The Finder That Couldn't Be Found

Chapter 31: Newt Loves Hotdogs

Dear Logan,
Dumbledore let it slip that the Rosier dude had something to do with your disappearance. James and Sirius are going after him now! Please hurry back!!!!

-Peter

Logan looked up form the letter. Her sessions with Newt had been going well. She practiced expressing negative emotions in positive ways... unfortunately when she read the letter, her mind went blank. If Evan Rosier told the truth about her, her friends would find out what she was... from another source. She wanted to be the one to tell them.

And maybe Rosier wouldn't tell them, but honestly, it was a feat and a half for him to not go yelling it from the Hogwarts rooftops, could she really expect him to keep her secret when directly confronted? Logan didn't like the odds.

The lights began to flicker. She looked up from the letter and began to panic.

"No, no, no!" She muttered.

Newt had gone out to the store, leaving Logan with Pickett, who was currently trying to calm Logan down.

"Pickett, if he tells them-"

The front door opened suddenly, causing her to jump and the lights to go completely out.

"Good heavens, what happens here?" A voice asked from the dark doorway.

Logan breathed a sigh of relief as she recognized the voice as Newt's.

"Sorry." She said, and tried to focus on her breathing.

The lights came back on.

"Nice job with the breathing." Newt complimented.

"Newt, I think it's time that I return to Hogwarts."

"...what?"

"I've been thinking and-"

"Logan," He said, "You've clearly just experienced an extreme amount of stress-"

"No! I need to go back, Newt! Rosier is going to tell Sirius and Jams that I'm a freak!"

"Logan, you are not a freak."

She sat down with a huff.

"Please, let me go back." Logan requested.

"It's only been three weeks, we still have so much work to do!" Newt protested.

"I'm sorry."

"...you're right." He sighed.

"I am?!! I mean, of course I am..."

"It's selfish of me to keep you here while your heart yearns to be free out there. I only seek to protect you... can you forgive an old man for his mistakes?"

"Newt," Logan stood up and walked over to him, "I'm not mad at you for trying to protect me... I'm glad that you care about me that much... you're one of the only people who ever did."

"Now don't go selling yourself short." He said with a smile before turning serious, "But being isolated out here, really isn't going to help... why don't you pack your things and we'll be back at Hogwarts in a jiffy?"

Logan embraced her mentor.

"Thanks Newt." She whispered.

"Anytime."

It didn't take Logan long to pack her things, seeing how she had so little. She carefully wrapped the little glass bird that Fabian had gotten her in a jumper and placed it inside her trunk. The glass bird was one of her most prized possessions, besides her sparrow necklace.

Once she was done packing, Logan dragged her stuff out into the living room.

"Shame we never ate those hotdogs I picked up..." Newt said, glancing at the uncooked food on the counter, "You know, I think I'll stay here a while. It would be nice to catch up with Jacob."

"Newt, you never did say where in America you were from." Logan pointed out, "I assumed you lived in New York, but I was obviously wrong, because we could've just stayed at your place instead of Jacob's."

"Oh, I live in Florida." Newt said.

Logan scrunched up her nose, "Florida?"

"Yes, nothing like some good ol' sunshine for these old bones."

Logan shook her head with a smile.

The flight back to Hogwarts was a stressful one. It was filled with Logan jumping at the slightest sound... like, for example, the sound of Newt's soft snores. When they landed, Logan woke Newt up.

"There already?" Newt asked, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

Logan nodded before hopping out of the carriage. She started for the castle, stopped and turned around.

"Bye Dusk." She said softly, reaching out into the air until she felt something.

She stroked his invisible side briefly before hurrying off the the castle, Newt trying to keep up with her pace.

"Logan!" He called once she had nearly reached the front doors, "Slow down!"

"I have to talk to-" she opened the door and came face to face with Filtch, "Um, hi?"

"Student out of bed." He croaked accusingly pointing a crooked finger at her.

"Well, actually, my name is Logan and-"

She was cut off by him grabbing her wrist and yanking her inside Hogwarts.

"Ow!"

"Nice to see you, Mister Filtch." Newt said and Filtch looked up, just realizing for the first time that Newt was standing there.

"Nogoodpetlover." Filtch mumbled to himself before looking up, "What do you want, Scamander?"

"Want? Well, I would very much like to go back to the countryside and eat my hotdogs, but alas, we can't all get what we want, eh?"

Logan took the opportunity to wrangle her wrist free from the caretakers grip and to pull her trunk out of the doorway. Newt entered the castle and the door closed behind him.

"We'll be meeting with Professor Dumbledore now." Newt informed Filtch.

"What?" Filtch barked.

"Dumbledore." Newt repeated, "Surely you know the man. He did, after all, if my memory serves correct, hire you."

Before Flitch could think of a reply, footsteps echoed down the hallway, taking the three's attention away from the conversation.

"Ah, Professor Dumbledore." Newt greeted.

"Newt. Logan. Good evening, Filtch." Dumbledore said.

"Caught this one out of bed." Filtch said, pointing to Logan, "And Scamander-"

"Thank you, I'll take it from here." Dumbledore said with the kind of finality that you couldn't argue with.

Filtch nodded before turning down the hallway and mumbling to himself as he went.

"Sir," Logan said, "I must speak to my friends-"

"It is late, Logan." Dumbledore said, "Your friends must wait til morning."

"...yes sir."

"Good, now you can run along to your dormitory while I have a little chat with Newt about your progress.

Newt looked a little upset at the idea of being further delayed from eating his hotdogs and sleeping, but quickly sobered up when Dumbledore looked over at him.

"...alright...I guess I'll be going then." Logan said.

"Goodnight."