introductions, do I?" Newt extended his hand to Bryan.
"Hoppy told me you knew I sent it to slip into the The Blind Pig to gather information. Oh, I can explain—the owner of the Blind Pig and I had a... misunderstanding about half a century ago. Since then, Tina and I haven't been allowed inside, but you know, if you want to gather information around here, Gnarlak is the best choice."
Bryan smiled slightly and shook Newt's hand. "Indeed, Mr. Scamander. I sensed a familiar magical signature from Hoppy—an old friend who, from what I understand, is temporarily residing with you."
Newt looked somewhat puzzled, but after a few seconds, he realized.
"Ah yes, that's right. It's probably the most unfriendly magical creature I've ever encountered in my life—been living alone too long, doesn't know how to interact with people properly."
Newt looked at Bryan with clear eyes. "I understand what Albus meant now. He said you were the most perceptive wizard he'd ever met."
The friendship between Dumbledore and Newt Scamander was well known. Dumbledore's success in thwarting Grindelwald's schemes and power had been inseparable from the help of this magical creature's expert.
"Did he now?" Bryan chuckled softly, asking with interest, "What else did Dumbledore tell you about me?"
"Just before you came to New York, Albus wrote me a letter informing me you'd be coming here. He warned me to be careful."
"Careful?"
"Albus said that wherever you appear, there's always trouble—there are usually unexpected incidents."
Newt's mouth twitched slightly as he glanced at the sleeping Nundu.
"Oh, that's hardly my fault—I'm here to help," Bryan said with an amused laugh. He hadn't expected Dumbledore to evaluate him that way, though thinking about it, it did match reality fairly well.
"Albus knows I'm here investigating the disappearances of those magical creatures. He told me that if I needed help, I could come to you—that you'd provide assistance. Of course, I definitely needed to meet with you anyway, Bryan. It concerns our mutual magical creature friend."
'Something to do with the Basilisk?'
Just as Bryan was about to ask what exactly was going on, a large group of wizards entered his magical sensing range. Many Aurors on flying broomsticks swept through the low airspace, rapidly approaching their location.
Newt also noticed the commotion and interrupted the conversation. "Perhaps we should find a more appropriate time to discuss this matter, Bryan. I'm afraid neither of us will have time tonight."
Newt looked worriedly at the Nundu, pondering how to convince MACUSA's Department of Magical Security to let him temporarily care for it so he could eventually return it to its homeland.
If it fell into the Department's hands, those rough wizards would simply cage the creature. Considering the damage it had caused to the Muggle world tonight, there was even the possibility that the Department might execute this lovely little girl.
"Indeed," Bryan said with calm restraint. He glanced at Amelia's wand—there were still many matters waiting for him to handle.
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