Dorset, a red-roofed cottage near the coast.
"Who's here, Newt?" Tina called out, holding a baking tray. She turned at the sound of footsteps and spotted Adam trailing behind Newt. Her hands trembled slightly, causing the tray to slip onto the table, the cupcakes on it slightly squashed.
"Hello, Mrs. Tina. I'm Newt's new apprentice," Adam said politely, giving her a respectful nod.
The elderly woman in the apron had a gentle air about her. Time had etched a few wrinkles on her face, but you could still see traces of the beauty she must have been in her youth. Standing next to Newt, it was clear the old couple was a perfect match.
Tina studied the young wizard in surprise, then glanced at Newt, ignoring the scattered cupcakes on the table. "Sorry, dear, I'm just a bit shocked. I never imagined Newt would take on an apprentice."
It wasn't hard to see why she was so stunned. Ever since they settled in Dorset, Newt's social anxiety had only gotten worse. He was never much of a talker to begin with, and the sparse population here—only a handful of wizarding families nearby—didn't help. Newt spent most of his time holed up in his suitcase, studying his magical creatures.
Once, when Tina visited her sister in America, she returned to find Newt hadn't spoken a word in over two weeks. He'd even forgotten how to pronounce some everyday words. After that, she made a rule: Newt had to go with her to see an opera every week, or his social anxiety might spiral into outright fear of strangers.
"It was Professor Dumbledore's suggestion, so I…" Newt began, still searching for the right words.
But Tina was already pulling Adam to the table, eagerly setting a fresh batch of cupcakes in front of him and even preparing a small bowl of dried fish for Amy, his cat.
When she learned Adam had grown up in an orphanage, performing magic tricks to help support it, her eyes welled with pity. "Dear, from now on, think of this place as your home. You can call me Grandma Tina."
"I've got a grandson, Rolf, though he's a bit older than you. He's studying at Ilvermorny in America with his parents…"
Tina chatted away, piling food onto Adam's plate during dinner, even giving him Newt's favorite grapefruit biscuits. Her heartfelt warmth and kindness were almost overwhelming for Adam.
When he learned his room was on the second floor, he quickly excused himself to unpack the things he'd bought from Diagon Alley. Tina watched as Adam scampered upstairs, his short legs moving fast, with Amy the cat gracefully keeping pace beside him. Her eyes flickered with emotion.
"I can't imagine it. He's about Rolf's age, yet he's been through so much. If it was Rolf stumbling into that forest, facing those dark wizards…" Tina's voice trembled.
Newt stood and wrapped his arms around her, comforting her softly. "Don't worry. That silly boy Rolf would go weak at the knees at the sight of a dragon. Remember the last time he got into the suitcase? You had to carry him out."
"You're still terrible at comforting people. That just makes me feel worse," Tina said, pressing her lips together as she glanced at the extra place setting at the table.
The cutlery sat neatly beside an empty plate. The few biscuits Newt usually savored were gone, and Amy's bowl was licked clean.
"No one chooses their life, but he's only eleven. He shouldn't have to step into the adult world so soon. He must have suffered so much out there, yet he's still so optimistic and kind," Tina said softly. "If Credence had been like him back then, maybe things would've turned out differently…"
She let out a deep sigh, burying her memories and sorrow in Newt's embrace.
…
Adam pushed open the door to his room. It was small but cozy, meticulously clean. A few potted flowers sat on the windowsill, offering a view of the distant coastline and a glowing lighthouse.
Amy, with her dainty cat steps, was already inspecting her new territory. She leapt gracefully onto the oak cabinet by the bed, stretched, tucked her paws under, and blinked her sapphire eyes at Adam as he unpacked his things. Time slipped by quietly.
As the moon rose, the world hushed. Adam, flipping through Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1, stood and stretched, absentmindedly petting the now-sleeping Amy.
Under the silvery moonlight, everything began to blur. Cracks appeared in the fabric of space, and a growing sense of weightlessness enveloped him. The figure sitting in the moonlight vanished.
Amy, alone by the desk, licked her fur calmly, unfazed by the scene.
A warm breeze rustled through the flowers, pink and white hydrangeas swaying gently. Adam bent down, scooping up a handful of soil from "the other side," damp and carrying the scent of grass after rain.
A butterfly with vibrant, camouflaged wings fluttered curiously around him before landing on his arm. No matter the season in the other world, every time Adam crossed the boundary of life and death, he arrived to this vibrant, living scene.
Was this truly the world of the dead?
"Adam! You're back!" a clear, girlish voice called from behind.
He turned to see a girl in a pale blue dress stepping out of the woods, a small wicker basket in hand filled with carefully picked flowers and unfamiliar fruits. She looked like a fairy emerging from the forest.
"Why are you picking stuff off the ground to eat again? And no, butterflies aren't food either. Lady Elena told me to keep an eye on you and stop you from doing silly things," Ariana said.
Adam's face darkened, and he huffed, "I was just checking where I am. I wasn't going to eat anything."
"And for the record, the only reason I passed out that one time was because I tried to pick fruit from a tree and got attacked by some random creature. That's it!"
Ariana giggled, her bangs swaying as she laughed, a stark contrast to the scowl on Adam's face.
"I saw your brother this time," Adam said suddenly.
Ariana's smile froze. The basket slipped from her hands, hitting the ground. She frantically looked Adam over, reaching to check his forehead.
Adam gently swatted her hand away. "I'm not dead, and I'm not sick either."
"Then how did you…" Ariana's eyes were filled with worry. She touched his forehead again, only relaxing slightly when she felt no fever.
"Forget that. I brought you something—your brother's photo," Adam said, pulling out an emerald-green envelope and a bag stuffed with sweets.
Ariana curiously opened the letter, her eyes glazing over with emotion.
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorcerer, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards)
Dear Miss Ariana,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress
She clutched the letter tightly, her tearful eyes lifting after a long moment. "Thank you…" she whispered, her voice trembling.
The moment of emotion didn't last long. Her expression shifted to exasperation as she watched Adam tear into the candy wrappers. A Chocolate Frog even leapt onto her arm.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Looking for your brother's picture! Ugh, why is it always this guy?" Adam grumbled, stubbornly opening the last few Chocolate Frogs. The cards spilled onto the ground, all identical.
"Tch, this handwriting is awful. I'm pretty sure the Book of Admittance and the Quill of Acceptance at Hogwarts wouldn't write this badly," Adam said, eyeing a card.
Ariana's hand trembled as she held a Chocolate Frog card. "The portrait's talking?!"
"No, someone's playing tricks," Adam replied. Before he finished, he flicked his wand from his sleeve, firing a spell at the empty air beside Ariana.
"*Reducto!*"
"Quick reaction, but your magic's too scattered," a voice said.
A figure stepped out from the shade of the trees, casually stopping the white-glowing spell midair. It dissolved into sparkling light and faded away.
The young man wore reddish-brown armor, a sword studded with rubies strapped to his back. His fiery red hair blazed like a flame in the sunlight, his face lit with a carefree grin.
Ariana stared, dumbfounded, glancing between the Chocolate Frog card and the man before her. "You look so much younger than in the picture…"
"That's me when I got old. Still think they made me look uglier than I was," he said with a laugh.
The card gleamed in the sunlight, a line of text describing the figure's life: Godric Gryffindor, legendary wizard, one of the founders of Hogwarts, the greatest duelist of his era…
He turned to Adam, who stood silently, his eyes sparking with curiosity as he studied the boy. "Bravery and boldness, a hunger for glory and power, a thirst for knowledge, and a deep value for friendship… Which house are you in, kid?"
Adam, scowling, scooped up the pile of wrappers from the ground and shouted, "Pay me back for my Chocolate Frogs!"