Hogwarts and Hogsmede

"So…this is a school," Stephen observed the architecture of Hogwarts Castle as he and his new allies patrolled through the courtyard. "Incredible,"

"For someone who's been hiding a lot and yet knows a lot about the wizarding world, you seem to lack the knowledge of schools," commented Theseus. "How'd you teach yourself?"

"I observed people. And I might have stolen a book or two," Stephen's comments earned a disapproving frown from the British Auror and Tina. "And returned them of course,"

"Just wait till you see what's inside," said Lorna. The grand doors underneath the clock tower opened and they walked inside, heading up the staircases towards the Grand Hall. Inside they saw Lally and Jacob chatting with some teens. The former noticed them.

"How nice of you to join us," Lally gave Lorna a quick hug. "What kept you four?"

"We have a few complications," answered Newt.

Stephen cleared his throat, alerting Lally. She observed him intriguingly. "And you must be Lorna's new friend,"

"More acquaintance and a saviour," he pointed out.

"Seems she was wise to trust you," Lally smiled proudly at her. "We had some complications too," she waved her wand and paper flew into Newt's hands. He read the headline. Murderous Muggle.

"Jacob tried to murder Grindelwald?" Tina was flabbergasted.

"It's a long story," said Lally. They observed Jacob talking with some students, showing them his wand.

"Is it really snakewood?" asked a curious red-headed Ravenclaw.

"Yes, it's snakewood," he said proudly.

A tiny second year leaned close. "Can I…" she tried to touch but Jacob pulled it back.

"Uh-huh. It's very dangerous…it's very powerful. It's rare if it goes into the wrong hands. You know, I could mess you up," he stuffed into his pocket.

"Where did you get it?' another girl asked.

"I got it for Christmas,"

The kids chuckled.

"Jacob, look whom we have here," Lally called.

Jacob turned and he was ecstatic to see their friends back safe and sound. "Hey, it's my wizard friends. Gott go! Have fun. Don't do anything I wouldn't do," he left the table and joined them.

"Looks like you're already making friends with the students," said Lorna.

"So nice to get to know little wizards like Tom. Not that he's little…or anything," he noticed Stephen eying him strangely. "So this must be the one whom I saw on the train,"

"You have sharp eyes Muggle. Much sharper than any wizard I've ever encountered," Stephen commented plainly. He noticed some Slytherin students eying him suspiciously. "What are you looking at?"

Lorna gave them a hard stare and they turned away.

"Did you guys go to school here?" asked Jacob.

"Sure did. Me, Newt and Theseus," she answered.

"Where did you two go?" he asked Lally and Tina.

"Ilvermory," said Tina. "I remember the good days there,"

"Not only did I study there, but I am also actually teaching there. Charms," said Lally proudly.

"I take it the students were nice to you?" asked Lorna.

"Yep. Especially the Slytherin boys. They gave me these," Jacob pulled out a packet from his pocket.

"I've never cared for cockroach clusters myself," Newt said, grimacing a little. "But Honeydukes is supposed to be the best,"

Jacob grimaced when he realised what they were called and observed the Slytherin students giggling.

"That'll be five points from Slytherin," Lorna said to them. They growled and complained but she flicked her wand. "Uh-uh. You know the rules,"

They walked to the other end of the hall where they saw Dumbledore, awaiting them. Newt's heart clenched when he noticed his son wasn't with him. "Is Tom…"

"He's all right" Dumbledore promised. "He is with his friends and they are taking care of him,"

Tina sighed relievedly. "Thank goodness,"

"Well done. All of you. Congratulations,"

Theseus was confused. So was Tina. "' Congratulations'?" they asked together.

"Indeed. Professor Hicks managed to foil an assassination attempt. Lorna has managed to bring a new ally to our side," he looked at Stephen with interest, causing him to frown in disapproval. "And you Theseus are alive and well. The fact that everything did not go precisely to plan, was precisely the plan,"

Lally and Lorna eyed each other. "Countersight 101," they said together.

"This guy is not making any sense," said Stephen, unimpressed.

"Sir, forgive me but aren't we back where we started?" Theseus questioned.

"I would argue that things are a great deal worse," Dumbledore said. "Have you told them?" he asked Lally.

She shook her head. "Grindelwald has been allowed to stand in the election,"

"What? How?" Tina, Lorna and the brothers exclaimed together.

"Because Vogel chose easy over right," said Dumbledore, disappointed. He waved his wand, conjuring colourful puffs of smoke into the air that moulded into images of mountains and a settlement.

"Bhutan," Newt recognised the place.

"Correct. Three points to Hufflepuff. The kingdom of Bhutan sits high in the Eastern Himalayas. It's a place of indescribable beauty. Some of our most important magic has its origins there. They say if you listen carefully enough, the past whispers to you. It is where the election will be held,"

"He can't win, can he?" Tina asked.

"Only a few days he was a fugitive from justice. Now he's an official candidate in the International Confederation of Wizards. Dangerous times call for dangerous men," Dumbledore led them away. "And by the way, we'll be dining with my brother in the village, so come hungry. If you need anything before then, Minerva is here,"

"May I see Tom?" Newt requested.

"Don't worry. He'll be joining us. Along with a few friends,"

Bunty was sitting at the Hog's Head, Aberforth serving up a cup of coffee. She sipped it slowly. The door opened and she saw Dumbledore and all her friends and allies except Kama walking in out of the cold.

"Such a relief to see you all,"

"Hello Bunty," greeted Newt. "Is the case safe?"

"Yes. It's perfectly all right," she assured pulling it onto the table. "I hope I didn't frighten you. Not at all. Not at all,"

Loud snickering filled the air. Stephen was chortling.

"What's so funny?" Bunty asked. "And who's this guy?"

"Bunty, this is Stephen," Lorna introduced. "And Stephen, that is not nice,"

"Sorry," he calmed himself down. "It's that name. It's so funny," he laughed again.

"That's not funny," Newt repeated for her.

Stephen stopped. "I'm sorry,"

"I don't like this guy," said Aberforth.

"Uncle, he is our friend,"

"Ally," said Stephen deliberately.

"Ally. And he's gonna help us,"

"Don't bother Lorna. I'll just sit outside if he doesn't want me around," Behind that hard shell, she could detect that Stephen felt scorned.

She grabbed his arm. "You don't have to be afraid anymore. Join us for dinner,"

He huffed. "Fine,"

"Where's Tom?" asked Newt.

"He'll be here any moment," said Dumbledore. The stair creaked above them. Stephen turned into a dragon and snarled thinking it was a threat but it was just Nagini.

"You can calm down," soothed Lorna.

"What is that thing?" Aberforth demanded.

"It's a shapeshifter. Like me. And it is not a thing. It's a 'he'. And he will be treated with the utmost respect," said his adoptive niece firmly.

"I take it my brother has been a gracious host?" asked Dumbledore.

"Yes. Ever so gracious," said Bunty.

"You all right Nagini?" asked Lorna.

"I'm okay," she sounded a little broken.

"Come with me," she head towards the stairs and Nagini followed up after her. Stephen followed after them. Aberforth tried to object but his brother stood in.

"Let him go," he said. "He'll feel more comfortable around them. I can sense he's very agitated," he turned to the others. "Rooms have been arranged for you all in the village and Aberforth will prepare you a delicious dinner. His own recipe,"

Nagini and Lorna sat in a room, Stephen still with them him in his dragon form. The carrier of the blood curse was very nervous.

"It's all right," promised Lorna. "He's one of us. You've nothing to fear. What happened while I was away?"

I turned into a snake in the last two nights,"

"How much time did you stay in that form?"

"About five hours. I'd had to hide in the attic so no one would sense I was there," her fretful voice made Stephen look at her with soft eyes. She was a victim of cruelty. Just like him. "I feel like it's getting worse,"

"I'm trying everything I can," Lorna tried to sound promising. "Spending time with Tom will lighten your spirits. I can see how you two have grown so close together. He's grown quite fond of you,"

Hearing her talk about Tom and how he felt about her made Nagini's moods lighten. He didn't care that she carried a curse. All he cared about was that she was kind and caring and that she cared for him.

Tom dressed up in warm clothes in the hospital wing. The Qilin was asleep on his bed. Once he tied his father's scarf around his neck, he heard footsteps and could see Ron and Lucille coming over to him, both dressed up in warm winter clothes that matched their houses.

"You ready?" they asked.

He nodded. "Come on little one," he opened his arms out and Cheelo jumped into them, purring like a pussy cat. They made their way to the front where they saw Professor McGonagall waiting for them.

"All snug and cosy?" she checked.

They nodded and followed her through the courtyard to a carriage that would take them to Hogsmede.

Night came quickly and everyone was seated around a large table. Aberforth ladled gallons of thick grey stew into their bows. Jacob looked queasily at their meal, uncertain if it was tasty or not. Newt eyed the door desperately, waiting for his son.

Tina next to him looked at him with concern. "He'll come,"

Right after she said that the door opened and inside appeared Tom, Ron and Lucille with the Qilin trotting beside them.

"Tom," Newt stood up and right as Tom, relieved as ever, was walking up to him, he pulled him into his arms. "You're all right,"

"Course I'm all right," he patted his back. "Hello, everyone," he said.

"Hey kid," Jacob waved.

"So this is your Muggle friend," Ron observed, earning an elbow from Lucille.

"Yep. Jacob, this is Ron Weasley and Lucille Malfoy,"

"Nice to meet you," he offered a hand and they shook it.

"Tom has told us so much about you," said Lucille.

"And who are they?" asked Ron, noticing Theseus, Lally, Bunty and Tina.

"This is my uncle, Lally from Ilvermory, Bunty my dad's assistant and his friend Tina from America,"

"Such a pleasure to meet you all," greeted the Charms teacher.

"If you guys are here for dinner, sit down," ordered Aberforth.

The children sat with Nagini who blushed as Tom sat next to them. Aberforth ladled them some stew. Like Jacob, Ron cringed at the soup. "Is this edible?" he whispered to his friends. Unfortunately, Aberforth overheard them.

"Take it. Or leave it," he warned.

The Qilin purred near Jacob's seat. "Who's this little one?' he asked.

"She's a Qilin Jacob. She's incredibly rare. One of the most beloved creatures in the Wizarding world," Newt explained.

"Has she got a name?"

"Cheelo," said Tom.

"Cute name," Jacob stroked it. Then he spooned out some of his stew and poured it into an extra bowl and offered it to her. "Why is she beloved?"

"Because she can see into your soul," explained Lorna.

"How?"

"She can sense whether you're good and worth….or cruel and deceitful," said Stephen. He didn't sit at the large table with the others but at a small table, wanting space. Tom eyed him, seeing his bright blue eyes. He looked at his dad who nodded. It was him.

"Does she tell you?" Jacob continued asking.

"She bows. But only in the presence of someone truly pure of heart," Lally specified. "Almost none of us. No matter how good a person we try to be. There was actually a time, many, many years ago when the Qilin chose who would lead us,"

"My family worshipped that creature," stated Stephen. "When I came of age, it was my duty to protect it,"

"'Come of age?'" Lucille asked. "What do you mean?"

"The change,"

"What 'change'?" Ron asked, completely confused by his words.

"When you make your first transformation into a magical creature,"

"Who are you exactly?" Nagini asked.

"I'm an Animagus. But unlike normal ones, we can transform into magical creatures. In my case, it's a Peruvian Vipertooth dragon,"

"A large one?" Ron asked.

"Nope. About the same size as this guy here," he pointed his spoon at Theseus and scrunched his eyebrows in embarrassment. "But I'm still quite poisonous so you best be wary when I'm in my dragon form kid,"

Ron gulped.

"How long exactly have you been alone?" Tina asked.

"Tina…" hissed Lorna flabbergasted by her choice of question.

"All my life really. Many of family died due to experiments,"

Jacob's heart jumped.

"'Experiments'?" he repeated, looking pale.

"Wizards filled with arrogance and hatred and fear have despised our kind for years; they were afraid of us and our capabilities. There used to be so many of us. But we were hunted. Both by Muggles and wizards alike. There aren't as many as there used to be. We've had to hide for years,"

"How did you come to be in China?" Lorna asked.

"My parents were murdered in Peru by Aurors," Stephen said resentfully. Lorna detected his pain and sorrow and felt remorseful for him. "I had to flee and hide for many years. When I came across that Qilin's mother I took care of her. But I failed my duty when I left her just for a single moment and she got killed,"

"I'm sorry I couldn't save the firstborn," apologised Tom.

"Don't beat yourself up kid," said Stephen. "The responsibility of protecting that creature was up to me. And me alone,"

As Newt and Tina watched Stephen and Tom talk, Tina noticed something happening in the mirror above the drink bar. "Look," she whispered pointing at the reflective surface. Newt turned his head and saw words surfacing. I want to come home.

Dinner was finished and Albus and Aberforth went upstairs. Everyone else decided they would drink before heading to their rooms. Jacob spent quality time talking with Ron and Lucille who were becoming quick friends with him. Ron in particular was eager to talk to him about Berlin but Lucille was strongly against it.

Lorna sat with Stephen and wanted to give him company. "Thank you," he said to her. "You've been so kind to me. I've been given such generosity in years,"

"I'm sorry for all you've been through. I've been much of an outsider as you are," she sympathised.

Tom and Nagini came to sit with them.

"I wanted to say thank you," Tom said. "For saving my dad,"

"It was nothing really kid,"

"It wasn't nothing. You risked your life to save a wizard you didn't know. You were so selfless," complimented Nagini.

Stephen didn't know what to feel. Newt was a wizard. His enemy. But yet he had saved him. But in truth, he wasn't his enemy. He was different.

They heard footsteps and noticed that Newt was heading upstairs. Tina wanted to follow after him but he quietly asked her to stay down and watch over Tom much to his confusion. She approached them.

"What's going on?" Tom asked.

"Someone's writing on that mirror," Tina pointed and Tom saw the words. His head jumped back to Berlin, Credence's bitter words ringing through his head. "It's him," he stepped out of his seat and walked to face the mirror.

"Tom, what are you doing?" asked Jacob. Everyone eyed him intently as he looked at the surface of the message that was being written. He sensed a magical force etching each word. He peered closer and just through the letters; he could see Credence's face staring right through at him. He gasped. He jumped back.

"What is it, Tom?" Lorna asked. "What did you see?"

"It's Credence. He can see me. He's been writing on this mirror this whole time,"

"Why would he do that?" Ron asked.

"Because he's a Dumbledore," Tom answered. The party shared pale glances. They were shocked. How could this Obscurial be related to Dumbledore? He approached the mirror slowly, anger and pain boiling in his blood. "He can see me. Yeah, I'm here," he spoke through the mirror. "Surprised to see my face?"

Ron and Lucille watched intently. "Can he hear you?" asked Lucille.

"No," Tom sniffled. "But he can see how I feel! How hurt and frustrated I am with him for everything he's done!"

By the way, he spoke, the adults eyed each other remorsefully. What Tom had been through back in Berlin was no treat. Cheelo purred, pondering over to nuzzle his hands for comfort. His fist uncurled and her warm head warmed his fingers. But he didn't look down at her. Instead, he just faced his brother through the mirror. Nagini approached him from behind and touched his shoulders, letting him know that he wasn't alone.

Credence's cold face stared at both of them. They didn't think they'd see any sign of remorse in his eyes. But something changed. Then another face appeared. The Image disappeared quickly.

Tom, unable to stand where he was anymore, released him from Nagini and went outside in the cold, Cheelo following behind.

"Tom?" Nagini tried to go after him but Tina stopped her.

"He needs to be alone for a while,"

Ron and Lucille eyed each other worriedly, concerned for their best friend. They wished they could do something to make him feel better.

"It was awful what that Obscurial did to him," said Stephen. "That boy is so powerful. After I saved Newt, I tried to stop him and his two accomplices but he was just too powerful. He nearly killed me. In all my years, I've never heard of an Obscurial surviving to such an age past puberty. How is that even possible?"

"I don't know Stephen," said Lorna. "Life is full of complicated turns for everyone,"

Just after she said that they heard pounding down the stairs and they saw Aberforth, shaken and to Lorna's surprise quite changed. He marched out into the cold night. Something was off. "It's best if you guys go to your rooms. We must be prepared for what's to come,"

That's another chapter done. What did you all think? Please send reviews. Only about three to go now. See you all soon