"The power of the gods…"
"That's it?"
Amy, the cat, sprawled on the nightstand, tilted her head and eyed the human curiously.
A brass cauldron sat before Adam, infused to the brim with magic. A faint blue glow flickered in his eyes, and with a sudden burst of effort, he pressed his fingers against it.
Not a single scratch appeared on the cauldron's surface.
Ignoring Amy's skeptical stare, Adam pushed open the window. The cool summer night breeze brushed his face, carrying a refreshing chill that made him feel a bit drowsy.
In the distance, the sound of waves lapped faintly, mingled with the occasional hoot of a night owl. The moon shone brightly, stars sparse, and the world was quiet.
Magic flowed silently within him, resonating with the starry sky above. Maybe this was the legendary "getting stronger just by sleeping"?
Adam pulled out a small black notebook, studying the lines copied from ancient parchment. He memorized them, forming a three-dimensional map in his mind.
He couldn't help but marvel. The goblins had built a massive underground war fortress.
According to Gryffindor's accounts, Gringotts was born from the remnants of the goblin rebellions. King Ragnuk I had once used it as his palace.
And Adam's suspicions were spot-on: even after their era, the goblins harbored resentment. He flipped open a nearby History of Magic.
It detailed several goblin rebellions in the 17th and 18th centuries.
In 1612, the goblins nearly overthrew the Ministry of Magic, forcing the surviving wizards to hide in Hogsmeade, using a tavern as a secret command post.
Adam strongly suspected that Gringotts, the goblins' stronghold for over a millennium, was secretly backing those rebellions.
After all, Gringotts' underground vaults, which made up less than thirty percent of the map, were just a front. The rest was likely fortified with impenetrable defenses.
"Even in the Otherworld, they don't give me a break. Always throwing me these impossible challenges…" Adam muttered, rubbing his throbbing temples.
He pulled out An Introduction to Alchemy. He had to take this seriously.
The goblins' greatest historical feats were in metallurgy and forging, deeply tied to alchemy.
A thousand years after Gryffindor's time, who knew what new alchemical traps might lurk in those hidden chambers and passageways?
But halfway through, something felt off. He flipped to the last page.
Published in 1792. His mouth twitched.
No wonder the shopkeeper had been so eager when he noticed Adam lingering on the cover, practically giving it away at a loss.
Hogwarts didn't offer alchemy courses, and anyone skilled in it wouldn't bother with an introductory book.
This one had probably sat on the shelf longer than he'd imagined, maybe outlasting generations of shopkeepers.
…
Meanwhile, Newt, who hadn't slept all night and had just downed a vial of Wideye Potion, set down How to Talk to Students with a confident smile.
At the breakfast table, he grabbed a grapefruit biscuit, ready to deliver the opening speech he'd rehearsed all night.
But Adam's casual remark sent his brain crashing.
"Professor Newt, do we have any books on alchemy?"
After a flustered explanation, complete with wild gestures, Newt watched Adam's disappointed expression.
That sad little look, paired with the regretful way he poked at his grilled fish with a fork, made Newt feel a pang of helplessness.
As a master Magizoologist, Newt's collection included nearly every book on magical creatures, even rare manuscripts and one-of-a-kind tomes.
But alchemy books? That was asking a bit much…
What now? How to Talk to Students didn't cover this!
Thankfully, Tina, bringing out a final plate of bacon, came to his rescue.
"Little Adam, maybe you should take Amy for a walk in the suitcase. The upstairs room might be too small for her—I saw her wandering the garden this morning."
"Alright, Grandma Tina," Adam replied obediently, polishing off the mountain of food Tina had piled on his plate.
He followed a slightly glum Newt into the enchanted suitcase.
Despite mentally preparing for its vastness, Adam was still stunned by the sight.
A lush forest stretched before him, trees towering high. A stream wound through the gently sloping terrain, feeding into a wide lake that shimmered under the breeze, its waves sounding like the sea.
Even with his magically enhanced vision, he could barely make out the misty reeds on the lake's far shore.
In the distance, a solitary peak loomed, its upper half blanketed in snow. Melting snowmelt fed the lake below.
And this was just a fraction of the suitcase's world. Newt described wetlands, deserts, and gobis beyond.
"Professor, I want to learn this!" Adam's eyes lit up.
Newt grinned with relief. That's more like it. Forget alchemy—studying magical creatures was the way to go.
He'd successfully steered his young apprentice back from the wrong path.
As Newt pondered which creature to show Adam first, a piercing dragon's roar echoed from the sky.
Amy, who'd been frolicking in the woods, instantly appeared at Adam's side, hissing toward the sound.
"Nomi, looks like you're doing well here," Adam said, recognizing the dragon who called herself Nomi. She landed lazily on the clearing by the lake, nuzzling his arm.
"This Opaleye seems to really like you. I've fed her several times, and she still…" Newt trailed off as Nomi's gentle flame forced his outstretched hand back.
"That's a dragon's most obvious power—dragonfire and high-speed flight. These proud creatures are found worldwide, with many breeds," Newt explained.
"They're among the most dangerous magical creatures, nearly impossible to tame. Successful cases of dragon taming over centuries can be counted on one hand."
"But Nomi said she used to live in a dragon sanctuary in Romania," Adam pointed out.
Newt shook his head. "Keeping hundreds of dragons in one area is no small feat, but that's not taming."
"In fact, true dragon tamers vanished over a century ago."
"The Vikings, once famed for riding dragons, faded from the wizarding world with the fall of the last dragon-taming family."
"So, in dragon sanctuaries worldwide, workers are called dragon keepers or dragonologists, not tamers."
Adam's focus, as usual, veered to the oddest details.
"Hundreds of dragons?"
"Yes. The Romanian Dragon Sanctuary, one of the oldest and largest, has at least a hundred dragons, conservatively," Newt said.
"There's rumored to be an even larger one in China, but they're secretive. Visitors must sign confidentiality agreements."
"In Romania, you'll find breeds like the Hebridean Black, Hungarian Horntail, Norwegian Ridgeback, Ukrainian Ironbelly…"
Newt rattled off over a dozen dragon species with ease.
Adam pulled out his notebook, his quill scribbling furiously.
"This one's an Australian Opaleye, one of the most beautiful dragons. Its pearly scales shimmer rainbow-like in sunlight, and its gemstone eyes lack the usual slit pupils, sparkling in vibrant colors."
"Judging by its size, this is a young adult female. Female dragons are generally larger and more aggressive than males."
…
From dragons onward, Adam's study of magical creatures progressed rapidly. Nearly a month flew by.
He encountered Mooncalves, dancing gracefully under moonlight.
He saw a Lethifold in the swamp, its breath laced with deadly toxins.
And a Kneazle, with six legs and an innate ability to read minds.
Notably, Amy had been learning from a Kneazle named Celia.
Adam wasn't sure what a spirit cat could learn from a Kneazle—different species, after all—but they got along famously.
Tina was the happiest in the household. Newt had spoken more in this month than in the past two years combined.
Though still reserved, Newt answered Adam's questions thoroughly, often citing specific books and pages for further reading.
With Adam's help, Newt's progress on revising Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them sped up significantly.
Though sometimes, Newt grumbled to Tina about Adam's persistent interest in alchemy, always holed up in his room studying. Tina just chuckled.
Covered in dust and grime, Adam crawled out of a Graphorn's underground nest alongside Newt.
He reached for the venom collection box, but Newt stopped him, a familiar yet mysterious smile on his face.
"That's enough for today—it's a special day. And I suspect our new neighbor's come to visit again."
"Clean off that venom first. Even Graphorn fledglings carry potent toxins."
Adam, wiping his damp hair, stepped out of the suitcase to find the girl in the white dress standing beside Tina.
Her gentle eyes were fixed on a strawberry cake, her hair falling softly across her cheeks.
Her lips were pursed tightly, barely daring to breathe, her expression more serious than when Adam faced the Graphorn.
Her hand, clutching a jam packet, trembled slightly. She didn't notice the frosting on her lace sleeve, too focused on not ruining the cake.
"Sherry…"
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