"So beautiful…"
Admiring the scenery before him, Wayne couldn't help but sigh.
The area stretched beyond sight. The two stood on soft grass amidst lush vegetation.
To the east lay a tranquil lake nearly as vast as the Black Lake, beyond which stretched dense woodlands.
To the west was a marshland, where the air seemed colder and the leaves tinged with autumn gold.
Newt whistled, and two snow-white Hippogriffs soared from the distant sky, landing gracefully on the grass.
Newt mounted one himself, leaving the other for Wayne.
"It's quite a large area—we'll need some help getting around," he said apologetically.
"For your first meeting, you'll need to earn their trust, Wayne. Let me teach you—"
"Senior, I know how to gain a Hippogriff's trust," the boy replied, though his brow furrowed as he remained motionless.
To earn a Hippogriff's trust, the first step was to bow while maintaining eye contact until it bowed in return. Only then could one approach to pet or even ride it.
But Wayne's pride stiffened his back—he couldn't bring himself to bow.
He adored magical creatures and believed most possessed keen intelligence. Yet Wayne still placed himself above all creatures, simply because he was human.
A silent standoff ensued between boy and beast, their gazes locked. Though reserved, Newt was far from oblivious.
He guessed Wayne's thoughts and offered his assessment: a proud little fellow.
Just as Newt was about to fetch a different mount for Wayne, something astonishing happened.
Without any gesture from Wayne, the Hippogriff lowered its head first, offering its trust.
"Good boy." The young man finally smiled and stepped forward to stroke its slightly coarse fur.
Newt took a moment to regain his composure.
"Incredible... Hippogriffs are such proud creatures."
"Perhaps it sensed my sincerity," Wayne chuckled. "Senior, let's go see the Green Tree Frogs first. They aren't found in the Forbidden Forest, and I'm quite curious."
Newt nodded, and the two Hippogriffs soared into the sky. As for the issue of a first-year student venturing into the Forbidden Forest, he didn't give it a second thought.
During his school days, Newt had been far wilder than Wayne.
Seizing the opportunity, Wayne took in the full scope of this miniature world from above.
In terms of area, it was considerably larger than the Forbidden Forest, with the space divided into sections featuring different climates.
All four seasons were represented, along with environments ranging from rainforests to deserts.
The two landed at the edge of the woodland; venturing further would risk disturbing other creatures with the Hippogriffs.
Along the way, they encountered all manner of magical beasts: Billywigs, Bowtruckles, Graphorns, Mooncalves, Pixies, and Diricawls.
Bang!
Bang!
The crack of Apparition echoed as several Diricawls materialised near Wayne and Newt, circling them in a flurry of movement.
They looked like plump, fluffy balls rolling about.
Diricawls were rotund, flightless birds covered in downy feathers, yet their survival instincts were remarkable.
They could sense danger in advance, and Apparition was second nature to them—faster even than a wizard's spellcasting.
Wayne crouched down to play with the chubby little creatures, while in the distance, a Scarab Beetle pushing its food was blown away by a small whirlwind he conjured.
The Diricawls were delightfully pudgy to the touch.
Taking advantage, Wayne plucked a few feathers—Diricawl plumage was valuable, essential for crafting tools to aid in Apparition.
Squeak!
The plucked bird chirped indignantly, prompting Wayne to quickly offer treats to placate it.
Leaving the Diricawls behind, the two ventured deeper into the forest.
Wayne mimicked Newt's earlier gesture and blew a sharp whistle. A clear, resonant cry followed, like the purest and most beautiful hymn, cleansing the soul.
Ho-Oh emerged gracefully and regally from a blaze of fire, its presence leaving Newt flushed—whether from the heat or sheer excitement was unclear.
"Different... It's truly different."
Newt trembled, utterly entranced as he watched Ho-Oh circle overhead. If Tina had been there, she would have been furious.
After all their years together, Newt had never looked at her with such reverence!
"Ho-Oh, come here." Wayne beckoned, and the Phoenix alighted on a nearby tree.
Newt, despite being over a hundred years old, dashed forward with surprising speed, only to be forced back by a wall of flames when he tried to approach further.
"Senior, my Ho-Oh has a bit of a temper," Wayne explained on behalf of his bird. Even now, Ho-Oh only permitted Hermione and Cho to touch it—and only under its master's orders.
Otherwise, given its pride, no one in the world besides Wayne would be deemed worthy of such contact.
"No, no, my apologies—that was reckless of me," Newt hurriedly said, remaining in place to observe.
The longer he looked, the more unsettled he became.
"Three times larger than an ordinary Phoenix... and still growing."
Newt murmured to himself, "Is this truly a Phoenix? It has the characteristics of a Phoenix, yet it's vastly different."
He turned to the young man beside him. "Wayne, how did you encounter Ho-Oh?"
Of course, the matter of the system couldn't be revealed, so Wayne simply said he'd found it by chance in his garden.
"Chosen by fate..."
Though disappointed at not obtaining more useful information, Newt was still happy for Wayne to have gained Ho-Oh's recognition.
He had once known another who'd received aid from a Phoenix—Dumbledore. That man's very existence was a miracle.
Even before reaching his full potential, his strength had undoubtedly ranked within the top ten of the magical world at the time.
A pity... Obscurials could never reach their full potential. For them, death was more like a release.
"Chirp-chirp!"
As the king of birds, Ho-Oh's presence drew flocks from the surrounding forest, and Wayne wasn't idle either.
While Newt studied Ho-Oh, Wayne took the opportunity to gather materials.
Ho-Oh basked in the adoration of the birds, Newt seized the chance to collect more data, and Wayne enriched his stockpile.
This was a triple victory.
After half an hour, it was only when Wayne mentioned leaving Ho-Oh here for the time being that Newt reluctantly tore his gaze away.
"I suddenly feel like returning to Dorset," Newt remarked as they departed. "I could visit Hogwarts occasionally—that way, I'd be closer to your Phoenix."
After the war, Newt and Tina settled in Dorset, southern England, intending to stay there long-term.
But then Voldemort's chaos arose, making Britain unsafe. Fearing Dumbledore might conscript Newt, Tina had dragged the entire family to America to stay with her sister.
"You could teach at the school," Wayne suggested with a smile. "Professor Kettleburn's been talking about retiring for ages. You'd be the perfect replacement."
Given Wayne's relationship with Hagrid, he shouldn't have encouraged Newt to take Hagrid's future post.
But the half-giant's peculiar aesthetics and perception of danger were too bizarre. Having him as a professor would stifle many young wizards' fascination with magical creatures.
Blast-Ended Skrewts were hybrids of Manticores and Fire Crabs—what normal person would think of that? Yet Hagrid had succeeded. He was practically a modern-day Herpo the Foul.
Wayne's suggestion did spark a flicker of interest in Newt, but the thought of facing so many unfamiliar young wizards triggered his social anxiety.
"Kettleburn's younger than me. If he's retiring, I'm even less suitable..."
Seeing Newt's slight hesitation, Wayne felt reassured. No rush—he could slowly coax him later.
If Newt went to Hogwarts, things would become far more interesting.
"Squeak-squeak!"
They finally reached the tribe of Clabberts. A dozen hung from branches, calling out at Newt's appearance.
Several bore visible injuries.
Newt deftly applied the medicinal solution to them while explaining to Wayne, "I encountered these Clabberts in Africa. There were only two at the time, barely clinging to life. After several years of breeding, they've grown to this population."
"Will you release them?" Wayne asked.
"It depends," Newt sighed slightly. "For many magical creatures, they simply can't survive well in the wild, so I'll keep caring for them.
"Take Diricawls, for example—wizards are their greatest natural predators. Releasing them would be a death sentence."
Wayne nodded silently.
Unlike him, Newt genuinely loved all magical creatures.
As for Wayne, aside from a few adorable pets he favoured, he viewed most animals with utilitarian motives.
That was the difference between them. Neither approach was right nor wrong.
Once the Clabberts were treated, Newt led Wayne to another area where the leaves were withered and yellow, the air parched.
"Bloody hell!"
Wayne spotted two figures on the cliffside and instinctively blurted out the expletive. Without hesitation, he cast a Shield Charm and even summoned Ho-Oh.
The two beasts on the cliff sensed the danger and glared at him warily.
Newt's eyelid twitched.
"Relax, Wayne. They won't harm you."
"Mate, I really can't," Wayne replied, still maintaining his shield. The identities of these two monsters were simply too terrifying.
Nundus—XXXXX-classified, ultra-dangerous magical creatures. And not just any XXXXX-rated beasts—these were monsters whose threat level was artificially capped by the classification system.
Other creatures earned a XXXXX rating because they met the criteria.
Nundus, however, were rated XXXXX because that was the highest tier available.
Massive yet eerily silent in movement, Nundus exuded lethal toxins with every breath, capable of wiping out entire villages—essentially the wizarding world's version of a plague incarnate.
Enraged, it would take over a hundred skilled adult wizards to subdue one. Dragons and Chimaeras paled in comparison.
This kind of intangible, invisible threat was precisely what unnerved Wayne. He hadn't acquired any poison immunity rewards, after all.
Only then did Newt realise his junior seemed excessively attached to self-preservation.
They were hundreds of metres apart—was such tension really necessary?
Just then, Tina's voice rang out from above: "Come up for dinner! Queenie and Jacob are already here!"
"Let's go."
Newt patted Wayne's shoulder, preparing to ride the Hippogriff back.
"No need for that hassle." Wayne gripped Newt's shoulder and Apparated them directly to the entrance cabin.
Once again, the old man was stunned.
Now he understood why Dumbledore had called Wayne the most outstanding genius the school had ever produced, even surpassing Tom Riddle fifty years prior.
Mastering Apparition in his first year? Not even Grindelwald had been that absurd.
Ever the good-natured soul, Newt reminded him, "Underage magic is prohibited in America. Since you arrived via Muggle means, it's slightly better. Just don't let MACUSA catch wind of it."
Wayne nodded. "I'll be careful."
The two pushed open the trapdoor and returned to the dining room inside the house, where three elderly figures were already seated at the table.
Tina first had Wayne sit beside her before introducing everyone one by one. "This is Queenie, my sister, and this is Jacob, my brother-in-law. He owns the bakery next door."
Wayne greeted each of them politely, inadvertently locking eyes with Queenie.
A sudden sensation of being laid bare surged through him. His Occlumency defences sprang into full force, and the feeling vanished.
The slightly aged Queenie looked at him with surprise.
"Such advanced Occlumency, young man. Are you really only a first-year?"
Wayne didn't dare let his guard down. "Grandma Queenie, I'm just a bit studious and... slightly more talented than most."
"How impressive," Queenie praised. "If only little Rolf could be as clever as you someday."
"Wayne, don't mind her. Queenie often struggles to control herself." Jacob apologised on behalf of his wife.
Perhaps because he was a Muggle, Jacob appeared significantly older than Newt and the others. By now, he must be nearing a hundred years old.
To have lived so healthily for so long, he must have taken quite a few magical potions.
"Of course not," Wayne replied understandingly. For a natural Legilimency master like Queenie, casting spells could be as instinctive as breathing—she might not even realise she was doing it.
Fortunately, after his Meditation Technique had levelled up, his Occlumency had reached the Master level, making him impervious to anyone's Legilimency.
The banquet began. Though the five of them combined were well over four hundred years old, their appetites remained hearty.
Tina and Queenie's cooking was exceptional—far superior to the House-elves at Hogwarts.
The lasagna, in particular, was so delicious that Wayne couldn't resist helping himself to a second plate.
Tina was delighted. With her son and grandson away in France this year, Wayne's visit brought much-needed liveliness to the household.
Newt wanted to discuss the Nundu problem with Wayne, but a single sharp glance from the old lady sent him retreating into silent obedience as he lowered his head to eat.
Wayne couldn't help but stifle a laugh.
Such a clear hierarchy in the household—no wonder she'd been an Auror. Her methods were formidable.
To the average witch or wizard, Newt's reputation might overshadow Tina's. But to the Ministries of Magic across many countries, they'd gladly award Tina a commendation for the heroic feat of taming Newt.
Back in the day, Newt had been banned from dozens of countries—proof enough of the sheer destruction he could wreak.
That massive suitcase of magical creatures was practically a walking natural disaster.
As they dined, a small, dark-furred creature with a long snout stealthily climbed onto the table, stuffing shiny cutlery into its pouch.
"Jerry, we have guests today—no mischief," Newt chided, scooping up the Niffler and tickling its round belly. A cascade of stolen items clattered onto the table.
"Jerry? Is that the Niffler's name?" Wayne asked, intrigued.
"That's right. Jerry was quite weak when he was born, so I raised him myself. He's perfectly healthy now."
Newt placed the little creature back into its nest of gold and treasures, noticing Wayne's lingering gaze.
"Interested in keeping a Niffler? I've got far too many—I have to give some away every year. If you'd like, Jerry can stay with you from now on."
Wayne's expression turned peculiar.
Why did this feel like Professor Oak handing out starter Pokémon?