Note: Thanks again for reading :-) This is the second and final chapter to this story.
Just a little note up front: I realise Madam Pomfrey might not have been at Hogwarts during this time yet, but it felt wrong to come up with a new character in that role ;-)
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Dumbledore and Newt waited until Grindelwald was taken away and the last of the Ministry officials had Disapparated.
"Now it's our time to go." Dumbledore tightened his grip on Newt's arm and turned on the spot. Newt felt the familiar, yet somewhat unpleasant, sensation of Side-Along Apparition. Whatever destination Dumbledore had in mind for them, Newt would be taken there, too.
After a few seconds and a whirlwind of blurry images, Newt's feet slammed into the ground at their destination. The impact made him stagger so much that he needed Dumbledore's steady physique next to him to remain standing.
Newt inhaled the cool night air and the smell of pine trees, and he immediately knew where they were.
There, sitting on top of a hill, by the edge of a large lake, lay Hogwarts Castle.
"Why did you take me here?" Newt asked weakly. His energy was even more rapidly draining than before now.
"It is the only place in the entire world that I trust to be safe," Dumbledore answered, "and a place where I know you will feel at ease while you recover."
"How are we getting to the castle?" It hadn't eluded Newt that they had Apparated at the edge of the school grounds, and he remembered fairly well that Apparating inside Hogwarts grounds was not possible.
"I'm afraid we have to walk." Dumbledore looked genuinely sorry about this. "I know I'm asking a lot of you, but given the current circumstances, I did not think it wise to lower the school's security in any way."
Newt nodded shortly. He knew Dumbledore had made the right choices, but still was not looking forward to this next part. He was feeling shaky and unsteady from his wounds, and it was getting worse by the second.
"I'm- I'm not sure if I'll be able to make it all that way," Newt confessed.
"We're not in a hurry." A compassionate smile played on Dumbledore's lips. "Take all the time you need."
Dumbledore made sure that Newt could properly lean on him for support, and did not pressure him in any way. "Whenever you're ready."
Newt carefully took a step forward. Dumbledore moved forward with him, always making sure that Newt had plenty of support. He let Newt determine their tempo, and would wait patiently whenever Newt needed to stop for a moment to catch his breath.
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It took a long time, but finally they set foot in the Entrance Hall of Hogwarts Castle.
It was just as Newt remembered it, with the Great Hall on one side and the giant marble staircase on the other. Even though Newt was heavily weakened by his injuries and barely able to hold onto consciousness, it still felt like coming home.
Dumbledore had already felt Newt's weight grow heavier against him, so it did not come as a surprise when Newt started to sag.
"It's alright, give into it." Dumbledore gently guided Newt to lie down on the marble floor of the entrance hall. Newt was as good as unresponsive by now, the injuries of the day finally taking the better of him.
Hurried, slippered footsteps announced the arrival of someone. Dumbledore looked up to find Professor McGonagall coming down the marble staircase. With her wand at the ready to fend off possible intruders, she trotted down the stairs.
"Albus?" She was clearly shaken up. "Is that you?"
"Yes, Minerva," Dumbledore answered calmly. "Would you please wake up Madam Pomfrey? Her assistance is urgently needed."
"Is that... Mr. Scamander?" McGonagall only now had a better look at the person lying on the floor.
"It is," Dumbledore answered serenely, "Madam Pomfrey, Minerva, please."
"Yes, of course." McGonagall hurried back up the steps and disappeared from view.
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Dumbledore brought Newt over to the hospital wing, and arrived there at the same time McGonagall arrived with Madam Pomfrey.
The matron took one look at Newt and immediately determined this was serious.
"Over here." She motioned to one of the beds. Dumbledore carefully laid Newt down on it, and retreated to the side to give the matron the space she needed to do her job.
McGonagall came to stand next to Dumbledore. "Does this mean Grindelwald was captured, Albus?"
He nodded slowly. "It indeed does."
"What happened to Mr. Scamander?" McGonagall stared horror-struck as Madam Pomfrey pulled aside Newt's coat and revealed the lacerations to his chest and shoulders.
"They duelled," Dumbledore spoke thoughtfully, "I can think of some of the curses he's been hit with.
McGonagall shook her head in disbelief. "It's a wonder he survived."
"Come now, Minerva, don't underestimate him." The usual twinkle was back in Dumbledore's eyes as he spoke. "Newt knows how to stand his ground. You should see some of the creatures he works with."
Madam Pomfrey had chosen that moment to come over to Dumbledore.
"Those are some serious injuries, Albus," she said disapprovingly, "only dark magic could cause those."
"I know, I know." Dumbledore held up his hands to stop the reprimand he knew would follow.
"But nothing I can't heal," she continued, "it will take time for him to recover properly from this, but I have all the spells and ointments ready to treat him."
"Thank you, Poppy." Dumbledore smiled at her. Madam Pomfrey mumbled something no one quite caught, and set to work on Newt's injuries.
"Minerva?" Dumbledore turned to McGonagall. "I need you to travel to London, to the Leaky Cauldron, and find a man named Jacob Kowalski."
"Who is he?" McGonagall looked rather confused by this request.
"A Muggle in a wizard's inn will probably be easy to find." Dumbledore grinned at his own remark. "You will find him to be in possession of something very valuable to Newt, and I need you to escort Mr. Kowalski here."
The dozens of questions shone on McGonagall's face, but she didn't ask them. "Right away."
Dumbledore silently sat down in the chair by Newt's bed. Madam Pomfrey was applying ointment to the wounds on Newt's chest and back, and topped it off with a generous amount of bandages. She tutted a few times disapprovingly during her treatment, but made no further comments.
"I don't know what else you have planned for this man, Albus," she began after a short while, "but he needs rest for at least the next few days. Absolute rest."
"Certainly." Dumbledore nodded solemnly.
"He will feel the after-effects of this for quite a while." She shook her head once more to show her disapprovement, before leaving for her office.
Dumbledore sat back in his chair. The hunt for Grindelwald had dominated his life in the past few months, and now, all of a sudden, it was over. It had cost him, surely. The very result of that was lying right in front of him.
He did not know what the next few days would bring him, but for now his main concern was Newt. Dumbledore would not even think of anything else until he was sure Newt would be alright and would make a full recovery.
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Newt slowly felt the comforts of sleep leave him. He willed it to overtake him once more, for he was still utterly tired, but it would not.
He listened to the sounds around him. It was mostly quiet, but far in the distance were sounds of people talking and laughing.
"Lunch hour at Hogwarts." A solemn voice suddenly spoke. "My favourite time of the day."
Newt slowly opened his eyes to find Dumbledore standing by the window beside his bed. The professor stood with his hands buried deep in his trouser pockets, staring out of the window with a faint smile on his face. He observed his students having fun in the snow in the courtyard below. How he knew Newt was awake before the younger man was even fully aware of it himself, was a mystery.
"... Wh-what?" Newt stammered, still dazed with sleep. He made a feeble attempt to push himself more upright.
"No, no, don't do that." Dumbledore stopped Newt from moving. "Or Madam Pomfrey will have my head."
Newt lay back against his pillows. He had to admit that moving hurt quite a bit, so he would have probably stayed put without Dumbledore's intervention as well.
Dumbledore sat down in the chair by the bed. He gave Newt a friendly, yet intriguing stare.
Suddenly his face broke into a smile as he held up a flat hand, where Pickett was swinging from one of the long, slender fingers. "This is a funny little fellow."
"Pickett," Newt mumbled, relieved. Dumbledore shortly placed his hand on the bed covers, so Pickett could scurry over to Newt and sit down on his chest. Newt smiled briefly at the little creature seeking his company.
"Newt..." Dumbledore began. The tone of his voice indicated he meant to start a serious conversation. "What happened last night was more than I could ever have asked of you."
"Did the Ministry arrest Grindelwald?" Newt ignored Dumbledore's remark.
"Yes." Dumbledore folded his hands in his lap. "All thanks to you."
"Yet you do not seem at ease." Newt tried to read Dumbledore's expression.
"Grindelwald is a smart and powerful wizard, Newt" Dumbledore answered thoughtfully, "he will try to escape, and we cannot rule out that getting captured was even part of his plan."
"So, last night was utterly useless." Newt shrugged. He had suddenly lost all confidence in his actions.
"Absolutely not." Dumbledore sounded somewhat stern now. "Do not ever doubt the choices that you've made."
Newt chuckled softly, plucking at his bedsheets. "How often have you told me that already?"
"Apparently, not often enough," Dumbledore smiled.
Newt stared at his own knees now, avoiding at all cost to look Dumbledore in the eye. The older wizard did not seem bothered by this at all. He merely watched Newt with interest.
Dumbledore broke the silence after a short while. "Do you know what amuses me, Newt?"
"Hogwarts at lunch hour?" Newt answered with the hint of a smirk.
Dumbledore chuckled. "That, too. No, I meant that suitcase of yours."
Newt's head snapped up, as he looked at Dumbledore with wide eyes. "It... that... my creatures," he stammered frantically.
Dumbledore held up his hands and gestured for Newt to calm down. "Your creatures are safe. Mr. Kowalski has been taking excellent care of them. It's good to see how much the Muggle community knows about magical creatures these days."
"I..." Newt tried to get some words out, but wasn't sure if he should speak. Dumbledore's words had not been accusatory or reprimanding, but he knew perfectly well he had broken quite a few laws when getting Jacob involved in taking care of his creatures.
Dumbledore quietly studied Newt, watching the young man's internal struggle.
"What have I just said about doubting your choices, Newt?" He finally smiled.
"Right," Newt chuckled rather nervously.
"Mr. Kowalski is a very likeable man, and you've taught him well on magical creatures," Dumbledore continued.
Newt was genuinely surprised now. "You've met him?"
"Certainly," Dumbledore nodded, "he's right here at Hogwarts."
Newt hesitated shortly. If Jacob was here, that meant his case was here as well, and with that: his creatures.
"I need to see my creatures." He made another attempt to get out of bed, ignoring the pain moving caused.
"No." Dumbledore put a firm hand on Newt's shoulder, and easily kept him in check. "Madam Pomfrey will curse and jinx me with everything she has knowledge of when she sees you out of bed."
"But..." Newt protested.
"I'm afraid I will have to be firm," Dumbledore said calmly. "I can, however, send Mr. Kowalski to visit you. He'll be able to tell you all about your creatures' well-being."
Newt fidgeted his hands together. This was not exactly what he had had in mind, but it would have to do for now. "Alright."
The smile with which Dumbledore answered Newt betrayed that he was perfectly aware of Newt's reluctance to agree to this.
"Good." Dumbledore rose to his feet, taking the jacket which he had hung over the back of the chair. "I have a class to teach. We still have lots of things to discuss, which I will not bother you with now, but I will visit you again later today."
Dumbledore walked to the door of the hospital wing.
"Oh!" He suddenly stopped and turned back to Newt. "I nearly forgot: I will send Mr. Kowalski over to you. And remember, do not get out of bed. Not even when Madam Pomfrey is on her hour-long lunch break." His words were followed by a mischievous wink.
Newt smirked in understanding. "Thank you, professor."