Fantastic Beasts and How He Found Them

An Exploration of Concrete

         As expected, Newt was completely unimpressed with what was commonly called 'the new world.' It was a rather peculiar term to think hard about, mostly because this 'new world' people referred to had been there the whole time. From the ages where all countries originated in the same place and eventually spread out. The everyday wizard still has trouble in believing this theory mostly because arbolverbology is a relatively new field of study in the magical world.

         It is said that arbolverbology was discovered in July 21st, 1861 by a young man by the name of Alfred Luxos who went to enjoy a picnic with his family near the city of Manassas, Virginia. Bringing along coleslaw and some small sandwiches, the family was able to enjoy their lively picnic. The sun was shining and families all over gathered to the top of a secluded hill to enjoy the sundry. Everyone brought laughter and good humor to the delight of one another and themselves. A wind began to blow and some skirts responded to the gust with a flip that brought blushes to the innocent cheeks of young girls and jeers from eligible but shy suitors. Collectively, the families began to gaze down, their entertainment was beginning through the Battle of Bull Run that occurred just down the hill from where their checkered blankets laid as the sneaky ants tried to steal the peas of Alfred Luxos.

         The Luxos family was quite impressed that these bright young men with their whole futures yet to be explored actually went through with having this silly war that they've been threatening each other with for years. Wide-eyed, the happy family feasted as they saw bayonets and cannons dance across the sky with such merry precision. The youngest Luxos, Alfred of course, was primarily serene with the spectacle and would've preferred to see the grotesque horrors of slavery such that Harriet Beecher Stowe lovingly described, than the consequences of owning a person. He began to daze and lazily drop food as a result of his inattentiveness, somehow or another a pea that fell caught his attention. Mostly because Alfred had no recollection of having peas in the first place, believing his mother only packed coleslaw and agreeable sandwiches. Yet these peas seemed to be carried away by the tiny ants.

         Poor ants don't have the vision capable of witnessing the battle, but even Alfred swears that if ants had bigger eyes they would have stopped to look at the fault of humankind than some silly ol'peas.

         Yet it was fate, fate for the peas to suddenly appear, fate for the ants not to be able to see far enough and fate for Alfred to be positively bored. As a result of their pea-knapping, the youngest Luxos decided to take a detour and follow the ants.

         "These ants must trust me before I can follow their trail," thought Alfred Luxos, according to his popular 1887 textbook Arbolverbology and the Everyday Wizard

         Alfred quickly picked up a pea and followed the ants, hoping to be led to destiny. There was sweat, apprehension and fear that he was going to miss an important scene in the great battle bellow him. Yet somehow he knew to keep following the ants, hoping for a result worth the loss of the missed battle.

         "Whaddya know, they lead me to my destiny"- Arbolverbology and the Everyday Wizard (1887).

         Soon he was lead to their ant pile, only a mere four yards away from the picnic site, directly in front was a large tree. Looking up he saw the branches extend in every direction, guiding winds and creatures to new paths as assigned by nature. There was a connection that lead Alfred closer to the tree and as he reached something appeared in his mind- courtesies. Softly, he asked the tree for permission to touch and like a gentle nod, the tree swerved and agreed.

         On that day, Alfred Luxos discovered that he was an arboltongue, possessing the innate ability to speak to trees. That began his lifelong quest to perfect his new talent, leading to the publication of Arbolverbology and the Everyday Wizard.

         From there he was able to communicate to the oldest living things on earth, it was there he discovered that every country was one land mass millions of years ago.

         Still, many believe for him to be a fraud, but that did not discourage his legions of followers nor his own faith until his death on May 18th, 1918.

"We're here."

         Newt then looked above the Harbinger Herald that he was clutching to scratch his eyes and yawn. His taxi driver was looking at him with a certain impatience only known to men prone to violence. He dug into his pocket, searching for the muggle money he had placed there earlier. Not understanding the economy of muggles, Newt gave the driver whatever he asked for without hesitation. As he stepped out of the vehicle his driver grunted and leaned his head out the window ever so slightly with the excitement to leave him but obligation of a citygoers warning.

         "Word of advice kid, don't go reading those joke papers in public. They might seem fun to you but give me goosebumps. All week it's been showing that same guy's face and sometimes it looks like it's moving. If you wanna be a weirdo, do it behind closed doors."

         Just like that he sped off into the labyrinth of concrete, Newt looked across the street and was eye to eye to a rickety sign: The Seven Mages.