My own pet... challenging the young wizard and attempting to extort a protection fee?
Tina's eyebrows shot up, ready to scold her greedy Kneazles. But before she could say a word, the Niffler scrambled up Owen's robes. It stood facing the three Kneazles, chittered aggressively at them for a moment, then reached into its pouch, pulled out two gold Galleons, and placed them directly into the boy's hand.
Owen put the Galleons down and picked up the Niffler, smiling gently. "Thank you very much, but I can't take your money."
He tucked the coins back into the Niffler's pouch and patted its head. "I'll have money soon. Mr. Dumbledore said my reorganized History of Magic notes have been published as a supplementary textbook. I've been studying abroad, so I don't know how much I've earned yet, but it should be enough."
Then, he scooped the three Kneazles into his arms and tapped each of them on the nose. "Your behavior was wrong. Threats are not the way to get what you want. I believe that sincere communication leads to friendship, and gifts shared between friends are the sweetest of all."
Meow...
Owen's smile brightened. "It's nice to meet you too, Hoppy, Milly, Mauler. You're all good kids."
Letting the three Kneazles nuzzle against him, Owen looked up at Tina. "You were right, ma'am. They do like me."
Tina burst out laughing. What an interesting little wizard!
Newt returned the next morning. He didn't even stop to rest before interrupting the boy's studies.
"I found a boyfriend for Jona, but she doesn't seem satisfied. Could you come with me and take a look?"
"Of course, sir."
Crack!
With a sharp pop, the old wizard and the young wizard Apparated onto the scene.
By now, Owen was immune to the nausea of Apparition. The moment they arrived, he spotted Jona resting in a tree. In another tree nearby, a male Wampus Cat was hiding—looking like he wanted to flee but couldn't quite bring himself to leave.
Whoosh!
Jona spotted the boy immediately. Blurring into motion, she practically teleported to Owen's side and unleashed an endless stream of complaints.
The young wizard listened with a smile until she was finished. Then he looked at the young male Wampus Cat, who had climbed down from his tree, and beckoned him over.
The male cat approached timidly. He seemed shy and communicated in broken, hesitant bursts. It took a while for Owen to realize the poor guy had a stutter.
The young wizard sat between the two magical beasts and began to explain the concept of romance to them.
One dared to speak; three dared to listen!
Eventually, Jona accepted her new boyfriend. The two cats entwined their tails and disappeared into the forest together. Meanwhile, Owen and Newt headed back into the suitcase. There were a lot of magical creatures in there!
All these creatures trusted Newt implicitly and were affectionate with him. But now, there was another wizard in the mix...
"It seems it's not just animal cubs that get all the love, but human cubs too..."
Newt chuckled as he watched the young wizard get tackled by a pile of magical creatures, his face squished out of shape by aggressive nuzzling. He felt no jealousy, only joy. His lifelong goal was the harmonious coexistence of humans and beasts.
Before, it was just him.
Now, there was this little wizard.
Could this become the norm in the future? Could the living conditions for magical creatures improve even further?
A master isn't defined just by wisdom, knowledge, or skill. The most important quality is the size of their heart.
---
No new spells, no fancy combat techniques. But in these three months, Owen learned a tremendous amount. You can read a thousand books and still have gaps in your understanding, but combine that reading with hands-on practice, and suddenly everything clicks.
Three months was short, but it was enough time for the young wizard to forge a deep friendship with the Scamanders and the creatures in the suitcase.
When Dumbledore arrived, he handed Owen a small pouch. Owen reached in and pulled out a handful of Galleons, offering them to the Niffler. But the Niffler refused. Instead, it pulled several shiny trinkets from its own pouch and tried to give them to Owen.
What a magical scene. What a display of love!
In the end, Owen and the Niffler exchanged gifts. He promised to visit whenever he could, and then left with Dumbledore.
This time, they were headed to another old friend's home.
If Grindelwald's home was "Prison Chic" and Newt's was "Cozy Chaos," then this place was pure "Sci-Fi."
Magical Sci-Fi, that is: Alchemy Style!
"My dear boy, I've heard Dumbledore speak of you often. We finally meet."
The ancient wizard was so thin he looked skeletal. He merely patted Owen on the shoulder, and Owen heard at least three distinct cracks.
"Ossio Reparo."
Owen cast a minor healing spell he had developed. The old wizard's fractures mended instantly, and his eyes widened in surprise. "Oh? What magic is that?"
Dumbledore was surprised too. "Mr. Corlett, that was..."
Owen sighed sheepishly. "Originally, I was trying to develop a counter-curse for the Cruciatus Curse. Unfortunately, I failed. This spell isn't very powerful; it can only handle simple bone repairs."
"Remarkable..."
The ancient wizard winked at Owen. "For someone like me, this spell is exactly what I need. So, tell me, what can I give you in exchange?"
The boy paused, then smiled. "Magic exists to serve people. If you need it, please take it. Being able to help you is satisfaction enough."
Was it polite deflection or genuine sincerity? A wizard hundreds of years old didn't need Legilimency to tell. Life itself is a kind of magic, and he could read people clearly.
The old wizard was delighted. He decided to show the boy a trick or two, but quickly discovered something shocking: this child was proficient in Ancient Runes?
"No, sir, I'm not proficient. I just memorized them by rote. I still have a lot to learn about how to combine them effectively."
The old wizard was ecstatic. Alchemy was a branch of magic that required endless study. A studious young wizard was the perfect candidate to learn it.
While Owen happily absorbed new knowledge, a meeting was taking place in the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts. The topic: Owen's itinerary.
"What? Learning from the first Dark Lord, a Magizoology master, and a legendary Alchemist isn't enough?"
Snape's face was sour. He thought Dumbledore was wasting time. The boy should have stayed at the castle under his careful instruction. In a few years, a new Potions Master would have emerged. But now? He was learning a mess of everything!
"Dumbledore, do they... have a solution for Owen?"
McGonagall remained relatively calm. She knew Dumbledore had taken the boy away to solve the problem of his rapidly growing magic.
"Nicolas already has a solution."
Dumbledore smiled. "So Owen will study there for a while longer. He will return just in time to enroll properly next year."
The staff let out a collective sigh of relief. But immediately, the tension returned. If the boy was enrolling properly, he couldn't rotate through the Houses anymore. He would have to be Sorted into one.
"Dumbledore..."
Snape spoke first. "I believe the most suitable House for him is..."
"Gryffindor!"
McGonagall cut in forcefully. "Only Gryffindor suits him best!"
"Ravenclaw is the obvious choice!"
"Hufflepuff is where he belongs!"
Dumbledore: "..."