Crack, crack—!
The sound of shattering rang out without pause.
Countless fissures spread across the black barrier formed by the split earth.
Newt prodded the barrier once more with his wand, and a large section of it crumbled and collapsed.
Stepping forward, wand and briefcase in hand, Newt entered the area where Lucien stood.
"Lucien, don't be afraid. I'm here—"
But his words broke off as he froze at the sight before him.
A group of people lay sprawled across the ground, all bearing injuries of varying severity, all unconscious. They were firmly restrained by shackles of earth and stone, completely unable to resist.
Several unfamiliar magical creatures prowled around them—yes, unfamiliar.
Newt stared at the dragon, the Occamy, the Niffler, the Acromantula… Aside from the Occamy, he could not recall releasing any of these creatures.
His gaze shifted to Lucien at the edge of the clearing. The boy was calmly tucking a brass pocket watch into his pocket, his expression serene, his clothes neat, as though nothing at all had happened.
A chilling thought crept unbidden into Newt's mind.
Lucien had subdued all these poachers?
Then these magical creatures were—
"I—I've already surrendered. Y-you've beaten my companions. Could you please stop hitting me?"
A weak, trembling voice rang out.
Newt turned his gaze toward the dragon. It was a Norwegian Ridgeback, its normally jet-black scales traced with golden patterns that made it look even more noble and mysterious.
The source of the voice was the Norwegian Ridgeback—or rather, from beneath her feet.
A blond man was pinned to the ground, his sturdy build looking pitifully frail compared to the dragon's claw.
"Cough, cough. H-hitting me is fine, but could I get some air? I—I can't breathe."
The blond man, Aidan, struggled weakly.
"Norbert."
At Lucien's call, Norbert loosened her claw slightly, though her molten orange-red eyes remained locked on the prey beneath her.
"Mr Newt, are you alright?"
Hearing Lucien's question, Newt finally snapped out of his daze.
"I'm fine. The young wizards handled everything for me."
"Lucien, you're not hurt, are you? I see over here…"
Newt found himself at a loss for words once more as he took in the scene before him.
Lucien walked over to Newt and explained calmly,
"My first-year Defence Against the Dark Arts professor is excellent. He taught me many practical skills."
Yes—the Dark Lord taught people how to deal with the Dark Arts, how to fight, how to use magic. There were only two people who could rival him as teachers: one who paced about and drank tea in the Headmaster's Office, and one who was imprisoned in Nurmengard.
Lucien's answer wasn't wrong, but Newt still felt something was amiss.
No matter how devoted the professor or how diligent the student, a young wizard who hadn't even entered his second year…
"Mr Newt, things here are under control. Let's hurry and help Mr Stanley."
Hearing this, Newt nodded and pointed his wand at the magical barrier. This time, the release was much faster, requiring only the expenditure of magic.
"Lucien, don't worry too much about Stanley. He used to be the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor at Ilvermorny and is very strong in combat."
He used to be the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor? And now he was a Potions professor?
That was quite the career change.
Seeing Lucien's slight confusion, Newt smiled and explained,
"Stanley taught Defence Against the Dark Arts for a few years, then found Potions more interesting. There happened to be an opening at the school, so he switched fields."
Lucien nodded. Mr Stanley really was quite genuine, changing jobs whenever the mood struck him.
Such a casual decision, yet for some people, it was a lifetime's pursuit.
Hopefully, a certain Potions professor who longed for the Defence Against the Dark Arts position wouldn't feel too envious.
"By the way, Lucien, what about these magical creatures?"
Newt gestured toward the creatures nearby.
Lucien answered directly,
"Except for that Norwegian Ridgeback, the others are all Transfigured. They aren't real."
The Transfiguration of magical creatures was something he would be using frequently in the future, so there was no need to hide it.
Newt's wand hand froze, and for a moment he wondered whether he had misheard.
Magical creatures created through Transfiguration?
Had he been out of touch for too long? Had Transfiguration already advanced to this extent?
As someone extremely knowledgeable about magical creatures, Newt hadn't noticed anything amiss at first glance. They were almost indistinguishable from the real thing.
And what did "except for that Norwegian Ridgeback" mean? Was that unusually coloured dragon actually real?
Crack—!!
It seemed someone on the other side was also breaking the barrier. The black wall in front of Newt shattered faster than expected, and at the same time, a loud voice rang out from the other side,
"Don't be afraid, child, I'll protect you—"
But the moment Stanley saw Newt's face, his urgent voice abruptly cut off.
"Oh, Newt, you're fast!"
Catching sight of Lucien standing behind him, safe and unharmed, Stanley finally let out a sigh of relief and dropped the poacher he had been holding onto the ground.
"I questioned this one as well while I was breaking the barrier. He's basically confessed to everything."
"They're a notorious international poaching gang, having committed crimes in many regions and wanted by the Ministry of Magic in multiple countries…"
Stanley's voice grew colder as he spoke.
"Their original target was the Thunderbird, specifically choosing this season when Thunderbirds are at their weakest. After encountering you, Newt, they had an additional idea—they wanted to ambush you and steal your case."
As he spoke, Stanley suddenly looked at Lucien, his eyes filled with relief and gratitude.
If it hadn't been for the boy's timely intervention, stopping the assassin who had somehow slipped in, Newt would have had a very high chance of dying.
At the moment the Killing Curse was cast and the magic activated, even with Stanley's ability, he would not have had time to counter it.
If anything had happened to Newt here, Stanley didn't even want to imagine the consequences.
While Stanley was considering how to thank Lucien, Lucien was quietly observing the poacher Stanley had thrown to the ground.
Mr Stanley must have used his wand to break the barrier, and prying information out of the poacher with magic alone likely wouldn't have been easy, so the method must have been…
Looking at the battered poacher, whose swollen face resembled a pig's head, Lucien glanced at the traces of blood still on Stanley's left fist.
Hmm. Veritaserum could be ruled out. This professor probably hadn't brought that potion with him.
Mr Stanley was also a powerful wizard, skilled in both magic and physical combat.
"Newt, although the magical creatures you brought are a bit dangerous, they've helped us a great deal. Don't worry, I'll keep this a secret."
Stanley chuckled, gesturing toward the magical creatures in the field, especially the dragon and the Niffler.
However, the Niffler Stanley pointed at suddenly turned into a large stone.
Immediately afterward, the Acromantula, the Horned Serpent, and the dragon also transformed into trees and rocks.
"?"
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