Chapter 1
Newt rushed through knockturn alley trying to locate an illegal trader of Class A non-tradable goods. Specifically an acromantula egg. The man in question had continued to worm his way out of Newt’s hands.
He had only just returned from his one year trip around the world. Upon traveling he discovered that acromantula had become severely in danger of extinction with only a couple dozen colonies left in the wild. The fact that the venom was very valuable for potions didn’t help.
“Bugger.” Newt muttered as he heard the crack of someone disapperating. The man seemed to have escaped again. Newt was becoming increasingly annoyed with his antics.
Defeated, Newt turned a corner and entered an empty part of the alley, or so he thought. As he continued to walk he noticed a small shivering bundle at the very end of the alley. Thinking it might be a creature in need of help Newt walked closer.
He edged nearer and realized that it wasn’t a creature but a small boy curled up on the pavement.
Newt looked at the boy in front of him. He couldn’t be older than 5. Even though he was clearly human, there was something about him that wasn’t right. Newt could feel it. The boy curled up into an even tighter ball. Newt realized he had been staring at him the entire time.
Newt crouched next to him and tried to look at him in the eyes. The boy hid further in his small cocoon and let his fringe cover his eyes.
“Do you need help? I’m not here to hurt you.” He said quietly.
A small sound escaped from him.
“S-Sorry?”
“Don’t… don’t take me back.” The boy whispered.
“I won’t take you back. I only want to help.” Newt lowered his voice as well so as not to frighten the child. “Are you alright?”
The kid shook his head fearfully, his hair flopped around. Newt managed to catch a look at his eyes. They were a mix between a honey and mossy green colour. Those eyes were currently filled with fear.
Pickett chose this moment to make himself known. With a high pitched chirp, he came out of his pocket and crawled on his arm to observe the new creature. This seemed to have sparked the kid’s curiosity. He lifted his head a tiny bit to observe the twig on Newt’s sleeve.
“His name is Pickett.” He said, “Would you like to hold him?”
The boy shrank in again but didn’t look away and nodded shyly. Newt lowered Pickett on the kid’s hand and watched as the kid’s eyes filled with childhood wonder instead of hidden pain.
Pickett chirped and the boy broke into a small tentative smile. “My name is Remus.” He said to Pickett. Pickett climbed up Remus’s arm and nestled in the tangled mess of curls on his head that somewhat resembled Newt’s own.
“Remus.” Newt broke the silence. “It’s Remus right?”
Remus nodded.
“Do you have anywhere to go?” Newt asked softly.
Remus shook his head.
“What about your parents ?” Newt was aware of the insensitive question but he needed to know if Remus had anyone to take care of him.
Remus shook his head again.
Newt wasn’t sure what the lack of an answer meant. He didn’t want to leave the kid in the streets but he also didn’t know if there would people looking for him. He decided to take him in for a while, after all, knockturn alley was no place for a child to be alone.
Perhaps he could ask Dumbledore for help.
Newt shifted a bit. His legs were sore from crouching for so long. “Remus, would you like to come with me?”
Remus hesitated.
“I promise I won’t hurt you.”
Remus nodded. Newt held out a hand and helped Remus up. He noticed the thin scars crisscrossing on them. Upon looking closer, he saw more of them on his arms and neck. He was sure that they also continued on the rest of his body.
Newt’s heart clenched uncomfortably at the sight of it. He didn’t say anything and took Remus back to his place.
***
Newt was becoming increasingly worried. Remus hadn’t said a word since they had arrived. Newt had lead him to the guest bedroom where he would be staying.
He had also shrunk some of his own clothes for the time being and urged him to take a shower and change out of the dirty rags he was wearing before. Remus was wearing his old Hufflepuff jumper (that needed no shrinking) over a clean shirt and pants.
He had also warned him to stay out of the basement and some of the rooms upstairs. He wasn’t very experienced in taking care of kids but he was pretty sure that letting them into a gigantic room of magical and potentially dangerous (only when provoked) creatures was not on the list.
The kid had taken the armchair and was currently staring at Newt as he desperately tried to organize the place a bit. The large solemn amber orbs held a matureness that children shouldn’t have to be burdened with.
The constant silence was starting to get to him now. Having run out of things to do, he awkwardly paced around a bit. He was itching to go check up on his animals but he didn’t want to leave Remus alone.
“W-What’s your name, sir?” Remus finally spoke up scaring the living daylights out of him. Newt belatedly realized that he hadn’t introduced himself yet. He cursed himself. Perhaps he wasn’t the best to look after the kid. After all, he could be reckless and spontaneous at times.
“Newt Scamander and you are?” Newt cursed again in his head. Living 24/7 with a bunch of magical beasts had not been beneficial to his practically non existent social skills. It’s just a kid. Get a hold of yourself.
“Remus Lupin, sir.” Remus answered politely. He didn’t seem to be mocking him at all. Perhaps the kid was just as socially inept as he was.
Newt’s eyes darted around once more and decided to leave the kid in the living room while he did a quick check up. Remus seemed well behaved enough.
“I’m going down to the basement. Don’t follow me down. Just… stay up here.” Newt said and closed the basement door behind him. While making his rounds he realized that Pickett was still with Remus. He hoped that the bow truckle hadn’t become too attached with the child.
Newt rushed through his rounds faster than he had ever before.
“I’m sorry, but I’ve taken in a child. No Dougal it’s not like that. His name is Remus, I found him abandoned in Knockturn alley. I coudn’t just leave him there.”
He finished up with cleaning and feeding the animals. A flash of something gold caught his eye. Teddy, his niffler, was pocketing another coin. Newt was sure he would be up to some trouble.
“Teddy, now you behave. The poor boy doesn’t need to be terrorized anymore.” He warned the niffler. After one last look around he rushed back up. If he had been less in a hurry he would have realized that he forgot to lock the door behind him.
***
Remus watched Mr Scamander leave and close the door. He had so many questions racing in his mind. Who was this man? Why did he take him in? Was he going to harm him? What was in the basement? Remus thought that Mr Scamander was a very peculiar man.
He climbed off the arm chair and quietly explored the place for a bit. He was particularly interested in the hundreds of books on his bookshelves. A small spark of joy ignited in him when he found a book titled The Tales of Beetle the Bard. He wasn’t sure where he’d seen it before but it was very familiar.
The dark purple cover with the gold words embossed on it was mesmerizing. He reached out to take it before stopping. Mr. Scamander wouldn’t want him taking it. He wasn’t allowed to touch things that weren’t his. He looked at the book sadly. Maybe he could ask him?
Steps leading from the basement got closer and Mr. Scamander came up in a mess. His clothes were stained and he was covered with mud. Remus stared at him. He pulled out his wand and cleaned himself off. Mr. Scamander looked around frantically before realizing that Remus was standing quietly next to his bookshelf.
“What are you reading?” He asked trying to small talk.
“I can read them?” Remus asked astonished. Mr. Scamander seemed taken aback.
“W-Why shouldn’t you?”
Remus didn’t respond and slowly pulled the book off the shelf and took in the front cover. He opened it slowly and felt the soft white pages. He watched as the pictures moved and formed stories.
“Thank you Mr. Scamander.” He whispered softly. A small tiny spark of hope and warmth flickered in him. He sat down next to the bookshelf and slowly began reading the tales. He vaguely heard Mr. Scamander say something but he was already completely enamoured with the book.
***
“Would you like to sit somewhere more comfortable…” Newt trailed off. He watched as Remus immersed into the book. He watched as his outer shield melted off and instead revealed the frail little boy who had been through unimaginable things.
Once again was the unfamiliar squeezing in his chest. He left him to be alone for a while before starting up dinner.
Dinner itself was equally awkward. Remus seemed to have the appetite of a baby niffler. Remus kept his head bowed down and ate slowly. He ate so little that Newt became worried. It explained why he was so thin.
Dinner ended up being in complete silence. As Newt cleared the dishes and prepared to wash them with magic, Remus returned back to his book.
Newt wondered how long it would take for Remus to open up. Surely, 5 year olds weren’t supposed to be this quiet and polite. They certainly weren’t supposed to be sitting on the streets with no where to go.
Newt cleared away everything and decided to work on his manuscript for a bit. He was just about to sit down when he heard Remus talking. Or rather, talking to Pickett.
He had forgotten Pickett was still with Remus. Quietly, Newt listened to their conversation.
“Hello Pickett.” Remus was saying softly. After a few chirps, Remus talked again.
“It’s a book on fairytales. It’s quite interesting.”
Chirrup. Chirp.
It seems like the two of them rather communicated well with animals than humans. Newt thought dryly. He continued to observe their interaction. Pickett seemed very content with the new person as he was with Newt himself.
Newt looked on fondly. He absentmindedly blew on his tea while he continued to watch the little boy chatter as if no one was there.
“No, trolls live in mountains, and forests.”
Chirp. Chirp.
“Actually they live in rivers too.” Newt cut in without noticing. He couldn’t help but correct the statement. He curled his fingers around his mug of tea.
Remus looked at him strangely. There was a hint of fear hidden in his features. He didn’t say anything and continued to read. Remus fell silent. He no longer conversed with Pickett, leaving the little bowtruckle to climb back into his hair. He seemed to retreat back into his metaphorical shell.
Newt wondered what he had done wrong. He ruffled his hair, confused. Perhaps he wasn’t the best person to take a child in. He KNEW he wasn’t the best person to take a child in.
After a couple more hours in silence Newt noticed that the child was becoming noticeably sleepy. Remus’s eyes drooped and he struggled to keep his head up. He was rubbing his eyes furiously.
Newt tidied the space a bit and decided it was time to turn in. He looked at Remus.
“Erm- Shall we head up for sleep?” He asked awkwardly. His voice seemed too loud in the quiet house.
Remus nodded and slowly got up. He carefully placed the book back in its spot on the bookshelf and followed Newt upstairs.
“Don’t touch that room either, or that one.” Newt pointed to two doors on the second floor. The one where he had transformed into two special habitats for specific animals. Although one of them was empty as he had recently released the Common Welsh dragon back into the wild (Theseus had given him an earful.), he hadn’t gotten the chance to clean it out yet.
“Bathroom is over there.” Newt pointed to another door. “My bedroom is that one - if you need me.”
Remus nodded again and left towards the guest room. He closed the door behind him with a click.
Newt stood in the hallway uneasily as he pondered what to do next. He didn’t have to think long as an owl tapped at the window at the end of the hallway. Newt went over and let the owl in. It was an owl from Hogwarts.
He quickly untied the letter to find it to be addressed to him from Albus Dumbledore.
Dear Newt,
I have insight on a trafficked creature who needs rescuing.
Meet me tomorrow morning at the Three Broomsticks.
P.S. Bring Remus.
Newt sighed and pocketed the letter. Of course Albus knew.