Looking at the young wizard, whose face was alight with enthusiasm, the old Dark Lord suddenly felt a pang of regret.
Back in the day, he had been so focused on his career (taking over the world) that he completely forgot about love and family. If he had spared even a fraction of his attention for a personal life, would he have had a heartwarming little grandson like this by now?
Summer vacation was limited, and the young wizard had to leave after only ten days. In his words: "There are so many lonely old folks waiting for my comfort visits. I'm booked solid!"
Sitting alone in his room, Grindelwald stared at the empty bed where the boy had slept. Subconsciously, he flicked his wrist, casting a silent Scourgify on it. Then he sighed, pulled out a piece of parchment, and proactively wrote a letter to Dumbledore. The content was simple: he wanted to transfer his imprisonment location from Nurmengard Castle to Hogwarts.
Of course, he specified he would not become a professor. His only student was, and would always be, Owen Corlett. He made that extremely clear in the letter!
However, when a certain old wizard at Hogwarts received the letter, he froze for a moment before grinning like a fox who had just raided the henhouse.
Don't want to teach students?
Haha, old friend. I might not be able to manipulate you, but do you think I can't manipulate the boy?
Once you're at Hogwarts and see the boy's study schedule, I refuse to believe you'll be able to hold back!
While the two old friends, entangled in a half-century love-hate relationship, schemed against each other, Owen arrived at Newt Scamander's estate—still carrying the Wampus Cat and balancing the phoenix on his head.
When Tina saw the young wizard, her eyes lit up!
"Oh my goodness, my dear! Are you alright?"
Seeing the witch rushing toward him, Owen opened his arms for a hug. "I missed you so much! Especially when I was exhausted from studying—I dreamed of the taste of your homemade cookies. You have no idea; the house-elves at Hogwarts try their best, but they just can't replicate your flavor."
The American witch beamed like a young girl. "Of course they can't! Come in, come in! I'll bake you some cookies right now. You go find Newt in his case; he's down there taking care of his little darlings."
Owen tilted his head. "Do you need any help? You know, my household charms are pretty good."
"No need! My cookies require the magic of love. That's my secret ingredient!"
"Alright, failed to steal the recipe again... I'll go find Mr. Newt then. Don't worry, I'll drag him out for dinner when it's time."
Tina laughed heartily, cupped the boy's face, and kissed his forehead. "I knew you were the best. You always know exactly what I need!"
Wizards are people too. Elderly witches and wizards have emotional needs. It doesn't take much—a simple, sincere compliment to make them feel irreplaceable and needed, genuine concern, and a little bit of playful management from the younger generation.
Of course, Owen was genuinely sincere with these elders. He truly wanted to be good to them. Plus, with a soul far older than his physical body, he understood the value of "family" better than most.
Watching the boy happily trot into the magical suitcase—still balancing a phoenix and a big cat—Tina rolled up her sleeves. She was going to bake the best cookies ever and prepare a feast of his favorite dishes to celebrate his arrival.
However, the one most thrilled by Owen's arrival wasn't Newt, but Jona—Molly's mother.
She hugged the young wizard and sniffed him frantically for five whole minutes before finally releasing him with satisfaction. Then came a barrage of mother-cat complaints: after giving birth to Molly, she had another kitten—a son this time. And he was annoying! She regretted not giving the son to Owen instead...
By the time Newt found the young wizard, Owen was already surrounded by a circle of magical beasts. A Niffler clinging to his chest was proudly showing off the shiny "treasures" it had collected, offering to share them with him.
Mama Cat Jona was lying with her head in Owen's lap, eyes squinted in pure bliss, reunited with her daughter Molly who lay nearby. If her husband hadn't taken their son away, she probably would have tried to trade the son for the daughter back—though Molly might have disagreed.
Several Bowtruckles kept trying to charge up to Owen's shoulder, but the Thunderbird next to him was the ultimate goalkeeper. Every time a Bowtruckle got close, the Thunderbird would nudge it away with its beak because it wanted to rest its head on the boy's shoulder...
Watching the barrier-free communication between the boy and the beasts, Newt felt both joy and envy. He was delighted to see Owen again.
The reason Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was on a "yearly update" schedule wasn't because Newt was lazy, but because understanding animal habits took time. But with the young wizard here, it was different. Owen could just ask them. It drastically cut down the research time.
During the six months Owen studied with him, the book had grown by a third. But in the time since Owen left? Newt had only managed to add five pages...
Before dinner, Owen sat there munching on a cookie while pulling gifts out of his pocket. There were over a dozen items for Tina and Newt, all alchemical gadgets he had made himself. The focus was purely on practicality.
For Tina, there was a tortilla press. Just put in the dough, press for fifteen seconds, and voila! The witch loved it. She hugged Owen and kissed him repeatedly, then immediately set to work, churning out over a hundred tortillas in the blink of an eye...
Dinner turned into tortilla wraps with green onions. The steak was relegated from the main course to a side dish.
For Newt, Owen brought a pair of alchemical glasses. With his refined craftsmanship, the glasses were no longer single-function. They now had comprehensive features. The professors at Hogwarts had already field-tested them with great results. After trying them on, Newt was extremely satisfied. The panoramic view and real-time temperature/humidity display were incredibly useful for his work.
"My dear, I think Owen needs a suitcase too."
After dinner, as the three sat in the living room drinking tea, Tina suddenly spoke up. "When Owen arrived, he was holding Molly and balancing Whitey on his head. It looked exhausting just watching him. If he had a suitcase, it would be much easier."
Newt wasn't just a Magizoologist; he was also a master of Extension Charms and Atmospheric Charms. As his wife, Tina knew this well. So she decided that for the sake of the young wizard, her ninety-something-year-old husband could suffer a little extra work. No problem there.
"No need, actually. I have this pouch."
Owen showed them the expanded pouch at his waist. "But Molly and Whitey prefer being in contact with me. Besides, I want them to have a larger, more natural, and real environment, so I didn't ask for a suitcase. Plus, Hogwarts has the Forbidden Forest, which suits them better."
Newt nodded in agreement. "Correct. Owen, your way of thinking is excellent. Very good indeed!"
Although his suitcase housed countless magical creatures, Newt never considered himself their owner or keeper, but their protector.
Many of the creatures were found injured and brought into the suitcase to heal. Once recovered, Newt would return them to the wild. Of course, those who didn't want to leave—like the Nifflers, Bowtruckles, and Wampus Cats—stayed. It wasn't like he couldn't afford to feed them.
Newt Artemis Fido Scamander had published more than one book, though Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them became the most famous after Hogwarts adopted it as a textbook.
Owen stayed for ten days, helped expand the textbook by another twenty pages, and then left. Tina was reluctant to see him go and promised to send him cookies every week.
Actually, she wanted to send them every day, but the owls probably couldn't handle the workload...
Newt, meanwhile, was busy consoling his Niffler. The young wizard was still a student; bringing a Niffler into Hogwarts would cause chaos. At the very least, the students' pocket money wouldn't be safe.
Niffler: Hey, everyone who votes for my little wizard gets rich!