The Lion and the Eagle {Huna}

Chapter 17

Newt Scamander sat in a small, cramped room filled with everything and, at the same time, nothing. Though the circular room was jam-packed with books stuffed into shelves and haphazardly piled on the dusty floor; paintings and pictures covering almost every inch of pale cream wallpaper; loose sheets of paper on every surface and the most extraordinary machine clanging and clattering in the corner furthest from the man. 

Despite the number of material items in the room, the air was heavy will grief and sorrow. Newt was inspecting a bright and colourful painting of a smiling Xenophilius and a vacantly happy Luna when the former entered the room.

The Xenophilius before Newt Scamander was unrecognisable to the smiling, happy man in the picture. The man's long white hair fell into gaunt eyes filled with pain, his mouth was pursed into a thin line and he had lost large amounts of weight since the news of his daughter's abduction. 

"Tea?" He rasped, holding out a silver trey supporting a teapot and two cups. Newt accepted the offer and watched the weak looking liquid being poured into the cup before several black lumps of sodden tea followed. 

"Thank you," Newt said, smiling and reaching out a veined hand to take the drink. "Any news of Luna?" He asked in a quaking voice, nudging a small, curious grass snake named Po away from the tea. 

"None," the single word seemed to sap even more of the man's energy. Even though Xenophilius must be only in his forties, he looked as old as Newt himself (who was proud to have claimed 100 years of age several years previously). 

"She'll be ok," Newt reassured, "She's a smart girl." He sipped the tea and lowered it, not stopping Po from flicking his tongue over the liquid too. The snake showed obvious disgust and slithered back up Newt's arm and curled up inside his pocket.

Xenophilius set down the trey on a desk overflowing with papers and poured himself a cup, "She's been missing almost a month now." He said, worriedly sipping the weak tea. "And no one has seen hide nor hair of her!" 

Newt looked thoughtfully at his friend, gently turned the teacup around and around in his hands. "What is being done to find her?" He asked, curiously. 

"Everything possible! Harry Potter, the Harry Potter, is looking for her apparently they were 'dating'" Xenophilius marked quotations marks in the air, "And he has lots of friends in high places: Hermione Granger, Kingsley Shacklebolt..." Xenophilius began to list people, counting on his fingers. "I've also printed it in the recent articles of the Quibbler, I thought my readers might know but..." He trailed off, the animation that had flared briefly in him ebbing away again. "But she's just gone."

"Where can I find Harry Potter?" Asked Newt, smiling kindly at his friend, "I too have friends and I am going to try my best to find Luna." 

"Really? You'd do that for me?" Asked Xenophilius, looked hopeful for the first time in weeks. 

Newt smiled benignly, "Of course I would Xeno, you are a great friend of mine as was your father and your daughter. I will do all in my power to find her." He took another sip of tea, "And we will find her, Xeno, I promise you that."

Xenophilius smiled and tears pricked his eyes, "Thank you, Newt, thank you so much."

"Until then, where can I find Harry Potter? We will be stronger together and I have always wanted to meet the boy," 

"I don't know," Xenophilius said, obviously only just realising this for the first time. "But it would be easy to find out, I'm sure."

"I'll send him an owl," Newt decided, peering into his breast pocket to see what had become of Po, "Until then, more tea." He smiled and poured another cup of the weak brew.