Chapter 2
Remus woke up in the middle of the night to a huge storm in his room. Quite literally. Rain pelted at him and objects flew haphazardly around. He panicked not knowing where he was. His head throbbed and his breath was coming in short pants. Whimpering, he recalled what he had been dreaming of.
“Disgusting half breed! Ought to be killed I tell you!”
“Mummy’s so sorry…Mummy has to go.”
The pain, the blood, the claws that had teared his skin.
With a gasping breath he resurfaced. Wiping at the tears that had gathered in his eyes, he looked around. Memories of the day before flooded into his mind.
Mr. Scamander.
He looked at the now ruined guest room. He was sure to be punished. He had to hide.
With a burst of adrenaline, Remus ran out of the room and down the stairs. In his hurry to run away, he didn’t see the little badger like creature run across the hallway and he tripped over it. Coins spewed all over the floor. Curious to where they came from, Remus observed the animal picking them up and shoving them into its from pouch.
Not a badger then. Remus was sure they didn’t have pouches.
The little pouched badger proceeded to run through a small crack between an open door and the doorframe. Childlike curiosity overtook him and Remus followed. He carefully opened the door and went inside the room and down another flight of stairs.
He was surprised at the vastness of it. The inside was huge, with different types of terrains and such. The next thing Remus noticed was the animals. There were so many types of creatures that he had never seen before. Forgetting about his previous troubles, Remus started to explore the place. Funnily enough, the creatures all seemed to be mostly docile as he went up to pet some of them.
Maybe they are trained animals. Remus thought.
Out of the corner of his eye he noticed the little badger from earlier. Its area was decked in gold and other shiny materials. Remus giggled as the badger continued to stuff more things into its pouch.
He saw a small pail next to a worktable labeled Hippogriff feed. Remus peered into it and found several dead ferrets in it. He continued to look around the worktable. Notes in a loopy handwriting were spread all over, many of them including drawings.
Suddenly a small round custard coloured ball of fluff came bounding across the table towards him. More little custard puffs came rolling after it. Remus laughed again. He noticed that one of them had a small tuft of turquoise near the top of its head. He held his hand out and watched as the little creature leapt onto his hand. Giggling he carried the fluffy animal with him as he continued to explore the magical place.
Remus then came across an enclosure labeled Hippogriffs. His eyes lit up as he remembered the hippogriff feed from before. Running back to the worktable, he grabbed the pail and pushed open the fence into the hippogriff habitat. After walking down a narrow path through some trees, he entered a small secluded clearing. There were three hippogriffs there. Remus thought they looked rather like a cross between an eagle and a horse.
Feeling intimidated by the majestic creatures, Remus looked at them and bent down to place the bucket of ferrets a couple meters in front of them. He then backed up and observed them. The largest one, a hippogriff with grey and black feathers approached him and screeched. Remus was getting ready to flee when it bowed down to him. Feeling surprised and unnerved, Remus bowed back.
“Hello.” Remus whispered. “My name is Remus.” He slowly brought his hand up and petted the soft feathers on the creature. In his other hand, the custard fluff-ball squeaked. Remus raised his hand up for the hippogriff to see.
“I found it at the table in the front. It’s the only one with a different colour.” Remus said. The little custard ball cowered in his hand. The hippogriff seemed to eye it hungrily. Remus quickly brought the fluff-ball down.
“There’s food for you and the others over there.” Remus pointed to the tin pail.
Remus smiled happily as he watched the hippogriffs eat. He liked them a lot. He wondered why he hadn’t seen them before. Come to think of it, Remus had never seen any of the creatures here before. Maybe he could ask Mr. Scamander.
A flash of panic seized him. He remembered the wrecked room upstairs. Too tired to run anywhere else, he walked up to the hippogriffs.
“You think I could hide with you guys?” He asked. Mr. Scamander surely wouldn’t find him here. There were other areas and places to go. Mr. Scamander would probably think he left the house. Remus smiled, it was like the reverse psychology he read about once in a book.
He curled up next to the foot of the first hippogriff and slowly fell asleep. There was a rustling and the hippogriff laid down as well.
He would think of a way to escape in the morning. For now, Remus fell asleep to the heartbeat of the hippogriff and the sound of wind blowing through the trees.
***
Newt woke up early in the morning and got dressed for the day. He hadn’t slept much after being awoken by the thunderstorm last night. Yawning, he half-heartedly combed his unruly hair and went out into the hallway.
Realizing the guest room’s door was already open, he assumed Remus had already woken up. Newt peered into the room looking for him.
The place was a wreck. The carpet, bed and every other surface was sopping wet. Objects and furniture looked as it they were thrown across the room. It looked as it a hurricane had passed through the area.
Wait.
Newt frowned as he tried to recall his bouts of accidental magic as a child. He had started exhibiting magic around the age of 5 but nothing as large as causing storms ever happened. In fact, accidental magic wasn’t supposed to be so destructive.
He briefly thought back to the little Sudanese child. Perhaps he was an obscurial? Yet, there was no trace of any dark magic. It seemed to be more of a result of inner turmoil. Newt thought to himself.
Looking around, he realized that Remus wasn’t in the room at all. Newt raced down the stairs in a flurry.
“Remus?” He called. Had he left the house?
Newt looked around frantically. “Remus!”
He turned around and spotted the open basement door. His blood turned cold.
No no no no no.
Cursing at himself he threw the door wide open and went down stairs two steps at a time. He rushed through the place searching for him.
“Remus?!”
Remus would be in serious danger if he had gotten into close contact with several of the creatures. Not to mention many of them gave nasty bites with different side effects. And he was only a kid.
Taking in deep breaths, Newt forced himself to think. He should probably start by checking the enclosures of the most dangerous beasts. He mentally made a list in his mind, muttering under his breath. “Kelpie, Nundu is in the suitcase thank merlin, Graphorns, Erumpent, and Hippogriffs… ”
Newts brow furrowed as he thought of something. “Teddy!” He yelled, coming to a realization. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of it sooner. The little niffler could help track Remus.
He scrambled to the nifflers cage and opened it. He gently lift Teddy down and whispered to him. “Help me track Remus. There should be a new smell.”
The niffler sniffed around and Newt followed him closely. The two of them passed the kelpie enclosure and Newt let out a small sigh of relief. At least Remus hadn’t drowned.
At last, the niffler stopped at the gate of the Hippogriffs habitat. Newt felt like vomiting. Hippogriffs could be very proud and territorial.
“Are you sure Teddy?”
The niffler sniffed and nodded.
“Bugger.”
Newt pushed open the gate and walked down the trail. His heart thumped in his chest. He was afraid of what he might see. He kept quiet so as not to startle the hippogriffs.
As he turned past another twist in the road searching for Remus. He spotted a lump up ahead and he ran forward towards it. The hippogriffs must be asleep. He thought.
He walked closer and realized that Remus was in the middle of the hippogriffs sleep pile. If he didn’t know any better he would think that they looked like they were protecting him.
Newt was unnerved. How did Remus manage to not upset them? Newt had found the three hippogriffs being sold at an auction, because of this, they could be quite frisky sometimes. The captors were keeping them in chains and beating them.
Newt approached them quietly. The largest one, Maximus , stirred. He must have sensed Newt coming and he unfurled his wings and stood up. Remus rolled over in his sleep. Newt froze. If Maximus stepped back, he will have squished Remus.
Newt noted that there was an empty overturned bucket of dead ferrets. He looked back at Maximus. He slowly walked forward and picked up a dead ferret.
“Come on, come get the ferret.” Newt said softly. He shook the ferret a bit. Maximus sniffed it and walked towards him. Newt backed up a couple feet and slowly began to lure Maximus away from Remus. The other two hippogriffs snorted but continued to sleep.
Newt tossed the ferret away from him and Maximus went to fetch it to eat. With Maximus’ attention diverted, he quickly ran to Remus and scooped him up. He ran the other way, back up the trail and out of the hippogriffs enclosure. He set him down on the ground.
Through the whole commotion, Remus had woken up. With the worst already passed, Newt couldn’t help but get angry.
“What were you thinking? I told you to stay away from the basement.” He hissed.
Remus bowed his head down and put his hand out. Newt couldn’t see, but his eyes filled with unshed tears. Newt looked at the out stretched hand in confusion.
“Sorry - erm. Why are you…?” Newt gestured to his hand.
Remus looked up at him, his fringe falling messily into his eyes.
“Aren’t you going to punish me?” He whispered as he trembled.
Immediately all the previous anger he had felt left him like letting the air out of a hot air balloon. Newt looked at him incredulously.
“Why would I punish you?”
“B-Because I made a mess in the bedroom. A-and I went into the basement.” Remus’ lip wobbled. “I didn’t mean to! I’m s-sorry sir.”
Tears were falling fast now and Remus furiously wiped his eyes. Newt looked around a bit uncomfortably. He stayed still for a couple more moments before he made his move.
“Remus, none of this is you fault.” He said slowly.
“B-but it is…” Remus murmured. “I’m really really sorry! I p-promise Mr. Scamander.”
“Hey, it’s alright.” Newt said soothingly. He crouched down so he was at his eye level. “Accidental magic happens to all witches and wizards.”
“Not all of them destroy entire rooms with their magic.” Remus said sullenly. “I’m a freak.”
The previous anger had returned. Only this time it was directed to whoever told this little boy that he was a freak and made him feel as if he needed to hide.
“Remus, you are not a freak.” Newt said fiercely. “Everyone is different but that doesn’t mean you are inferior to anyone else.”
Remus looked up tearfully. “But I am.” He whispered.
Newt thought for a moment. He shifted and held his hand out.
“Pickett.” He called.
Remus looked startled. The little bowtruckle emerged from Remus’ tangle of curls. Pickett dropped down from Remus’ head and onto Newt’s hand.
“Pickett.” Newt greeted. “Morning.”
The bowtruckle jumped up and down with a series of elated chirps. Remus stared at it in wonder. Newt pocketed Pickett and stood up.
“Bowtruckles are very sensitive and have complex social lives you see. They are also very protective of their trees. Pickett wouldn’t have become attached to you if he didn’t like you Remus.” Newt explained in detail.
Remus looked at his feet. Newt sensed that he wouldn’t be able to de-tangle the many insecurities in one morning. He held his hand out again for Remus to hold.
“Come with me. We have a meeting with Albus Dumbledore to attend.”
“W-will he take me back?” Remus took his hand hesitantly.
“No, he just wants to- actually I’m not quite sure. Albus can be very evasive at times. Something about a trafficked creature.” Newt grabbed his wand and prepared to apparate. He looked down at Remus.
“You don’t get motion sick do you?”
Remus shook his head. Months of transforming meant that he was immune to the nausea caused by little things such as motion sickness.
With a flick, Newt imagined the small, quaint, village of Hogsmeade.