Nicolas's Safe House

The Fire Dragon Norbert is, in a sense, a legacy issue.

Originally, it was a "tool egg" that Quirrell gave to Hagrid to exploit Fluffy ' weaknesses.

The result was tragic: Hagrid, after having a few drinks, got carried away and not only happily accepted the dragon egg, but also started boasting, swindling Quirrell out of both his money and his heart.

They've truly lost both their money and their loved ones!

The egg was gone, Quirrell was bitten by Fluffy, and finally died a gruesome death from Snape's poison.

From a metaphysical perspective, this cause-and-effect relationship is quite complex.

Well... now they're getting their comeuppance, and it's become a huge problem!

If William had known this would happen, he should have made it into fried rice instead of Newt to take it to Norway.

The old man first went on a trip to Romania, but there were various delays along the way. He didn't manage to send the dragon away, and he lost the whole thing, including the dragon and the box.

What a terrible thing!

Not only William and Hermione, but Dumbledore, far away in the United Kingdom and thinking about how to save Newt, was probably also wondering to himself: Why didn't you lose yourself too?!

The fact that Newt was captured by the French Ministry of Magic is also worth mentioning.

Breaking school rules without getting caught is the most basic unspoken rule at Hogwarts. How could Newt have forgotten that once he's out in the real world?

Okay, he was a delinquent who dropped out of school and failed to grasp the true meaning of school education.

But... that's a fire dragon.

The thought of fire-breathing dragons wreaking havoc over Paris instantly brought to William's mind the iconic scene of Mother of Dragons to ravage the city.

Notre-Dame de Paris is going to be gone again.

Wait, why did William say "again"?

The crucial issue now is that Newt has been attacked, his trunk is gone, and he has no idea where his precious treasure is!

William and the French Ministry of Magic both want to find the box, and the order in which they do so is a delicate matter.

William goes first, Newt will most likely be fine; France goes first, Newt will follow in Quirrell's footsteps... losing both his money and his life.

"Bringing these along should be of some help to you two," Newt whispered.

He blew on his thick, long bangs that covered his eyes, and a single hair fell down.

No, that's not hair... it's a Magical Creatures the size of a hair.

William and Hermione looked closely and saw that the little creature had wings and looked like a snake.

--Bird Occamy!

The Occamy is a serpentine creature with feathers, wings, and two legs. Its most distinctive feature is its ability to expand and contract at will, changing its size and thickness as needed.

William was unfamiliar with Occamy, but he was very familiar with Occamy Egg.

Lockhart's shampoo contained precious Occamy Egg ingredients, which were an important component of Felix Felicis.

William has several large trunks!

"Are you sure this Occamy isn't dangerous?" William asked.

The Occamy is a Magical Creatures, extremely aggressive, unlike Niffler.

"It's alright, I've already tamed it. It's a well-behaved little cutie," Newt quickly said.

William and Hermione exchanged a glance; this sounded very much like Hagrid's style.

The Occamy grew slightly larger and spat out an old card from its mouth.

"This is the address, a safe house for Nicolas, in Paris, with very strong protective magic," Newt quickly explained.

William examined the address with suspicion.

"A safe house? Why would we need a safe house in Paris?" Hermione asked.

"I hope I never have to, but things can get really weird sometimes. It's good to have somewhere to go and a cup of hot tea." Newt's eyes darted back into his thick bangs.

"That sounds more like Professor Dumbledore's voice." William put the address in his pocket.

Newt was taken aback and honestly admitted, "It was Dumbledore told me this decades ago. He tricked me into going to Paris to face Grindelwald."

"Cheat... "William noticed this interesting verb.

Hermione took out a small glass tube and put the Occamy inside.

"We'll find your box and get you out." William stood up.

"Goodbye!"

Hermione put away the blank parchment and left with William.

"I'm sorry." Newt watched the two walk away, and then, somewhat withdrawn, he sighed softly, "I've caused you trouble."

Instead of leaving the Ministry of Magic immediately, William strolled around casually for a bit.

Before leaving, he chatted with Cregan and Miss Costa for a while longer before taking Hermione away.

William and Hermione walked along the rocky path on the Seine, both dressed in short sleeves and shorts, looking very well-matched.

A gentle breeze was blowing, and the two of them didn't rush back to the hotel or immediately investigate. Instead, they took a leisurely stroll in the twilight.

"Where should we begin our investigation?" Hermione asked softly.

"Let's go to where Newt was attacked first."

"That place should already be sealed off by the Ministry of Magic," Hermione said after a moment's thought. "I doubt we can get in."

"So I secretly took two hairs," William said with a smug smile.

He flipped his right hand over, revealing two strands of hair of different colors in his palm.

"Oh, no wonder you patted Costa on the shoulder so warmly when you left; you were stealing his hair." Hermione raised an eyebrow and said softly.

"I thought..."

What do you think?

"It's nothing!" Hermione's lips curled up slightly.

"After we get back, we'll discuss it with Roy. We'll let everyone go first to the next city we've planned to visit," William said earnestly.

"Anyway, we've pretty much seen all of Paris, and it's not very safe here right now."

Hermione nodded, then asked hesitantly, "How do you explain that the two of us were left alone in Paris?"

We definitely need to come up with a good excuse... otherwise, our parents certainly won't agree to let the two of them stay.

Hermione's father, Iris, would probably kill William first and then dump his body in the Seine.

"Just tell them that Old Man Newt has been arrested by the Ministry of Magic. He's an old man, and he had a heart attack. We need to take care of him," William quickly came up with an excuse.

"..." Hermione glanced at William with a small look.

"What's wrong?"

"William, do you lie often? How come you're so good at it?" Hermione asked. "It just comes out of nowhere."

"Isn't this the reason you asked me to come up with?" William said, feeling wronged.

"I didn't ask you to lie." Hermione widened her eyes, raised her pointed chin, and said:

"That's not what we're discussing right now; it's about how adeptly you lie!"

"No, this is the first time I've ever lied," William denied vehemently.

That statement is a lie!

Hermione wouldn't let it go.

"The French Ministry of Magic will probably be keeping an eye on us," William wisely changed the subject.

Since Cregan sent them to visit Newt, he was prepared to play the long game and follow them to find the chest.

"Can we shake them off?" Hermione asked.

"Easy peasy," William said with a smile.

"Hmm..." Hermione thought for a moment, then asked softly with a smile, "What shall we eat tonight?"

"Let's go have some French fish soup. I know a really good restaurant in Paris," William recommended. "It's delicious."

"Who told you that?" Hermione pursed her lips, a sweet smile on her face.

"... Anne," William repeated hesitantly, "Anne, it's her!"

You're lying again!

William smiled wryly, looking at the fierce Hermione with a strange sense of sorrow.

Hermione snorted, then smiled broadly, gently took William's arm, and walked lightly forward.

Her brown curly hair swayed gently, much like the ripples of the Seine.

(Seeking monthly votes at the end of the month, everyone.)

(Thanks to the generous donor "Heavy Aston")