After getting Sirius's promise, Harry and his friends were overjoyed, all eagerly looking forward to the start of school.
Meanwhile, Kael didn't go back to Ottery St Catchpole. Homework and everything else—almost all of it was packed in his suitcase and always with him.
Even if there were a few books he'd forgotten, he could always have an owl bring them back later, so there was really no need to go home.
The reason he left No. 12 Grimmauld Place early was for something else entirely.
When the Apparition ended, Kael found himself in a lush forest.
On the pine tree to his left, a vibrantly colored Fwooper cocked its head, sizing him up.
"Long time no see, Barty." Kael greeted familiarly, and the Fwooper responded with a chirp.
At that moment, a house-elf dressed in a bizarre outfit appeared not far ahead.
He was wearing something woven from vines, looking almost like armor, with a pair of long rubber boots underneath.
Seeing Kael, his wary expression quickly transformed into pure delight.
"Oh, Mr. Kael, is it really you?"
"It's me, Dobby," Kael replied, "How've you been lately?"
"Thanks to you, Mr. Kael," the house-elf said excitedly, "Dobby loves it here. It's wonderful to work here!"
"That's good." Kael smiled, "Is Newt home?"
"He is," Dobby nodded vigorously, "Mr. Scamander is taking care of a newborn Invisible Beast... oh, Dobby needs to hurry back and help."
With that, he spun around and dashed deeper into the forest.
Kael followed, and after rounding a bend, a wooden cabin suddenly appeared in front of him.
The cabin door was open, and a witch with silvery hair was standing there.
"I just heard Dobby shouting your name," Tina said with a smile. "Come in, quick—I just baked some cookies."
Dobby couldn't help but pull a face.
Even now, Dobby still found it hard to accept Tina's rule that he wasn't allowed near the kitchen.
It was torment for a house-elf... Luckily, he had plenty of other tasks.
As soon as he entered, Dobby bounded to the innermost room.
Soon after, Newt emerged from inside.
"School starts at Hogwarts tomorrow, doesn't it?"
Meanwhile, Tina brought over a plate of grapefruit cookies for Kael. "I thought you wouldn't come here this year."
"A lot happened this holiday," Kael said.
He didn't hide anything, describing exactly how he'd run into Voldemort and then been suddenly interrogated by the Ministry of Magic.
Tina's smile faded, turning increasingly serious.
As an old Auror, she didn't think Kael had done anything wrong. Faced with Death Eaters, you had to do whatever it took to protect yourself.
Forget Fiendfyre, even the Killing Curse, if necessary, was fair game.
What Tina hadn't expected was for Death Eaters to go running to the Ministry to tattle—in her whole career, she'd never seen anything like it.
"Thank goodness for Diana," she said with some relief.
"Yeah." Kael nodded. If Priori Incantatem hadn't failed, he wouldn't have gotten off so easily.
Newt, nearby, breathed a sigh of relief. He'd known Kael had encountered Voldemort, but not about the interrogation afterward.
"You don't need to worry," Tina said, giving Kael a look. "If you run into Death Eaters again, do what you need to—Fiendfyre, anything. Use whatever it takes; staying alive is what matters most.
"As for any trouble from the Ministry afterwards, don't worry about it. If they try prosecuting you, I can send you to Ilvermorny. The British Ministry has no reach there."
"Hey, you should trust Dumbledore," Newt muttered quietly. "He'd never let Kael be convicted."
"It better be that way," Tina said, somewhat annoyed.
She knew Newt trusted Dumbledore without question, but that didn't mean Dumbledore could fix everything.
Sometimes, you had to be prepared.
Newt understood Tina's outlook, so he didn't argue.
After the cookies, Newt headed back into his suitcase. The Invisible Beast cubs still needed time to adapt to their surroundings. Even with Dobby's help, Newt couldn't help but worry.
Kael followed him inside.
"I heard Dumbledore mention it—that man has returned."
Once in the suitcase, Newt grabbed a blanket from the shelf. "I said I could help, but Dumbledore refused. He just asked me to write to a few friends, inviting them to the United Kingdom."
"Ah, that's fine. We can manage," Kael said.
He agreed with Dumbledore's choice; Newt was definitely a powerful ally, but close to a hundred years old now, and there was no need for him to get dragged into all this again.
The most crucial part, though, was Newt's unpredictability... If it were Paris, no big deal, but since this was the United Kingdom—his home turf—it was best to keep things under control unless absolutely necessary.
The two walked through woods and past a lake, quickly reaching the Invisible Beast nest.
Dobby was squatting there, teasing a newborn Invisible Beast with a stick tied to a vine ball.
The little creature's fur was a sort of gray-brown, barely invisible—blinking like a young wizard just learning the Disillusionment Charm, still too clumsy to use it properly.
Only when they grew older and their fur turned silvery would they be able to hide well. This was the Invisible Beast's most vulnerable stage.
Hearing footsteps, Dobby immediately looked up and greeted them both.
"Mr. Scamander, I feel like its invisibility is much better than before."
"That's right," Newt said with a smile. "Invisible Beast cubs learn quickly; within two days, they're almost safe from predators. Of course, it takes about a month for their fur to turn fully silver."
"Mr. Scamander, Dobby will definitely take good care of it," Dobby said, thumping his chest.
"I don't doubt it for a second," Newt laughed, "but you shouldn't stay here all the time—it'll make them less alert, and the adult Invisible Beasts will get uneasy.
You should hide somewhere more concealed, like... there." Newt pointed to a patch thick with shrubs.
Dobby didn't really get it, but nodded and darted over, burying himself in the greenery, leaving only one big ear sticking out.
After that, the two went elsewhere.
It wasn't often Kael visited, so Newt seized the chance to show him a bunch of Fantastic Beasts acting out or being moody.
Kael played the role of Fantastic Beast psychologist, helping figure out their problems.
They didn't come out of the Moonstruck Beast's den until dusk.
One Moonstruck Beast had been ostracized by its clan for not dancing right.
If Newt's suitcase wasn't magical, you could never run into a Moonstruck Beast that couldn't dance—really broadening Kael's horizons.
All afternoon, Newt had been teaching the beast to dance, only wrapping up now.
"Are you heading back for dinner?" Newt checked the time. "Or do you want to see somewhere else?"
"I'm not hungry yet," Kael said with a smile.
Newt nodded, seeming to understand. "So, where do you want to go?
"But I should warn you: Dumbledore won't allow certain Fantastic Beasts in the castle, like Nundu."
Kael's mouth, just opening, snapped shut immediately.
This time, he really had come for Newt's help. Diana was right: sometimes, Fiendfyre wasn't your only way to deal with Death Eaters.
So he'd thought of another solution—gather allies.
Nundu was one of his original choices, but before he could even ask, Newt shut him down on the spot.
"It's a special situation now," Kael said quietly, "And I'm confident I can keep it under control."
"Hmm..." Newt hesitated.
Just as Kael said, the Death Eaters already made a move on him; nobody could guarantee it wouldn't happen again.
They'd used a new trick this time—complaining to the Ministry. Their scheme failed once, but if they tried again, what then? You couldn't have Kael run off to Ilvermorny every time.
"Nundu attacks indiscriminately," Newt said softly. "Once it strikes, everyone nearby is at risk—it could even hurt allies."
"I'll be careful," Kael replied.
Newt went quiet, finally asking, "Just Nundu?"
"Oh, there's one more," Kael said, leaning in to whisper something.
When Newt heard, his eyes went wide and he shook his head again and again:
"No way. I'll lend you Nundu, but absolutely not that one. It's too dangerous—Dumbledore would never let you bring it into the castle."
"That was before; things are different now."
Kael said, "The castle isn't safe anymore—in fact, it's facing a crisis like never before.
"Besides, it's part of Hogwarts, too—it has a duty to protect the school."
"Even so," Newt still shook his head. "Look, I'll write to Dumbledore—if he agrees, then it's fine."
"That's not necessary," Kael said in a low voice, "Besides, it's really mine anyway."
He didn't want Dumbledore to know—otherwise, he'd almost certainly say no.
"It's very necessary," Newt insisted. "And, actually, you can only get it after you graduate."
"Alright," Kael looked around, changing the subject: "Why don't we check out the Nundu? That little one from before must be grown up by now."
"Not quite an adult, but it's a lot bigger, for sure."