The afternoon sun bathed the manicured back gardens of Gaunt Manor in a warm golden light, melting away the last traces of winter frost.
Aurelian walked slowly along the stone paths, enjoying the peace of home. Tomorrow morning he would board the Hogwarts Express to return to the castle and complete his final semester, and he wanted to make sure everything was in order before he left.
At his side, gliding nimbly between the rosebushes and the tall grass, was Nythoros. He seemed fascinated by the scents, the fresh earth, and the vibrations of nature—something he had rarely experienced since he'd been confined to the darkness of the sewers and the Chamber of Secrets so many, many years ago.
Aurelian stopped near a fountain and crouched down.
"Tell me, Nythoros…" Aurelian hissed softly to him in Parseltongue. "Tomorrow I return to the castle. Do you want to stay here at the mansion, or would you rather accompany me back to Hogwarts?"
The king of serpents paused. He raised his small head, closing his eyes as he let a ray of sunlight warm his scales directly.
"My time in the shadows of Hogwarts is definitely over, my master," Nythoros hissed, his voice carrying a tone of deep satisfaction. "I will accompany your conquests when the time comes, but for now… I'm going to enjoy being among the plants and under the sun for a long, long time."
Aurelian smiled affectionately. He reached out and gently scratched the basilisk's head with two fingers. The basilisk let himself be pampered for a second before diving back into the dense bushes of the garden.
"Enjoy it, my friend. You've more than earned it," Aurelian said his goodbyes, standing up and returning inside the mansion to finish packing his bags.
The next morning, the characteristic whistle and clatter of the Hogwarts Express marked the start of the journey back to school.
Aurelian, who had left his private compartment under the pretext of going to the bathroom to stretch his legs a bit, walked quietly through the narrow corridors of the train cars. The sounds of the train blended with the chatter of students sharing stories of their vacations.
As he walked, a small, unusual movement caught his attention.
Near the candy cart, which had been left aside for a moment by the cart lady as she handed an order to some students, Aurelian spotted a tiny, peculiar creature. It was a small green creature, about the size of a hand, that seemed to be made entirely of twigs and leaves from a tree. The creature tiptoed over the boxes of candy with great agility and, using what he assumed were its fingers, quickly grabbed a green candy before darting off down the aisle.
Aurelian raised an eyebrow, thoroughly intrigued. He had never seen such a creature in person before, but he had read about it, which allowed him to identify it immediately: it was a Bowtruckle.
Driven by curiosity to see what a forest creature was doing sneaking around the school train all by itself, Aurelian began to follow the little green creature at a safe distance so as not to be detected.
The Bowtruckle ran a couple of cars further until it quickly slipped through the crack in the door of a compartment near the end of the train. Aurelian stopped in front of the sliding door. Carefully, he slid it open a few inches and peeked inside.
There were no students inside. Seated by the window, wearing a blue coat and with an old leather suitcase at his feet, sat a wizard with an incredibly kind and lively expression.
Hearing the faint sound of the door, the man looked up just as the little Bowtruckle climbed onto his lapel to hide in his pocket, proudly showing him his candy.
The man smiled, patting the pocket, then looked toward the door.
"Ah… it seems Pickett has brought company," the wizard remarked in a soft, warm voice.
Aurelian opened the door wide and leaned against the frame. He recognized that face almost instantly. A sincere smile spread across the young man's lips.
"I must admit, I never expected to meet Newt Scamander himself in the carriages of the Hogwarts Express," Aurelian greeted him, stepping into the compartment.
Newt burst out laughing, the corners of his eyes crinkling with amusement. He stood up and held out his right hand.
"And I must admit that I didn't expect to run into the young Lord Gaunt on my train journey either," Newt replied as they shook hands firmly.
Aurelian took a seat across from the legendary Magizoologist. Just then, Pickett's little green head peeked out of Newt's coat pocket. Seeing that the intruder didn't seem to pose a threat, the little Bowtruckle slid down his owner's arm, hopped onto the seat, and bravely made his way up Aurelian's fingers, coming to rest on the back of his hand while munching on his candy.
Aurelian raised his hand, fascinated by the tiny magical creature's almost non-existent weight.
"I've never seen a Bowtruckle up close before—it's fascinating," Aurelian murmured, taking care not to make any sudden movements that might startle Pickett.
"They're extremely peaceful creatures, but very protective of their trees… and their friends," Newt explained with a tender smile, watching as his little companion trusted the young man. "Pickett has an excellent instinct for judging people."
The train ride passed incredibly pleasantly. Aurelian found that talking with Newt Scamander was a refreshing experience. The magizoologist had no hidden agendas, sought no political favors, and wasn't intimidated by his surname; he simply possessed a genuine passion for magical creatures and an astonishing knowledge of the world. They discussed the properties of certain poisons, magical ecosystems, and, very subtly, the implications of wars on magical habitats—a topic that deeply interested Aurelian in light of his terraforming plans, though he didn't mention it directly.
Aurelian surmised to himself that Newt's presence at Hogwarts must be Dumbledore's doing. With Grindelwald lurking in the shadows and dark beasts like the Obscurial involved, having the foremost expert on creatures and a veteran of the First Global War was a logical move on the headmaster's part.
Time flew by. Before they knew it, the sky outside had darkened, and the train began to slow down as it approached Hogsmeade Station.
Aurelian stood up, allowing Pickett to jump back onto Newt's shoulder.
"It has been a true pleasure, Mr. Scamander. I thank you deeply for such an entertaining conversation," said Aurelian, bowing his head slightly in respect.
"The pleasure has been all mine, Aurelian. I hope our paths cross again," Newt smiled at him, watching him walk away with a curious look.
Aurelian closed the compartment door and headed toward the train's exit. No sooner had he set foot outside the car and felt the cold station air hit his face than he was ambushed.
Two pairs of arms wrapped tightly around his neck and waist.
"You finally showed up!" Hestia complained, tightening her grip.
"You told us you were going to the bathroom, Aurelian. Two hours ago," Flora demanded, her voice icy and threatening. "May we ask why you didn't return to our compartment?"
Aurelian let out a small laugh, wrapping his arms around his girlfriends' waists to steady himself under their combined weight.
"Relax, my loves. I just got held up on the way because I met someone very interesting," he explained calmly.
Immediately, Hestia and Flora's brows furrowed deeply. Their eyes narrowed in the darkness, scanning the faces of the students passing by in search of the wretched "interesting person" who had dared to steal their beloved's precious and exclusive time.
"Who?" Flora hissed.
Aurelian laughed heartily again, shaking his head at the Carrow sisters' charming jealousy. He kissed each of their cheeks as they began walking toward the Thestral-drawn carriages.
"Don't worry, it's not someone you need to worry about," Aurelian reassured them with an amused smile. "And I'm pretty sure you'll see him around school very soon."
In the Great Hall, students from all four houses were settling into their respective tables to enjoy the banquet marking the start of the final semester. Floating candles cast a warm light over the dishes.
Seated at the Slytherin table, with Hestia to his right and Flora to his left, Aurelian leaned slightly toward them.
"There he is," he whispered playfully into their ears, his voice barely rising above the din of the hall. "That's the person who kept me so entertained during the train ride."
Under the table, the girls' reaction was instantaneous. Hestia and Flora squeezed his hands with almost superhuman strength, their nails digging into his skin. Their cold eyes narrowed, quickly scanning the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor tables, hoping to spot the bold, opportunistic bitch they would have to drag to the dungeons and silently eliminate later that very night.
Aurelian let out a small chuckle and, with a subtle nod of his chin, pointed in the exact opposite direction. He gestured directly toward the head teachers' table.
The twins followed his gaze. The murderous intent in their eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a flicker of confusion.
There, sitting amiably between Professor Sprout and Professor Flitwick, chatting animatedly while serving himself mashed potatoes, was a wizard in a blue coat with unruly hair. It was the legendary magizoologist, Newt Scamander.
Hestia and Flora turned to Aurelian, raising their eyebrows in a mix of indignation and relief. They raised their hands and began pinching his cheeks hard.
"Ouch! Aurelian! You had us dying of jealousy thinking you were flirting with some stupid girl!" Hestia scolded him, pulling on his left cheek. "You could have brought him to our compartment to introduce him to us!"
"Yes! We would've been nice to someone like him. You're so mean!" Flora continued, pulling on his right cheek with an adorable pout on her lips.
Aurelian let out a groan and gently took their hands to stop the torture.
"I… I'm sorry," Aurelian apologized, rubbing his reddened cheeks with a grimace. "I really lost track of time. I got completely absorbed talking to Mr. Scamander about ecosystems and rare poisons. I didn't mean to worry you."
Upon seeing the red marks her fingers had left on her soulmate's pale, perfect face, the girls' indignation immediately turned to remorse.
"Oh, forgive us, my love…" Flora whispered, leaning in to plant a series of soft, warm kisses on his right cheek.
"We didn't mean to hurt you… I'm sorry," murmured Hestia, imitating her sister and showering his left cheek with kisses.
Aurelian smiled at the sudden change in attitude. He wrapped his arms around the girls' shoulders and tenderly stroked their heads, gently untangling their perfect black hair.
"It's okay. Don't worry," he assured them in a comforting voice.
Hestia and Flora smiled broadly. They moved closer to him, intertwining their arms with his, and turned their attention to the main stage just as the sound of a clinking glass demanded silence in the hall.
Albus Dumbledore rose from his chair at the center of the teachers' table.
While the twins waited for the banquet to begin, Aurelian narrowed his eyes, fixing his gaze on the headmaster. He knew that Newt Scamander's presence in the castle wasn't merely a visit to reminisce about the past. He, too, was eager to hear, straight from Dumbledore's own mouth, what excuse he would use and the true reason why the world's greatest magizoologist had just joined the ranks of Hogwarts.
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