"You didn't get kicked out of class by a professor, did you?" Tina asked, pinching Adam's cheeks and squinting at him with a serious expression.
Beside her, Newt's gaze lingered on Adam's sleeve, his eyes slightly unfocused, as if lost in a memory.
"N-no way, Grandma Tina!" Adam said, giving up on struggling and spreading his hands helplessly. "Professor Binns said I'd memorized that bit of magical history and told me to go work on my homework."
Tina released him, her eyes narrowing skeptically. She glanced at Newt, who'd been silent, seeking confirmation.
"Well…" Newt scratched his head, shooting Adam a slightly exasperated look before leaning in to whisper, "Couldn't you come up with a better excuse? I've never heard Binns say anything in class that wasn't straight from the textbook."
"Except when he's punishing troublemakers. You'd better just own up to your mistake," Newt added.
Tina cleared her throat, cutting off their hushed conversation.
Adam looked like he might cry, muttering under his breath, "It's true, you've got to believe me."
He grabbed Tina and Newt and led them to the door at the back of the History of Magic classroom, waving at Professor Binns.
Up at the front, Binns droned on in his monotonous tone, reading from the textbook. When he noticed Adam reappear, he seemed puzzled but gave a kindly wave back.
"See, Grandma Tina? The professor's signaling me to get back to my homework," Adam said.
Tina ruffled his hair apologetically, a touch of guilt in her voice. "Sorry, little Adam. I misjudged you. It's just that we didn't see any other Ravenclaw students on the way here…"
She paused, her gaze drifting to the classroom, where she let out a surprised gasp. "This is the first time I've seen a ghost professor teaching young witches and wizards. That robe he's wearing—it must be from a thousand years ago!"
"And teaching History of Magic, no less. He must be incredibly knowledgeable. Funny, though, I don't think Newt's ever mentioned this."
Newt stared at Professor Binns, his astonishment even greater than Tina's. This didn't seem like the Binns he remembered, who only ever recited long passages from the textbook.
"But I'm a Hufflepuff student," Adam pointed out.
Tina's confusion deepened as she glanced at Adam's blue-and-white scarf, sensing something was off.
"Right, Grandma Tina, what brings you both to Hogwarts?" Adam asked, swiftly changing the subject.
Newt snapped out of his thoughts and explained, "Dumbledore sent me a letter asking me to check on the Forbidden Forest. Tina was worried about you and Shirley, so she came along."
"So you're headed to the headmaster's office? But Dumbledore's not at Hogwarts right now…" Adam said.
"Wait, how do you know Dumbledore's not here?" Tina interrupted, her years as an Auror for the American Magical Congress making her quick to spot something odd in Adam's words.
"Because he wasn't at the Great Hall this morning," Adam replied, spreading his hands with an innocent expression.
"Really?" Tina pressed.
"Absolutely," Adam said with a dutiful nod, leading them down the marble staircase from the second floor.
He walked them past the greenhouses toward the Forbidden Forest, keeping his face neutral. To distract Tina, he asked about Ilvermorny, the American wizarding school.
"It's perched atop Mount Greylock, shrouded in mist year-round, protected by all sorts of concealment charms," Tina said, her voice softening with nostalgia. "Legend has it only a Thunderbird can find the school through the sea of clouds. One of the houses is even named after it…"
Tina's eyes glowed with affection for her old school as she rambled on about her memories.
Newt, however, seemed preoccupied, his gaze fixed on Adam. He held a few strands of fur he'd plucked from Adam's sleeve, catching the sunlight. The gray-brown hairs shimmered faintly in the breeze.
Those familiar strands deepened Newt's concern. Was it really that hard for anyone tied to the Scamander name to graduate from Hogwarts?
He suddenly turned to Adam and said, "Skipping class is one thing, but don't you dare get expelled."
Adam blinked, bewildered. "???"
---
Along the way, Adam chatted with Tina about Hogwarts, pointing out similarities between it and Ilvermorny. They strolled across the grounds, eventually stopping at a small wooden cabin near the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
The cabin's roof was covered in moss, with grass blades dangling over the edges, swaying in the wind, blending with the ancient trees of the forest behind it. A pair of oversized rubber boots sat by the door, next to an old crossbow leaning against the wall.
Hagrid was outside, sawing a wooden plank with focus, a hammer and nails at his feet, clearly working on repairing the cabin.
From a distance, Adam could see a large hole in the back of the cabin. It didn't look like storm damage—jagged teeth marks lined the broken wood, suggesting some creature had smashed through.
A Bandog bounded out of the cabin, barking gruffly.
Hagrid looked up, spotting the visitors, and called out with delight, "Well, if it isn't Mr. Scamander! Been a while since you've been to Hogwarts, hasn't it?"
"It has," Newt replied with a smile. "Your place is just as I remember. Honestly, I was a bit jealous of you back in school. I used to think how great it'd be to have a dorm right next to the Forbidden Forest."
Newt's gaze drifted to the forest as he spoke, his voice full of genuine fondness.
Adam raised his wand, using a Levitation Charm to neatly stack the heavy planks on the ground.
"Thanks, lad! You must be a first-year, yeah? That blue-and-white scarf… you wouldn't happen to be the one the castle portraits are always goin' on about, would you?" Hagrid said.
Adam's eye twitched, once again marveling at the efficiency of Hufflepuff's underground gossip network. Before Tina could grow suspicious, he jumped in. "Hagrid, are you fixing up the cabin? Did something from the Forbidden Forest attack you?"
Hagrid's face turned beet red as he waved his hands, flustered. "Sorry, kid, just call me Hagrid. I'm no professor, just Hogwarts' gamekeeper. The Forbidden Forest can be dangerous for young wizards, but don't worry about me. I know it as well as Mr. Scamander here. The creatures in there are friendly enough."
Newt, catching Hagrid's demeanor, glanced at the cabin and said with a chuckle, "As long as you stop mixing magical creatures together willy-nilly. I warned you about that in my letter. Hybrids like that are dangerous and don't survive long in the wild…"
His voice trailed off as he noticed the teeth marks. He shot a subtle glance at Tina, then slowed his tone, addressing Hagrid. "So, this must be another one of your creatures accidentally causing trouble, right?"
Hagrid froze, then nodded vigorously. "Sorry, Mr. Scamander, I'll be more careful next time," he said loudly.
Tina frowned, sensing something fishy in their exchange and opening her mouth to ask.
But Adam tugged at her sleeve, pointing into the distance. "Look, Grandma Tina! Shirley's out of class. Want to go say hi?"
With Tina and a curious Shirley distracted and sent off, Adam let out a relieved sigh. He turned to find Newt's eyes on him, both of them glancing at Hagrid's cabin. Newt smiled but said nothing, as if testing him.
Adam spoke up. "The planks are covered in irregular, three-sided teeth marks, forming an inverted triangle. The depth and smoothness suggest sturdy, slightly elongated fangs with small serrations. The single claw mark at the base points to one creature: a young Cerberus, still in its teething phase."
Newt clapped, clearly pleased, then turned to Hagrid, his tone growing serious. "Hagrid, a Cerberus is a highly dangerous creature. You can't just keep it in the Forbidden Forest. Students sneak out at night—we can't take chances."
"I'll have to write to Dumbledore about this. Any objections?"
Hagrid sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping. "I know, I know. I worry about the kids comin' here, so I've been keepin' Fluffy in the cabin. But he was just a pup when I got him. If anyone else finds out…"
He rubbed the Bandog beside him, his gaze drifting to the forest, his voice heavy with sorrow. "The Ministry'd probably order him put down. But Fluffy hasn't done anything wrong."
Newt softened, offering some comfort. "It's tough, but Hogwarts isn't the place for him. Let's leave it to Dumbledore. He'll figure something out."
At the mention of Dumbledore, Hagrid's eyes lit up with hope, and he nodded firmly.
"Hang on, Professor Newt," Adam interjected, raising a hand. "You're forgetting something. Dumbledore's not at Hogwarts, and we don't know when he'll be back."
The two by the cabin fell silent.
Just then, rustling footsteps echoed from the Forbidden Forest, like something crashing through the underbrush. A black dog the size of a calf, with three large heads, stumbled out, whimpering as it ran toward the cabin.
"Fluffy! What're you doin' out here? I told you to stay in the forest during the day!" Hagrid rushed toward the Cerberus, but Fluffy dodged his outstretched hands, diving into the hole in the cabin and refusing to come out no matter how Hagrid called.
Adam crouched, examining splattered blood trailing from the forest to the cabin. "He's injured—legs and waist. He must've been in a fight recently."
Newt frowned, studying the blood closely. "It's not a magical creature," he said, shaking his head as he paced. "If it was a territorial fight with another large creature, they wouldn't target the legs—it exposes their own weak spots. And it can't be centaurs; they use bows."
His expression grew grave as he stared into the forest's depths, murmuring, "It could only be a wizard."