By five o'clock in the evening, when the Challenge came to an end, only Theodore Diggory managed to complete all the tasks.
Augustus Brown was stuck on the Second Task to the end, trying to get the key from the Niffler family, and Robert Hilliard was still in the Glasshouse, trying to catch the Diricawl.
Neither Hufflepuff nor Gryffindor received any points since a third champion never finished the Challenge.
For the audience, it truly was a spectacle and a day they would never forget; as they were promised, they watched the contestants suffer and had a great laugh at their plight.
Altair, after the celebrations in the Great Hall, retired to the Slytherin dormitory to get some rest and to write letters to his mother, Fleur, Gabrielle, Daphne, Draco, to a certain Flamel, and his granduncle, Cygnus Black.
He entrusted those letters to Strix, placing them inside a small storage pouch tied to his leg; the bird then flew away to deliver them.
The young Black knew that his familiar would be back by morning: Strix was fast, very fast, and possessed unreal stamina.
Afterwards, without a care for what was happening in the school, he took a long bath and fell asleep.
It was past seven o'clock in the evening when Aurelia and Cho woke him up.
"Let me sleep..." he complained, but the two girls pulled him up. "I will ask Winky to bring me food later..."
"Get up, Altair. Professor McGonagall is expecting you in her office after dinner."
"Professor Tonks asked us to inform you," added Cho, and he raised his brow at them.
"Did something happen?"
"We don't know." The two shook their heads and then Aurelia shrugged. "It didn't sound like we need to worry about anything."
Altair frowned and nodded his head before he got up.
Twenty minutes later, dressed in robes, he walked into the Great Hall with the two girls by his side.
They sat down to have their meal, and to his relief, no one disturbed him by coming up to congratulate him again... it was truly a relief.
Gemma led all of the Slytherins, except for him, Aurelia, and Cho, back to the dormitory at exactly eight o'clock, but they stayed and ate in silence for a while longer.
Professor McGonagall was still sitting at the staff table, happily chatting with Newton Scamander and his wife, Porpentina Goldstein.
The other teachers looked lively as well, but Altair did not pay much attention to them, especially because the Headmaster kept sneaking glances at him from time to time, hoping that he would meet his gaze.
It was something he instinctively avoided; Altair trusted his instincts a lot.
His lips curved into a bright smile when a certain Head Girl stood up from the Hufflepuff table and sat beside him at the Slytherin table.
"Oh look, a brave Badger," Cho playfully quipped, and Nymphadora grinned at her words.
"Don't you know that Badgers are quite fierce? They even kill snakes."
"Woah... you are here to kill us?" she asked, wide-eyed, and then laughed together with the older girl.
Altair was a little curious about how they were getting along so well, but it was something he was glad about and did not pry into. Knowing Cho, she would eventually tell him all about it.
Aurelia, however, was not pleased with their older cousin's presence, but she kept her displeasure in her heart and silently ate her meal and fed her familiar.
"So, Kiddo. How are you feeling? Sebastian told me that you got tackled by the Runespoor, who sent you flying into the entrance."
"Don't call him just a Runespoor. He was massive." Altair sighed and smiled when she giggled.
"They are Alpha Variants, especially bred by Magister Scamander. He supplied us with all the magical creatures, except for the Sphinxes this year," she informed him. "Beautiful, aren't they?"
"Yes," he nodded in agreement. "And I am fine. The armour and uniform were enchanted. Not even a scratch, but yes, the impact did rattle my brains and make me feel a little dizzy."
"Good."
"Good?" He raised an eyebrow at her.
"It's good that you are okay." She rolled her eyes, and Cho laughed a bit more.
"Any idea why I have been called by Professor McGonagall to her office?" he asked, curiosity evident in his tone, and to their surprise, she nodded her head.
"It's Magister Scamander and Madam Porpentina who wish to meet you."
"Why?" Cho asked, her interest piqued, but the Head Girl shrugged and poured herself some soup.
"No idea, but he's very impressed with you. So are Professor Sprout, Professor Montclair, and pretty much all the professors. Madam Porpentina has been asking about you and has only received praise, I promise." She mischievously looked at her cousin.
"Why is she asking about him?" Cho asked, looking a little confused.
"Must be because of Gemma. By now, all of Hogwarts knows that she is going to take part in the Duo Cup with Altair as her partner."
"Ohh... wait... makes sense. Gemma is her granddaughter. I almost forgot that bit." The girl sheepishly said and then excitedly raised the question. "Your partner has graduated. Who are you going to pair up with this year?"
"I am not going to take part in the Duo Cup." Nymphadora shook her head. "Solo and Squad this time."
Aurelia perked up at her words and sneaked a glance at her before focusing on her meal again.
"Heh... you will be facing Altair and Aurelia. I would have wished you the best, but you are not winning this year." The girl said playfully, and her confidence in her best friends pleased the little Miss Malfoy a lot.
"Maybe, but I won't make things easy for either of them." The Head Girl did not mind her words in the least and just shrugged.
Cho turned silent once Nymphadora started eating her soup, and Altair did not speak either as he was busy doing the same thing.
When he spotted the staff getting up from the corner of his eye, he glanced their way and met Professor McGonagall's eyes, who kindly smiled at him and nodded her head.
Fifteen minutes later, he walked into the Deputy Headmistress's office, and the three people inside smiled at him.
"Come in, Miss Chang, Miss Malfoy."
"Good evening, Professor." Aurelia greeted the Professor with a polite bow and then greeted the esteemed guests of Hogwarts. "Magister Scamander, Madam Porpentina."
Cho followed suit, and neither of the girls seemed even a bit nervous.
All three adults smiled at them, and then the old man stepped forward and leaned down to take a close look at Sidious, whom Aurelia was carrying in her arms.
"May I, Miss Malfoy?"
"Of course."
She curiously watched her familiar be at his best behaviour as the old man took him in his arms and gently scratched him under the chin, making him purr.
"One of the finest of Professor Kettleburn's breeds. No physical evidence of Kneazle blood at all, but this one is undoubtedly blessed with their powers..." he smiled after inspecting the ears and the tail. "Rare, very rare. The Kneazle blood usually loses out to the more potent Felidrax blood."
"Professor Silvanus Kettleburn?" she asked in surprise, and Newt nodded his head. "This must be the kitten he told me about who was being a little too mischievous for his old bones."
Cho giggled at his words but quickly schooled herself.
"I purchased him from Thorne & Feather."
Her words surprised the old man, who then shook his head and sighed.
"Looks like old Thorne managed to convince Professor Kettleburn to let him feature this kitten in the shop. They likely were not expecting him to be willing to choose a stranger as his master. I wonder what they felt like when they learned that you bought him." He chuckled. "He seems happy, so it appears to have turned out for the best."
Aurelia smiled at his words and accepted her familiar back in her arms.
"Come, I will show you my family of Felidrax hybrids that I have personally bred." Magister Scamander brightly said, and then walked over to the suitcase that was lying on the ground.
They had not even noticed it until he sat next to it and opened it, and when he disappeared inside it, Madam Porpentina encouragingly nodded to them.
Aurelia and Cho eagerly climbed inside the suitcase, and Altair, intrigued, followed after them.
Soon, Madam Porpentina and Professor McGonagall joined them as well.
The girls, and even Altair and their Transfiguration teacher, were amazed as they found themselves in an entirely new world.
There were beautiful gardens all around them with colourful birds, and as they followed Magister Scamander to a door, they then entered a pit of snakes where they saw the massive Runespoor.
Altair's magical suitcase already had a lot of space; a bedroom, library, study, bath, dressing room, and even a training room. And yet, it was nothing compared to the world they were in right now.
This was an invaluable magical artefact, and a treasure trove with all the fauna that made it their home.
They looked around in fascination as they saw dozens of different magical creatures, all happily living here, and Altair stepped forward when he came across something that surprised him.
"What are these?" he asked as he stared at the Harpy Eagles, who looked the same as Strix, just in varying shades of plumes.
Aurelia and Cho were very surprised too, and their reaction made Old Newton very curious. It was not confusion or even curiosity. It was genuine surprise, as if they were not expecting these creatures here.
"These are a race of new magical creatures. I bred them myself," his words caught then off guard, especially Professor McGonagall.
"What are they called?" She could not help but ask.
"Harpy Eagles. Just magical."
She smiled at his words and nodded his head.
"Their powers?"
"They are fast, very fast, and possess unreal stamina. Highly intelligent, and their intelligence would always surprise you. Extraordinary eyesight, magical even, that just like that of the dragons can pierce through the clouds. They can even explode in short bursts of speed, but even at their sustained flight, they can travel from one continent to another in less than a day. They also possess an ability to sense danger, and moments of precognition when they are restless and alarmed. Sharp talons, very proud, and quite... hard to domesticate. Earning their respect is not easy. They are even more proud than Hippogriffs. If injured, they take time to heal, but heal perfectly, leaving no marks. Loss of limbs and organs, however, cannot be healed." The old man proudly informed them. "They are Finders too."
Aurelia asked, tilting her head, "Finders?"
"If they want to find someone close to them, they can always find their way to them."
"You bred them with the blood of the Thunderbird?"
When Altair raised that question, the old man looked at him in shock, and it was the same for his wife.
"My, my, Mister Black. You are very well informed about magical creatures. What gave it away though?" Porpentina asked in curiosity.
"Pride, aquiline genes, the speed, that extraordinary eyesight... all that you explained about their powers are traits found in Thunderbirds. The healing part is different, but it makes sense. They are not as magical."
"Colour me impressed, Mister Black." Old Newton smiled and then fondly looked at the family of magical Harpy Eagles.
"Did you give one to Thorne & Feather?" Aurelia questioned, glancing at Altair, and even Madam Porpentina looked at him in confusion.
"No, why?" Newton frowned. "You saw one there?"
The Malfoy shared another glance with Altair, and then nodded her head.
"Altair bought Strix from there. He is a magical Harpy Eagle with all the powers that you have mentioned."
"White with grey and blue plumage?" Madam Porpentina asked in surprise. "He has a grey crest with white roots, right?"
"Yes."
The husband and wife shared a glance and then both took a sigh of relief.
It was almost as if a burden had been lifted from their hearts.
"We lost a little one at the start of the year in Canada. He never returned with the family and we thought he flew away. We sent the rest to find him, but they failed after they tracked him to the Black Forest in Germany. We thought he died." The old man sighed again and smiled. "It's such a relief. May I see him later?"
"My apologies, Magister Scamander. I sent Strix out to deliver some letters. He will be back by morning."
"We have to leave tonight, but I invite you to our home after Christmas. I hope you will come. All three of you, and if any family or friend wishes to come along, they are welcome too."
"We will!" Aurelia and Cho readily agreed, and Altair nodded his head as well.
After travelling through a few more "rooms", they made it to the Felidrax Garden, where they even saw a pair of pure Felidrax, who were resting on top of a tree. There were no non-magical creatures. All the cats missing their antlers were Felidrax hybrids, but there were some Maine-Coon with Kneazle blood as well.
Sidious jumped out of Aurelia's arms when he sensed his kind, and his fur flared up when the family of magical cats surrounded him.
Soon, however, he seemed to calm down and then curiously looked at one cat that looked the same as him, except that she had a grey and white coat, but the same golden eyes.
None of the other cats, except the two pure Felidrax, had those golden eyes.
"As expected." Old Newton smiled when he saw Sidious approach the grey cat and then rub his body against her.
The two began sniffing each other, then sat down, staring into each other's eyes.
"What's happening?" Professor McGonagall asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.
"I cannot say for certain, as I have never seen a pair of a male and female domesticated Felidrax with Kneazle blood together before. It's... quite intriguing." He whispered as he sat down and observed the two cats looking into each other's eyes. "It's almost as if they are communicating with each other, but neither Kneazle nor Felidrax have telepathic powers..."
"Or maybe they are just too proud to admit that they like each other," Altair said playfully, and his words made Old Newton's eyes widen in realisation.
"Of course..." the old man laughed and stood up. "Quite the remarkable perception, Mister Black. Why don't you try and approach Cleo and see if she wants to come with you? You are welcome to try too, Miss Chang," he added when he saw the girl was gushing over the beautiful cat.
Cho nearly jumped in excitement at his words, but controlled herself and, with hope in her eyes, she grabbed Altair's hand, pleading with him to let her try first.
The young Black smiled and pulled her with him as he slowly approached the two cats.
He, by now, understood that Magister Scamander wanted to give him a gift.
Cleo turned to look their way, but to Newton's surprise, she did not hiss or raise her guard, not even when both sat down around her.
She even allowed the two kids to touch her, and when Altair picked her up and placed her in Cho's lap, she did not even resist.
"Thank you." Cho was on the verge of shedding tears when their eyes met, and then she gently laughed and combed Cleo's mane with her fingers.
When the two stood up and turned around, they found Magister Newton and his wife looking at them in surprise and curiosity.
"I never expected her to warm up to you or anyone so soon... you are quite remarkable, Mister Black, Miss Chang."
The girl grinned at his words and planted a kiss on her new familiar's head, who allowed it.
Sidious, seeing their interaction, walked up to Aurelia, who nearly laughed at his antics but picked him up and gave him some love too.
"Fascinating..."
Newton Scamander could really not understand how these three kids could get along so well with these very moody, intelligent, and magical creatures, but he was happy to see that Cleo found someone. She did not really get along well with the rest of the cats in here.
"Thank you for letting me have her, Magister Scamander."
When the girl deeply bowed to him, he smiled and gently patted her head.
"Trust me, Miss Chang. I am glad she is with you now and around Sidious. You are very welcome, but thank you too."
"You're welcome!" She brightly said, and it was very clear to everyone that she was brimming with happiness.
Newton laughed in delight and then turned to look at the young Black, who was smiling at Cho.
"Come with me, Mister Black. I want to show you something."
Altair, intrigued, followed him with the rest in tow, and Cleo, to Cho's relief, did not seem to mind leaving her family behind.
They walked through a few more "rooms", until they arrived inside a dimly lit forest with stars in the sky and a shining moon.
"Go, walk through these woods. There is a small lake not far from here. If you are lucky and one of them wants to come with you, you may take him or her as your familiar."
The old man urged him, and it was clear that he was not coming, neither was anyone else.