Hogwarts: From Little Wizard to White Lord

From a purely physical standpoint, Side-Along Apparition was even worse than Floo travel.

Peter felt as though he had been shoved into a narrow, spinning tube spiraling rapidly around its center, twisting through space until he was dizzy. Then, just as suddenly, he was forcefully ejected from the tube.

When his feet touched solid ground again, he stumbled, barely catching himself from falling. His stomach churned uneasily.

Thankfully, he managed not to throw up.

"You handled that better than I expected," Dumbledore said lightly. "Fawkes is rather impatient when it comes to Apparition. He tends to be more... forceful than most wizards."

"You could've warned me ahead of time, Albus."

"Wouldn't have been as fun, would it?" the headmaster said with a twinkle in his eye.

Peter grumbled, "No wonder Professor Snape told me you were eccentric, tasteless, and completely unpredictable."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow in mock offense. "Severus said that about me? How heartbreaking. He really doesn't know how to enjoy life."

With a soft laugh, he glanced around, eyes lighting up with satisfaction. "Ah, Fawkes didn't get it wrong this time. Come, Peter my kind friend must be preparing a warm welcome for us."

He paused, observing their surroundings again with fond recognition. "It seems Fawkes remembered the Scamander residence correctly. Last time, we accidentally ended up on the beach."

Peter looked around too.

They were standing on a quiet country road. In the distance behind them, the moonlit sea shimmered faintly in the night, and the rhythmic crashing of waves echoed in the breeze.

Scamander...

Peter immediately understood who they had come to visit.

Newt Scamander!

Is this Dorset?

Ever since raising Turner, Peter had grown increasingly interested in magical beasts. And when it came to magical creature expertise, no one in the wizarding world could match the legendary author of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

During the summer holidays, Peter had even asked Arthur Weasley to help inquire about Newt's whereabouts.

Though he had never met the man, he knew Newt had long since retired and lived quietly in seclusion somewhere in Dorset.

Unlike Nicolas Flamel, Newt wasn't burdened by the threat of dark wizards, so his home didn't need to be hidden. In fact, it stood plainly at the side of the country road where they had just appeared.

It was a charming two-story cottage made of red brick and topped with white tiles. Simple, yet elegant.

Dumbledore led Peter to the front door and knocked.

A moment later, the door creaked open, and an elderly woman with a slim frame appeared.

Before Dumbledore could even finish raising his hand in greeting, he said warmly, "Good evening, Tina, I "

But the woman's eyes narrowed the moment she saw him.

With a sharp frown, she slammed the door in his face.

Peter tugged lightly on Dumbledore's robes.

"So... is this what you call a warm welcome?"

Dumbledore: "..."

…

Ten minutes later, inside the cozy villa.

A warm fire crackled in the fireplace, casting a flickering glow over the living room walls. The room was small, but inviting filled with mismatched furniture, stacks of books, and a subtle scent of dried herbs.

Dumbledore and Peter sat on a worn but comfortable sofa while Newt Scamander served them tea in mismatched mugs.

"I'm sorry, Dumbledore. Tina just "

Before Newt could finish, Tina reappeared, snatched the cup out of Dumbledore's hands, and scolded him sharply.

"Every time he shows up, it's to dump his troubles on you. I saw through him ages ago. We're retired now do you understand the word 'retired'?"

Newt gave a helpless chuckle. "Tina, don't be like that. There's a child in the room."

Tina turned her attention to Peter. The frosty glare on her face melted instantly into a grandmotherly smile.

"Don't be afraid, dear. Grandma Tina's not the bad one. The real troublemaker is that old rascal next to you Dumbledore."

Peter didn't say anything. He simply offered a polite nod while studying the couple across from him especially Newt.

Newt's appearance was unremarkable, neither tall nor imposing, with slightly disheveled hair and an absentminded air. But his eyes were bright. Not with Dumbledore's sharp, soul-searching brilliance, but a gentle, almost childlike light.

They reminded Peter of Hagrid's.

And Professor Kettleburn from Care of Magical Creatures, for that matter.

He suddenly realized that everyone who truly loved magical creatures seemed to have this same kind of innocent sincerity.

"Your last name is Weasley, isn't it?" Newt asked abruptly. "Hard to forget. Very well-known. Quite a large family, too. I used to work at the Ministry, and I remember there was a Weasley in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office. Then a few years ago, when I was researching dragons in Romania there was a Weasley there as well."

Peter nodded. "That's my father, Arthur Weasley, at the Ministry. And the one in Romania is my brother, Charlie Weasley."

"Oh, oh, how wonderful..." Newt mumbled, a bit flustered. He clearly wasn't the best with social conversation, so he quickly passed Peter off to Tina for small talk and turned back to Dumbledore.

"So... you want me to look after some unicorns for a while?"

"Yes, Newt. I couldn't think of anyone better."

Newt didn't hesitate. He simply nodded. "I can do that. There's space in the basement. But I must warn you, it can't be for too long. Unicorns are wild creatures. They long for freedom. Captivity won't sit well with them."

Dumbledore nodded in agreement. "It won't be long. Once we deal with the dark wizard involved, they'll be free to return to the forest."

"Hard to believe such vile dark witches still exist these days," Newt muttered, visibly upset.

Like Hagrid, his kindness made him fiercely protective of magical beasts.

After finishing their tea more out of politeness than leisure Newt stood up abruptly and hurried upstairs.

When he came down a few minutes later, he had changed into travel robes and was carrying an old, battered suitcase.

Tina crossed her arms, muttering with exasperation, "I knew it. He only ever comes when he wants something from you. I should've tossed you into the fireplace the moment I slammed the door."

Although she continued to grumble, Tina still stepped forward to help Newt adjust the collar of his cloak.

Dumbledore remained as serene as ever. "Tina, I promise there won't be any danger."

Tina pointedly ignored him, then turned to Peter and called out kindly, "Come along, sweetheart. Let the old men take care of their nonsense. Grandma will show you the magical creatures."

And just like that, the two old men Disapparated with a soft pop, leaving behind a trail of swirling air.

Before vanishing, Dumbledore shot Peter a quick wink.

Peter froze for a second.

Then realization dawned.

He had brought Dumbledore along to be his enforcer.

But Dumbledore… had used him as the key.

That old fox had clearly known Tina disliked him and would likely slam the door in his face so he'd dragged Peter along on purpose, knowing Tina wouldn't cause a scene in front of a polite, innocent child.

That scheming old wizard!

Well played, Albus Dumbledore.

Evenly matched.

At the same time, deep in the Forbidden Forest, the two elderly wizards reappeared among the trees. The moonlight filtered faintly through the canopy as Dumbledore guided Newt toward the clearing where the unicorns rested.

"Newt," Dumbledore asked as they walked, "what do you think of Peter Weasley?"

Newt paused, blinking thoughtfully. After a moment, he replied, "He's... complicated. Not like a child, really."

"Yes," Dumbledore agreed with a quiet sigh. "He's complicated."

He went on to share Peter's recent accomplishments, his progress in potions, his growing knowledge of the Dark Arts, and his startling self-discipline.

"I'm worried," Dumbledore admitted. "He leans heavily toward logic and control. He's far too mature for his age. I can't think of a good way to guide him he's not easily moved by ordinary things."

Newt blinked again, his bright eyes puzzled. "Why are you telling me all this?"

"Earlier today, he suggested moving the unicorns. That was a very thoughtful thing to notice. It tells me there's something gentle in him something curious about magical creatures."

Dumbledore turned to look at his friend.

"And I thought, why not nurture that part of him?"

Newt finally understood. "You want me to teach him?"

He glanced at Dumbledore's cheerful expression and suddenly recalled Tina's grumbling.

She was right all along, he thought.

If Dumbledore shows up at your doorstep, trouble is definitely brewing.