Apostles

"Albus, Albus, something's happened!"

After hurriedly saying goodbye to Jerry and the others, Newt rushed toward Dumbledore's office.

Seeing Newt's panicked expression, Dumbledore said reassuringly, "Don't worry, Newt. Sit down and tell me what happened. Would you like some lemonade?"

Newt sat on the sofa and said uneasily, "I'm sorry, Albus. I think the boy has figured out who his family is."

Dumbledore's expression changed. "Are you sure, Newt? Did you tell Jerry anything?"

"I'm sure, but I didn't tell him a thing. Jerry worked it out himself. Albus, that boy is too clever. Today..."

Newt told Dumbledore everything that had happened at Hagrid's Hut. Silence settled over the office.

Dumbledore sighed and broke it first. "It isn't your fault. Jerry already had his suspicions. As I've said before, he's very clever."

"Albus, could this affect the boy? I think you should sit down and have a proper talk with him. After all, you're his..."

Dumbledore shook his head. "I will talk to him, but not now. The time hasn't come."

Newt let the subject drop. It was Dumbledore's family matter, after all.

"First, Newt, tell me about Jerry's pet."

Newt nodded, his expression grave. "Albus, it's a manufactured magical creature. The methods involved are horrifying! Was it you or Grindelwald?"

Dumbledore frowned and considered it for a moment, then shook his head. "Neither of us. I've seen that bird. Gellert and I couldn't make anything like it."

"But apart from you and Gellert, that only leaves Nicolas Flamel. Was it him?"

"Not Nicolas either," Dumbledore said. "He's too old. He simply isn't capable of making one."

"But if it wasn't one of you, I can't imagine who could do such a thing. Albus, are you hiding something from me?"

"Calm down, Newt," Dumbledore said.

Realizing he had lost his composure, Newt took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Albus. What happened this afternoon shook me. I never imagined anyone would manufacture a magical creature. It's such an evil thing to do."

Dumbledore fell into thought.

After a moment, his expression turned serious. "Newt, there are things I hadn't intended to tell you yet, but we badly need your help. I hope you'll keep what I'm about to say confidential."

Seeing how serious Dumbledore was, Newt said, "Tell me what you need me to do. Should we use the Fidelius Charm?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "Not for now. We don't have much information ourselves. Just be careful to keep it secret."

Newt nodded in agreement.

Dumbledore rose, went to his desk, and took a sheet of parchment from a drawer. He handed it to Newt.

Newt took the parchment and found no writing on it, only a symbol.

It consisted of a circle, a triangle, and a lightning bolt. Unlike the symbol of the Deathly Hallows, the circle enclosed the triangle, while the lightning bolt ran through the entire design.

Puzzled, Newt joked, "Is this a new Deathly Hallows symbol Grindelwald designed for the Pure-Blood Party?"

Dumbledore smiled. "It's the symbol of the Apostles."

"The Apostles are an ancient wizarding organization. They've existed for a thousand years. Merlin may be the only one who knows where they came from!"

Newt was bewildered. "An organization nearly a thousand years old? How have I never heard of it?"

"Neither had I or Gellert," Dumbledore said. "We only noticed this mysterious organization because the Apostles suddenly became more active over the past few decades."

"They keep an extremely low profile and have almost never involved themselves in the conflicts of the wizarding world. For the past thousand years, they've been searching for something—or perhaps waiting for it."

"But Albus, what does this have to do with Jerry? Why would they give him a magical creature they went to such trouble to make?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "We don't know the exact reason. But one thing is certain: Jerry is very important to the Apostles. They may have sent that bird to protect him!"

Newt struggled to take it all in. "So you want me to look into this mysterious organization?"

Dumbledore nodded. "I hope you'll gather as much information as you can for us. But remember, don't trust anyone too easily. The Apostles conceal their identities well. Anyone could be one of them."

"In fact, there's even an Apostle at Hogwarts."

Newt stared at him in disbelief. "Do you know who it is? Why not capture them and use Veritaserum? Wouldn't that clear everything up?"

"It isn't that simple," Dumbledore said helplessly. "Gellert and I have tried all sorts of methods, but we haven't obtained anything useful."

"The Apostles have a special kind of magic that protects their minds. So far, we haven't been able to get past it to extract information."

"Newt, there aren't many people I can trust, and you're one of them. I'm asking you to help with this. We know far too little about the Apostles. I hope you can find something soon, so we can better understand this mysterious organization."

Newt nodded and agreed.

"Remember, Newt, this organization is dangerous. Stay alert while gathering information, and make sure you stay safe."

"I will. Albus, is there anything else you know?"

Dumbledore thought for a moment. "Gellert and I have also uncovered something over the years, though we can't be certain of it. There seems to be a connection between the Apostles and Voldemort."

"We've found traces of the Apostles throughout Voldemort's rise. Gellert and I suspect they guided him and shaped him into what he became. We still don't know why."

Newt shook his head. "Albus, is that why you've left Grindelwald alone? Are the two of you working together now?"

Dumbledore was silent for a moment. Then he said meaningfully, "You could say it's... one of the reasons."