The suitcase world glowed with its gentle cycle of dawn. The artificial sunlight stretched across the enchanted fields and forest, bathing the young unicorn herd in golden light as they grazed in peace. The centaurs Callista and Theron stood near the treeline, their calm gazes fixed on the sky, as though reading futures in the turning constellations even while the sun ruled the heavens.
Oliver stood at the center of it all with Nick, Penny, Dumbledore, Sprout, and Hagrid forming a loose circle around him. The air buzzed with an anticipation that felt heavier than any of their other projects — today, they would decide what this hidden world inside a suitcase would truly become.
Oliver shifted from foot to foot, his hand absently brushing against the strap of his satchel where his newest set of notes and diagrams rested. He had stayed up half the night scratching out ideas, his thoughts racing faster than his quill. Now, looking up at the adults around him, he suddenly felt very small again — though the glint of pride in Penny's eyes steadied him.
Nick cleared his throat, his voice warm but commanding. "Well, Oliver, this is your vision. You called us here to plan it. Why don't you begin?"
Oliver hesitated, then drew a breath. "I… I don't want this place to just be a secret room. I want it to be… alive. A real sanctuary. Not just for Nyx, or the unicorns, but for anyone who needs a place to belong." His voice wavered, but he lifted his chin, determination firming his words. "That means balance. An ecosystem. It can't just be plants and nothing else. Everything has to work together."
Sprout beamed, her earthy hands clasping in delight. "Hear, hear! Spoken like a true caretaker of nature."
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, though softer than usual — as though he saw more in Oliver's words than the boy realized himself.
Hagrid thumped his large hands together with a grin. "That's exactly right, Oliver. Yer thinkin' about it proper-like. Nothin' survives without balance."
Encouraged, Oliver pulled a folded sheet from his satchel and spread it across the grass. His scribbled handwriting and rough diagrams showed circles for forests, streams, berry groves, and animal trails. "I thought we could start with the basics. Non-magical animals first. Build the foundation, then add the magical creatures that could live safely alongside them."
Nick leaned closer, nodding approvingly at the diagrams. "Practical. Very practical."
Hagrid leaned over the sheet, pointing with one thick finger. "Yer'll need rabbits — plenty of 'em. Fast breeders, good for keepin' the predators fed. Same for deer. Graceful creatures, they'll graze and keep the plants from overgrowing too fast."
Oliver scribbled notes beside the drawings. "Rabbits, deer… got it."
"Foxes too," Hagrid added, eyes shining. "They'll keep the rabbits from takin' over, clever little hunters. And maybe some badgers, for balance. Oh! Birds — normal ones, not magical. Songbirds, sparrows, thrushes. They'll spread seeds, help the plants grow stronger."
Sprout chimed in, tapping her chin. "Don't forget the smallest of the small. Worms, beetles, pollinating insects. Without them, the soil will collapse within a year. Healthy earth is the quiet backbone of life."
Oliver's quill scratched rapidly as he wrote, his brow furrowed in concentration. He never thought worms could matter so much, but now it made perfect sense.
"Fish," Nick said thoughtfully. "If you want streams or lakes to thrive, you'll need small fish to feed larger ones. And frogs to keep the insects balanced."
Oliver nodded slowly, a smile tugging at his lips. "So it's like… like building a giant puzzle. Every piece matters, even the tiniest one."
Penny reached over and ruffled his hair affectionately. "Exactly, my little inventor."
The centaurs, silent until now, finally spoke. Theron's voice carried the gravity of the forest. "So long as none of these creatures disrupt the paths of the stars, we approve. Nature must flow as it is meant to, even in a made world."
Callista inclined her head, her tone cool but not unkind. "If your guests respect the ground they walk upon, they may remain. But if they do not, we will not hesitate to drive them out."
Oliver met her gaze without flinching, surprising himself with the steadiness of his voice. "I wouldn't want anyone here who'd disrespect this place either. Thank you — both of you."
When the non-magical foundation was set, the talk shifted naturally to magical creatures. Hagrid's whole face lit up, and he clapped his hands together like a boy on Christmas. "Now this is the fun bit!"
Oliver's heart thumped with excitement as Hagrid rattled off names, but Nick held up a hand to structure the conversation. "One at a time, please, Hagrid. We don't want to overwhelm Oliver."
Hagrid nodded sheepishly, then began. "Mooncalves. Lovely little things. Shy, gentle, no harm in 'em. They'll graze at night, perfect companions for the unicorns."
Oliver sketched a quick oval labeled Mooncalves, imagining them shimmering under the suitcase's false moonlight.
"Bowtruckles too," Hagrid went on. "They'll guard yer trees. Mischievous little creatures, but loyal once they trust ye."
Sprout chuckled. "Perfect for Oliver's future grove."
"Nifflers," Hagrid added with a grin. "But ye'll need to keep 'em from the greenhouses. They'll dig and dig, but they're harmless if kept busy."
Oliver grinned. "Maybe I could build tunnels just for them."
"Jobberknolls," Sprout suggested. "Their feathers can be useful for potions. They vanish silently when they die, so they won't leave remains behind."
"Diricawls," Dumbledore mused. "They disappear and reappear in bursts — charming creatures, and no risk to the balance of your world."
"And a Fwooper," Penny added lightly. "Colorful birds. Their song drives listeners mad if uncharmed, but with care, they would add beauty to this forest."
Oliver blinked, then laughed softly. "A bird that sings so badly it's dangerous? That sounds… kind of perfect."
The circle chuckled with him, the mood light and hopeful.
Finally, Sprout clapped her hands. "Now then, onto plants. We'll need food sources. Berries, fruit, nuts. A variety."
Oliver hesitated, then spoke with sudden eagerness. "Could we plant Sunberry Trees?" His face flushed when everyone turned to look at him, but he pressed on. "I… found out I really like them. I was brewing a potion with Penny once, and I accidentally tasted the juice. Then I tried the fruit raw and it was even better. They're sweet, and sharp, and… well, they'd be good for the animals too."
Penny laughed warmly at his sheepish grin. "Adorable. We'll plant as many as you like."
Nick nodded. "It's practical too. Fruit-bearing trees will sustain many species."
"Three trees, then," Sprout proposed. "Sunberry Trees for fruit. A hardy nut tree for grazing beasts. And perhaps one rare tree for study."
It was then that Nick straightened, eyes shining with memory. "That reminds me. There is something I've been keeping for a long time."
From within his enchanted satchel, Nick drew out a small potted sapling. Its slender trunk rose no higher than Oliver's chest, its leaves faint and silvery, shimmering as though brushed with starlight.
"This," Nick said softly, "is a Starlight Oak. I found it centuries ago, deep in an uncharted cavern. Since then, it has neither grown nor withered. No matter how I tended it, it remained the same. I never discovered why."
Everyone leaned in with quiet awe.
Nick's voice trembled faintly as he looked at Oliver. "I think… perhaps it was waiting. Waiting for her."
As though on cue, Nyx fluttered down from Penny's shoulder and landed on the tiny branches. The moment her talons touched the bark, the leaves pulsed with light, brightening to a shimmer like stars across the night sky.
The group froze in silence, watching the impossible happen.
Sprout whispered, "Merlin's beard… it responds…"
Dumbledore's eyes glistened with wonder. "No wizard has ever studied a living Starlight Oak. And now… it awakens."
Oliver, stunned, simply whispered, "It's Nyx's perch now."
The adults turned to him, seeing only a boy grinning in quiet pride, without any trace of greed or arrogance.
Nick and Penny exchanged a look of deep affection. His humility, his joy at sharing rather than claiming, filled them with pride.
Plans were finalized. Sprout would gather seeds and saplings. Hagrid would prepare animals. The centaurs agreed to guard the sanctuary's balance, warning again that no disrespect would be tolerated.
As the group began to disperse, Hagrid lingered, fidgeting with his hands. He shuffled closer to Oliver, his massive frame awkward.
"Er, Oliver," he muttered, voice unusually shy. "I got a question for yeh. A serious one. But… maybe not today. Yeh deserve a bit of peace first."
Oliver tilted his head, curious. "Whenever you're ready, Hagrid. I'll listen."
The half-giant gave a gruff nod, clearly relieved, and lumbered away — leaving Oliver with a head full of questions, and a heart full of plans for the sanctuary's future.
Oliver lingered where he stood, watching Hagrid's retreating back. The half-giant's words sat like a small weight in his chest, not heavy enough to frighten him, but enough to make him restless. He tried to shake it off, reminding himself that whatever question Hagrid had could wait. There was too much to do now, too much to plan.
Penny noticed the thoughtful crease between Oliver's brows and touched his arm gently. "Don't worry yourself, little one. Hagrid means well. He'll tell you when the time is right."
Oliver nodded slowly, then turned his eyes toward the vast stretch of his suitcase world. The unicorns grazed peacefully, their white coats glowing against the rolling green. The centaurs had retreated to the forest's edge, their figures half-shadowed by the trees as they resumed their star-gazing rituals. And Nyx was still perched atop the small Starlight Oak, her downy feathers glowing faintly in the false twilight.
The tree itself continued to shimmer softly, as though each leaf was a window to some distant constellation. Oliver felt a shiver of awe run down his spine every time he looked at it. It was alive here in a way Nick had never been able to coax from it. Perhaps it was Nyx's presence, or perhaps something else — something about the suitcase's strange magic that allowed it to thrive.
Sprout returned with a bundle of parchment, already sketching out rough rows and plots. "If we want Sunberry Trees in any meaningful number, we'll need to plant at least twenty at the outset. They'll take well in this soil — it's stable enough to support large roots. A scattering of Nutleaf trees here and here," she gestured with her quill, "and of course space left for the Starlight Oak to grow as it wishes."
Oliver grinned at the mention of Sunberries. His stomach gave a small, guilty growl at the memory of the fruit's taste. Sweet and tangy, refreshing in a way nothing else was. "Can we put them near the stream?" he asked quickly. "The water might make the fruit juicier."
Sprout's eyes crinkled. "Ah, you've a gardener's instinct already. Yes, near the stream is ideal. The animals will eat them too."
Hagrid beamed. "Aye, and I'll bring a few rabbits meself. They'll love the berries. Might even get fat off them if we don't balance the foxes proper."
Oliver leaned over the parchment again, adding little symbols beside Sprout's trees and Hagrid's animals. "Rabbits, foxes, deer, sparrows, worms, beetles…" He laughed softly. "This is starting to look like a real forest."
"It will be more than real," Dumbledore said in his calm, melodic tone. "It will be a sanctuary shaped by care, not exploitation. And that makes it rarer than most real forests."
Nick, always the practical one, added, "And in time, the wood from Nutleaf trees may prove useful for wandmakers, or even in alchemical rituals. Not that you should harvest recklessly, Oliver. But having resources at your disposal is never a bad thing."
Oliver made a face, half serious, half playful. "I'm not going to chop down trees just because they're here. They should only be cut if they want to be part of something."
Penny giggled, clasping her hands. "Oh, Nick, do you hear him? He speaks as though the trees have voices of their own."
Dumbledore's smile deepened. "Perhaps they do, if only to those who care enough to listen."
The group grew quiet for a moment, staring at the little potted Starlight Oak now glowing under Nyx's perch. The centaurs shifted in the distance, the starlight catching on their long hair and strong shoulders. Oliver felt the weight of it all — the lives already depending on him, the future ones who would too.
He shook himself back to focus. "All right. What about the magical creatures? We said six, right?"
Hagrid, who had been visibly vibrating with suppressed excitement, nearly shouted, "Aye! Mooncalves first. No danger in them, quiet grazers. They'll dance at night under the moonlight cycle, and the unicorns'll like their company."
Sprout agreed, already sketching a crescent-moon symbol on the parchment. "And their droppings are fertile — excellent fertilizer for rare plants."
Oliver blinked, then stifled a laugh. "So they're… useful in more ways than one."
"Everything is," Sprout said firmly. "Even the humble dung has its place."
"Next, Bowtruckles," Hagrid said. "For tree guardianship. Mischievous, sure, but they'll keep pests away and protect yer rare trees. You'll want to befriend 'em though, Oliver. They don't take kindly to strangers."
"I think I can manage that," Oliver said with a small grin.
Nick raised an eyebrow. "And Nifflers?"
Hagrid's grin widened. "Oh, yes. Clever diggers. Ye'll want to give 'em shiny things to distract 'em though, else they'll be runnin' off with Oliver's tools."
Penny pressed a hand to her mouth, laughing. "Imagine one of them running off with your prototype phone!"
Oliver winced. "I'll have to build locks."
Sprout suggested Jobberknolls next, her voice soft. "They vanish silently when they die. Their feathers have rare uses in potions and memory magic. They are peaceful, non-disruptive. A good fit."
"And Diricawls," Dumbledore added. "Their teleportation is harmless, their presence amusing. They could add wonder to the place."
Penny, eager not to be outdone, clasped her hands dramatically. "And a Fwooper. Its feathers are radiant, and with the proper charms its song will delight rather than disturb. A sanctuary must have its beauties, after all."
Oliver imagined the colorful bird perched in the Starlight Oak beside Nyx. The idea made him grin, though he did wonder if Nyx would approve.
The parchment grew cluttered with notes and symbols. Trees here, berry bushes there, grazing fields for unicorns, shaded glens for Mooncalves, small burrows for foxes and rabbits, warrens for Nifflers.
Callista and Theron approached once more, their hoofsteps steady. "We approve of these additions," Theron said solemnly. "So long as the balance is watched."
Callista's eyes glimmered like dark pools of starlight. "And so long as none who visit this place disrespect our home. If they do, we will act without hesitation."
Oliver bowed his head slightly. "This is your home as much as mine. I promise, no one who comes here will disrespect it."
The two centaurs exchanged a silent glance, then inclined their heads in approval before retreating again into the forest.
Sprout rolled up the parchment, satisfied. "Well, then. The plan is clear. Next, we gather. Seeds, animals, creatures. Each in their time. A sanctuary isn't built in a day, but with patience, it will flourish."
Oliver exhaled, pride swelling in his chest. For the first time, this dream didn't just feel like drawings on a page or wishes whispered in the night. It felt possible. Real. A world he was shaping with his own hands.
Nick placed a hand on his shoulder. "You've done well, Oliver. This blueprint is more than a plan. It is a promise. And promises shape the future."
Oliver's grin spread slowly, bright and sure. For once, there was no trace of hesitation. Only determination.
In the silence that followed, Hagrid shuffled again, looking almost uncomfortable in his own skin. He rubbed the back of his neck, cheeks flushing red beneath his beard.
"Oliver," he mumbled, barely meeting the boy's eyes. "That serious question I mentioned earlier… it's not an easy one. But when the time comes, I'll need yeh to listen. Truly listen."
Oliver tilted his head, a flicker of worry sparking inside him. "I will, Hagrid. Always."
The half-giant gave a gruff nod and strode away before Oliver could press further. The mystery hung in the air, but Oliver let it rest for now. His heart was already full enough with pride, wonder, and the fragile beginnings of hope.
The sanctuary wasn't finished, but it was alive. And for Oliver, that was everything.