Newt Scamander had never been what one would call ordinary.
Retired? Perhaps on parchment.
Living quietly among Muggles? If you ignored the world-class magical zoo under his cottage.
But truly give up magical creatures?
Ridiculous.
Inside the Scamander Sanctuary
The basement of the Scamander home expanded into a breathtaking underground wilderness—divided neatly into biomes: savannas, marshes, mountains, frozen plains, dense forests, and lakes.
Tina led Vaughn through a disguised trapdoor overgrown with dry grass and brush.
Both crouched low, binoculars in hand, observing from within the tall yellow grass.
"Do you see them?" she whispered.
Vaughn adjusted his binoculars.
"Yeah… One looks excited. The other… not so much."
Two enormous creatures lumbered into view. Vaughn could tell from a distance they each weighed at least a ton. Their thick, wrinkled hides shone faintly under the enchanted lamps above.
At first glance they resembled rhinoceroses—
until the livelier one gave a snorting bounce, and its horn began glowing molten red, pulsing like magma.
"Erumpents," Tina murmured.
"Their horns contain an explosive fluid. The jumpy one's a female. She's caught the male's scent."
"Newt rescued them from smugglers last year. They've been separated from their herd too long to return now. Newt's hoping they'll bond and start a new family before we release them back to Africa."
Through the lens, Vaughn watched the enthusiastic female trot toward the male—
only for him to shove her away with his backside.
"He doesn't look interested," Vaughn deadpanned.
"No," Tina sighed.
"In the wild, mating rights are earned through brutal fights. Without rivals to beat up, the male just… doesn't feel it."
"With a breeding habit like that, I'm shocked they're not extinct."
"Join the club," Tina muttered.
Tour Through the Magical Menagerie
For the next two hours, Tina guided Vaughn deeper into Newt's sanctuary.
They saw:
The Kelpie, gliding through a freshwater lake like a dark, aquatic phantom.
The Nundu, silent and lethal beneath the forest canopy, moving with the grace of a stalking storm.
Billywigs, tiny Australian insects whose stings made victims float uncontrollably—
and whose stingers were used to make Fizzing Whizzbees, highly regulated by the Ministry.
Naturally, that made them a black-market favourite.
Diricawls, plump dodo-like birds that waddled clumsily—
then suddenly inflated into floating blimps when they took flight, transforming mid-air before soaring gracefully.
One Diricawl even looped its long, flexible tail around Vaughn and Tina, lifting them gently into the air for a short ride.
These were only a fraction of the creatures Newt had rescued.
The most dangerous ones—those hunted for powerful potion ingredients—had already been relocated to global sanctuaries.
For Vaughn, whose experience came mostly from dissecting ingredients, seeing magical creatures alive was intoxicating.
"Rolf would like you," Tina said warmly.
"My grandson. Completely obsessed with magical creatures."
Vaughn paused.
Rolf?
Wasn't that the name of Luna Lovegood's future husband?
Interesting.
Unicorn Relocation
By the time they reached the main entrance again, Dumbledore and Newt had just arrived.
They were casting complex space-expansion charms to widen the sanctuary.
Dumbledore had drawn his wand.
It looked almost identical to Vaughn's own wand.
The Elder Wand.
Dark. Smooth. Knotted.
Ancient power rippled through the air like a storm.
Vaughn quickly looked away.
When the expansion was complete, Newt opened his battered suitcase—
and the rescued unicorns galloped into their new temporary home with shimmering grace.
A translucent screen appeared before Vaughn's eyes:
[Side Quest Complete: Rescue the Forbidden Forest Unicorns][Reward Granted: Magical Creature Language Pack]
"Claim reward," Vaughn whispered in his mind.
A faint buzzing filled his ears, followed by a warm tingling in his throat.
Nothing painful. Just… strange.
Then:
[Acquired: Unicorn Language]
And suddenly—
Vaughn heard voices.
Not from Dumbledore.
Not from Tina.
Not from Newt.
From the unicorns.
"Neeeigh—(Where are we now?)"
"Neeeigh—(Didn't you hear the phoenix? Temporary shelter!)"
"Neeeigh neeeigh! (Look at that hideous little human! Why's he staring at us?)"
"Neeeigh neeeigh! (Filthy. Vulgar. Offensive to the eyes!)"
Vaughn's face remained perfectly still.
So these ethereal, holy creatures…
were actually unfiltered, vicious little critics.
Yes, unicorns disliked males—that he knew.
But this? This was personal.
He was beginning to think he should have let the "socket-faced freak" drink a little more unicorn blood.
Then the most beautiful unicorn in the herd sniffed disdainfully and declared:
"Let's get away from that Dumbledore fellow. His face offends me."
"Yeah, absolutely," the others neighed in agreement.
Vaughn exhaled slowly.
His mood improved at once.
Late-Night Farewell
By the time everything was arranged, it was past midnight.
Tina prepared a late supper—
authentically American, questionably seasoned, but still leagues better than British cuisine.
Dumbledore wasn't invited (as usual).
He simply unwrapped a few sweets from his robes and munched cheerfully on the sidelines.
When the meal ended, they bid the Scamanders goodnight.
Fawkes was clearly exhausted—some of his feathers had begun drifting down.
Vaughn picked one up and slipped it into his pocket.
Dumbledore shot him an approving, knowing smile.
Just as Vaughn turned to leave, Dumbledore spoke.
"Vaughn… what did you think of Newt?"
"Exactly what you said, Albus. A good man."
Dumbledore nodded, thoughtful.
"He likes you too. He asked whether you'd want to visit again."
A soft pause.
"Would you?"
Vaughn remembered Newt's gentle awkwardness…
Then remembered his own personality.
He narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
The old fox was plotting something again.
(End of Chapter 42)
PS :
Erumpent
Large magical beast whose horn contains explosive fluid; mating rituals involve intense competition.
Kelpie
Shapeshifting water demon; prefers lake habitats.
Nundu
One of the world's deadliest magical predators; requires entire teams of wizards to restrain.
Billywig
Dangerous insect with levitation-inducing sting; stingers used in Fizzing Whizzbees.
Diricawl
A magical dodo-like creature with balloon-inflation flight ability.
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