Chapter 126. Wretched Newt
Hiding behind the stone pier of the bridge, Duncan waited until the train restarted and went off, then came out to look for Professor Kettleburn.
A moment later, Duncan saw a figure suddenly appear on the bridge, rose on tiptoe, and waved, calling, "Professor, I'm over here!"
Professor Kettleburn heard the voice and strode towards him, stopping before him with a grave expression.
"Professor, what on earth has happened?" Duncan asked.
Newt's letter had only said that many magical creatures had gone mad, and that there were also some wizards taking advantage of the chaos and making trouble.
They couldn't spare the time, so Duncan was to hurry over and help calm those agitated magical creatures.
"Do you still remember those mushrooms we found in the school forest?" Professor Kettleburn said in a low voice.
"Mm, I remember." Duncan nodded. "If magical creatures eat too many of those mushrooms, they go berserk. Is this connected again?"
"It should be," Professor Kettleburn said. "At first, someone in the wild noticed that magical creatures were often being taken to a hidden gorge. He grew suspicious, figured they were up to no good, and sent word to Newt, asking him to come investigate together."
"After Newt arrived, he really did uncover some problems. The people in that gorge seemed to be using magical creatures for some sort of research. But when Newt and the others wanted to keep digging, they were discovered and chased by a group of wizards."
"Fortunately, Newt and the others are long used to this kind of thing. They split up and escaped quickly, so no one was hurt."
"We had all agreed that they would lie low first, and when the holidays began, Dumbledore and I would go over to help. But who could have expected..."
Professor Kettleburn let out a heavy sigh, then said helplessly,
"That fellow Newt got worried about the trapped magical creatures' safety, found an opportunity, and snuck back alone."
"And he's got quite the knack for it—single-handedly threw that base into confusion and caused those people a great deal of trouble."
"But he also enraged those reckless wizards. They let all those frenzied magical creatures loose."
"Now that whole mountain area has every sort of creature in it. Thankfully there's only one wizarding town nearby, or it would be even worse."
"This time Newt was far too impulsive. Once things are settled, we must have Tina give him a proper scolding!"
...
Listening to Professor Kettleburn's account, Duncan gradually sorted out the whole course of events.
No wonder he'd seen in the paper earlier that Newt was being hunted alone—it turned out he'd stirred up someone else's lair.
What a worry that granddad is!
Duncan felt the same helplessness rise as Professor Kettleburn's.
He sighed and said, "Where should we go to find them now?"
"Newt sent me a Portkey earlier. We'll follow it there first."
Professor Kettleburn finished speaking and fished a feather out of his pocket.
When Professor Kettleburn had finished the incantation, Duncan smoothly set his finger on the feather.
After a short while, it was as if a crooked hook had caught hold of Duncan's stomach, hauling him off the ground and dragging him into the sky.
The whooshing wind rang in his ears, and the scene before his eyes swept past at great speed, turning into indistinct afterimages.
By the time Duncan began to feel a bit unwell, the afterimages vanished, he landed again, and found himself inside a small wooden cottage.
What met his eyes looked somewhat familiar: on the table and in the cupboards were all kinds of alchemical tools and instruments, and there was also a large crystal ball.
"Is this Mr Nicolas Flamel's home?" Duncan raised his eyebrows and said.
Earlier, when he had been on the train, he had been explaining Nicolas to Hermione and the others; he hadn't expected to show up at Nicolas's house straightaway.
Not long after they arrived, light footsteps sounded from upstairs, and then the staircase off to the side began to move slowly.
An old man with a head of white hair, skin wrinkled like tree bark, and thin as a rake clutched the banister and slid down along it.
"Mr Flamel." Duncan stepped forward, greeted him politely, and reached out to steady the old man who trembled even as he walked.
"I knew it was you," Nicolas said, beaming.
As the years went by, he liked vigorous, spirited youths more and more.
From them he could feel that uplifted vitality of which he himself had little left.
"How have you been lately?" Duncan asked with a smile.
"Much the same as always," Nicolas said, with a hint of complaint in his tone. "And you never come to see me."
"I wanted to, but my granddad keeps dragging me all over the world, and I haven't had any free time," Duncan said.
"Wretched Newt!" Nicolas muttered. "Next time don't mind him—come straight to me. He won't dare stop you!"
"All right, no problem!" Duncan nodded with a smile at a Nicolas acting rather like a child.
After chatting with Nicolas for a bit, Duncan asked, "My granddad's run into trouble and told us to come here..."
He hadn't finished before Nicolas cut him off, saying, "I know. He told me about it two days ago."
"I had meant to have you spend Christmas here, but things at Newt's really are a bit troublesome... aye, come with me."
Muttering softly, Nicolas waved his hand and set off towards the inner side of the room at a snail's pace.
For a distance of barely a dozen metres, they took about five minutes. Nicolas stopped, panting, and pointed at a grimy cupboard in the corner.
"This is a Vanishing Cabinet I made for Newt in the past. Its twin is in Newt's case."
"Once you're in, don't move. When the case gives a little shake, then push the cupboard door open, and you'll be in Newt's case."
"Oh?" Duncan was a little surprised. He didn't know whether Newt had forgotten, but Newt had never mentioned this to him before.
"That is convenient," Professor Kettleburn said with a smile. He had thought they would still have to spend time searching for Newt.
Duncan nodded, thought for a moment, and said tentatively, "Mr Flamel, would you also set up a Vanishing Cabinet in my case? Then I wouldn't have to wait for the holidays—on ordinary days I could often come see you."
"You've got your own case now?" Delight shone in Nicolas's eyes. "Just wait—next time you come, I'll have it ready for you."
"Right then, we'll be off." Duncan said this, opened the cupboard door and was about to go in, when he suddenly remembered something, looked back, and asked, "Mr Flamel, I heard you've given your treasure to Professor Dumbledore? Don't forget, you said you'd come to my wedding in future."
"Dumbledore told you?" Nicolas asked with a smile, understanding what Duncan meant. "Don't worry. I've prepared a great many of that potion. Never mind your wedding—even your son's wedding, there'll be enough!"
"That's good. Goodbye, Mr Flamel." Reassured, Duncan stepped into the cupboard, but as he was closing the door, Nicolas had him stop.
"Take this. Time was tight, and I only had time to make a few," Nicolas said, fumbling over himself and handing Duncan a little bag with trembling hands, inside which were a few small round spheres.
He went on, "If you meet danger, squeeze one hard and shatter it—it will protect you and get you away. And do remember, don't go showing off like Newt!"
"Got it," Duncan said, taking the bag, a little moved at heart.
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