While Master Newt was lost in thought, Professor Terra watched him from the High Table with an amused, knowing smile. Sean, anwhile, finished his glass of sparkling lemon fizz and made his way out of the castle.
Outside, the snow was a pristine, untouched blanket of white, save for the deep trenches left by the Ilvermorny students as they trudged back to their dormitories.
"Will!" Sean called out.
"I am here, honored Mr. Green."
Will the Pukwudgie stepped out from behind a stone gargoyle near the entrance. He cast a look of quiet envy at the statue before turning to Sean and bowing his long-eared head low.
"Our agreent is a contract of employnt, Will," Sean reminded him after a short silence.
"Master William says that the greatest source of folly is a lack of self-awareness," Will replied, his head still bowed. "Will is your steward. Nothing more, nothing less. Please, give your orders."
"Can you take to the snowfields ahead of us?" Sean asked, looking at the grey-skinned creature.
"With the greatest of pleasure!" Will's head snapped up, his eyes bright.
With a blur of Pukwudgie magic, they vanished and reappeared on the slopes of the distant, snow-capped peaks. Sean imdiately set to work expanding the interior of the Wizard's To, pushing the magical boundaries until the space reached four hundred and fifty square ters.
Then began the grueling process of "severing" patches of the landscape and anchoring them within the book. It was exhausting work; spatial expansion beca exponentially more difficult as the area grew, requiring the wizard to simultaneously stretch the dinsions and maintain the stability of the existing bios.
Fortunately, they weren't scheduled to depart until the afternoon, giving Sean a few precious hours.
Snow fell steadily, dusting the branches of the pines, the frozen streams, and the head of a wild rabbit peeking out from a burrow. It wasn't until the rabbit had finished its carrot and scurried back into the dark that Sean finally closed the To with a look of tired satisfaction.
Upon entering the book now, the Genesis Plains remained as vibrant as ever—lush green grass dotted with yellow and pink wildflowers, slling of damp earth and spring sunshine. To the left, the stream still wound its way past the Wizarding Cottage.
But to the left of the cottage, the world had changed.
Sean had carved out a space equal in size to the adow. He had relocated a series of rolling hills—he couldn't quite manage a whole mountain yet—covered in thick, heavy snow. A few transplanted shrubs provided cover for the rabbits he had brought along.
Once the environnt was set, Sean quickly perford the Separation Charm to isolate the bios. This ensured the spring warmth of the plains wouldn't lt the winter hills, allowing him to cast more precise Weather-Working Charms on each area.
During the process, Sean felt a renewed sense of wonder at the logic of magic. To create a blizzard, a wizard didn't just manifest wind and ice; they first had to visualize the birth of a cloud. To create a spatial divide, a wizard didn't just cast a wall; it was far easier if they first erected a physical signpost, a fence, or a ring of trees to act as a conceptual anchor.
With the expansion complete, Will respectfully offered Sean a cup of hot tea. As Sean drank, Iffa the Wampus Cat curled around his boots for a mont before darting off to roll in the new snow of the hills.
[Alert: You have gained the affinity of the magical creature Wampus Cat (Iffa) at an Expert standard. Proficiency 50]
[Magical Creature: Wampus Cat (Iffa): Fairly Fond (Novice) (870/900)]
Iffa's affinity was rising rapidly, bordering on the final tier. However, Sean knew that crossing into "Close" would take ti; genuine emotion wasn't sothing that could be ground out like a spell.
"I shall remain here, honored Mr. Green. Tending to the sanctuary within the To is my duty. When I am needed, you need only call," Will said. He looked at the sowhat spartan bed and the quiet kitchen, his dostic instincts clearly flaring to life.
"Thank you for the help, Will," Sean said softly.
"Master William says that once the contract is struck, a Pukwudgie offers absolute loyalty... all for the sake of Lord Green." Will perford a formal salute, hand over his heart.
Sean nodded, stepping out of the To and back into the real world.
The clouds over Ilvermorny were a heavy grey, and a few owls were visible in the distance. On the castle grounds, students were laughing and throwing snowballs, enjoying the freedom of the holidays.
Sean found Professor Terra waiting for him near the gates.
"We depart shortly, my dear apprentice. We shall be using... the dragons," Terra said with a mischievous grin.
Sean blinked. "Dragons, Professor? A dragon-drawn carriage?"
That was a massive violation of the International Statute of Secrecy. Unless it was a dire ergency, Sean generally preferred to stay on the right side of wizarding law.
"Master Newt has a few dragons that need to stretch their wings, and I happen to possess a very reliable set of concealnt wards," Terra said airily. She spoke as if a ward capable of bypassing the sensors of both the MACUSA and the British Ministry was as common as a garden gno.
"I see," Sean replied. It sounded ridiculous, but with Terra and Newt involved, he supposed he didn't have much to worry about.
"Co along, then."
Terra winked and looked toward the forest. Master Newt was approaching, clutching his battered leather case.
"Mr. Scamander," Sean greeted.
"Mr. Green," Newt replied, looking both shy and slightly dazed.
Just then, a thunderous, rattling snort echoed from the nearby woods. Sean's eyes widened.
They walked toward the sound. As the trees thinned, Sean saw the hidden paddock. Two ferocious, adolescent Hebridean Black dragons were tethered within a heavy wooden enclosure. They stood on their hind legs, letting out low, rumbling growls.Plus of orange fla erupted from their fanged maws, splashing harmlessly against a shimring magical barrier. Their necks were arched high, their heads easily fifty feet above the ground.
Behind them sat a carriage roughly the size of a small house.
"Henry and Lucky," Newt said softly. "Under my watch, they shall stretch their wings for the first and last ti as they cross the Atlantic. A Rite of Flight, before they are released back into the Hebrides."
Though Newt spoke with his usual shyness, his eyes held a mix of joy and the bittersweet sorrow of a coming farewell. The dragons stopped puffing fire as Newt approached, fixing him with their large, slitted eyes.
Wizards generally considered it impossible to truly "ta" a dragon, yet in Newt's presence, these beasts seed remarkably sentient—almost gentle.
"I am glad you could join them for their Rite," Newt said with a smile.
On cue, the two dragons unfurled their massive, leathery wings.
[End of Chapter 367]
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