Hogwarts: The Greatest Wizard

Chapter 82 — Niffler Birth

Xiu Xiu's nests are usually built twenty inches underground and filled with shiny treasures she's collected—glass beads, gold coins, diamonds, and other glittering objects. As long as it sparkles, a Niffler will want it.

This time, her nest was an artificial, simulated underground habitat designed for her birthing process.

According to Muggle classifications, a Niffler is a mammal, but interestingly, it lays eggs. Despite being oviparous in this sense, Niffler pups require breast milk to grow. However, instead of traditional mammary glands, a Niffler's milk is secreted from glands located along either side of its abdomen. The pups instinctively lick these areas after hatching.

A typical litter consists of six to eight eggs. They take about two to three days to hatch, and after that, the young require nearly a year to reach maturity. During this incubation period, the mother Niffler does not leave her nest.

A little after two o'clock in the afternoon, Newt Scamander sent word that Phineas 's Niffler was about to lay her eggs.

Rushing to the simulated nesting chamber, phineas arrived just in time to see the special Niffler with the unique head coloring using her front paws to dig small, individual cradles for each egg. Magical monitoring spells allowed observers to see the internal layout—tiny tunnels and chambers connected beneath her.

Xiu Xiu began to vocalize. Her calls were soft, resembling her name, interspersed with a faint whistling—like the gentle breathing of some small creature.

As her calls grew louder, the first egg appeared.

Though she lays eggs, they are not released one by one like birds. Instead, they come out connected, each about the size of a sparrow's egg. Coated in a glistening mucus, the shells had markings like etched stone.

After three rounds of straining, all eight eggs were delivered. Exhausted, Xiu Xiu slumped at the entrance to the nest, using her body and the surrounding materials to insulate the chamber and keep the eggs warm.

Though clearly tired, her mood seemed quite cheerful.

Normally, a Niffler gives birth twice a year. However, this particular Niffler had been cultivated under phineas's supervision for an entire year before being prepared to breed. This suggested the current litter might possess particularly strong traits.

"All right," said Newt. "You'll only need to wait two or three days for the hatchlings. If you wish to take them home for personal care, give it at least a week. It's crucial that they feed on their mother's milk in the first few days. It greatly boosts their immunity and helps them develop properly."

phineas nodded. This would delay his schedule slightly, but it was worth the wait for exceptional Niffler offspring.

After another glance at Xiu Xiu, phineas instructed Puff to assign a house-elf to watch over the nest around the clock to ensure nothing went wrong.

Both he and Newt retired to their rooms to rest.

This was phineas's first time witnessing a Niffler birth, while Newt had seen many. Still, there was always risk involved, especially for one whose birthing cycle had previously been interrupted. That was why Newt personally supervised the entire process.

Now that the birth had gone smoothly, all that remained was waiting for the hatchlings to emerge and begin their critical early nourishment.

With years of experience raising magical creatures, Newt had developed a potion that enhanced newborns' strength and immunity. Thanks to his knowledge, the Magical Creatures Emporium had entrusted this rare Niffler to his personal care.

Over the next two days, phineas toured the breeding center, guided by a clerk from the shop. He learned about various magical pets and their cultivation methods. Occasionally, Newt joined them and shared insights, expanding phineas's knowledge even more.

By the end of the second day, some of the stronger Niffler hatchlings began to emerge.

Newly hatched Nifflers looked completely different from their adult forms. They were hairless and pink, with soft, underdeveloped webbing on their limbs. Their skin was semi-translucent, revealing faint bones and blood vessels.

At this stage, their characteristic abdominal pouch and duckbill were not fully formed. The pouch looked more like a flattened disc, and the beak was only partially developed.

Their eyes remained shut, but they instinctively followed their sense of smell to the nest entrance, where they licked their mother's abdomen for nourishment.

"This one," said Newt, pointing to the strongest-looking hatchling, "will have the best physique and likely the most potential."

phineas raised an eyebrow. "Why do you say that?"

Newt explained, "Though Nifflers are mammals, they hatch from eggs. The first ones to emerge usually have the best vitality. And since the nest entrance only allows one or two to nurse at a time, the first out are also the first to feed. This advantage often continues throughout their development."

phineas frowned. "Is there no way to improve this? Even if the survival rate is high, some will still perish under these conditions. If Nifflers only gave birth once every two years instead of twice a year, their numbers would be much lower."

Newt shook his head. "There's little we can do. Nifflers are vital in treasure-hunting and depend on strong instincts. If their physical resilience is lacking, they won't survive the tasks they're bred for."