By noon the next day, Wayne's promised "old friend" arrived.
Nagini showed no surprise at the visitor—in this era, the people she still knew could be counted on one hand.
"Grandma Tina. Newt."
Wayne ushered them into the parlour. "What brings you to London so suddenly?" he asked pleasantly.
Yet neither visitor's attention remained on Wayne. Their gazes locked onto the woman beside him.
"N-Nagini?" Tina gasped, voice trembling with disbelief.
"Long time no see, Tina," Nagini nodded gently, smiling before turning to Newt with a deep, solemn bow.
"Mr. Scamander, thank you for bringing me out of Albania. Without you, I'd never have regained my humanity."
Every word carried profound sincerity—this was the unvarnished truth. Had Newt not extracted her from those forests, she'd likely still be allied with Voldemort, committing unspeakable evils.
Faced with her grand gesture, Newt stood up awkwardly. "Nagini, there's no need for this. It was all Wayne's doing. I—"
At that moment, his heart skipped a beat, a sudden sense of foreboding washing over him, and he quickly amended, "If it weren't for his Ho-Oh, I wouldn't have been able to help your condition at all."
"You still have my thanks, senior," Wayne said with a smile, not stopping Nagini's actions.
As the three of them exchanged pleasantries, Tina's expression shifted from bewilderment to irritation. She pulled Newt back and demanded sharply, "What's going on here? Are you all keeping secrets from me?"
"No, Tina," Newt said with a pained smile, hastily explaining.
Bound by an Unbreakable Vow, he couldn't reveal the full story, so he attributed everything to accidentally discovering Nagini in Albania and handing her over to Wayne for treatment. When it came to shouldering blame, Newt's skill rivalled his expertise in Magizoology.
Tina easily believed this account, then chided, "Why didn't you tell me about something so important? And Wayne, you too—you didn't mention it last time you visited."
"I wanted to surprise you," Wayne replied with a bashful grin. "You remember I didn't bring my case last time, so I couldn't show you Nagini."
"Nice excuse," Tina snorted, amused by their coordinated responses, and let the matter drop, leading Nagini to a side parlour to chat.
The two women shared a closer bond than Nagini did with Newt—after all, Tina had once pursued Credence all the way to Paris and had numerous dealings with Nagini.
Once they'd left, Wayne turned back to Newt and asked again, "What brings you to London so suddenly?"
"The Ministry of Magic needed me for something," Newt murmured, watching a self-watering can tend to the flowers outside the window. "Poachers smuggled a Horned Serpent into Britain, and the Ministry wants me to track it down. I came today to gather details and check in on you."
"A Horned Serpent? Which variety?" Wayne's eyes lit up.
"North American."
"Have you found it yet?" Wayne rubbed his hands together eagerly—this was a rare prize.
Horned Serpents were among the few XXXXX-class magical creatures whose numbers and subspecies rivalled those of dragons, with populations scattered worldwide. The North American variety, however, was the most prized, sporting a beautiful gem on its forehead that could serve as a wand core and granted it the abilities of flight and invisibility.
At Ilvermorny, one of the houses was even named after the Horned Serpent. Legend held that Isolt Sayre, the school's founder and a descendant of the Gaunts, had befriended one and used fragments of its gem to craft a wand of tremendous power.
Just yesterday, he'd been worrying about finding Nagini a suitable wand—and now, here was the solution.
"I literally just said I'm here to gather leads today," Newt sighed, recognising Wayne's expression.
"And don't get any ideas—once found, it's being repatriated to America. Both Ministries are watching this closely."
"Am I that sort of person?" Wayne denied outright. "All I need are some gemstone fragments. Nagini still doesn't have a suitable wand."
"A Horned Serpent's gem paired with snakewood would make the most compatible wand for her."
Newt considered this and, after some hesitation, agreed: "If we find one, I'll ask on your behalf. But we can't force it."
"Don't worry," Wayne assured him, thumping his chest. "Making friends with magical creatures is my speciality."
Truthfully, he did have some designs on the Horned Serpent. The flight and invisibility granted by its gem were extraordinary abilities worth thorough study.
But after much deliberation, with no suitable scapegoat available, Wayne reluctantly abandoned the idea.
Newt produced intelligence obtained from the Ministry of Magic, inviting the young man to help analyse it.
Currently, the Ministry has captured the poachers, but during the Aurors' confrontation with them, the Horned Serpent had exploited the chaos to escape using its invisibility and flight capabilities.
After reviewing all the information, Wayne pondered for two seconds.
"Somerset's wetland park – that's the most likely location. Plenty of marshes, heavy humidity, and forest cover."
"It's not too far from the confrontation site either, only three hundred miles."
"Easily within a Horned Serpent's flight range."
"My thoughts exactly. Other possibilities?"
"The Scottish Highlands..." Wayne joked, "You might try the Black Lake, though the Kelpie and giant squid probably wouldn't welcome it."
"But the Sirens would love it," Newt chuckled. "Horned Serpent mucus is highly nutritious for them."
After identifying several other potential locations, they concluded their analysis.
When Wayne went to the parlour to call Tina and Nagini for dinner, he overheard Tina saying enviously:
"After sixty or seventy years, you're still as young and beautiful as ever. Did your growth completely stop during your time as a cursed beast?"
"I suppose so," Nagini smiled. "Memories from that period... are actually quite hazy. It's as if I didn't exist at all. I'm not entirely clear what happened."
"Granny Tina, if you want to regain your youth, that's easily arranged."
Hearing their conversation, Wayne approached: "I'll summon Ho-Oh immediately. You could become a twenty-year-old girl if you wished."
"Don't be ridiculous," Tina hastily interjected. "I was merely making conversation. A grandmother has no business caring about such things."
"What a shame," Wayne sighed theatrically. "I'd have liked to see how beautiful young Granny Tina was, to bewitch even a blockhead like Newt."
"Silver-tongued rascal," Tina scolded affectionately, taking Nagini's hand as they left.
Truthfully, what woman wouldn't desire restored youth and beauty? Tina simply didn't wish to trouble Wayne.
Maintaining their current appearance allowed outsiders to attribute it to good health and careful maintenance.
But reverting to twenty-something would cause far too great a stir.
Wayne understood Tina's concerns perfectly, having keenly observed her momentary flicker of longing.
Touched by her consideration, he simultaneously began devising solutions for her.
As long as Newt and Tina appeared in their current forms in front of outsiders, then...
Human transfiguration...
It seemed he'd have to find time for a heart-to-heart with Grindelwald.
During dinner, Wayne asked if Newt had received the letter he'd sent earlier.
"I did. Why are so many people asking you to help arrange jobs?" Newt asked, puzzled. "Is it really that difficult after graduating from Hogwarts these days?"
"Not exactly," Wayne shook his head. "It's just that these seniors want to work in magical creatures or Herbology-related fields rather than becoming shop assistants or ordinary Gringotts employees."
"I see..." Newt hesitated slightly.
It wasn't that he didn't want to help, but there were simply too many requests... nearly twenty of them.
At this point, Tina intervened. Putting down her cutlery with a clatter, she said disapprovingly, "The boy rarely asks for your help. What are you hesitating for? Those old fools like Piers and Prewett keep complaining about staff shortages. Just recommend them there."
"Wayne just wants to help his classmates. What's wrong with that?"
"Not everyone has as few friends as you did when you graduated."
Wayne cooperatively put on a wounded expression. Newt could only surrender and agree to help, already calculating how to arrange everything.
The Dragon Reserve could take five. The Herbology plantations in Northumberland could squeeze in three or four.
Hmm... the Ministry of Magic's Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures could probably take a few more, though not in dead-end positions like the Centaur Liaison Office—that would be doing them a disservice.
Thinking this through, Newt suddenly felt much more at ease.
What he didn't know was that this was only the first year... there would be plenty more work coming his way.
Wayne wasn't being unreasonable either. While most magical governments worldwide were wary of Newt, many still needed his expertise.
Especially countries rich in natural resources—they frequently consulted Newt about magical creatures, each owing him numerous favours.
As long as he didn't go in person, simply arranging some jobs was hardly an issue.
After dinner, hearing that Wayne had opened a shop for Nagini, Tina enthusiastically took her to Diagon Alley.
Newt, meanwhile, entered Wayne's suitcase to check on Mia, the Thunderbird, and the other creatures.
When he saw Tuantuan, even Newt couldn't help but laugh.
"She's lost so much weight? How did you manage that?"
The adorable panda lay sprawled on the lakeside grass, basking in the gentle sunlight, occasionally scratching her belly with tiny paws in lazy contentment.
Though still plump, Tuantuan had clearly slimmed down considerably since Newt had delivered her.
Wayne gestured with his lips, "You'll see soon enough."
Before long, Jerry came scampering out. Seeing Tuantuan sound asleep, he squeaked angrily twice before jumping onto her belly to use it as a trampoline.
The disturbed Tuantuan woke with an indignant roar, sending Jerry flying—nearly into the lake.
Then the two adorable creatures began chasing each other. Soon, Tuantuan tired, but instead of running away, Jerry doubled back to tease her further, provoking another determined pursuit on short, stubby legs.
Newt watched dumbfounded: "This is how you're helping the Iron-eating Beast lose weight?"
"And Jerry." Wayne smiled cheerfully, but Newt felt a chill run down his spine.
"How did you manage that? Nifflers are notoriously lazy."
"Simple," Wayne said casually. "I took all of Jerry's secret savings. For every hour he helps Tuantuan exercise, I return two Galleons to him."
"After a week, I gave him a fragment of Fire Crab gemstone."
Newt: "..."
Jerry and Tuantuan might not be human, but Wayne... truly was a devil!
...
That evening, Wayne wanted the Newt couple to stay a couple more days, but Newt, having received a job, was full of energy and insisted on taking Tina to Somerset's wetland park that very night.
At first, Wayne found it odd that Tina needed to accompany Newt to find a Horned Serpent. After hearing the explanation, he could only laugh wryly.
Turns out the British Ministry of Magic was worried Newt might cause too much of a stir, so they specifically required Tina to stick by his side at all times to prevent major incidents.
It seemed even after decades, the wizarding world still hadn't forgotten the fear Newt once inspired.
This treatment was almost on par with the Dark Lord.
"Don't forget my gemstone fragment," Wayne reminded Newt before he left.
"Got it, won't forget." With that, the two mounted their brooms and flew into the night sky.
...
Two days later, the lobbying firm's representatives arrived with their proposal.
After briefly skimming through it, Wayne found it clearly written with numerous contingency plans. Satisfied, he awarded each person three months' salary as a bonus.
Truthfully, these people cared less about the money and more about experiencing real magic, but Wayne didn't oblige.
Instead, he dangled a carrot.
If the plan went smoothly, he'd reward each of them with a magical artefact upon completion – self-sweeping mops and brooms, self-watering watering cans, self-stirring frying spatulas...
Their breathing grew heavy at the prospect.
Though they could all afford servants, these enchanted items were in a league of their own.
The executives eagerly promised to refine the most comprehensive lobbying strategy to ensure the Lawrence family's glory would shine upon the magical world.
Wayne waved them off, then summoned Ho-Oh and vanished into flames.
...
Yorkshire was once the largest of England's 43 counties and one of its most historically significant, earning it the title 'God's Own County'.
King George VI once declared that Yorkshire's history was England's history – no exaggeration.
The Romans had made it their administrative centre for the island, leaving behind numerous Roman and medieval structures, including England's largest Gothic cathedral – York Minster.
However, due to its unwieldy size, Yorkshire has since been divided into five counties.
The Greengrass family's ancestral home lies in North Yorkshire – a pure white castle by the sea with its own private beach.
When Wayne arrived, it wasn't the Greengrass family's House-elf who greeted him, but Madam Greengrass herself, along with her two daughters.
"Wayne, you're finally here!"
Upon seeing the young man, Astoria immediately released her mother's arm and came running over, throwing herself into Wayne's arms while complaining:
"Take me away quickly! At home, Mother supervises me every day and even hired a tutor for extra lessons."
"That old man is so strict, and he's not even as good as you!"
Wayne felt rather awkward, unsure where to place his hands.
This... Madam Greengrass was still right here. He couldn't be too casual about it.
Far from being angry at this scene, Madam Greengrass's smile deepened as she scolded:
"Astoria, Mr Lawrence is a guest. It's terribly rude to block a guest at the doorway like this. Move aside now."
Reluctantly, Astoria released Wayne at these words.
However, she still held his hand as the two entered the castle.