The dragon, Norbert, could be considered a historical leftover problem.
Originally, it was the "tool egg" that Quirrell gifted Hagrid in exchange for information about Fluffy's weaknesses.
The result was a disaster: Hagrid, after a few drinks, not only gleefully accepted the dragon egg but also started bragging. Quirrell ended up losing both the egg and his plans.
Truly, he lost everything, egg included!
Not only did he fail to obtain Fluffy's secrets, but Quirrell also got bitten by Fluffy and ultimately met his end at Snape's hands via poison.
From a mystical perspective, this was a hefty karmic knot.
And now… well, it's come back as a huge headache!
Had William known this would happen, he should've scrambled the egg into fried rice back then, instead of asking Newt to take it to Norway.
But no, Newt took a detour through Romania, got delayed countless times, and in the end, both the dragon and the suitcase went missing.
What a mess!
Not only William and Hermione, but even Dumbledore, who was still in Britain figuring out how to save Newt, was probably wondering: Why didn't you just lose yourself along with the suitcase?!
And as for Newt being captured by the French Ministry of Magic? That deserved some serious criticism too.
At Hogwarts, breaking rules without getting caught was the most basic unwritten rule. How could Newt have forgotten that after entering society?
Fine, he was a school dropout, a delinquent who hadn't fully grasped the school's teachings.
But… we're talking about a dragon here.
The mere thought of a dragon wreaking havoc in the skies above Paris conjured a vivid image in William's mind of Daenerys and her dragons burning cities.
Notre-Dame would be gone again.
Wait, why did William think "again"?
The current issue was this: Newt had been ambushed, his suitcase was gone, and he didn't know where his prized possessions were!
Both William and the French Ministry of Magic wanted to find the suitcase. The order in which they found it mattered greatly.
If William found it first, Newt would likely get off scot-free. If the French Ministry got to it first, Newt would follow in Quirrell's footsteps, losing everything; both his plans and his possessions.
"Take a few of these with you; they might be able to help you both," Newt whispered.
He blew gently on his long, thick bangs, and a strand of hair floated down.
No, it wasn't a strand of hair, it was a magical creature the size of a hair.
William and Hermione squinted to get a closer look. The tiny creature had wings and resembled a snake.
A Thunderbird!
The Thunderbird was a serpent-like creature with feathers and wings, standing on two legs. Its most remarkable ability was its elasticity, it could expand or contract, growing or shrinking at will.
William wasn't particularly familiar with Thunderbirds themselves but was well acquainted with Thunderbird eggs.
The shampoo Lockhart invented contained the rare Thunderbird egg essence, which was also an essential ingredient in Felix Felicis.
William had several large boxes of the stuff!
"You're sure this Thunderbird isn't dangerous?" William asked.
Thunderbirds were classified as XXXX magical creatures, extremely aggressive and nowhere near as harmless as a Niffler.
"It's fine, I've tamed it. It's a sweet little thing," Newt said quickly.
William and Hermione exchanged a look. That sounded a lot like something Hagrid would say.
The Thunderbird grew slightly larger and spat out an old, weathered card from its mouth.
"This is the address to Nicolas's safe house," Newt explained quickly. "It's in Paris and is protected by powerful magic."
William skeptically examined the address.
"A safe house? Why would we need a safe house in Paris?" Hermione asked.
"I hope you don't," Newt said, his eyes darting back beneath his thick bangs. "But sometimes, things go terribly wrong. It's good to have somewhere to go, and a cup of tea to drink."
"That sounds like something Professor Dumbledore would say," William said as he tucked the address into his pocket.
Newt's eyes widened in surprise. He hesitated, then admitted sheepishly, "Well… Dumbledore did say that to me decades ago. He tricked me into coming to Paris to face Grindelwald."
Tricked. William caught the interesting choice of verb.
Hermione took out a small glass vial and carefully placed the Thunderbird inside.
"We'll find your suitcase and get you out of here," William said, standing up.
"Goodbye!"
Hermione put away the blank parchment and followed William out of the room.
"I'm sorry," Newt murmured, watching the two of them leave. For someone as reserved as him, even this quiet apology seemed like a heavy sigh. "I've caused you trouble."
…
William didn't leave the Ministry of Magic immediately. Instead, he casually wandered around for a while, making no effort to hide his presence.
Before leaving, he even spent some time chatting with Crigan and Miss Costa, only then departing with Hermione.
…
By the banks of the Seine, William and Hermione strolled leisurely along a rocky path. Both wore simple summer attire, short sleeves and shorts, looking perfectly coordinated.
The gentle breeze accompanied their relaxed pace as they walked under the golden hues of dusk. They hadn't rushed back to their hotel, nor did they dive straight into their investigation. Instead, they savored the moment, enjoying a calm, unhurried evening.
"Where should we start investigating?" Hermione asked softly.
"We'll begin where Newt was attacked," William replied.
"That place is probably sealed off by the Ministry of Magic," Hermione said thoughtfully. "I doubt we can get in."
"That's why I secretly grabbed two strands of hair," William said with a triumphant grin.
Flipping his right hand over, he revealed two strands of hair in his palm, each a different color.
"Oh, so that's why you patted Costa's shoulder so warmly before we left! You were stealing hair," Hermione remarked, raising an eyebrow.
"And here I thought…"
"You thought what?" William prompted.
"Nothing!" Hermione said, her lips curling into a subtle smile.
"When we get back, we should discuss this with Roy and the others and suggest they leave ahead of us for the next city," William said seriously. "We've explored most of Paris already, and things are starting to get dangerous here."
Hermione nodded but hesitated. "How do we explain the two of us staying behind in Paris alone?"
That was indeed a tricky issue. Without a convincing excuse, their parents would never allow it.
Hermione's father, Iris, would probably kill William first and toss his body into the Seine.
"We'll say Newt got arrested by the Ministry of Magic. He's an old man, had a heart attack, and we need to look after him," William quickly suggested.
Hermione shot him a skeptical look.
"What's wrong?" William asked.
"William, do you lie often? How are you so good at it?" Hermione questioned. "You just come up with these things so effortlessly."
"You're the one who told me to come up with an excuse!" William protested, looking aggrieved.
"I didn't ask you to lie!" Hermione said, her eyes wide as she tilted her chin upward. "And this isn't even about that anymore, it's about how skilled you are at lying!"
"I don't lie. This is my first time," William said, flatly denying it.
"That's a lie right there!" Hermione said, not letting it go.
William wisely changed the subject. "The French Ministry of Magic will probably be keeping an eye on us."
Crigan had likely allowed them to visit Newt with the intention of using them as bait, hoping to follow them to the suitcase.
"Can we shake them off?" Hermione asked.
"Easily," William said with a confident smile.
"Hmm…" Hermione thought for a moment before her tone softened. "What should we have for dinner?"
"Let's try bouillabaisse tonight. I know a great place in Paris that serves it," William suggested. "It's delicious."
"Who told you about it?" Hermione asked, pursing her lips as a sweet smile appeared on her face.
"…Annie," William answered hesitantly. "Yes, Annie told me!"
"You're lying again!"
William let out a bitter laugh, looking at the determined Hermione with a hint of exasperation.
Hermione gave a little huff before breaking into a wide smile. She gently looped her arm around William's, her steps light as they walked forward.
Her brown curls bounced with each step, swaying like the gentle ripples of the Seine.