As the last of the snow melted and the sunlight grew bright again, the new term began, much to the students' lingering reluctance to let go of their holiday.
On the first weekend after school resumed, a Hufflepuff alumnus who had left Hogwarts many years ago finally appeared at the gates.
Newt Scamander, the world-renowned magizoologist.
Dumbledore had already been waiting there with Tver, Hermione, and Fleur.
"Long time no see, Newt."
Before Newt had even fully steadied himself, Dumbledore stepped forward and gave him a warm embrace.
From an angle no one else could see, Newt leaned close and murmured something into Dumbledore's ear.
"It's confirmed. He is indeed contacting his subordinates."
"Thank you for your hard work," Dumbledore replied aloud as he released him. "You were such a lively young man back then. You must be nearly a hundred now?"
"Two more years," Newt said shyly. "And besides, you've been working toward this all along. How could I possibly slack off?"
To Dumbledore, it seemed as though the years had barely touched him. He looked almost the same as he had decades ago.
"How wonderful," Dumbledore said softly. Then, as if snapping back to the present, he led Newt over to Tver and the others.
Only then did Tver take the opportunity to study Newt Scamander properly.
He wore a fitted, old-fashioned suit that emphasized his slim frame, slender even for someone his age. Yet the large hand gripping his suitcase suggested a strength that belied his appearance.
When Tver had been in school, he had used textbooks written by Newt.
Aside from that, and without having seen Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, most of what he knew about Mr. Scamander came from the occasional remarks of his own professor.
Judging from the tone of those remarks, his teacher had not seemed particularly fond of Mr. Scamander.
"Tver Fawley. A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Scamander." Tver smiled and extended his hand.
Newt hesitated for a moment, clearly surprised by Tver's bearing.
After receiving a subtle nod from Dumbledore, he quickly shook his hand.
"My apologies. I've never met a professor so young and handsome."
Tver knew that was not the real reason for the pause. Most likely, Dumbledore had told him about his connection to Grindelwald, and Newt had expected someone quite different.
After that, Tver simply stood aside, his amused gaze drifting between Dumbledore and Newt.
Like a bystander, he watched Dumbledore introduce Hermione and Fleur. He also watched Hermione eagerly bring up Hagrid's situation.
"I have heard about Rubeus Hagrid," Newt said, his expression complicated. "But Miss Granger, are you aware that the Ban on Experimental Breeding of Animals was drafted under my direction and passed into law because of my efforts?"
He had pushed for that law precisely to prevent creatures like Blast-Ended Skrewts from being created.
Perhaps Blast-Ended Skrewts were not the worst example, but the danger lay in what might come next. One day, someone might breed something far more destructive and far harder to control.
Hagrid's actions, without question, violated that law.
If it had been anyone else, Newt would have reported them to the Ministry immediately.
Hermione let out an awkward laugh.
Fortunately, Dumbledore had no intention of letting Hagrid endure such criticism alone. He immediately took Newt by the arm and led him toward the castle.
"Let's continue this in my office. And Granger's focus isn't really on the Blast-Ended Skrewts," he said mildly. "It's about the discrimination and prejudice Hagrid is facing."
"In fact, you could say it's about the prejudice faced by all non-human intelligent beings."
"I believe you can offer these young people some sound and practical advice."
The atmosphere eased at once. As they walked through the castle, Newt shared a few amusing stories from his own days at Hogwarts.
Their group quickly attracted attention from the students.
No one recognized Newt, but they were surprised to see Dumbledore welcoming a guest so warmly. The last time they had seen such a reception was when Beauxbatons and Durmstrang arrived at Hogwarts.
When they noticed Professor Fawley following behind with a serious expression, none of them dared approach.
Though usually friendly, the professor could be quite imposing when the matter was important.
Once inside the Headmaster's office, Tver's expression returned to normal the moment Dumbledore looked his way.
"Please, have a seat. Miss Granger, Miss Delacour, would you mind if I sit in?"
He phrased it as a question, but he was already moving toward a chair, clearly eager to join.
For the occasion, Dumbledore had prepared a small round table laid out with pastries and drinks. It looked exactly like afternoon tea.
On second thought, it was afternoon tea time.
Tver sat down with a faintly amused expression.
The discussion was hardly confidential, so Hermione and Fleur would not ask Dumbledore to leave. Besides, this was his office.
"I read the piece you published in the Daily Prophet," Newt said. The earlier trace of shyness vanished the moment the conversation touched on his field. His voice became steady and decisive.
"To be honest, your thinking is already quite mature. I'm not sure how much I can add."
"But there is one thing I must remind you of."
"If you want wizards to accept other intelligent beings, the key is not to make them feel pity. Nor is it to make them feel guilty."
"I'm not saying pity is useless. But you must understand something. Wizards are practical."
"Or rather, when humans act as a group, they are practical. They weigh benefits. They calculate outcomes."
"And the choice they make will never be the one that appears the kindest or most equal. It will be the one that maximizes their interests."
"So your approach regarding house-elves is correct. You've argued that slavery lowers efficiency, using that to protect their rights."
"But half-giants like Hagrid, and many other intelligent beings, are different. At the very least, you must show wizards what benefits acceptance would bring to the magical world."
Fleur nodded immediately. She had once thought Hermione's ideas were naive because she trusted human nature too much.
But under Tver's guidance, Hermione had gradually come to see this reality.
So neither of them argued. Instead, they took out the papers and notes they had prepared.
"This one examines the conflict between goblin demands and wizard interests," Hermione explained. "We've outlined possible compromises and the benefits both sides could gain."
"But we think it's extremely difficult in practice. Mr. Scamander, what's your view on goblins?"
"And this," Fleur added, "details regulations within the Beast Division of various Ministries of Magic that are unfriendly toward intelligent beings. We believe they've worsened tensions."
"Mr. Scamander, you once worked there, and we heard you were dissatisfied with those policies. Is that true?"
Newt stared at them, mouth slightly open, eyes blank with astonishment.
Were students nowadays really this pragmatic?