Chapter 356: Newt Scamander
The Great Hall of Ilvermorny featured a large notice board detailing the special magical courses offered over the Christmas break, along with various other announcements.
One notice stood out above the rest: a visiting Honorary Professor would be conducting a three-day intensive course on Care of Magical Creatures.
"The sign-up sheet is right here," the Horned Serpent Prefect said. She looked at Sean and couldn't quite suppress a giggle. "Honestly, Mr. Green, Mount Greylock isn't that frozen."
Sean, bundled up in layers of wool and dragon-hide, gave a solemn nod of acknowledgment.
"You can call me Tina," she added, peeling a statistical tracking form from the wall. "I'm in charge of the sign-ups for the Serpent. Because it's Professor Scamander, nearly half the school has opted in. We're quite lucky, really; ever since he became an Honorary Professor, the Master hasn't actually taught many classes.
"Rumor has it he only accepted the post because of his wife. Honestly, if he wanted to be a full-time professor, he'd have gone to Hogwarts." Tina gave Sean a playful wink. "Class starts at ten o'clock tomorrow. We'll be meeting at the edge of the Ilvermorny Woods."
She handed him a relatively slim volume. "Thank you for the help," Sean said. He looked down at the title and blinked.
Ilvermorny: A History.
He flipped through the pages. Aside from being a bit thinner, the content was remarkably similar to the Hogwarts version, right down to the detailed floor plans located in the exact same appendix.
"The refectory is just behind the Entrance Hall. Good luck tomorrow, Mr. Green. I hear his classes are... an experience."
Tina walked off with her clipboard.
The Ilvermorny dining hall was as vast as the Great Hall at Hogwarts, though it lacked the thousands of floating candles and the enchanted ceiling. Nevertheless, Sean enjoyed a magnificent lunch featuring at least a hundred roast turkeys, mountains of Christmas pudding, and piles of spicy wizard crackers.
Tina was sitting a few yards away, debating the upcoming class with a group of friends.
"They say Mr. Scamander communicates with beasts in a way most wizards can't even fathom," a red-headed witch noted. "He has an innate connection with them. But..."
"But it makes it very difficult for the rest of us to follow along," a boy with a Horned Serpent badge finished.
"I suspect most of them just haven't bothered to read Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them properly," Tina said confidently. "The book is quite detailed if you actually pay attention."
Sean, meanwhile, was already buried in the final, yellowed pages of that very book:
[In many ways, writing 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' was a labor of love. When I look back at this early work, the memories printed on every page come alive once more. My greatest wish is that a new generation of witches and wizards will find in these pages new reasons to love and protect the incredible creatures that share our magic...]
Sean had finished the book for the third time and had memorized every detail regarding creature habitats and temperaments. He was prepared.
The Ilvermorny Woods sat a short distance to the right of the Founders' statues. As Sean passed by, he saw the Pukwudgie known as William meticulously polishing the statue of Isolt Sayre.
When the creature spotted the alchemical buttons on Sean's robes, it began muttering a string of unintelligible gibberish before vanishing with a sharp pop, looking thoroughly offended.
In a sunlit clearing just beyond the statues, Sean finally saw him.
Newt Scamander stood in the center of the grove. An ancient, battered brown leather suitcase sat by his feet. He wore a weathered brown overcoat and seemed to have a physical aversion to looking anyone in the eye. He stood slightly turned away from the crowd, sweeping the students with a clear, shy, and intensely focused gaze.
Time had etched wrinkles into the corners of his eyes, but it hadn't touched the sense of innocent wonder he carried. Without a word of introduction, he simply began the lesson.
"The Occamy subsists primarily on a diet of rats and small birds..." Newt said softly.
In an instant, his suitcase clicked open just a fraction. A dark blur shot out of the gap like a shadow. The students jumped back, several letting out gasps of alarm.
"An XXXX-class creature..." Tina whispered, her eyes wide.
The Ministry's Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures classified XXXX-tier beasts as dangerous, requiring specialist knowledge and a skilled hand to manage. To have one loose in front of second-year students was unheard of.
The winged, feathered creature didn't wait for instructions. It immediately began darting through the trees, hunting for insects. Some students looked terrified, while others watched the iridescent scales with fascination.
"While they prefer small prey, they have been known to hunt monkeys on occasion," Newt explained. He spoke with such quiet intensity that the students found themselves hanging on his every word.
When Snowy, perched on Sean's shoulder, let out a curious hoot and took flight, the Occamy screeched and darted away.
"As juveniles, they can be quite wary of owls," Newt noted, undeterred. "Una is only just reaching maturity; she's still a bit flighty."
A moment later, the Occamy suddenly expanded. One of the feathers on its head grew until it was larger than a student.
"The Occamy is choranaptyxic," Newt said with a faint smile. "It grows or shrinks to fill whatever space is available to it."
While the other students were busy scribbling notes or staring in fear, Sean looked at Snowy.
"Snowy," he whispered.
The silver-white owl looked at the giant serpent-bird, then back at Sean. She seemed to understand. She reached down and swallowed one of the biscuits dangling from her collar.
Suddenly, a fire dragon—roughly the same size as the giant Occamy—materialized in front of Newt. It let out a low, vibrating roar.
"Snowy!"
Sean's Void Rune flared. Guided by his Soul Transfiguration, he pulled on the silver thread of their connection, and Snowy instantly shifted back into her owl form.
The Occamy, startled by the sudden appearance of a predator, shrank until it was only a few inches long and bolted toward the nearest hiding spot.
The students erupted into chaotic shouting as the tiny creature vanished.
Newt, however, didn't look worried. He was staring at Snowy with an expression of pure, unadulterated wonder.
Sean remained perfectly still. He looked down and saw the tiny Occamy, Una, diving into his pocket to hide alongside Tila the Bowtruckle.
"Una... she seems to have taken a liking to you," Newt said. He had approached Sean without the boy even noticing, his voice quiet and shy.
[End of Chapter 356]
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