Theo sat cross-legged near the window, staring down at the small sprouts curling in their terrariums. The morning light painted the room gold, and the hum of tiny creatures filled the air. Yet his mind was elsewhere, spinning with names he had heard but never truly understood: Theseus Scamander.
It had been a day since their first meeting, and already Theo felt the weight of the name he bore. Theodore Theseus Scamander. Not just any wizard — his grandfather. A man whose decisions had shaped families, creatures, and the world beyond these walls.
Newt leaned nearby, quietly jotting notes about relocation schedules. Theo broke the silence.
"Grandfather… theseus… what exactly did he do during the war?"
Newt paused, eyes softening. "Theo, your grandfather was… remarkable. Not for glory or stories, but for action. From Hogwarts, he was disciplined, decisive, and careful. When the first war broke out, he joined the Aurors almost immediately. He never sought recognition, but people noticed. He ended conflicts before they escalated, protected people and creatures alike, and made choices that saved lives — sometimes at great personal cost."
Theo traced his finger along a leaf, imagining a younger version of the man he had only just met. He tried to picture him in robes at Hogwarts, tall, unyielding, the kind of person who could command attention without shouting.
"And in the second war?" Theo pressed.
Newt's expression darkened slightly. "The stakes were higher. Dark wizards were more dangerous, more cunning. Your grandfather coordinated relocations of magical creatures to keep them safe. He worked in shadows, arranging protections, ensuring that those who couldn't defend themselves — people and animals alike — survived. Many of his actions were never recorded in the official history books."
Theo swallowed. Protecting creatures. That sounded familiar. Just like me… just like Newt. A spark of pride mixed with anxiety stirred in him. Could he ever live up to that legacy?
"Theseus did what he believed necessary," Newt continued. "Sometimes, that meant making choices others wouldn't.
Sometimes, people disagreed. Sometimes, he lost. But he never hesitated when it mattered."
Theo imagined the weight of such decisions. Every creature, every human, every plan — their lives resting on his grandfather's judgment. And now, a part of that judgment coursed through him, carried in the very name he bore.
"Did he ever… show fear?" Theo asked softly.
Newt shook his head. "Not in the way we see it. Theseus never allowed fear to rule his actions. He felt it, yes, but he never let it stop him from protecting those he cared for. Your parents… they carried kindness and caution. They hesitated when they should have acted. Theseus acted. That difference… it matters."
Theo pressed his hands to his knees. He thought of his parents, gone before he could remember their voices, their faces. And now, a grandfather he barely knew had lived through wars and choices he could hardly imagine. And he, Theo, was expected to continue both threads: kindness and decisiveness.
Newt glanced up from his notebook. "Your grandfather's work also taught others to respect magical creatures. It's why so many species survived the wars. He understood their value and protected them quietly. That is your inheritance too, whether you know it or not."
Theo leaned closer to the terrariums. Twig flitted from one leaf to another, Lum glowed softly, and the tiny sprouts swayed in the sunlight. Protecting life. Observing it. Acting when necessary. It seemed simpler with them. Perhaps that's why Newt had entrusted him with the suitcase.
"Do you think I can… do it?" Theo whispered. "Even a little?"
Newt smiled, warm but serious. "You already are. You act carefully, deliberately. You notice, you protect, you plan. That is enough for now. One day, you will make choices that matter beyond this room. You will learn, like your grandfather did, how to carry the weight of a name without letting it crush you."
Theo pressed a hand to the glass of the terrarium, imagining Theseus' hands doing the same, decades ago. Hands that had signed orders, saved lives, moved creatures, and shaped the world quietly but decisively. Hands that had carried responsibility with courage.
And now Theo understood, faintly but surely, that his name was more than a label. It was a reminder, a guide, and a challenge. Theodore Theseus Scamander — grandson of a man who had survived war, protected the helpless, and left a legacy that spanned creatures and humans alike.
Theo exhaled, letting the sunlight warm his face. He glanced around the suitcase, at the sprouts and creatures thriving under his care. He was small. He was young. But he had a place in this world, just as his grandfather had. Quietly, deliberately, he could make a difference.
And for the first time in a long while, he felt ready to try.