Newt Scamander and his family lived in seclusion in the Dorset countryside in southern England, residing on a small hillside.
Surrounded by lush, soft grass, standing at the door, one could see the distant Muggle village.
Of course, the same spells as those used at Hogwarts were cast here. To Muggles, this hill appeared to be just bare rocks.
Steven, familiar with the place, pushed open the door, facing a winding garden path.
A group of fairies accompanied by butterflies fluttered between the big, bowl-sized flowers, creating a fantastical scene.
A rustling sound came from the grass, and a tawny cat raccoon poked its head out. It watched Vid cautiously, its large ears twitching slightly.
Then a second cat raccoon appeared. They were naturally alert and could detect those of poor character.
"Hi, Hobby, Mili." Steven squatted down, chuckling, "Long time no see. Did you miss me?"
Upon seeing him, Hobby relaxed its guard, climbed onto Steven, and made baby-like whining sounds.
The other cat raccoon approached Vid, cautiously rubbed its claws on his pants, then climbed up his leg. Vid quickly picked it up.
"Mili really likes you," Steven said happily. "They are Mr. Scamander's pets. There's another one named Moller, who doesn't like going out much."
The two walked along the pebblestone path into the yard, where Newt Scamander was already at the foot of the stairs, with a sharp-eared cat raccoon lazily lying at his feet.
Newt Scamander was already ninety-five years old.
He wasn't as young and shy as depicted in the movies. Years had given him graying hair and faint wrinkles, but hadn't changed his inherently innocent and earnest nature.
His gaze was still clear as he slightly turned his body, seemingly unconsciously avoiding eye contact, appearing a bit shy.
Even though the two before him were far younger, with lesser societal status and magic ability compared to Newt Scamander, he did not show the slightest hint of condescension.
Like a child afraid of harm, yet easily hurt by malice.
"Good morning, Steven." Newt shyly looked at Vid and said, "Welcome, Mr. Vid Gray."
Vid bowed slightly, "Please call me Vid. I've always admired you. I'm sorry for the unannounced visit."
"Not at all," Newt said softly. "I'm pleased when excellent young wizards wish to learn about these things."
A boy with curly brown hair popped out from behind Newt, giving Vid a bright smile, "Hello! I heard the Friendship Book is your invention?"
"Manners, Rolf," Newt said with gentle admonishment.
Clearly, he wasn't seen as a stern grandfather by his grandson. Rolf discreetly made a funny face, then extended his hand.
"Hi, I'm Rolf—Rolf Scamander."
The boy grinned, "Nice to meet you, inventor of the Friendship Book, Mr. Vid Gray."
"Hello." Vid shook his hand.
"Do you want to tour my grandfather's animal preserve? Come on, I'll be your guide!"
Rolf cheerfully led Vid forward, with Newt and Steven smiling as they followed behind.
"I heard you went to the United States recently?" Steven asked.
"Yes, to see an old friend," Newt sighed. "About seventy years ago, I sent it to the United States. I never thought that now, I'd have to send it away from this world."
Knowing he referred to the Thunderbird, Steven was surprised, "I thought Thunderbirds had a long lifespan?"
"It was too heavily injured while protecting its young and didn't survive long enough for treatment," Newt said mournfully. "You know they can summon lightning and storms, which makes them a common target for poachers."
Steven angrily said, "Damn poachers! I've always dreamed of seeing a Thunderbird in person, and they dared to harm it!"
"Well, today your dream can come true."
Newt gave a strained smile, "After Frank died, its young one was left without protection. To safeguard it, I brought it back."
Rolf paid no attention to what his grandfather and Steven were discussing. He eagerly told Vid:
"The Friendship Book is such a wonderful invention! Everyone in our family has one. My grandmother has the most; she alone has three!"
"I have one too! One with my grandfather, one with my grandmother, one each with my dad and mom, and even one with my uncle... Talking on paper is more fun than face-to-face!"
"But there's one thing! The information retention time is too short! Sometimes I nap and miss my mom's messages, then she complains—ah, we should go in here!"
He put a brown suitcase on the ground, opened it, then crawled in, leaving only his upper body visible, and waved to Vid.
Then he vanished as if swallowed by the suitcase.
Vid, having seen this scene in movies in his past life, chuckled and followed in.
The entrance of the suitcase was narrow, but its internal space expanded through magic, resembling a small world of its own.
Going down the stairs led to a small storeroom-like space filled with many things. Most looked old, but Vid didn't have the time to inspect them closely.
"Hurry up!"
Rolf shouted ahead, opening a seemingly fragile wooden door in the room.
"Screee—"
The connection of the wooden door gave a raspy groan, and a cold mist mingled with the scent of animals rushed in.
An expansive world appeared suddenly and dramatically before their eyes.
Vid couldn't help but hold his breath, his heart pounding like a drum.
Experiencing this personally, immersed in this magically created wondrous space, felt entirely different from watching the scenes on a movie screen.
At that moment, it felt as though his breath was taken away.
Magic... such a wondrous power…
Having played here since childhood, Rolf was used to it and couldn't understand Vid's awe. Seeing Vid frozen, he tugged his arm to lead him aside.
"Come this way, I'll show you the new resident here!"
They hadn't walked far when they saw a stretch of golden desert, with several giant stone pillars at its center.
Nestled in the pillar's hollow was a fledgling bird with three pairs of wings and a slender tail. It slept with its eyes closed, its feathers gently swaying in the breeze.
Rolf gestured a shushing sign, leading Vid stealthily over, then motioned for him to gently extend his finger like he did.