Hogwarts: I'm Truly a Model Wizard

"Who's that..."

In the room, Tina was setting down a tray of freshly baked cookies on the table.

"It's Kyle," Newt said with a smile.

Tina looked up, a bit surprised; she'd been expecting an old friend.

"Did you forget something?" she asked, handing Kyle the tray of cookies. "You could have just written a letter and asked us to deliver it. Why make another trip? Besides, Hogwarts starts tomorrow, doesn't it?"

Not long after returning from Paris, Kyle had already visited Newt and Tina once, staying for two days. This time, aside from not having much else to do, he came because Fawkes had delivered his suitcases early. He'd seized the chance to get his "Phoenix Experience Card" and thought he could retrieve Norbert and the Troll ahead of schedule, so he wouldn't have to wait until the Christmas holidays. Kyle just hadn't expected Phoenix travel to be so intense… If he'd known, he would've waited until the holidays for sure.

Without a word, Kyle set his suitcase down on the wooden shelf next to him. Newt raised an eyebrow, quickly grasping the situation, and gave an almost imperceptible nod as he glanced at Fawkes perched on Kyle's shoulder.

"Oh… isn't that a Phoenix?" Tina noticed Fawkes and walked over in surprise. "Is Dumbledore here too? Why don't you invite him in?"

"No, he should still be in Austria at this time," Newt replied, shaking his head. "It's just Kyle. Fawkes brought him here."

Tina blinked in astonishment. It was rare to see Fawkes without Dumbledore nearby. She then handed Kyle a glass of lemonade. It was uniquely tart and slightly bitter, but refreshing to drink. Kyle thought again about the fruit Newt had given him earlier; they certainly seemed to know exactly how to ease his discomfort.

"Have you been transported by a Phoenix before?" Kyle asked curiously.

"Many years ago," Newt recalled. "I must say, the experience was… truly unpleasant and unforgettable."

Kyle nodded in understanding. After finishing the lemonade, the two men headed to Newt's suitcase without further words.

Shortly after entering, Fawkes spread his wings and flew toward a forested area nearby. Kyle frowned, recalling it was where the Diricawl lived and where Newt had planted many herbs to treat sick Magical Creatures.

"Don't worry," Newt assured him from behind. "Phoenixes may be proud, but they don't mind the Diricawl, so there's no need to be concerned."

Kyle tugged the corner of his mouth into a half-smile. He wasn't worried about the Diricawl—he was worried about the herbs. Fawkes had become more and more of a glutton lately, and Kyle was sure he'd heard a gulping sound when Fawkes flew off, meaning he'd likely headed straight for the buffet! Judging by Newt's calm expression, he clearly hadn't realized the gravity of the situation.

But… Kyle decided to let it go. Forget it, he thought. The most important thing now is to keep Fawkes happy and build favor with him. As for Newt's herb garden… we can always ask Dumbledore to cover the costs later. He's got plenty of Galleons, he won't mind a few lost plants.

With that thought, Kyle nodded and followed Newt to a massive lake. Newt's suitcase was so enormous that even he didn't quite know its full size. It was like Hogwarts' Black Lake—but that would be just a puddle compared to this.

In the center of the lake, an island covered in massive rocks was home to the dragons. The two of them boarded a small boat and headed toward the island.

As soon as they landed, Kyle suddenly felt a gust of wind from above, and a massive shadow fell over his feet.

Realizing what might be happening, Kyle moved his fingers slightly and used the ring Diana had given him last year to Apparate a few hundred meters away in an instant.

A second later, a huge Norwegian Ridgeback crashed down right where he had just been standing.

It was Norbert, still trying to pounce on Kyle just as he had when he was a baby. Although Kyle had worked hard to correct this habit as Norbert grew larger, the dragon's excitement at seeing him after two months must have caused him to forget.

"Norbert, calm down…" Kyle shouted, watching the Ridgeback turn to attempt another jump. Norbert had grown significantly in the past two months, and if he got hit by him now, it could be fatal! Diana wasn't home at the moment, so Kyle couldn't recharge the Apparition spell on his ring, and he was reluctant to waste it.

Hearing Kyle's command, Norbert finally restrained himself, flying over more slowly this time and nuzzling his head against Kyle's arm in a familiar gesture. Just then, Newt arrived, smiling as he observed the reunion.

"If you'd come just a couple days later, he probably wouldn't have been quite so excited," Newt chuckled.

"You're right, but I didn't really have a choice…" Kyle replied with a shrug.

Last time he'd visited, he had hoped to see Norbert, but the young dragon had recently endured a rough encounter. He'd gotten into a scrap with the suitcase's longtime resident, a particularly temperamental Hungarian Horntail, which had been returned three times by the Romanian Dragon Reserve for its bad behavior. Being less than a year old, Norbert had been no match for the adult Horntail and had spent several days unconscious after the clash, missing Kyle's visit.

There was an upside, though. Newt had told him that since then, Norbert's personality had mellowed a bit—not enough to make him docile, but enough to take the edge off his more mischievous behaviors.

As they chatted, Newt guided Kyle to where the Hungarian Horntail resided. Perhaps cautious of the dragon's infamous temperament, Newt had never brought Kyle here before, so this was Kyle's first time seeing the Horntail up close in the suitcase.

The dragon was a powerful, jet-black adult, towering and intimidating. As they approached, it seemed to detect an unwelcome scent. Rising onto its hind legs, the Horntail held its body upright and craned its neck high, its blazing orange-yellow eyes flicking toward Kyle and Newt.

Kyle estimated that its mouth hovered nearly sixty feet above the ground, making it slightly larger than a typical adult dragon. No wonder it had been returned multiple times; if this beast went on a rampage, containing it would likely require a dozen wizards.

"She smells Norbert on us, and she's not fond of that kid," Newt explained.

Kyle nodded, hardly needing the explanation. The Horntail's dislike was plain to see.

They didn't linger near the Horntail for long. After leaving the Dragon's island, Newt took Kyle to another area to see the Troll. This particular resident seemed quite comfortable; when they arrived, they found him sprawled out on the grass, clutching his club in a loose grip and fast asleep.