"And yes, I guess looking out the kitchen window to see your daughter sitting between the front claws of a hippogriff, that's laying in your daisies and preening said daughter's hair, is unusual."

"Ah, and you wish to keep it?" Amos asked.

"I don't really have much of a choice, here. Titania's already named him and ordered food and grooming gear." Paddy laughed. "Not to mention tried to sneak him up to her room. Thank Merlin, she's got a balcony that I can expand for a nesting site."

"Oh, my…" Amos' eye widened.

1990

November first found Paddy listening to the chimes of the grandfather clock, again, and there was a not so sneaking suspicion that he was going to get quite familiar with the sound.

"Ah… Mr(?)… Grimmsey…wasn't it?" Amos Diggory asked.

"Grimmley, Mr Diggory, but call me, Paddy, please?" Paddy smiled at the man.

"Of course, Paddy, and I'm Amos. What can I do for you, today?" Amos tilted his head. "Had enough of the… hippogriff, wasn't it?"

"It was, and no. Titania's got him well in hand. The blasted thing loves nothing more than to roost on her balcony and croon to her as she drapes herself over him." Paddy smiled softly. "You should see them fly together… it's beautiful."

"Ah, right." Amos blinked. Flying with a hippogriff? "Then how can I help you?"

"Um… I went in to wake her this morning and got dive-bombed. There's a pair of snidgets taken up residence on one of her bedposts. The finials for two of the posts are missing and they've made a nest on one." Paddy grimaced. "I'm not keen on the idea of a nest right above her pillow, but I'm not sure that moving it is going to work."

"Snidgets?" Amos' face lit up. "Oh, that's lovely, we do try to keep track of their numbers but they're so particular in choosing a nest site. Moving them isn't an option, not even a few feet, they'll abandon the nest and won't return. Do they have eggs?"

"They do. So far, there's nine."

"Heavens…" Amos sounded almost faint. "Truly? Nine? I've never heard of such a large clutch."

"What can I say?" Paddy shrugged. "Titania has a way with feathered things."

December tenth and Paddy was, once again, listening to the grandfather clock's chimes.

"Mr…" Amos paused at Paddy's huff. "Paddy. Hello, back again?"

"Amos." Paddy gave him a gentle smile. "Titania asked me to update you on the snidgets' clutch."

"Oh?" Amos' smile matched his.

"Yes, she now has fourteen snidgets making themselves at home in her bedroom." Paddy tilted his head in consideration. "Not sure how many are going to stay, but they aren't fully fledged, yet, so… Who knows?"

"Fourteen?" Amos gasped.

"Twelve hatchlings. One egg didn't hatch."

"My word…"

"Yeah…" Paddy chuckled suddenly. "You should have seen it, this morning, Amos. Kitten's grooming Steelbeak, the hippogriff, while the snidget hatchlings are lined up along his back. And when Titania strokes down with the brush, each snidget buzzes into the air as her hand goes underneath them. They look like some kind of golden, feathered ribbon."

1991

Mid-January brought Paddy to listen to the chimes again.

"Paddy?" Amos looked at him around the pile of files.

"Amos, how are you?" Paddy gave him a tired smile.

"I'm well, and you?"

"Yeah, fine, thanks."

"But you're back here?"

"Yes." Paddy laughed. "I'm back."

"Another registration?"

"Another registration." Paddy nodded. "We went hiking this last weekend, wanted to check out the property, all the boundaries, you know. And well… Titania found an injured Augurey… and of course, she had to bring it home for treatment."

"She sounds like a caring soul." Amos said.

"She is. A bit stubborn, though." Paddy snorted.

"So…? I take she wants to keep the Augurey?"

"Yep." Paddy nodded. "It looks a bit like a plucked chicken at the moment, apparently it spontaneously moulted, once it felt safe. And guess where?"

"Titania's bedroom…?" Amos grimaced.

"You got it in one." Paddy huffed. "Green downy feathers everywhere. The snidgets took some to line their individual nests, Steelbeak took some for his nest and I managed to grab a handful of the fancier plumes. I figure they'll make excellent quills. Have a few hippogriff feathers, too." He hummed. "Maybe with a nice silver quill-grip, so they don't have to be continuously trimmed."

"Amos!" Paddy called after having made the bell chime twice.

"Coming." The other wizard's voice came from somewhere in the far reaches of the shelves.

"Paddy, hello. Back, again?"

"Yes, Amos." Paddy grimaced. "Titania… I'm not sure about this one, Amos…"

"Paddy?"

"It… it looks like a fwooper."

"Oh, my." Amos' brows rose.

"It looks like one but it doesn't sound like one."

"No?"

"No, it sings like a canary. And it's… an unusual colour…" Paddy's grimace faded into a moue of dislike.

"They do come in pink, Paddy." Amos smiled.

"Pink, orange, yellow and lime green… right?"

"Yes, that's right."

"It's blue, Amos, bright sky blue." Paddy said, flatly.

"Blue?" Amos let his head pull back in surprise. "Fwoopers don't come in blue."

"No, they don't. And as far as I'm aware, they don't sing, either." Paddy narrowed his eyes. "This one, this blue fwooper, has taken up a position on a strand of ribbon that Titania uses to hang feathers on, above her dressing table. It sits there for hours on end, singing its little heart out. I'm not entirely sure she hasn't taught the blasted thing her favourite song."

Amos just blinked. "Really?"

"Amos, it's May, there's no other reason for it to be singing 'jungle bells', all the flaming time…" Paddy glared.

"Ah…" A form was slid across the counter.

The day before Halloween, Paddy took a deep breath and tapped the bell, letting the chimes ring out.

A familiar head popped around the edge of a shelf, three rows down on the left.

"Paddy, hello. What's she found this time?" Amos' face lit in curiosity.

"A pyrehawk, Amos, she's found a pyrehawk." Paddy huffed.

"Well." Amos blinked, then frowned. "Where's she keeping it?"

"She went to the local blacksmith's and nagged him into making her a firedog, something that raised the poor bird above the logs in her fireplace." Paddy sighed.

"Ah, yes, that would work." Amos nodded. "Is she wanting to keep it?"

"Oh, definitely. It's given up a few feathers, wing and tail, for her collection."

"Whatever is she going to do with them all?"

"I don't know, Amos, really I don't." Paddy let his shoulders fall. "I have no idea what hell is going on in that kid's head."

It was the last day of 1991 and Paddy was standing in front of Amos, again.

"Again?" Amos' brows rose sharply.

"Again…" Paddy grinned tiredly.

"What did she find this time?"

"A jabberknoll… but like the fwooper, it sings." Paddy shrugged. "At least they harmonise with each other. I don't think I could stand them clashing."

"Uh, Paddy? You do know that jabberknolls are silent until just seconds before they die, right?" Amos replied, slowly.

"Apparently, not ones that my daughter adopts." Paddy sighed.

1992

The floo in the office of Control and Regulation flared, signalling an incoming call.

"Amos? Amos? You there?" Paddy's voice filled the office, a slightly panicked ring to it.

"Paddy?" Amos leapt from his seat, his cup of tea spilling onto his desk.

"Who's your best CoMC healer? I've got yet another impossible creature cosying up to my daughter, but this one's hurt and if I don't get some help, it's gonna die." Paddy's voice was almost frantic.

Amos blinked. "What have you got and what are the injuries?"

"A Pegasus pony and it's got gouges down its flanks, like something a heck of a lot bigger tried to eat it."

"How far are you from the Welsh Dragon Preserve?" Amos wondered, at the same time as he scribbled a note on a scrap of parchment.

"We're in the Brecon Beacons, that's up in Snowdonia." Paddy replied.

"Right, not likely to be a dragon, then. Is your floo open? What's the address? I'll get Hagrid from Hogwarts, despite his size, he's the best available today. Yesterday, it could have been Scamander, today, you get Hagrid."

"That's fine, just… hurry up before it bleeds to death on my daughter's bedroom floor." Paddy pulled his head back from the flames, only to shove it forward again. "The address is 'cartef melys cartef'. Original, I know, but Titania chose it and it fits us."

Forty-five minutes later, Hagrid nodded to Paddy and the two men slumped down, their backs against the base of Titania's bed.

"Well…" Hagrid sighed. "It's gonna live. Nah idea what could'a tore it up like tha'. Thems claw marks, fer sure."

"It can't have been a dragon." Paddy nodded. "We're too far from the preserve. The poor beastie wouldn't have made it all the way here, not from there."

"No, it wouldn't." Amos' voice was calm, considering, thoughtful. "That would mean someone has something they shouldn't. But considering the fact that Hagrid has just been plying an impossibility with potions, I won't rule it out."

"Diggory?" Hagrid rumbled.

"That is undoubtedly, a Pegasus, yes?" Amos paused while nodded. "It is also, undoubtedly, a pony." Hagrid nodded again. "I have worked in R&C since leaving Hogwarts, over twenty-five years ago. I have been senior assistant to the Head of Department for ten years and as she hates travelling, I have been the one to deal with the ICW's R&C delegates. There's never been a Pegasus pony before. Standard Pegasus and Abraxian, yes, but not pony Pegasus."

"Then wha's tha'?" Hagrid jabbed a finger towards the scruffy black pony with wings.

Amos glanced sideways at Paddy. "I'm beginning to think it might be your daughter, Paddy. This make three impossible creatures."

"Three?" Hagrid asked.

Paddy let his head fall back onto the mattress. "She's got a fwooper and a jabberknoll that sing like canaries."

"Say wha' now?" Hagrid looked at Paddy.

Paddy didn't answer, he just climbed to his feet and stumbled to the French doors that opened onto a large balcony. Opening them he called to his daughter.

"You can come in now, you and your feathered flock." He rocked back a step as a blonde and feathery whirlwind exploded into motion, arms going around his waist while birds filled the doorway, even the hippogriff was crowding forward. "Easy, now." He warned. "The poor thing is still hurt, she'll heal, but potions can only do so much for magical creatures. The rest has to heal naturally."

"Yes, Da. We'll be good." The mess of golden blonde hair whispered. It was echoed, by a tiny whistling chorus from a handful of snidgets, by a choppy rendition of 'Happy Birthday to You' from the jabberknoll, by a melodious tinkly 'Bye Bye Blackbird' from the fwooper, a soft screech from the pyrehawk, a bobbing head from the Augurey and a chuckling trill from the hippogriff.

"In that case, you can come in, just be gentle, okay?" The last was directed at the hippogriff, who trilled, again and settled down, his front legs and head just inside the doors.

Hagrid's eyes widened, but Amos just nodded, he'd been listening to Paddy talking about Titania's collection of creatures, for months now. The snidgets settled in a row along the edge of the mattress, three on one side of Hagrid and four on the other. The Augurey, the jaberknoll and the fwooper fluttered across the room to the firescreen. The pyrehawk stayed on Titania's shoulder as she went to her knees beside the Pegasus' head, her fingers gently stroking its forelock.

"Will she be able to fly, Mr Hagrid?" Wide green eyes asked.

"She should be up and about by Easter." Hagrid assured her.

"But she will be able to fly?" Titania begged.

"Yeah, she will. Might need to keep it to short flights and close to the ground for a while. But she should recover, just fine." Hagrid patted her foot, which was all he could reach.

"Titania?" Amos asked.

"Yes, Mr Diggory?"

"Are you going to keep her?" Amos nodded at the quivering Pegasus.

"Of course, I am." She replied indignantly.

"Amos! Amos!" Paddy's voice was loud and clearly stressed.

"Paddy?" Amos didn't get the chance to say anything before Paddy cut him off.

"I need someone from your office, someone from the DMLE and that Hagrid fellow, again."

"What now…?" Amos asked.

"A bloody griffin cub, Amos. And someone's tried to hack its wings off." Came the snarling answer.

"Oh, hell. Give me five minutes and I'll be there." Amos didn't wait but ran from the office.

Twenty minutes of frantic activity and Paddy finally looked away from the cub.

"Oh, hello, who are you?" He asked the deceptively frail old man and the black Auror.

"Newt Scamander. Who are you?" The first man replied.

"Nigel Patrick Grimmley, but call me Paddy, I won't answer to Nigel." Paddy held out a hand to the other man and the two shook.

"Kingsley Shacklebolt." The second said, his hands full of quill and notebook. "I need a little information. Are we right to talk, now?" He'd started to ask earlier and been quickly shut down by Scamander.

"Yes, yes." Scamander waved his hand and went back to watching the cub.

"Thanks. Who's going to start?"

"I suppose that's me." Paddy said. "My daughter, Titania has a habit of collecting magical creatures. So far, she has a hippogriff, snidgets, a fwooper, an Augurey, a pyrehawk, a jabberknoll and a Pegasus pony."

"And how did she come to find the griffin?" Shacklebolt asked.

"She was flying with the hippogriff." Paddy answered. "They go out every morning, Steelbeak likes to play 'chase the snitch' with her, before breakfast. She came flying in, screaming her head off, while Steelbeak carried the cub."

"To her bedroom?" Shacklebolt looked around what was clearly a girl's room.

"Not the first time." Amos said. "Back in March it was the pony Pegasus, out there." Amos pointed to the balcony and the Auror blinked in surprise at the collection of creatures there.

"Right…" Shacklebolt shook his head a little and forced himself back to the subject at hand. "The hippogriff brought the cub in and… what next?"

"I took one look, threw a towel at Titania and told her to put it over the cub's wounds and keep the pressure on them, ran for the floo and called Amos. And… well, here we are." Paddy shrugged.

"Mr Scamander? How did you get involved in this?"

"My wife, Tina. She's been sent over to give a seminar on… something to do with… magical forensics? I think that was it?"

"Tina?" Shacklebolt frowned.

"Tina. Porpentina Scamander, nee Goldstein." Scamander explained.

"Ah, right, yes. I forgot that was happening." Shacklebolt nodded and turned back Paddy. "And your daughter just… collects… creatures?"

"As far as we can ascertain, yes." Paddy said. "But this is a bit much."

"I agree, sir. I'd feel better if we could get a detailed Intent Scan, see if there's anything drawing them here." Shacklebolt said.

"How would we go about that?" Paddy asked.

"I'd have to make a floo-call, Intent Scans are really detailed and while I've done a basic one and found nothing, I'm not powerful enough to do a detailed one." Shacklebolt shrugged. "For that we'd need Dumbledore or someone from the ICW's R&C department."

Paddy glanced over to Titania, who gave him a tiny nod, so slight that no-one else recognised it for what it was.

"I see." Paddy said. "I think… it might be a good idea. I'd prefer to know exactly what's going on."

"In that case, Mr Grimmley? May I use your floo?" Shacklebolt asked.