Faithful | a Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them fanfiction

Chapter 2

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.