Newt Scamander and the Werewolf Pup

Arrival at Hogwarts

Arrival at Hogwarts

Newt Scamander stood in the clearing, alone, staring at the sweep of Ned Veigler's footsteps in the snow where he'd turned in place and disapparated.

"Merlin." He turned in his spot. "Merlin. Merrrrr-lin." He ran his hands through his hair, making it stand up at odd angles.

"Mr. Newt?" called a tiny voice and Newt drew a deep breath. Bradley. He hurried to the case and climbed back down, anxious. Tina was still laying still and pale, her hand hanging over the edge of the table, where Newt had left it when he'd scrambled after Ned Veigler, and Bradley was sitting up in the chair, looking around blearily. "Mr. Newt?"

"I'm - I'm here, right here," he called.

Bradley looked up. "Mr. Newt, I don't feel good."

Newt frowned, his eyebrows coming together, "So sorry."

"Mr. Newt... I had a funny dream."

"I know, Bradley, but --" he paused. There were footsteps crunching through the snow. He looked up over the briefcase nervously, his fingers clutching the case, about to slam it shut -- and the footsteps got louder and louder and then 'round the corner came Rubeus Hagrid.

Newt's eyes widened. "Hagrid! Rubeus Hagrid! Good - good fellow, thank Merlin -- oh thank Merlin." Newt waved his arms about.

Hagrid looked surprised to see Newt Scamander. He had a hammer and a large bit of wood tucked under one arm. "Mr. Scamander, sir?" he asked in surprise, "That you? 'Magine runnin' in'ter you here!" He smiled merrily... until he came a bit closer and got a better look at the state of Newt and then his eyes beaded up in concern and he dropped the wood to the ground and hurried over, shoving the hammer into a loop in his belt. "Are yeh alrigh' Mr. Scamander, sir?" he asked and he hurried forward to help.

Newt shook his head, "No, no Hagrid, we, we uh, we've had - we've had a bit of an - an adventure. A terrible adventure. Teeny's hurt, she's hurt, and I can't - I can't fix it. I just can't do it. Mr. Hagrid, I need help."

"I can help yeh, sir! O'course!" he offered, "Jus' tell me what ter be doin' and I'll do it straight away, sir!!"

"Can you get us to the castle? Quick as - as could be?" Newt pleaded.

"Yeh know I can," Hagrid nodded firmly.

"I have - there's children, too - some of the children Mr. Greyback stole. I have them. And there's a boy who's been - been bit by a wolf and -- please, just hurry and get us to Poppy."

Hagrid nodded quickly and hurried for the case as Newt flung himself in and drew the lid closed behind himself. Hagrid caught the case up, pressing it to his chest and, abandoning his project there at the Shack, he turned and he ran through the streets of Hogsmeade. "S'cuse me, s'cuse me," he called as he moved through the people that crowded the streets. "'Mergency situation, s'cuse me - got ter get ter Hogwarts, s'cuse me -- keeper of the keys comin' through!"

Inside the case, Newt rushed to get Tina's things as Bradley sat on the chair beside her, staring up at Newt as he ran to and fro. Great tears filled Bradley's eyes. "Mr. Newt," he begged. "I - I don't feel good, sir."

Newt opened the cabinet and withdrew a small bottle of bright pink potion. "This will settle your, uh, your belly," he said, handing it to the boy.

Bradley looked at it, then up at Newt. "I dreamt I was a dog, Mr. Newt."

Newt froze, midway through shoving some of Tina's clothes into a bag. He stared at the floor for a moment, unsure what to say. He turned around. "Little one..." he looked at the boy and their eyes met and when Newt tried to look away Bradley ducked to keep their eyes met. Newt sighed and his teeth rested on his lower lip. "I - I don't know how to - to explain it. I'm not - not good at these things, really."