"It's... it's Miss Lovegood..."
The door of the small house pushed open. What greeted Lyla's eyes was a stooped, somewhat frail old man... seemingly no different from any ordinary person.
"Good morning, Mr. Scamander!" Luna nodded happily to Newt, then opened her arms and hugged him.
"This... this is?" Newt stammered a bit, looking at Lyla. His tone and rhythm of speaking made Lyla feel a strange sense of familiarity.
'He's Lord Grindelwald's enemy... why do I feel so...'
Lyla's blue eyes subconsciously swept over Newt's face. Their eyes met for a fleeting moment before both immediately looked down.
'Oh... oh no!'
'So Mr. Scamander is like me... not good at dealing with strangers... people...'
"She is Lyla Hamilton." Luna seemed entirely unaware of the awkward tension, reciting Lyla's name as if reading a poem.
"Ah... Good morning, Miss Hamilton..." Newt bowed slightly.
"Good... good morning..." Lyla's voice was much softer than Newt's.
'Sorry, Newt, you and I are not the same... being able to skillfully greet strangers, you're already much better than me.'
Newt didn't seem to mind Lyla's perceived rudeness. Instead, he gently opened the door wider, gesturing for them to come inside.
"Mr. Scamander is a Magizoologist." Luna walked into the house, fiddling with the wind chimes hanging in the hallway. "There are many lovely magical creatures here."
"Magical... magical creatures?" Lyla pursed her lips and carefully followed Luna in.
She wasn't particularly afraid of magical creatures... well, most of them, anyway.
'After all, magical creatures are much easier to get along with than wizards and Muggles.'
"Isn't Grandma Tina here?" Luna tilted her head slightly. Before Newt could answer, she nodded to herself. "She's not here."
"Yes... yes." Newt showed a slightly awkward smile. "Tina, she... went to attend... the Ministry of Magic's..."
"It wouldn't be related to the Rotfang Conspiracy, would it?" Luna asked quickly. "I believe Grandma Tina will persuade them to give up."
"Probably... right?" Newt replied.
'So, am I the only one here who doesn't know what the Rotfang Conspiracy is?'
Lyla followed behind Luna, watching her and Newt converse happily. She felt quite good for a moment. Not having to answer anyone's questions was simply wonderful.
She looked around Newt's home furnishings with interest.
'Don't misunderstand, I am merely preparing for Lord Grindelwald's comeback in the future!'
'At that time, Mr. Scamander will be the first to be dealt with!'
Just as Lyla was thinking this, a potted green plant above her head suddenly shook. A small, furry creature plummeted from the leaves.
'Is... is it a Niffler?!'
Lyla certainly recognized the creature. She subconsciously reached out and hugged the Niffler to her chest, preventing it from crashing to the ground.
"Mane..." Newt noticed the scene unfold. He quickly looked at Lyla.
Seeing that the somewhat awkward young lady showed no unease, he let out a slight sigh of relief.
"Miss Hamilton... aren't you afraid of... magical creatures?"
"No... not afraid." Lyla, holding the Niffler safely in her arms, felt a bit strange.
'Would anyone be afraid of something so cute?'
"I'm more afraid of... people... a bit..." she stammered.
"Is that so..." Newt nodded, looking a little embarrassed himself.
For a moment, neither of them knew what to say. This is exactly what happens when two painfully socially anxious people are left alone together.
Luckily, Luna was still there. She emerged from a nearby room, holding a small twig in her hand.
"Mr. Scamander, is this the wood you mentioned Bowtruckles like?"
"Ah... that's right." Newt smiled warmly.
Whenever speaking of magical creatures, he seemed genuinely happy. "Bowtruckles are very particular... about the trees they live in."
"Generally, the wood they value... is excellent material for wand-making..."
"Is that so... too bad I already have a wand," Luna said. She casually pulled her wand out from behind her ear, where it had been tucked into her hair.
'Why would you keep your wand there?' Lyla couldn't help but purse her lips.
To be honest, Newt Scamander wasn't nearly as fierce or cunning as Lyla had imagined. He was just like an ordinary, gentle old man.
Because he was so much like her, she even felt a slight sense of closeness...
'No, no, no, no... this must be some kind of disguise, right?'
'Just like Dumbledore, disguised as a harmless old person... but in reality, they are all despicable and calculating people!'
Lyla subtly gripped her wand tightly, observing Newt with utmost care.
'If Mr. Scamander tries to feed Luna to some magical creature, I will decisively intervene.'
However, it quickly became clear that Lyla was overthinking it. Newt brought them both tea and began to recount his recent travels with great interest.
He had recently returned from Australia, having discovered many magical creatures there. He truly was a dedicated Magizoologist.
He possessed the exact same passion for magical creatures as Lyla had for Magic Array Studies.
He continuously talked about the living environment of Thunderbirds for over ten minutes.
'Is this what it feels like for others to listen to me talk about Magic Array Studies?'
Lyla pursed her lips, staring at the swirling tea leaves in her cup. She subconsciously wanted to apologize to Mr. Lupin and Director Scrimgeour.
'Hmm, speaking of which, is Director Scrimgeour actually a vampire after all?'
Just as she was pondering this, Newt suddenly looked up at Lyla and let out a surprised exclamation.
"Is Miss Hamilton a Half-Veela?" His voice trembled slightly with awe.
"Ah... I..." Lyla was startled to be addressed so directly.
Hearing Newt's words, a spike of sheer terror hit her. She shrank back in her chair, subconsciously wanting to deny it.
But Luna had already beamed and said, "That's right! Lyla is a beautiful Half-Veela!"
As she spoke, she reached over and playfully pinched Lyla's pointed ear through her hood.
The sudden contact made Lyla instinctively jerk her head back. The sudden movement caused her hood to fall off entirely.
It revealed her striking silver hair and slightly trembling, pointed ears.
"D-don't... I'm just... a little bit... related to Veela..." Lyla stammered.
Her anxiety flared violently, rendering her unable to speak further. She could only cover her ears and shrink deeper into her chair.
'Pointy-eared monster!'
'Freak!'
'Something dirtier than a Mudblood!'
Phantom memories of sharp, cruel curses rang in her ears. The perceived rejection scared her into violently trembling.
"Ah... how beautiful..." Newt's gentle voice drifted over.
He looked at Lyla's ears and silver hair with purely academic interest. "I've only seen a Half-Veela once before... but nowhere near as... as Miss Hamilton."
"Beautiful."
"Beau... beautiful?" Lyla froze.
Her trembling body slowly stilled, and her blue eyes looked at Newt in complete surprise.
"Yes... very beautiful," Luna nodded in agreement. "Just like a Crumple-Horned Snorkack."
"Shouldn't she be more like a Thunderbird?" Newt shook his head and muttered absentmindedly.
'No… you two… Veela are not magical creatures!'