●▬▬▬▬▬๑۩۩๑▬▬▬▬▬●
While Milo thought he was going to be sick to his stomach, at the same time he felt like he was going to faint as well. However, he would never describe it as an unpleasant experience to be in the presence of greatness. He had dreamed about meeting Newt Scamander, the man he aspired to be like when he was older, of course, none of the scenarios actually involved meeting the man out in the open. But he certainly wasn't complaining, it was a beautiful moment to witness Newt walk out of the Forbidden Forest. Anyone who had read his writings knew that Newt had developed his love for creatures because of the Forest.
His mother had been a breeder of Hippogriffs when he and his brother were just boys, and Newt had developed a curiosity for the creatures around his home, but he was mainly limited to gnomes and Horklumps. Unfortunately, for the Horklumps, Newt figured the best way to learn about them was through dismemberment. But when Newt arrived at Hogwarts, he described his experience as everything he had dreamt about as a boy. The amazing creatures that dwelt in the forest and how he would wake up incredibly early, just to watch the unicorn herd graze through the freshly-covered dew grass.
But his adventures didn't even stop there as the boy left Hogwarts under certain circumstances that were not explained clearly. It did not deter the boy from accomplishing what he set out to do about learning all the magical creatures, no matter how dangerous they were. And he did just that, from wrangling Ukranian Ironbelly dragons to working in the house-elf relocation department, and then upgrading in the Ministry to the Beast Division. The man had certainly found his calling as he travelled the world, discovering new beasties and writing about all of them that he would late on compile into a book.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Otherwise known as Milo Fleamont Potter's bible. The boy had read it over countless times because unlike other authors that perhaps witnessed the same creatures and wrote about them, no one wrote about the creatures with such respect like Newt did. But even after Newt travelled the world, met his wife, and supposedly settled down, he still did his work by travelling and educating as many people as possible. He turned it into a lifetime career and Milo knew that meant that he would use every last breath to help people understand the creatures that had been misunderstood for so long.
Overwhelmed by the experience, Milo knew there was only one thing he could do at the time, in order to prevent himself from fainting right on the spot in front of his hero.
"Please, forgive me, Mr. Scamander," Milo told the man before he abruptly wrapped his arms around Newt and pulled him into a hug.
He certainly managed to catch Newt off guard as the man didn't know how to react except with a few awkward pats on the boy's back. Through the letters back and forth between him and Milo, Newt was able to gather that Milo was very passionate about creatures and he hadn't seen the type of dedication until a few years prior when he wrote a certain recommendation to a dragon sanctuary in Romania to take on a fresh Hogwarts graduate. But that boy had been passionate about dragons while Milo seemed to be passionate about every creature.
It was true what the man said about no one ever greeting him and telling him it was an honour to meet him, they simply called it a "pleasure." But the boy in front of him really knew how to make Newt stand in bewilderment as he began to cry.
"Are...Are you crying?" Newt asked him as he peered down at Milo, who was still holding on him. The boy nodded his head with a sniffle.
"I'm so happy."
Gently, Newt removed himself from the wrong, his old bones couldn't take much longer with how tight Milo was squeezing him. But he did offer the boy a kind smile, appreciative by far that Milo enjoyed his work that much. It was flattering but also reassuring that his words were still touching some people, enough that they felt dedicated enough to continue his work. Milo must have realised that he was close to causing quite the scene if people stumbled upon the two of them standing at the edge of the forest and the scene of him crying with an old wizard in his presence. Probably wouldn't look the best in other people's eyes.
"Sorry," he sniffled, "with a smile. You caught me off guard. I knew you said in your last letter that you would be coming to Hogwarts eventually, but I didn't know when."
"Well, I realise when I don't announce my visits that it makes it all that more exciting," Newt informed him. "But I must say, Milo, before the conversation goes any further, it is also an honour to meet you. I've come across some people who have admired my work before, but not with your dedication. I have never come across a boy, barely a teenager who had come across basilisk skin. You can ask my wife with how impressed I was after that, I spent the entire day at home trying to figure out the perfect display case for it. I would have kept it in the kitchen or the living room, but she told me no."
"Yeah, my mum doesn't let me keep anything on display outside of my room, she says it might frighten people when they come in," Milo informed him.
Newt smiled before he looked around. "Now I remember that you sent a little gift from me, is he perhaps on you right now?"
Milo was practically jumping with excitement even though he was trying to control himself. "There's hardly a time that he isn't on me, Sir. And if he isn't it's usually because he's sleeping in. Paden, come on now, you don't have to hide anymore."
Like the bowtruckle that he had cared for so many years, Pickett had been the bowtruckle's name, a companion to Newt during some very difficult and harrowing times. He expected the bowtruckle that he had gifted to Milo to appear in the pocket, poking out as Pickett once did. However, he was surprised when the bowtruckle appeared in the boy's hair, peering out cautiously. He couldn't believe it and for a second, he started to laugh, happy to see that the bowtruckle was in good health.
"Paden, you said?" Newt asked repeating the name. "Scottish name for him seems fitting."
"Well, my mother's Scottish," Milo informed him. "I thought it would be a respectful gesture as well, considering she actually allowed me to keep him."
"I figured a bowtruckle would go over well compared to a niffler."
"Yeah, I don't know how that would have gone over, but even if she wasn't so fond of the idea of Paden in the beginning, he's practically family in her eyes now. It just took her a little bit to get used to him."
Newt was more than pleased to see the bowtruckle in good health, but Paden remained shy, hiding back inside Milo's hair for the time being and letting out a small chirp. Milo seemed to have a question, biting at the tip of his tongue as he faced Newt.
"Have you experienced a jealous bowtruckle?" He questioned. "I suppose it sounds rather silly, but-"
"Milo, it would only have sounded silly if you've been around bowtruckles and never experienced a jealous one. It's a very common trait especially after they've attached themselves to you. Trust me, Pickett had his moments where he would bite people if they came too close."
"And blow raspberries in their faces?!"
"Yes!"
It appeared the two were going to get along just fine.
●▬▬▬▬▬๑۩۩๑▬▬▬▬▬●
"Now as much as I enjoy your enthusiasm, I swear Dumbledore has referred to the Forbidden Forest as ...well...er...Forbidden," Newt began as the two remained outside at the edge of the forest. "Care to tell me what you were doing out here?"
"Well, technically, the Forbidden Forest is forbidden to students to enter unless they have an escort with an adult. Seeing as you were in there before I entered, you would have been all the adult supervision I needed," Milo pointed out, bringing the man to chuckle.
"Your mother warned me that you were able to pull fast ones on people," New told him, " I see that she was right to warn me. Care to tell me why you were going into the forest?"
"The Black Tulips, Sir," Milo informed him without hesitation, " you see, I heard a lot of the older students talking about them. Some say they're a myth and others say that they're real. I've read about them in my book, but without physical proof, I don't think my peers are willing to really believe it. I figured if I ventured into the forest and collected one that I could show it to the others."
"You do understand that the Black Tulips grow at the darkest part of the forest, correct?" Newt questioned. As sincere as the boy's reasoning sounded, Newt suspected there was more to the story but Milo didn't offer any information. "Meaning no sunlight travels to that part and hardly any creature dares to. It's an area known to spook even the bravest of unicorns."
"I'm well aware, Sir," Milo said with a nod of his head, " but to prove a point, I'm willing. Besides I'm not afraid of the dark."
Newt glanced over his shoulder in the direction of the Forest, it would only be hypocritical of him to tell the boy that it was a bad idea to venture into the forest, mainly because he had done it more than a dozen times, especially when he was around Milo's age. The boy's blue gaze continued to look back and forth between him and the forest. Even if Newt directed him back to the castle, it didn't mean that Milo wouldn't just go another day. Even with dementors roaming the grounds and keeping an eye out for a mass murderer, the boy seemed determined to enter.
"Well, I know exactly how to get to that section of the forest," Newt informed him, " and I am willing to escort you as the supervising adult."
Milo let out a screech that could not be compared to any creature that Newt had studied over the decades but it brought the man to smile as he led the way back into the forest. "Only," he stopped a few feet in and turned to the boy, " don't tell your mother about this. I met her back up at the castle and well, she's awfully intimidating."
"Intimidating but the most loving person on the face of the Earth, I can vouch for that," Milo told him as the two continued on their way.
As they walked along, Milo had to question what Newt's business was tending to the school, and the man informed him that Hagrid was introducing Hippogriffs to the third year students and Newt felt a longing sensation to see the creatures that he had grown up with. He had travelled during the early morning hours to arrive at Hogwarts to see the selected group of Hippogriffs that Hagrid had selected, mainly because Dumbledore had expressed that he was slightly nervous about the lesson plan. But Newt thought it was a brilliant idea, the third year students would be old enough to listen to instruction and offer their respect.
Milo had to admit, upon hearing the lesson plan that he was terribly jealous but Newt reassured him that the hippogriffs were not only going to be subjected to the third years but the older students as well.
"It's much better to see them in person than read about them and look at a drawing," Newt claimed, " no drawing does a Hippogriff justice."
Milo opened his mouth to let out a response, but something caught the corner of his eye, bringing him to look over. He saw a dash of black scatter through the trees, bringing him to come to a halt. Newt continued on for a few feet before realising that the boy wasn't behind them.
"Everything alright, Milo?" The man asked, turning around and pushing back his thin hair to wipe his brow of sweat.
"Y-y-yeah," Milo finally brought himself to nod, "I just thought...I could have sworn I saw a dog."
"A dog seems highly unlikely around these parts, Milo," Newt called back to him, " specially with the village so close. If they were that desperate for food they wouldn't seek out the forest. They have a higher chance of being attacked for stepping into the wrong territory. They can find scraps in the village."
"And what if they aren't looking for scraps?" Milo questioned.
"Then that is a dog with a mission."