Chapter Five: A Fantastic Beast

Creating a massive space with magic was a concept Harry had seen before during his short time in the wizarding world, but never to this degree, and never in something so mundane as a suitcase of all things. Walking into the case (and leaving McGonagall, who had politely declined the invitation to remain outside) opened up a whole new frontier of magic for Harry and Selena to see.

It was an enormous space, and just at a glance Harry could see tropical, mountainous, tundra, and even deep-sea themes to it so that the creatures contained inside would be comfortable. Several small, echidna-like animals were being kept in a locked cage full of shiny objects. Elsewhere, he could see a small herd of enormous beasts roaming an icy plain in the distance (which really shouldn't be so far for seemingly so small a space) and those that were closer showed tentacle-covered faces. And in a savannah-like location not unlike the plains of Africa, a massive creature similar to a rhino with a glowing horn grazed lazily with two smaller subjects of the same species.

That was just a few. Harry saw so many different animals just from stepping into the case, and he was sure that couldn't possibly be all of them.

Selena was also stunned by the sheer variety of creatures and the size of the space they'd entered. She didn't say much, but her silence was telling to Harry—her tongue flickered out so frequently that he was almost afraid she'd bite herself by accident.

Newt let them drink it all in for a few minutes and allowed himself a kind of secret smile, as though it was a reaction he'd seen many times before. It probably was, to be fair. Dumbledore was also rather amused, though Hagrid appeared to be enraptured by the collection of beasts much like Harry was.

Eventually, Newt cleared his throat to regain Harry's attention. "There's plenty more and I'd be happy to show you them all, but let's try and find a way to make dear Selena comfortable, shall we?"

Harry could only nod and follow, still overwhelmed by his surroundings as Newt led him deeper into the suitcase towards a cavernous area. As they walked, careful not to disturb any of the magi-zoologist's creatures, Newt spoke again.

"In most cases when I bring a creature into my care, I try to emulate their natural habitat with an enchanted area, like these," he gestured towards a few of the zones that served as the home of his animals. "It's best to keep them comfortable and happy, but some require more specialized care, like the Nifflers. Tricky little buggers are perfectly happy with a house full of shiny objects, but they're devils if they ever get out, always looking for more valuables to add to their hoard.

"We've gotten lucky with Selena here, because you can talk to her about her wants and needs. The knowledge of Basilisk care is so limited that I would've had to experiment with her reactions to different environments if I was caring for her myself. That's always a bit of a risky proposition, especially with XXXXX Class Magical Creatures."

"Have you ever done that before?" Harry asked curiously, watching as Selena studied an ape-like creature that cocked its head oddly at them before literally becoming invisible.

"Well, housing dragons is never an exact science," Newt commented. Harry wasn't sure if he was joking or not, but he was inclined to believe the man was being serious.

"I'll show you a few areas where I keep my magical serpents and she can tell you her thoughts on them," Newt went on. "After that, it's just a matter of getting Professor Flitwick to enchant a case like this and setting up an area for Selena to live in as she gets older and larger, or if you need to go somewhere that doesn't accept Basilisks going about freely."

"You imply that I care about such places," Selena hissed dryly. Harry smirked a bit at that.

Newt carefully led them into a cave and gestured towards a series of stalactites. Looking up, Harry and Selena both froze in place.

Coiled around several of the stalactites were three-headed snakes—Runespoors, if Harry recalled correctly from Newt's book. They were relatively small, ranging from a mere three meters in length to a slightly more impressive five, but they weren't what captured their attention. A bit further back in the cave, seemingly coiled against the whole ceiling of the cave and several enormous pillars of stone, was a Runespoor that put the smaller members of its kind to shame.

The behemoth of a snake was seventy feet, easy. Each of its three heads were large enough to swallow even Hagrid whole and each individual, russet-colored scale was bigger than both of Harry's hands combined.

"Most magical reptiles are similar to their non-magical cousins," Newt explained quietly as Harry and Selena stared in awe at the massive serpent. "They're cold-blooded. They live life slowly and have extensively longer lifespans than any mammal. That Runespoor up there was residing in a cavern in Africa, undisturbed for centuries before a group of miners sought to pillage their home. I managed to convince them to come with me to avoid a conflict by transferring their home in here. All of the smaller Runespoor in here are their offspring."

"How did…" Harry trailed off as he tried to recall Scamander's information on the species from his book. If he remembered right, Runespoors had a tendency to bite one of their three heads off, and the wound often killed them at a young age.

"It's rare, but sometimes a Runespoor appears that finds a healthy equilibrium between their three heads," Newt told him. He gestured to some of the smaller ones, some of which bore cones on their heads. "The older a Runespoor gets without losing a head, the wiser they become and the longer they live. The little ones are still irritable and prone to biting one another, so I have to, ah…restrain them at times. Their parents seem to appreciate that I keep their offspring from destroying themselves."

"How do you feed them?" Harry whispered, still trying to wrap his head around the sheer size of the reptile. A creature like that would have to eat a tremendous amount of food to survive, let alone thrive. Above them, the giant Runespoor's left head twisted slightly to regard the visitors. He wasn't sure, but he thought he saw a gleam in the massive, slitted green eye.

"With no small amount of difficulty and several unfortunate wildebeest," Newt chuckled. "Fortunately, at their size, the ancient Runespoor only needs to feed once every year or two. Their metabolism and activity is so low at this point, they only really feed when they feel the need to do so…"

Newt fell silent as the behemoth of a snake turned all three heads to study the newcomers. More specifically, Selena, who tensed under their scrutiny.

Harry was pretty sure the total attention they garnered from the entire community of magical snakes wasn't necessarily a good thing. The left head (the planner) let out a deep, earth-shaking hiss.

"Such a little worm, barely fit for our hatchlings to eat," the Planner rumbled, its massive, forked tongue flicking out to catch their scent. "Do you come seeking a place to die? Or do you come to live amongst keeper-friend's collection of lesser beasts than we?"

"Lesser?!" Selena hissed furiously, her tension gone in favor of righteous fury at the condescending tone of the greater reptile. Despite staring the beast in the eyes, her petrification effects didn't seem to even faze the enormous Runespoor—perhaps it was simply too large or resistant to magic for her to curse. Her jaws opened, exposing pathetically small fangs to the beast, but her fear was nonexistent. "You old, dusty slug! You dare—!"

Harry could see something dangerous smoldering in the Runespoor's right-most head and he intervened quickly before they infuriated the great snake. "We're not here to cause you trouble, I promise."

The giant Runespoor almost dropped from the cave ceiling, barely catching themselves as the shifting of weight from their shock caused a few stalactites to fall from the roof. Newt barely caught them with a quick spell and carefully returned them to the top of the cave while the ancient snake turned their total attention to Harry. The magi-zoologist and Dumbledore watched the interaction cautiously, but didn't intervene.

"A Parselmouth?" The Critic hissed in surprise, its voice distinctly higher than the Planner's, but still deep nonetheless. "A little one, rather scrawny, and otherwise unimpressive, but a Parselmouth regardless!"

"Thank you for that statement of the obvious," the Planner retorted dryly as it observed Harry with a bit more wariness. The snake had no reason to fear Harry of course, but its mind's duty to plan the decisions of the other heads demanded it approach this carefully. Their three, gigantic heads shifted closer to Harry, ignoring Selena's warning hiss entirely to study him more closely. "Your worm speaks rudely, little snake-tongue-two-legs. Have you not taught her manners?"

"Not yet, I'm afraid," he replied, trying to soothe Selena's ire with some gentle scratches to her chin. "We're both new to magic and all of…this. I didn't even know magic was real until a little while ago."

"Blind you may be, then," the Critic…criticized. "But at least your limited intelligence has not brought you undeserved arrogance. What are you here for? Why has keeper-friend brought you to our domain?"

"We're trying to find out what kind of home Selena might like to live in," Harry told them. The middle head, or Dreamer, hadn't said anything yet, but it's eyes glowed slightly as he said that. "Nobody really knows much about Basilisks since a live one hasn't been seen in over a hundred years. We were hoping to find some kind of inspiration here."

"You could just ask me what I like," Selena snapped at him irritably.

"But could you tell me exactly what kind of place you would like to live in?" Harry bounced back to her gently. "I know you like warmth and quiet and the sun, but what else? What kind of place would suit you best as you grow? Eventually you'll be almost as big as them. Not just anywhere can keep you happy and you know that. We're in the dark about this, even with your instincts."

"Your keeper is wiser than you," the Critic seemed most amused when Selena threw a threatening bite in its direction. "But young as you are, we can forgive your insolence. Many of our offspring are brash and aggressive and spiteful in their ignorance of the world. Most are lucky keeper-friend is here to prevent them from killing themselves. It is a common thing for the young to be idiotic."

"Enough of this meaningless chatter," Planner growled to its sibling head. The serpent appeared deep in thought for several moments before speaking again in another deep hiss. "You will require a home with tough stone to help shed your scales as you grow bigger and older. A cavern is ideal, like ours, but your love for sunlight is not something our kind seeks out save for the most desperate of times. A lake is also a necessity, for the water helps soothe our skin when it is time to shed."

Dreamer finally spoke, and its voice was excited and trancelike in its eagerness—which was, to say the least, odd to hear from such a fiercely enormous beast. "A tropical, open-top cavern to warm the basking rocks, filled with jungle and a deep, cool lake. A grassy patch in the light and some covered in the shade of large-leafed trees for when it's too warm. Perhaps platforms on different heights in the cave, with tunnels for you to move up and down when you so please…"

Harry was momentarily overwhelmed by the raw exposure of imagination from the great serpent, but Critic put a stop to its rambling with a careful nudge. "An excellent suggestion, as to be expected from such a brilliant creature as we."

Pleased with itself, Dreamer ceased to speak and took on a rather smug expression. Harry couldn't help but smile a little at the sight of the proud snake. Planner seemed to sigh in fond exasperation, as though the sight was all-too familiar to it. "There you have it. Relay that to keeper-friend if you wish it, his talent in magic will bring Dreamer's thoughts to life. Unless there's something else you need to speak of with us, we will withdraw here."

Harry shook his head. "That was exactly what we needed, I think. Thank you very much."

Planner rumbled once more. "Rude though your little one may be, you are welcome to come back if you so choose, and perhaps her once she gains some wisdom. Dreamer enjoys rambling to any who will listen and our offspring could always do with some distraction to keep them entertained."

"And inform keeper-friend that two more of our offspring require no-biters to keep them out of trouble," Critic added, its massive skull gesturing to a pair of small Runespoors hanging nearer to the edge of the cave wall.

"I'll tell him," Harry promised. "Thanks again."

"And good riddance," Selena snapped as the leviathan pulled away to settled back to its original spot.

Newt tapped Harry's shoulder and he jumped before spinning around to see the curious look in the older man's eyes. "Enlightening conversation?"

"Sorry, yes!" Harry replied quickly, then relayed everything the ancient Runespoor had told them in case he forgot any of it. At the end, when he mentioned the two troublesome youngsters, Newt's eyes glimmered with mirth and he flicked his wand at the pair of small snakes to place cones over their heads. The irate hisses made Selena sneer with glee.

"Dreamer is more creative than ever I imagined they'd be," Newt chuckled as he watched the enormous serpent above them with a fond expression. "It's doable. A bit complicated, but Flitwick and I can get the job done in a day, and I'll probably borrow Professor Sprout to get some tropical vegetation growing for Selena's new home."

"Splendid," Dumbledore crowed. "Now all that's left is to address her magical eyes."

Harry became more anxious at the mention of that and frowned. "What can we do about that?"

"A simple enchantment to filter the more dangerous effects of her gaze will suffice, I imagine," the Headmaster informed him warmly. "It'll act as an invisible lens just in front of her eyes. We'll do it as soon as we exit Newt's carrier."

"It won't hurt?" Harry asked, feeling protective of his friend.

Dumbledore's smile was gentle. "Not in the slightest."

The enchantment to filter out Selena's dangerous gaze was done literally in a second, and the small Basilisk couldn't even tell the difference when Dumbledore was finished. After teaching Harry the basic enchantment and ensuring he could cast and remove it easily enough, they bid farewell to Newt and Hagrid, the latter of which had volunteered to help with the efforts to create Selena's new home. McGonagall returned the castle while Dumbledore took Harry and Selena on a short walk along the school grounds.

"How are you finding life at Hogwarts so far?" The Headmaster asked.

"We haven't even been here a day, but it's been amazing so far," Harry told him, letting his eyes trail along every inch of the enormous castle. "I'm not really used to being around lots of people, though, so I guess I'll have to get used to it."

"Is it difficult for you?"

Harry hesitated. He didn't know Dumbledore at all, save for the fact that the man was a figure of legend in the wizarding world. And he was reluctant to offer him that kind of personal information after hearing it was Dumbledore who arranged for him to live with the Dursleys.

Selena sensed his struggle and whispered into his ear. "Speak to him truthfully just this once to see what he says. He helped us out of kindness when he could have just as easily banished me. Perhaps he is trying to win you over for his own purposes, but perhaps he is simply trying to help."

"I don't know," he muttered back, frowning slightly. "I still don't know why he didn't even speak to the Dursleys before giving me to them. Do you really think he wants to help us?"

"Ask," she said simply, coiling up in the hood of his cloak and resting her head on his shoulder to watch the aged wizard cautiously.

Harry glanced at Dumbledore, who was waiting patiently as he conversed with his friend in their secret tongue. With a heavy sigh, he begrudgingly admitted the truth to the man. "It's not easy. I dislike being around people so much. I don't like it when they touch me or get too close. Even here, I…"

"Don't feel safe," Dumbledore finished with a sigh, to which Harry nodded. The old man's brow creased as he shook his head slightly. "I made a mistake letting the Dursley's raise you, Harry. You were placed in my care and I thought you'd be best off with the only family left to you. There were no easy choices that night, but I wonder now if what I decided was in fact the best course of action."

"You could've kept me away from them," he pointed out with a little anger, letting some of his resentment overflow into his voice. "I would've been better off growing up with magic, wouldn't I?"

"Not necessarily," the man admitted sadly. "The charm placed on the residence of the Dursely's—the Bond of Blood charm—was designed with your total protection from the wizarding world. Voldemort had many followers that were all too eager to see you destroyed after what you did to him in Godric's Hollow that night, and even the good side of the magical community would have overwhelmed you to earn your favor, no matter the cost. I hoped beyond hope that you'd be able to have a normal childhood away from all of this, but it seems you were denied even that, and the blame falls solely to me."

"I don't expect you to forgive me for that mistake of mine," Dumbledore told him as they turned a corner of the castle to find a wide view of the lake. "I only hope you can allow me to try and make up for what little I can during your stay here. And I can assure you that you'll never have to return to the Dursley's home ever again, even if I have to purchase a home for you myself."

Harry looked over the lake in silence for a time before speaking again. "Is that why you brought Selena and I out here so soon?"

"She makes you happy, does she not?" At his nod, Dumbledore smiled a bit. "Then it would be cruel of me to tear that away from you, as I have already torn away so much happiness out of your life in my ignorance."

"He speaks sincerely," Selena murmured to him.

Harry inclined his head to her slightly before responding to Dumbledore. "Thank you."

The old man stared over the lake with Harry for a few minutes before sighing once more. "I only ever wanted you to be happy, Harry. In my youth, my family was not a happy one. It was my hope that yours would provide you the warmth you needed growing up, but I see now that it was another mistake on my part. It is now all I can hope for that you'll find a new family in Hogwarts that will treat you the way you should be treated. Can you try to do that for yourself?"

Harry opened his mouth for a moment, but paused before closing it and murmuring very quietly. "I don't know how."

Dumbledore nodded just the slightest. "I know. And I hope you learn while you're here, but take it at your own pace. Whatever happens, just know that you can speak to myself or any of the teachers about anything."

"I'll remember," he promised.

Selena hummed in his ear softly as a slight breeze sent gentle waves rippling over the lake.

"Morning, Harry!"

Harry stopped halfway into a bite of his lunch at the familiar voice calling out to him. He glanced up from his sandwich to see a bouncy pink ponytail heading in his direction—Tonks.

"Hi, Nym," he answered as she reached him and took a seat at the Gryffindor table. She sat close, but not so close as to make him uncomfortable; he liked that she'd picked up on his wariness of such closeness so quickly. Selena appreciated it, too.

One less idiot for her to think about biting, she'd told Harry.

"Have you gotten to see a bit of the castle yet?" She asked as he returned to his lunch. She offered a wink to the snake watching her lazily from Harry's shoulder, who had done an excellent job keeping other students from getting too close until now. "Good morning to you too, Selena!"

"Good morning, Loud One," Selena replied dryly. Harry snorted as he repeated her greeting to Nym, who grinned cheerily.

Harry shrugged after swallowing a bite of his lunch. "I checked out some of the grounds this morning and saw the lake, but I haven't gotten to explore much yet."

"Well you're missing out and I'm not having that!" Nym declared. "Finish eating so I can show you and Selena around. It'll be fun!"

Harry considered the idea for a moment and gave her a slightly cautious look. "Just us, right?"

She nodded and her expression became a bit softer. "Sure, unless you wanted to invite someone else along?"

"Not yet," he said, swallowing another bite of food before deeming himself full and standing up with her. "I'm okay with it just being us."

Nym smiled and inclined her head towards the doors. "Same here. Shall we?"

Nym dragged him around Hogwarts for the rest of the day—quite literally. The castle was enormous, far bigger than Harry could have ever imagined and it took them quite some time to get from one end of the school to the other. She showed him everything that came to mind, from the classrooms to the greenhouses, the Quidditch field, and the Astronomy tower.

By the end of it all, Harry was convinced that Nym could show him around for a week and he'd still not have seen the entirety of the castle.

They took a break towards the end of their tour in the Astronomy tower, looking out over the school grounds from the highest vantage point Hogwarts had to offer. Nym gave her tired, but willing victim an amused grin. "Legs getting sore?"

"They got sore halfway up the tower," Harry complained good-naturedly in regards to the burning in his legs. "How do you manage it?"

"You get used to it," she laughed brightly. "Hogwarts kicks you into shape pretty quick to make sure you get to class on time."

He grimaced and she gave his arm a slight, but friendly nudge. "I'm kidding, it's not that bad. You're just tired because I dragged you everywhere. Sorry about that, by the way. I was excited to show you around."

"It's okay," Harry admitted, even allowing the brief touch to not bother him. "I had fun. I can't believe how big the castle is."

"There's probably places here even I haven't seen yet," Nym remarked. "Fred and George are a year ahead of me and even though they get into everything, I don't know if they know the castle completely, either."

"With what you told me about them, I guess I should look out for hidden traps wherever I go," he joked.

She snickered for a few moments before giving Harry a sideways glance. "Really though, you had fun?"

"Yeah."

"I'm glad," she told him. "I don't know you all that well yet and I was afraid you'd be against it. I know you're nervous around people. Was kinda hoping I'd be able to get you away from all of them for a bit today, help you relax a bit. This place can be a bit nerve-wracking at first."

Harry was touched that she'd thought of him when she could just as easily have spent the day catching up with her friends at school. "Thanks, Nym."

Her smile was cheeky, but sincere. "Anytime, Potter."