"Here's your enrollment gift. Lucky we got it ready in time."
In the kitchen of the red-roofed cottage, the dining table was laden with a feast. Newt and Tina, beaming, presented Adam with two beautifully wrapped gifts, sliding them gently toward him.
Under their eager gazes, Adam carefully unwrapped the packages.
Tina's gift was a miniature Sneakoscope, nestled in velvet lining. Its bronze casing was etched with delicate star-trail patterns, and a gilded serial number gleamed in the sunlight. A small card noted it was an authentic model used by Aurors of the American Magical Congress.
Newt's gift required both of Adam's hands to lift. When he set the rectangular box on the floor and lifted the lid, he found a sleek black suitcase. Its polished dark leather bore a tiny cat-paw print near the handle, and the copper clasps glowed warmly under the lamplight.
"Wow!" Shirley, holding a chocolate cake, circled the suitcase with curiosity, her eyes sparkling. "Does this mean I'll get to see Mooncalves dancing under the moonlight in your case too?"
Adam, equally stunned, could hardly believe it. "Is this really for me?"
"Of course it's for you, little Adam," Newt said with a grin, turning the copper clasp on the lid. "I used up all my materials to make this one. There might never be a third case like it in the wizarding world."
"It's not as spacious as my original, but once you master the Extension Charm, you can expand the interior. For now, though, it's big enough—plenty of room for Amy the cat to rest comfortably."
Newt unlatched the brass buttons and opened the case flat on the floor, gesturing for Adam to step inside.
As Adam entered, a cozy room appeared before him, just the right height. A walnut bookshelf held a few blank parchment notebooks, and a small cot sat nearby for naps. Otherwise, the space was bare.
"I thought about decorating it for you," Newt said, scratching his curly hair, "but Tina said a blank canvas is the start of exploration."
"That's not the main point, though…" Newt grinned, placing his hand on the room's brass doorknob and turning it slowly. Adam's breath caught.
Behind the door stretched a forest nearly the size of two Quidditch pitches. The crisp scent of pine mingled with the damp freshness of a lake. Amy the cat bolted out, her black fur shimmering in the sunlight, darting through the trees like a rogue Bludger.
Adam's eyes lit up as he followed Amy, searching the woods. But soon, his face fell.
No dragons.
No Demiguises.
No Graphorns…
The only inhabitant was spotted by Amy, who was chasing a shiny button thief. The cat, playing Chaser, swatted the creature with her paw and tossed it into the air, eliciting a chorus of squeaks.
"So you got me a Niffler?" Adam asked, holding the dazed, starry-eyed creature and looking up at Newt.
"Actually, I didn't even put a Niffler in there," Newt admitted, his face stiffening as he recalled checking the case three times before packing it. "That one must've snuck in. Seems it's the same Niffler you met last time—it's quite the adventurer."
"And we don't want to be reading in The Daily Prophet about a dragon loose at Hogwarts," Tina added, her tone firm as she ruffled Adam's soft hair. "The real point is this: you have to graduate from Hogwarts."
"No dangerous creatures besides Amy," she continued, shooting a glance at Newt, who was pretending to study the lake's ripples. "I know a diploma doesn't define your future, but I've never actually seen a Hogwarts diploma."
Newt, the notorious Hogwarts dropout, muttered under his breath, "Theseus graduated just fine."
Tina's brows furrowed. "Yes, but it took the Scamander family seventy years to produce one graduate like Theseus. Otherwise, I wouldn't have sent Rolf to America."
She turned to Amy, tapping the cat's head gently. "And you—I know you've learned tricks from that Crup, Sylvia. No wandering the school causing trouble."
Amy sat upright, tail curled neatly, nodding solemnly as if promising to stay out of mischief.
Sunlight filtered through the canopy, casting dappled shadows across the suitcase's woodland. Adam, watching the Niffler tug at his shoelaces, suddenly felt the weight of the Sneakoscope in his pocket and the suitcase key in his hand.
September 1, 10:50 AM, Platform 9¾, King's Cross Station
A scarlet steam locomotive stood at the platform, its gold-and-red sign reading: Hogwarts Express.
"This is as far as we go," Tina said, patting Adam's shoulder and glancing at Shirley, who was saying goodbye to her maid, Lilith. "Make sure to keep an eye on him, little Shirley."
"I will, Grandma Tina," Shirley replied.
They stepped into the train, finding most of the front carriages packed with young witches and wizards. At the very end, they lucked out and found an empty, spacious compartment.
Adam used a Levitation Charm to stow Shirley's luggage—though his own belongings fit in one small case, Shirley had brought heaps of bags. She lamented that she'd only packed a fraction of her wardrobe and might run out of clothes at school.
"Haven't you thought about how much of a hassle it'll be to lug all this back during holidays?" Adam asked.
"You'll help me anyway," Shirley said with a grin, gazing out the window where a sudden rain had cloaked the sky, leaving rivulets of water snaking down the glass.
A soft knock sounded at the compartment door, followed by a polite voice. "Excuse me, can we sit here? The other compartments are full."
Shirley, startled, composed herself, straightening her posture and responding with the refined manners she'd learned in France.
The door slid open, revealing a girl with freckled cheeks and smooth black hair cascading over her shoulders, followed by a boy half a head taller. Adam waved his wand, neatly levitating their luggage onto the racks.
"That was some slick Levitation Charm," the boy said, eyeing them curiously. "Funny, I don't think I've seen you at school. First years?"
He started toward the seat next to Adam, but Shirley politely declined, so he settled beside the girl, his ears faintly red and a pleased smile tugging at his lips.
"Sorry, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Cedric Diggory, second-year at Hogwarts." He adjusted his collar, offering a warm smile.
The girl returned a gentle smile, her demeanor carrying an Eastern grace. "I'm Cho Chang, also a first-year."
"Adam Morgan—just call me Adam. And this is Shirley Mor—" Adam began, but stopped as Shirley jabbed his side, her cheeks pink as she introduced herself.
Outside, the rain grew heavier, its patter weaving a misty veil over the world. As Shirley opened a seemingly small box, Adam realized why she'd brought so much luggage. When she delicately unpacked an elegant French tea set, the compartment seemed to take on a refined air. She expertly brewed tea at the small table, the porcelain pot steaming faintly, its aroma mingling with the sound of rain.
Cedric pulled a stack of parchment from his bag, spreading it on the table. Watching the relaxed trio, he sighed. "I'm jealous. You lot don't have to worry about summer homework."
"Is there a lot of it?" Adam asked, noticing the red-inked notes and tiny broomstick doodles along the parchment edges.
"Mine's done," Cedric said with a grin, organizing the papers. "This is for others. Some kids always forget their assignments, and when I whip out these half-finished ones in the common room… well, let's just say I'll have enough for half a new broom by term's start."
Adam's eyes gleamed. "Lots of forgetful students, huh? Try this." He placed a quill on the table, its metal nib glinting faintly.
"A Quick-Quotes Quill?" Cedric asked, intrigued.
"Not quite. I tweaked it—auto-inking, fast-copying, and it mimics the user's handwriting."
Cedric, skeptical, picked up the quill. The moment its nib touched the parchment—
BOOM!
The compartment shuddered violently, a thunderous roar tearing through the rain. The quill scrawled a jagged ink streak across the page, like a wound ripped into the parchment.
Shirley and Cho nearly spilled their teacups, grabbing the table for balance.
"Adam, when did you put a Blasting Curse in that quill?" Shirley demanded.
"It's not the quill—it's outside." Adam frowned, steadying the luggage with his wand and peering toward the source of the tremor.
Through the gray rain, a blinding red flash erupted in the distant forest, like a burning gash torn across an inky canvas. Orange flames licked upward, mingling with the mist, casting eerie shadows across the compartment windows.