The Boy Who Wanted to Live

Err... Hello, Professor

"So tell me, Harry," Dumbledore said with amusement, "why is it that Newt Scamander doesn't want me to know he kidnapped you?"

Harry coughed a little and tilted his head slightly, looking up at his professor with a little smile. 

"What makes you say that, Professor?" Harry asked. "I haven't been kidnapped at all. It was an agreement between my family and some close family friends for the summer. I told Professor Sprout that. You can ask her if you'd like to,"

"That won't be necessary, Harry," Dumbledore said, not unkindly. "In fact I'm not angry at all, just... curious," 

He turned to look at the nurse who was standing by her office and smiled. 

"You can let him out now," Dumbledore said with amusement. 

The old nurse turned and entered her office only to return a moment later dragging Newt Scamander by the ear. 

"Ow, ow, ow," he said, being pulled along, "Bloody hell, Poppy! You're mad woman!" 

She threw him angrily over to Harry's side making the large man trip and skid across the floor. 

"And that's for the bug-headed kipsies in third year!" she yelled before slamming her office door shut behind her, obviously peeved with the man being there.

Newt steadied himself and rubbed the back of his neck, looking up sheepishly at the old man sitting on the bed, and ignoring the sight of Harry. 

"Err... Hello, Professor," he said, "Mind telling me why you summoned me here?" 

Dumbledore shook his head with amusement and gestured at Harry. 

"You know Mr. Potter here, don't you?" he asked, watching the man closely. 

"Haven't had the pleasure," Newt said with a polite smile before turning to look at the startled boy and shaking his hand "Nice to meet your acquaintance, Mr. Potter," 

Dumbledore sighed softly in both annoyance and amusement. Newt looked Harry in the eyes and firmly shook the boys hand. Harry gasped softly when the man winked at him and smiled, realising it was just pretend. Newt pulled back from the boy and straightened his vest out. 

"Newt," Dumbledore said. 

"Now, Professor," Newt said, cutting him off, "I know what you are going to say and I swear to Merlin himself that I most CERTAINLY was NOT the one who put that squid in the lake. I swear to Merlin. You can give me one of those lie detector tests the muggles use. I'm not lying," 

"Newt," Dumbledore said a little annoyed.

"And I swear on the codex of magic that I was not the one who gave Hagrid that Acromantula egg in his first year. That was DEFINITELY NOT ME," Newt swung his arms in an 'X' formation at belly button level and winked at Harry who giggled. 

"Newt," Dumbledore said a little louder. 

"And as for the bud-headed Kipsies I have NO idea what Poppy was talking about, swear to Merlin,"

"NEWT!" Dumbledore said, trying to hide a smile, "sit down, please."

Newt smiled and sat down on the bed, his hand just barely touching Harry's leg. Harry's eyes flicked to the appendage and then back at dumbledore. 

"Why did you take Harry from his muggle relatives?" He asked, cutting straight to the point. 

"I didn't," Newt said bluntly. 

"Harry?" Dumbledore asked. 

"He didn't," Harry said, looking straight into Dumbledore's eyes.