Dumbledore's meticulously crafted plans on the parchment were now a complete mess.
First, the Flamel couple sent a letter apologizing that they had left their residence and gone to the French Ministry of Magic to register their wizarding version of a gaming console and obtain a license.
Then, several of his old friends and former students sent word, citing family emergencies, work obligations, or health issues, and were unable to host him and Jane as scheduled.
Even the Weasley family informed him that they would be traveling to Egypt for the summer, as Mr. Weasley had won the Daily Prophet Annual Galleon Draw and decided to take the entire family on an extravagant international vacation.
The disruption to his plans left Dumbledore in low spirits as he crossed out several names from his parchment.
"Well," he sighed to Jane, "it seems our options are limited. Perhaps we should visit the Scamanders first. They've just returned from Romania after studying dragons… I imagine they'll have plenty of time to sort out their research."
---
Dorset.
Newt Scamander and his wife, Tina Goldstein, welcomed them along with three Kneazles.
The famous Magizoologist now had a full head of white hair and a beard to match. He wore a gray-black woolen coat, his head tilted slightly to the right. Though he didn't speak much, his demeanor exuded warmth and friendliness.
"Hoppy, Millie, and Mauler—our Kneazles—have been yowling and running about all morning. We figured you'd be arriving soon."
Each holding a Kneazle, Newt and Tina greeted their guests. Tina handed the one named Millie to Jane while picking up another herself.
"Millie doesn't bite. She's unusually gentle and affectionate," Tina said briskly. "Come on in; the weather's getting hotter by the day."
Their cottage was more of a workshop than a home. As soon as they entered, Jane was greeted by the sight of a large workbench. Beside it was a writing desk adorned with numerous observation notes on magical creatures.
In the corner stood a tall wooden shelf lined with jars and magical creature artifacts: silver eggshells of Occamies, plumes from Snidgets, coins engraved with Niffler designs… The floor was scattered with animal feed, hay, wooden structures, and stone nests.
In the center of the room was a small table, likely where the couple dined, with a crystal bowl placed on top.
Newt pushed the bowl toward Jane, tilting his head slightly as he spoke:
"You might need this… a growth from the back of a Murtlap."
Jane peered into the bowl and saw a small, anemone-like tumor that appeared to have been pickled. Its odd shape and color made it look anything but appetizing.
"Uh… thank you?" she said hesitantly, finding it even more unappealing than one of Snape's potions.
Tina, noticing her hesitation, encouraged her:
"We heard from Albus about how you were cursed by a criminal during the trial."
"Such incidents are rare—haven't happened more than a handful of times in the past century. Unlucky, I'd say."
"Murtlap growths can enhance your resistance to dark curses and misfortune."
Jane understood now. It was essentially a liquid version of Felix Felicis!
Without further hesitation, she closed her eyes and swallowed it in one gulp, not even bothering to chew.
The soft lump slid down her throat into her stomach, but she felt no changes in her body.
Newt and Tina, along with Dumbledore, watched her with expectant eyes. When they realized her condition remained unchanged, their expressions turned to disappointment, and they all sighed in unison.
"That's odd… very odd…" Newt muttered, shaking his head. "Even the most dangerous curses should show some improvement with Murtlap growths."
He opened his notebook and jotted down this anomaly.
The couple began flipping through their notes, reviewing the curses carried by magical creatures and the dark spells used by wizards they had encountered. Yet, they found no precedent for this situation.
"A curse should affect both the soul and the body. Could it be that the curse didn't succeed?" Tina speculated.
"Her condition is peculiar," Dumbledore replied. "The curse doesn't seem to have impacted her soul, but her body has experienced a surge in magical power, indicating that the curse at least affected her physically."
"And this isn't an immediately effective curse. I'm not sure if it will have delayed effects."
The couple could offer no further assistance. Dumbledore sighed.
"Resisting curses is your area of expertise, Albus," Newt said, closing his notebook. "I have some rare ingredients here. Perhaps you could try brewing a potion?"
Dumbledore readily agreed, mentioning that he had already sent a letter to Snape.
Newt began rummaging through his shelves, pulling out unicorn hair and horns, Thunderbird feathers, some dragon blood, and a fire salamander tail, placing them on the small table.
"We're out of Ashwinder eggs," he said, glancing at a shelf in the corner. "And some other perishable materials… it'll take a month to restock."
"Thank you very much," Dumbledore said, expressing his gratitude. "You've been a great help, Newt."
He then turned to introduce Jane to the couple:
"Jane Yu, this child has a certain talent for magical creatures. She has tamed a Cerberus, subdued a troll, touched a unicorn, and even interacted with my phoenix."
This immediately piqued Newt's interest.
With surprising agility for his age, he returned to the table and opened his research notes:
"My research on Cerberuses is quite limited… How did you manage it?"
Jane recalled her interactions with Fluffy:
"I think it likes cooked food, especially steak, lamb chops, and treacle tarts."
Newt looked absolutely delighted, his curls bouncing slightly as if he had discovered a new research avenue:
"Cooked food… cooked food… Why didn't I think of that?"
"Perhaps not just Cerberuses, but other creatures as well…"
He scribbled down his thoughts, his amber-brown eyes practically glowing with excitement.
"And trolls? They're not very intelligent… How did you communicate with them?"
Jane thought about the perfumes she had wasted and felt a pang of regret:
"They love perfume and enjoy applying it to themselves."
The Magizoologist looked as though he wanted to fly to Scandinavia immediately to chat with some trolls:
"Of course, scent is crucial for animals… Many rely on it to identify companions or find mates…"
He set down his Quick-Quotes Quill and extended an earnest invitation:
"I have several magical creatures here. If… you're interested in studying them, you're welcome to spend the summer with us."
Jane was thrilled!
She had no desire to continue visiting the countless other wizards on their list!
She agreed almost immediately.
Dumbledore tugged at his beard, pulling out several strands in the process.
But on second thought, he realized this was a perfect opportunity to nurture her interest in magical creatures—
And considering Newt was one of his most beloved students—
He had no choice but to agree.
——————————————————————————
The new chapter is live! Patreon early-access is now updated to **Chapter165
Join us for exclusive content:
patreon.com/DarkGolds
Thank you for your support!