Planning the Fight
It was Sunday evening back in Hogsmede, Britain and Lorna and Nagini were sitting inside their cottage, sipping tea and eating cookies.
"You're sure that they'll be back soon?" Nagini had become increasingly worried about Tom. In the five years since Credence, her first-ever friend's betrayal, Tom had become extremely close to her and she had developed a deep endearing attachment to him.
"They will be fine Nagini. Newt has travelled the world his whole life. There was a time when I used to travel with him. Before I became a teacher at Hogwarts,"
"Hogwarts is so lucky to have you," she said admirably. Lorna smiled in appreciation of the compliment. "I know it's not really any of my business…but what happened to your birth family?"
Lorna froze. Nagini felt regretful. She tried to apologise but her caretaker gently placed down her cup, keeping her eyes half-closed. "I don't know. When I was eighteen, my father told me, he had found me outside his house, in the snow. I was brought there by magic. He doesn't know who I am. But he knows that whoever cast that spell had sent me here in safety,"
"You don't know if there are other Animagi? Who can change in phoenixes? Like you?"
Lorna shrugged. "I don't want to think about it. But it doesn't matter that much anymore. I have all I could ever want,"
Nagini opened her lips to say something else but the resonates of a quack-tweeting sound made her turn her head. She stepped frantically over to the window and high in the dark sky in front of the full moon was a metallic creature carrying two people and a suitcase coiled in its tail.
"Oh my god," Lorna breathed. "Come on!" she grabbed Nagini's hand and they flew out the stairs.
The Wyvern drained of flight collapsed onto a field of snow just outside the village. Newt and Tom woke up from the impact and the Qilin baby chirped but Tom stroked it to keep it calm. "It's okay little one. You're safe. You're safe. We're here with you," he hugged it and Newt shuffled over to sit next to him so he could hold him in his arms. They panted from the long flight from China. Over seven hours of flying through endless clouds wrapped in a Wyvern's tail had them hungry and worn out.
"Well done," Newt exhaustedly patted the extremely tired creature's head and opened the case. The Wyvern deflated and became a small duck creature again before it fluttered into the case. He closed it again.
"Newt! Tom!" Lorna's voice echoed.
The duo with the Qilin turned to see Lorna stumbling towards them in her cloak with her housemate behind her.
"Nagini," panted Tom. The Chinese girl fell to her knees and hugged him tightly.
Lorna saw the bruised Newt, slung his arm around her neck, and helped him up. "What happened?" she asked.
"Grindelwald's followers attacked us," breathed Newt a little dizzily.
"We'd better get you all inside," Lorna helped him walk to her cottage whilst Nagini allowed Tom to lean against him as he carried the baby Qilin in his hands. They entered through the front door and Lorna gently guided Thomas over to her best armchair and sat him down.
Nagini and Tom sat down in some chairs. Lorna waved her wand and immediately a tea set came floating into the kitchen pouring tea and coffee and biscuits were laid out on a table. The shape-shifter gazed at the baby creature in his hands. "What is that?"
"It's a Qilin," he explained.
"The mother gave birth to two," explained Newt. "Grindelwald's followers killed the mother and took the firstborn twin,"
"Credence was there," lamented Tom. "He got away with the first twin because I let him take it. I tried to talk to him but I only allowed him to get away with that poor creature," he shed a tear. "It's all my fault that Grindelwald now has that baby,"
Nagini clasped his shoulder and rubbed his back. "It's not your fault,"
"I thought he'd at least try to listen to me. It's like he doesn't care anymore,"
Lorna sat in front of him and held his hand. "Tom, there is nothing wrong with trying to redeem the people you love. You weren't the only one this week who tried to sway someone they loved from a dark path,"
"What do you mean?" Newt asked.
Lorna eyed him sadly. "My father went to a café in London and he met up with Grindelwald. He tried to sway him from his dark goals but he wouldn't listen. I told him not to get his hopes up but I feel like it's only made him feel worse than he's felt in years,"
"The followers don't know about the second twin," said Tom. "Whatever it is that Grindelwald wants with that poor creature, it can't be good,"
"I'm afraid it isn't," said Newt grimly.
"What do you mean?" asked Nagini worriedly.
"A Qilin has the power to give visions of the future. It means that our fight against Grindelwald has become more difficult," he said grimly.
"We can't let him know about her," said Tom holding the baby tightly. It purred in his arms. He picked up a biscuit and offered it to her. She sniffed it and then munched on it before licking his face. It was so ticklish that he giggled feeling its soft tongue touch his skin.
"We won't," said Lorna. "If we're going to stop him, it means we need to regroup with friends and allies, everyone who can help us. But for now, we need to rest and decide how we're going to keep this little one safe,"
"She can stay with Tom at school," Newt said.
"What? No? Dad. I want to help," implored Tom.
"Tom, you can help us in this fight by keeping our Qilin friend safe at school,"
"But I want to help you all in this fight. I don't want to stay on the sidelines,"
"Tom, you could have been killed and I wasn't there with you. I'd prefer it if you stayed at Hogwarts where it's safe. This fight will be more dangerous than the last one. And in the last one, you nearly got killed,"
"But my Obscurial energy protected me,"
"I can't take that chance," Newt's overprotective nature made Tom sigh. But he wasn't irritated. He was afraid at the thought of never seeing his dad again if he went off to fight. He stood up and sat directly in front of his son. He held out a hand and Tom clasped it tightly. "You might not believe this but protecting this Qilin may be the most important job in this fight. As long as we keep her safe, Dumbledore can find a way to stop Grindelwald,"
"Okay," Tom accepted. "I'll do it. For you. And if means this baby will be safe,"
"I'll make you guys some dinner and then I'll take you back to Hogwarts Tom," Lorna decided. She walked into the kitchen whilst Newt went to the bathroom upstairs to get washed and ready.
Tom gently placed the Qilin down and poured some water into a bowl for it. It sipped from the bowl on the cool water. As he stroked her head, Nagini looked at him worriedly. "You know you can always talk to me,"
"I can't help but think….what if Credence can't be saved? What if I can't convince him to come back to us?" Tom sighed. "I just can't believe he'd listen to that dark wizard over everyone who helped or saved him. Including me and you. When I looked into his eyes, all I could see was rage and bitterness, not the same love and generosity he showed me all those years ago, when I was alone and scared," Sensing his grief, the Qilin nuzzled his hand to comfort him and he stroked it tenderly. "What if I did something to him?"
"Don't ever say that," Nagini beseeched. "You're kind and good and loyal. His actions were not on your behalf,"
"Let's not talk about me. What about you? How often are you changing into a snake?"
"At least once every few days now,"
"Lorna's trying all he can to help you,"
"I know she is. But I know there are some things not even a powerful witch like her can solve. I think I'll just have to accept that I don't have very long left before I'm a snake forever,"
"No," Tom clasped her hand. "You can't give up. I'm not gonna give up on you. No one is,"
Nagini in response to his comfort held his hand tightly. "You're a wonderful young man Tom. It's amazing how far you've come," Tom blushed a bit.
Lorna entered the room, four plates of pie and vegetables floating around her and then onto the table. Cutlery was magically laid. Water and juice were poured. Newt arrived back down and he inhaled the sweet smell of his best childhood friend's cooking. "Wonderful,"
"What do you we this sweet girl?" Nagini asked Lorna.
"Anything really," she said.
"I'll give her some of my pie," tom gently placed her down and then cut off a filling fraction of his pie and placed it down on a little platter. The Qilin devoured it and licked his fingers. "Why you're quite welcome, little one,"
"What shall we name it?" Newt asked.
"I'm thinking…Cheelo," Tom suggested. His father approved as and the four ate their meal with Tom giving a few of his vegetables to Cheelo too. Soon it was time to leave. Newt would be apparating to London to get Theseus and they would meet Albus tomorrow.
"I'll see you tomorrow Tom," the Magizoologist promised.
Tom hugged him tightly. "See you, dad,"
Newt gathered his case and in a flash, he disappeared out of sight.
"You ready Tom?" Lorna asked.
He nodded and Nagini gently handed him Cheelo. They grabbed hands and Tom smiled goodbye to Nagini and they disappeared back into the castle.
Unknown to them, the strange shape-shifter who had pursued the Magizoologist and his son from China watched them from the trees. He narrowed his eyes. "What are you?"
Tom lay on his bed staring up at the ceiling. Cheelo purred as he stroked her hair and Bobo slept next to his ear. Silent tears fell down his face. The thought of his brother harming him to capture the first twin made him quiver. The fact that his father had told him to stay out of the fight and keep the second twin safe at school whilst he would head out to fight Grindelwald without him clenched his throat like a cold hand. What if he lost another father? Could he handle another loss like this?
Tom didn't want to stand on the sidelines. He wanted to fight. But as an underage wizard, he was nowhere near ready for this. Though he managed to use effective spells against his brother and those acolytes back in China, he was still defeated. He did not know the true experience of being in a wizard duel. But he knew the violence of magic battles since that tragic night in Paris. He raised a free hand over his face and clenched it, trying to see if he could handle any spark of Obscurial energy; nothing worked.
For the past five years, he had yet to experience any great power like that burst of golden energy which he had used to help save Paris from Grindelwald's flames. He wondered if perhaps it only came out when he needed it. Over the years he had wondered what made him different from Credence. Why was his Obscurial so out of control whilst his was more dignified and acted more to defend than attack? Was it because all that love he had felt from his father and loved ones had made him strong enough to overcome it? The lingering questions made him tired. His eyes closed and he held Cheelo close to him like a warm teddy bear, like a protective brother.
Lorna sat with her father in an empty room above the Hogs Inn the next day. "You sure that we should drag Jacob into this?" she asked.
"He has a special role to play in all of this,"
"This is going to be a dangerous fight. We shouldn't involve him,"
"I know that many of my decisions that I've already told you are difficult for you to accept…but you must trust me,"
Lorna nodded. "I always have. Why would I stop now?"
Dumbledore reached over and held her hands warmly. "I owe you so much,"
"I think it's the other way round. You're the one who raised me all these years,"
"Ever since Grindelwald and I parted, I felt a deep hole in my heart that could never be filled. And you've done that,"
"You don't have to say that day,"
"I do. I just want you to know that. Before we start this mission,"
Lorna pursed her lips and patted his hands. "I'd better head down to see if they're here. Don't want Uncle Aberforth to give them the cold welcome," she stood up and paced down the stairs. The ringing of customers' voices disturbed her silence. She saw dozens of wizards and witches sipping on beers. Aberforth stood at the counter looking out to Newt and Theseus who had arrived through the front door.
"I'm Newt Scamander, and this is Theseus...
"Up the stairs. First on the left," he coldly instructed.
"A cold welcome as always uncle," Lorna approached the men. "Glad to see you two have arrived,"
"I take it your father has something important to say?" Theseus asked.
Lorna cocked her head and led them upstairs through the door and into the room where her father awaited them. He held the blood pact with its silver chain coiled around its arm, moving like a snake.
"Glad to see you both made it safe," he greeted the brothers.
"How's Tom?" asked Newt.
"He's all good," Lorna assured. "He went to bed safe and sound. And he's having breakfast as we speak,"
"There's something I wish to speak to you about Theseus," Dumbledore spoke up importantly. "It's a proposal,"
Theseus looked a little uncertain but trusted his brother's judgement. "All right,"
Dumbledore held up the blood pact, the jewel centre shone glittery as a shiny pearl that never lost its glow. "You know what this is, of course,"
Theseus recognised it from the night that Leta had died, the night Tom had discovered it with Teddy with the Niffler. "Tom had it in Paris. I can't say I have much experience with such things... but it looks to me to be a blood troth,"
"That would be correct,"
"And whose blood is contained within?"
"Mine. And Grindelwald's,"
"I'm assuming that's why you can't move against him?"
"Yes. Nor he against me,"
"Can I ask, what would possess you to make such a thing?"
Dumbledore gazed at it with flickering eyes. "Love," he was silent for a moment, his mind reflecting on all the happy times he and his former lover shared as teens. "Arrogance. Naivete. Pick your poison. We were young, we were going to transform the world. This ensured that we would, even if one of us had a change of heart,"
The way he spoke made Lorna want to hug him tight. She remembered how as a child she was always curious about her father and why he had never married or was in a relationship with anyone. She asked him many times but he couldn't talk about it. It wasn't until she was fourteen that she was told by Aberforth about his relationship with Grindelwald who had become a criminal causing chaos in both the magic and non-magic worlds. All that pain he had felt from that wanted wizard made her determined to do anything she could to show him love so he would never feel hurt again.
"And what would happen if you were to fight him?" inquired the Head of the Auror department.
Dumbledore held it up again. "It's really quite beautiful, you have to admit. Was I to even think about defying it…" the centre certainly turned blood red. The pendant snipped off the chain and it shot into the wall. "... It knows, you see," he pulled out his wand to try and summon it back. But as he did, the chain twisted tighter around his arm, snaking up into his hand.
Lorna became scared. Newt too. "Albus,"
"It senses the betrayal in my heart," Albus tried harder and harder to summon it back but he felt the chain draining the blood out of his hand and he dropped his wand.
"Father," Lorna breathed. Her heart jumped when the chain started lassoing itself around his neck, strangling him. "Father!"
Distracted by his daughter's cries of shock, Dumbledore turned his attention off the pendant towards her. The pendant flew back to his hand and the jewel in the middle turned pearly white again. Lorna hyperventilated, recovering from her shock at seeing such higher magic nearly killed her father like that. Newt patted her back in comfort.
"That would be the least of it. Young man's magic, but as you can see... powerful magic," Dumbledore sighed. "It can't be undone,"
Theseus shared an uncertain look with his brother.
"That doesn't mean we can't stop Grindelwald," Lorna spoke up, disallowing this uncertainty to break their motivations. "He's already pulling our world apart with hate and bigotry. Five years nothing has happened but now the Qilin twin's abduction is a sign that it's time to fight back,"
"She's right," Newt nodded.
"So this proposal, I take it the Qilin has something to do with it?" asked Theseus.
"He promises he won't tell a soul," Newt assured. Ever since he and Theseus had made amends, they had begun to trust each other more and Theseus had begun to truly appreciate Newt's beliefs and choices. And he became a loving uncle to Tom who had exceedingly respected him ever since he saved him from Travis.
"If we're to defeat him... the Qilin's only part of it. The world as we know it is becoming undone. Things that seem unimaginable today will seem inevitable tomorrow... if we don't stop him. Should you agree to do what I ask..." he addressed Theseus precisely. "…you'll have to trust me. Even when every instinct tells you not to,"
Theseus took a moment to think. He wanted to trust Dumbledore truly since his brother and Lorna did, but he had to uphold his loyalty to the ministry. "Let's hear it,"
After the talk, the three decided they would to Hogwarts and enjoy a nice snowy walk.
"I don't want to drag Tina into this," spoke up Newt.
"We need her help, Newt," said Lorna.
"But it won't be easy for her to face Queenie. Just like it wasn't easy for Tom to face Credence,"
"Newt, we're going to need all the help we can get. And….you need her. I know you do. And Jacob needs us too. We all started this fight together. And as long as this group has every member, there is no chance we have of failing to stop Grindelwald. Every member whether magic or non-magic is important and has a role to play,"
"She's right," Theseus supported. Ever since he had made amends to her too they had become close friends and all was very warm between them.
Tom sat in the Great Hall with his Hufflepuff mates at their table.
"So what is this again?" Sammy asked.
"A Qilin," Tom explained. "Her name's Cheelo,"
"Doesn't it sound a bit boyish?" doubted Jake.
"She likes it," said Tom.
"Why isn't she with your father?"
"He wants me to take care of it here. It's a bit of a long story," He was about to speak again when he heard the sniggers of Slytherins behind him.
"Looks like Tom's got another stupid beast to take care of," Abraxas mocked.
"She's not a beast," Tom defended. "And her name's Cheelo,"
"Why should you be allowed your creatures around the school?" he complained.
"Leave him alone!" Ron approached Abraxas with Lucille. "Pick on someone your own size,"
"I would get out of here if I were you," Lucille warned. "Before you cause our house to lose more points," Abraxas stalked off after giving her a cold glare. She knelt in front of Tom and gazed at the beautiful creature in his arms. "She is so beautiful,"
"She sure is. Hello there," Ron offered a hand. Cheelo was reluctant at first but she accepted the touch and allowed him to stroke her. "Where's her mother?" Tom didn't answer. "Sorry," he apologised.
"I need to go now, guys. Lorna told me to meet her in the courtyard before lessons begin. I need to say goodbye,"
"'Goodbye?' What's happening?" asked Lucille.
"Not here," Tom shook his head. "I'll see you guys in class," he stood up and gently placed Cheelo on the floor. They walked together out of the hall, being watched by several students.
Lorna, Newt, and Theseus waited in the courtyard near the fountain. They watched the children walk under the archways.
"Doesn't feel that long we were all students here," Theseus observed.
Lorna nodded. "Yeah," her voice dropped. Newt eyed her solemnly. He could tell that she still felt so guilty for Leta's death. He was about to speak something when his brother spoke up.
"Hey there Tom,"
Tom approached them with Cheelo beside him. "Nice to see you Uncle," he and Theseus did a special handshake.
"I see you and Cheelo are getting along so well," said Newt proudly.
"Everyone loves her. Am I causing trouble? Having her with me here?"
"No. This is the safest option," Lorna assured.
Newt approached him and held his forearms. "Tom…you know what we're about to enter will be very dangerous,"
"Dad…you're gonna come back. You all are," Tom had complete faith. "But I really wish I could fight alongside you all,"
"Tom…" Theseus spoke up. "Growing up means know where you're needed the most. And right now, that's here protecting her," he gestured to Cheelo.
"I'm going to be heading off too Tom. You'll have to ask Minerva to take over my classes," Lorna requested.
"Are Tina and Jacob gonna be a part of this?" asked Tom.
Newt nodded. "We're recruiting them,"
"And a good friend of mine," Lorna added in. "But don't worry, we should all be back soon. Hopefully,"
Tom in an instant embraced his father tightly. "Just please come back,"
Newt released a tear. "I will. You're never going to lose me," he patted his back and then slowly let go.
"Please say hello to Tina and Jacob for me," Tom gave Lorna a tight hug and then Theseus one too. "Just be careful,"
He picked up Cheelo so he could hug her to comfort his sorrows and he watched with a wet but faithful smile as they apparated out of the sight.
Another chapter done. By the way, Tom will join in with the fight just not quite yet. I hope you all love his relationship with his friends, Nagini and Cheelo the Qilin. I hope you all enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it. See you all soon.
