Newt Scamander and the Werewolf Pup

The Caterwauling Charm

The Caterwauling Charm

Newt regretted having left his suitcase in it's hiding place in by the lake. How much safer it would have been to have it with him! He could have put Tina and Bradley into the case and had only one thing to protect instead of two - and already he was trying to figure out the logistics of getting thirty-seven children out of a thick wood while trying to outrun more werewolves than he dared think about. On a full moon night. He trembled at the thought of it. There was no way that everyone in the equation could make it out alive. No way. It was statistically impossible.

But he didn't want to think about who could die.

"Worrying means you suffer twice," murmured Tina, nudging him.

Newt looked over at her and nodded.

"A wise wizard once told me that," Tina said. "And has repeated it over and over since." She was holding Bradley Baker's hand in hers as they walked, sort of half crouched down so the boy would feel included.

"With - with such intelligent things to, uh, to say, he - he must be very wise," Newt murmured.

Tina nodded, "And quite modest, too."

Newt smiled a crooked little grin that trembled it's way across his lips and he turned back to the trees. "Tina, ought we go - go back for the case? To - to carry the children out with?"

"I was thinking that, too," she said. "But we don't have time."

Newt nodded. Then, "What if... what if we had Ned...?"

"Ned?"

"I could send... send a patronus... and... and Ned can pop out and bring it in... then we... we re-secure him before the moon rise."

Tina's brow furrowed in concern. "And what if Greyback gets too close and Ned loses himself to the Alpha wolf?"

Newt looked uncomfortable.

"But it would be a great deal of help to have the case." Tina sighed.

Newt looked at her expectantly, his teeth rested on his lower lip as he stared at her expectantly.

"I think it is the only answer, though," she said, "Having Ned bring the case."

Newt nodded and they stopped walking for him to wave his wand and his patronus emerged... great white and shining bright and Bradley stared up at it as it burst forth from Newt Scamander's wand...

"What... what is that?" whimpered Bradley, staring up at the ghostly creature before him.

"A patronus," Newt said, "Sort of... of a protective force..." He paused, then stared up at the patronus. "It's - it's also a hippogriff."

Bradley stared. "A - a hippo? Hippos don't look like that, hippos a fat and grey and --"

"Not a hippopotamus!" exclaimed Newt, "Merlin's beard. A hippogriff is a very different creature indeed!" The boy looked upset at the tone Newt had taken with him and Tina glared at him meaningfully. Newt looked at the ground, "So sorry," he muttered.

Bradley pushed himself against Tina's legs, clutching onto her coat.

Newt looked back up, at his hippogriff patronus, and he said, "You - you know the briefcase - go to Ned Veigler, and - and tell him to come quickly with the case. Lead him. H-Hurry." The hippogriff shimmered away and Bradley looked after it in fear.

Tina knelt before the boy. "Are you okay, little one?"

"How did he do that?" Bradley asked, "How did he make the hippo come?"