Storm Town.
Lucien found a quiet spot on the outskirts, with Newt tagging along. After hearing Lucien's explanation, Newt couldn't help but find the whole thing pretty intriguing.
Lucien called out to the circling Thunderbird, coaxing it to land. The moment its talons hit the ground, it hopped over to Lucien, chirping nonstop.
"Boss, when are we heading to your turf?"
"Boss, I'm starving again—got any more food?"
"I'm so done with this place. There's always some human creeping around, spying on me, thinking they're all sneaky…"
Lucien hadn't pegged this Thunderbird as such a chatterbox during their earlier hangouts.
He quickly cut off the bird's rambling to get to the point. "Hold up. Why'd you fly out here? And why are you calling me 'Boss'?"
The Thunderbird tilted its head, clearly confused why its Boss was asking something so obvious.
Still, it had to answer the Boss's question. With a few chirps, it explained, "You flew faster than me, and after you won, you gave me food. That proves you're good at getting grub and that you've got my back. Doesn't that make you my Boss? Isn't that how it works with us Thunderbirds?"
"...Huh?"
Was that a Thunderbird rule?
Fly faster and feed the other guy, and you're their leader?
Lucien relayed the Thunderbird's logic to Newt, asking if there was any truth to it.
Newt went quiet for a moment. "Well, I've talked with Frank, and it's true the Thunderbird King in this region is the fastest flyer with the best hunting skills. But this specific thing about winning a race and providing food…"
He paused, then grinned. "Guess I'll add that to the next edition of my book."
So, even Newt hadn't known about this.
Lucien sighed and turned back to the Thunderbird. "Look, that flying race was just for fun, okay? And that meal was a thank-you for hanging out with me these past few days. Sound fair?"
The Thunderbird shook its head. "Nope. A win's a win, and a loss is a loss. Plus, the food you got was so good. What even were the things I was catching before?"
Lucien's forehead twitched with annoyance. Was this bird just stubborn, or was it blatantly trying to mooch off him?
Sure, raising a Thunderbird could yield rare, valuable materials—stuff that fetched a high price on the market. But unlike the creatures Lucien was already caring for, Thunderbirds needed way more space to roam. His homemade Gourd Space definitely wouldn't cut it.
Heck, just keeping Nobert the fire dragon comfortable was enough of a headache. Lucien was already planning to ask Newt for help expanding the space when they got back.
As for letting the Thunderbird loose in the Forbidden Forest? The climate at Hogwarts was too different from here—not a good fit.
"Boss, where's your territory?" the Thunderbird asked.
"My territory? Uh, why do you want to know?"
The bird stretched its wings proudly, letting out a triumphant cry. "If it's too much hassle to take me there, I can fly myself. I'm not that slow, you know. Plus, Thunderbirds have killer tracking and navigation skills. I can find you no problem!"
Lucien's headache intensified. He quickly filled Newt in on the conversation.
Newt glanced at the Thunderbird, then at Lucien. "Might as well take the kid with you. A young Thunderbird crossing an ocean on its own is way too risky."
That caught Lucien off guard, but he shared his concerns with Newt.
When Lucien brought up the space and environmental issues, Newt waved it off. "Don't worry, I've got a way to sort that out. Getting hands-on with magical creatures early on is great experience."
Lucien was surprised by how quickly Newt agreed to help. Was Newt just too nice to him? Was this the legendary Hufflepuff loyalty at work?
Or maybe it was because Lucien's passion and skill with magical creatures made Newt see him as a kindred spirit.
As for solving the space problem…
"No need to stress about the reserve or the magical authorities either," Newt added. "I'll take the Thunderbird under my name for 'rescue and observation.' It's not my first time doing this. When it comes to magical creatures, I've got some pull."
Newt seemed almost worried Lucien might say no to taking the Thunderbird. But honestly, it made sense. Whether it was talent or sheer luck, Lucien always seemed to stumble into new discoveries with magical creatures.
That was rare, and Newt clearly valued it.
He wanted to encourage Lucien to keep exploring, to grow while deepening his connection to these creatures.
Since Newt was going all-in, Lucien couldn't exactly refuse. "Mr. Scamander, thank you for your help and support."
Newt gave a warm, relieved smile. "Alright, I'll go talk to the officials."
Once Newt left, Lucien and the Thunderbird were left staring at each other.
Lucien hadn't planned on this. He'd just come here to fly around, complete a loaner task, and now he'd somehow ended up with a Thunderbird in tow.
"Chirp!"
"Boss, I'm hungry. Food time?"
Lucien's mouth twitched. Yeah, this bird was definitely just mooching.
"Hang on, I'll whip something up," he muttered.
Taking stock, Lucien realized he was already raising a Qilin, a fire dragon, a Niffler, a Thunderbird, a pack of eight-eyed spiders, a herd of Mooncalves, and… well, a whole lot more.
He was basically running a zoo at this point.
---
Dorset.
Newt brought Lucien back to his home.
Tina was delighted to see the two of them chatting and laughing. "Looks like you had a blast in Arizona?"
"Tina, you won't believe the haul this time," Newt said, eyes sparkling. "Let me tell you about the Thunderbird…"
Tina listened with a fond smile as Newt recounted their trip. She knew her husband well—any new discovery about magical creatures sent him into this excited state.
When Newt finished, Tina turned to Lucien with concern. "No trouble this time, right? Back in the day, Newt's knack for stirring up chaos was almost as big as his knack for bonding with creatures."
"Uh, well, there was a tiny bit of trouble," Newt said quickly. "But it was no big deal, just a small hiccup. Tina, I'm gonna show Lucien something real quick!"
Before she could press for details, Newt whisked Lucien away.
Lucien followed him to the study, a cozy room filled with books and a few magical creatures—mostly young or sick ones, probably kept close for easy care. It was classic Newt.
Newt approached his desk, waving his wand to clear away clutter, leaving just one item.
A suitcase.
Lucien had a hunch about what this was.
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