"When we first received the news, I thought that after being imprisoned for decades, Grindelwald might still be powerful, but also weakened. It was only when I saw him in person that day that I realized I was wrong."
"We still can't see through the truth of his condition, but at the very least we can tell the gap between us. If I were fifty years younger, I would never be this timid. But now... I can't. We're old."
Tina looked at Newt gently, her gaze seeming to smooth away the wrinkles of time itself as she saw once more the freckled boy with a pure heart from long ago.
"Newt, we have to think of our family first, before we think of everything else. Don't you want to see Rolf grow up? Don't you want to see Tom become a wizard who surpasses Dumbledore?"
"If that's the case, then don't stay too close to Dumbledore. I know he's a good man, but his kindness has a way of pulling people into an endless whirlpool of trouble. We'll go to Britain. It's still fairly peaceful there. You can revise your books and take care of your magical creatures, and I'll raise my Kneazles."
Newt was silent for a while, then finally nodded.
"Tina, you're right. We're old now. The family quarrel between those two has nothing to do with us. Britain is fine. Tom asks me about the Whomping Willow every few days anyway, so I may as well plant a few more for him."
Tina smiled.
The old couple returned home arm in arm and began packing up their things. A few hours later, the house stood nearly empty. Everything had been packed into their suitcases. It was obvious they had no intention of coming back any time soon.
...
The next day.
Tom finished breakfast early and went straight to the hospital wing.
He was not there to visit Harry. The truth was that only before going to sleep last night had he remembered that Harry's Firebolt was still with Usagi. But it had already been too late, and he could not be bothered to come out again, so he had delayed until now.
Madam Pomfrey muttered things like, "Didn't someone just come to visit? Why is there another one already?" Still, she let Tom in, though only on the condition that he stay no longer than fifteen minutes.
There was only Harry in the ward at the moment.
The moment he saw Tom, Harry tried to climb out of bed, but after noticing Madam Pomfrey still standing behind Tom and watching, he could only sit up straighter and greet him.
"Tom, what are you doing here?"
"Your Firebolt is still with me."
Tom set the broom against the wall and sat down in a chair.
Harry smacked his forehead and smiled at Tom gratefully.
"I was just thinking I'd look for you after I got out. Honestly, I feel like I'm completely fine already. Madam Pomfrey just insists on keeping me here for another day."
"It's nice here, isn't it?" Tom casually picked up an apple from the table and took a bite. "Quiet, no one bothers you, and people come to visit and bring you things. Didn't Ron just come by? Normally you don't get treatment like this."
"Ron?" Harry looked at Tom in confusion. "It was Malfoy who came just now to mock me. We nearly started fighting. If this weren't the hospital wing, we probably would have. Ron's probably still asleep."
Tom: "..."
As expected.
When it came to hitting Harry where it hurt and mocking him, Malfoy's efficiency was always maxed out. Tom seriously suspected that even when both of them were too old to walk properly, if Malfoy heard Harry had bad luck, he would still sit bolt upright from his sickbed and stagger over just to taunt him personally.
"You can fight after you've rested properly," Tom said, since he truly had no better response. "But Malfoy has improved a lot recently. Apparently he's even dragged Theodore in to help him deal with people."
To be honest, Tom found it rather surprising as well.
In the original story, Malfoy had never displayed any particular talent as a wizard. The only time he had really stood out was when he repaired the Vanishing Cabinet. But now... he was fierce enough that it was almost absurd. Not long ago, he had even beaten a fifth-year student in a fair duel in the common room, simply because the other boy had mocked him for being a mummy's boy.
Not a sneak attack.
A proper duel in the open.
After that, Slytherin students had privately begun saying that Malfoy no longer looked like a "Malfoy" at all.
Tom only chatted with Harry for a couple more moments before preparing to leave.
He had come to return the broom, not because he had any special interest in talking with Harry all morning.
But Harry still had a very important question left unanswered, and quickly called out to stop him.
"Tom, why do I react so much more strongly to Dementors than everyone else? I asked Fred and George, and they just said they feel uncomfortable and think of really bad things. But when it happens to me, it feels like my head is about to explode."
Since he had not made direct contact with the Dementors on the train, Harry had only now realized the extent of his weakness.
It was not just embarrassing.
What he hated even more were the scenes that appeared in his mind every time. Just thinking about them was enough to make his chest tighten until he could barely breathe, as though he were going mad.