Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them...Continued.

9: Publications

NEWT
The feeling of being done with his book was nothing compared to having it published.
     He had mailed the manuscript to the Ministry, who returned it with a letter of utmost praise attached to the front:
     Dear Mr. Scamander:
   We are pleased to inform you that your manuscript has passed the Ministry standard of literature test. The publications are to be funded by the Ministry of Magic. Please send the enclosed letter to Flourish and Blotts with a copy of your manuscript and your signature.
Sincerly,
Ponilla Lersley
Department of Magical Publications
      This was the most excited Newt had ever been to get a letter from the Ministry. Mostly the letters sent to him were asking where he was on the globe and when the book would be finished and why he had let his niffler loose in the middle of Diagon Alley (seriously, that had happened twice, on accident.)
       He immediately made a copy of the manuscript and slipped the piece of parchement from the Ministry inside, complete with his signature. After sending it off with the Ministry's owl, he realized all he had to do now was wait.
That turned out to be the hard part.
      Since he had time to kill after he sent off the letter and manuscript, and he had already taken care of his creatures, he decided to send some letters to his family and friends, announcing the book to be finished.
     Dear Mum,
   I know it's been a while since I last wrote to you, and I'm so sorry. I assumed if you wanted to hear from me you'd write me yourself, but of course that was irrational thinking on my part.
    In other news, I recently finished my manuscript of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and have sent it to Flourish and Blotts for publishing. I know I'll never amount to anything as extraordinary as my older brother, but I've come as far as I can. Hopefully the book sells!
    Please write back soon,
Your loving son,
Newt Scamander
*****
Dear Professor Dumbledore,
      I have recently finished my manuscript of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which has been verified for publication by the Ministry of Magic. I have just sent the copy to Flourish and Blotts for publucation, so now all I have to do is wait for them to contact me.
     Now, how have you been? I wonder sometimes if being a professor at Hogwarts is as difficult and taxing as it sounds. I have confidence that you are getting along smoothly.
     However, if you ever need anyone to talk to, or need any Ministry or magical beast related favors, I'm your man. Anytime, I'll probably be here. (Except next week, of course, as I have a trip to Romania.) All you have to do is ask.
Sincerely,
Newt Scamander
*****
Dear Tina,
       I've recently finished my manuscript of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them! I suppose that means I'll be seeing you all sooner or later. Actually, I just sent the manuscript to be published, and I'm not exactly sure how long it will take, but it should be soon. I have a trip to Romania planned --to check up on some dragons I came to know when I studied them a year ago-- which I will leave for in two days. I will only stay three days, so by the time you read this I should be home.
      It took me three years to write, and right now I feel I'm at somewhat of a standstill. Maybe I'll spend a couple of weeks in America when I next visit. (I'd prefer if you told Mrs. Esposito about me so I don't have to muffle my footsteps with magic when I visit.)
     How is the project with Queenie coming? I sent her a copy of what I said in my dream, and I sincerely hope it helped.
Sincerely yours,
Newt Scamander
*****
     As he was cooking breakfast the next morning, an owl knocked on Newt's kitchen window. He let the owl in, took the letter from its leg, and fed it some bacon while he read:
      Dear Mr. Scamander,
    We are pleased to inform you that your book will be ready and published by three o'clock this afternoon.
    We look forward to seeing you this afernoon,
Leta Lestrange
Manager
Flourish and Blotts
       Newt choked on his bacon. "LETA LESTRANGE!? MANAGER OF FLOURISH AND BLOTTS?!?!?!?"
      The owl shrieked and flew across the room at his sudden outburst. It gazed at Newt reproachfully from the back of a kitchen chair as he paced back and forth, the letter crumpled in his hand.
"Leta Lestrange is going to hand me my first box of published books. The book I worked for three solid years on, the book I traveled the world to research for. Leta is going to give me the first box. I can't. . ." Newt muttered, and stopped. He gave the owl some more bacon, and sent his reply:
      All right. See you then.
--N. Scamander
    It seemed long enough to him. Whenever he saw her, he'd see if she had anything to say. Maybe she'd pretend to have forgotten him. That would be rich. If only the manager could have been anyone else. . .dread filled Newt's insides like lead as he thought of meeting Leta for the first time in years. They had ended their friendship (and their relationship) on a bitter note. He really didn't want to start all over again. . .but he was no longer young and naïve. There were so many people he knew who were better to him in a week than Leta had been in six years. He decided to pick up his books and leave without a conversation. That seemed safest, and after all, when had Newt ever done anything dangerous?
      So, when three o'clock rolled around, and the leaden feeling in his stomach was as heavy as ever, Newt Disapparated to London, in the alleyway beside the Leaky Couldron. Five minutes later, he was gathering his courage to walk into the bookstore. Newt stepped over the threshold.
      Just like the last time he visited, the place was full of books bound in everything from cardboard to dragon skin. A dusty smell hung in the air, mingling with the scent of drying ink and fresh parchment. A woman was stacking boxes on the counter with magic; a vaguely familiar woman with dark hair, skin, and eyes. She glanced in Newt's direction, and he had ti resist hiding behind a bookshelf.
Newt cleared his throat. "I've come to pick up my books."
"Oh," she said in a rather small voice. "All right."
"You remember me?" Newt couldn't help asking.
"Well, of course I do," Leta said uncomfortably. "You were my best friend."
"Well," Newt said coolly. "Times change. Is that box mine?"
"Y-yes," Leta said shakily. She was trying not to cry, just like she used to in school. . ."You get fifty copies of the first box, and we buy two hundred fifty from you. Each copy Flourish and Blotts buys from you costs seven Galleons."
"So, two hundred fifty times seven. . .1,750 Galleons?!" Newt asked incredulously, forgetting his cold manner.
"Yes," Leta smiled. "Oh, how I've missed that face of yours." She packed fifty copies into a smaller box with her wand and brought a few bags of coins from under the table.
"Um, thank you," Newt said awkwardly.
"Of course," Leta said. "You know, I never got to say thank you."
"What?" Newt asked, getting more and more confused as the conversation went on.
"I never said thank you," Leta said. "I never said thank you for taking the blame with the squid. You were expelled. . ."
"Yes, I was," Newt said quietly. "But I've still made the most of my life. Or at least, I've tried to. Have a good life." And he turned to leave. When he reached the door and put his hand on the doorknob when she called after him;
"Newt, wait! I'm sorry."
    Newt froze. He turned slowly to face her.
"Why?" He asked. "You haven't talked to me in ten years, let alone apologized, and you decide that now is the time for saying sorry?"
"Well, I was scared," Leta said quietly. "I didn't want to. . .well, I didn't want to. . ."
"Admit that I was right," Newt finished for her. "You never liked doing that."
"No! I mean. . ."she shook her head abruptly. "Look, I just missed you. I want to be friends again. Or maybe. . .get together again."
"Woah, what?" Newt's eyes widened.
"What do you say to lunch at the Leaky Couldron?" Leta said.
"No! Absolutely not," Newt said. "You think that after all you've put me through, you deserve a second chance?"
"I know it sounds mental--"
"Yes, it sounds mental! I found you in the halls snogging Damen Briant, when you claimed to be sick. You lied to me. You weren't faithful. You got me thrown out of Hogwarts. Why should I give you a second chance?"
"It's been ten years--"
"Exactly. Plenty of time for me to meet other people," Newt said coldly.
"Other people? You mean you've met someone?" Leta asked.
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I have," Newt said. "I've met the most wonderful, beautiful, strong witch in America, someone who has done more for me in a week than you have in a decade. In fact, I'll be visiting her in a fortnight or so to give her her copy of my book in person. So, Leta, thank you for publishing my book. Have a nice life."
     With a final glance at Leta, who looked dumbstruck, Newt walked swiftly out of Flourish and Blotts and towards Gringotts; he had a deposit to make.