A Certain Magical Hogwarts

Chapter 322 Nico's Safe House

The Fire Dragon Norber is, in a sense, a legacy issue.

Originally, it was a "tool egg" that Quirrell gave to Hagrid to exploit Lou Williams' weaknesses.

The result was tragic: Hagrid, after having a few drinks, got carried away and not only happily accepted the dragon egg, but also started boasting, swindling Quirrell out of both his money and his heart.

They've truly lost both their money and their loved ones!

The egg was gone, Quirrell was bitten by Fulwe, and finally died tragically from Snape's poison.

From a metaphysical perspective, this karmic connection is quite significant.

And now... he's getting his comeuppance and it's become a huge problem!

If William had known this would happen, he should have made it into fried rice instead of asking Newt to take it to Norway.

The old man first went to Romania for a trip, but there were various delays along the way. He didn't manage to send the dragon away, and he lost the whole thing, including the box containing the dragon.

What a terrible thing!

Not only William and Hermione, but Dumbledore, who was far away in England thinking about how to save Newt, was probably also wondering to himself: Why don't you lose yourself too?!

The fact that Newt was captured by the French Ministry of Magic is also worth mentioning.

Breaking school rules shouldn't get you caught; this is the most basic unspoken rule at Hogwarts. How could Newt have forgotten that once he's out in the real world?

Okay, he was a delinquent who dropped out of school and failed to grasp the true meaning of school education.

But... that's a fire dragon.

The thought of fire-breathing dragons wreaking havoc over Paris instantly brought to William's mind the iconic scene of Daenerys Targaryen leading her dragons to ravage the city.

Notre Dame Cathedral is going to be gone again.

Wait, why did William say "again"?

The crucial issue now is that Newt has been attacked, his trunk is gone, and he has no idea where his precious treasure is!

William and the French Ministry of Magic both want to find the box, and who goes first is a very important matter.

If William goes first, Newt will most likely be fine; if France goes first, Newt will follow in Quirrell's footsteps... "losing both his money and his life."

"Bringing these along should be able to help you two," Newt whispered.

He blew on his thick, long bangs that covered his eyes, and a strand of hair fell down.

No, that's not hair... it's a magical creature the size of a hair.

William and Hermione looked closely and saw that the little creature had wings and looked like a snake.

—Bird snake!

The bird-snake is a serpentine creature with feathers, wings, and two legs. Its most distinctive feature is its ability to expand and contract at will, changing its size and thickness as needed.

William was unfamiliar with harpys, but he was very familiar with harpy eggs.

Lockhart's shampoo contained precious bird and snake eggs, an important component of Felix Felicis.

William has several large boxes!

"Are you sure this bird-snake isn't dangerous?" William asked.

The bird-snake is an XXXX magical creature, extremely aggressive, unlike a Niffler.

"It's alright, I've already tamed it. It's an obedient little cutie," Newt quickly said.

William and Hermione exchanged a glance; this sounded very much like Hagrid's style.

The bird-snake grew slightly larger and spat out an old card from its mouth.

"This is the address. It's one of Nico's safe houses in Paris, with very strong protective magic," Newt quickly explained.

William examined the address suspiciously.

"A safe house? Why would we need a safe house in Paris?" Hermione asked.

"I hope I never have to, but things can get really weird sometimes. It's good to have somewhere to go and a cup of hot tea." Newt's eyes darted back into his thick bangs.

"That sounds more like Professor Dumbledore's way of speaking." William put the address in his pocket.

Newt was taken aback and honestly admitted, "It was Dumbledore who told me this decades ago. He tricked me into going to Paris to face Grindelwald."

Deceive... William noticed this interesting verb.

Hermione took out a small glass tube and put the bird-snake inside.

"We'll find your box and get you out." William stood up.

"goodbye!"

Hermione put away the blank parchment and left with William.

"I'm sorry." Newt watched the two walk away, and then, somewhat withdrawn, he sighed softly, "I've caused you trouble."

Instead of leaving the Ministry of Magic immediately, William strolled around casually for a while.

Before leaving, he chatted with Clegane and Miss Costa for a while longer before taking Hermione away.

……

……

William and Hermione walked along the rocky road on the banks of the Seine, both dressed in short sleeves and shorts, looking very well-matched.

With a gentle breeze blowing, the two did not rush back to the hotel or immediately investigate. Instead, they took a leisurely stroll in the twilight.

"Where should we begin our investigation?" Hermione asked softly.

"Let's go to where Newt was attacked first."

"That place should already be sealed off by the Ministry of Magic," Hermione said after a moment's thought. "I doubt we can get in."

"So I secretly took two strands of hair," William said with a smug smile.

He flipped his right hand over, revealing two strands of hair of different colors in his palm.

"Oh, no wonder you patted Costa on the shoulder so enthusiastically when you left; you were stealing his hair." Hermione raised an eyebrow and said softly:

"I thought..."

"What do you think?"

"It's nothing!" Hermione's lips curled up slightly.

"After we get back, we'll discuss it with Roy and the others. We'll let everyone go first to the next city we've planned to visit," William said earnestly.

"Anyway, I've pretty much seen all of Paris, and it's not very safe here right now."

Hermione nodded, then asked hesitantly, "How do you explain that we were left alone in Paris?"

We definitely need to find a good excuse... otherwise our parents certainly won't agree to let the two of them stay.

Hermione's father, Aerys, would probably kill William first and then dump his body in the Seine.

"Just say that Old Man Newt has been arrested by the Ministry of Magic. He's an old man, and he had a heart attack. We need to take care of him," William quickly came up with a reason.

"..." Hermione glanced at William with a small look.

"What's wrong?"

"William, do you lie often? Why are you so good at it?" Hermione asked. "It just comes out of nowhere."

"Isn't this the reason you asked me to come up with?" William said, feeling wronged.

"I didn't ask you to lie," Hermione said, her eyes wide and her pointed chin raised.

"That's not what we're discussing right now; it's about how adeptly you lie!"

"No, this is the first time I've ever lied," William denied vehemently.

That statement is a lie!

Hermione wouldn't let it go.

"The French Ministry of Magic will probably be keeping an eye on us," William wisely changed the subject.

Since Clegane sent them to visit Newt, he was prepared to play the long game and follow them to find the chest.

"Can we shake them off?" Hermione asked.

"Easy and easy," William said with a smile.

"Hmm..." Hermione thought for a moment, then asked softly with a smile, "What shall we eat tonight?"

"Let's go have some French fish soup. I know a really good restaurant in Paris," William recommended. "It's delicious."

"Who told you that?" Hermione pursed her lips, a sweet smile on her face.

"...Anne," William repeated, his voice lacking conviction, "Anne, it's her!"

"You're lying again!"

William smiled wryly, looking at the fierce Hermione, feeling a strange sadness.

Hermione snorted, then smiled broadly, gently took William's arm, and walked lightly forward.

Her brown curly hair swayed back and forth, much like the gently rippling Seine River.

……

……

(Seeking monthly votes at the end of the month, everyone.)

(Thanks to the generous donor "Heavy Aston")

(End of this chapter)