The vast darkness and the echo of the fire dissolved into the air as if they had never existed. In the blink of an eye, the Room of Requirements returned to its comforting and elegant normalcy, restoring gravity and bringing the sofas and rugs around them back into being.
Hestia and Flora slowly opened their eyes, blinking to dispel the last lingering traces of the light that had blinded them. Realizing that everything had become safe and tangible once more, they released their suffocating grip on Aurelian.
Both took a small step back, breathing heavily, but their faces showed no sign of panic. Quite the opposite—they stared at him intently, their eyes shining with a mixture of fascination and genuine amazement at the images they had just seen.
"By Salazar…! That was absolutely incredible, my love," exclaimed Hestia, jumping slightly in place due to the adrenaline still coursing through her veins. "But at the same time, it was… incredibly eerie."
"Yes… we've never seen anything like that before," agreed Flora, nodding quickly without taking her eyes off him. "Aurelian, we have so many… so many questions."
Aurelian smoothed out his clothes, sat back down on his sofa with complete composure, and gave them a big smile.
"That's exactly what I expected from you, my darlings," he said in a soft voice, crossing one leg over the other. "Please sit down. I'll be happy to answer each and every one of your questions—we've got plenty of time."
The twins didn't need to be asked twice and plopped down on the couch in front of him, settling almost at the very edge of the seat. Flora was the first to speak up, her curiosity getting the better of her usual composure.
"For starters, what on earth was that gigantic thing we just saw? That thing that fell from the sky and went… boom!" Flora asked, spreading her arms wide to mimic the explosion.
Hestia nodded enthusiastically, agreeing with her sister, but quickly frowned.
"Yeah, we want to know that. But I'd also like to know what those… those…" Hestia scratched her head, tilting it to one side as she tried to find the right word to describe Muggle technology. "Those metal things that the soldiers in the holes in the ground were holding in their hands."
Aurelian raised an eyebrow amusedly at the girls' confusion.
"Do you mean the long object they were pointing at their enemies?" he asked to confirm.
Hestia turned her head toward him and nodded enthusiastically.
"Yes, that! They looked like big wands or staffs, but they didn't cast any spells—they just made loud noises and spat out metal fire."
"In the Muggle world, that's commonly known as a weapon," Aurelian explained in a professorial tone. "And they come in many different types and sizes. The specific weapon carried by the Muggle soldier you saw in the trench is called a rifle. They don't use magic; they use a chemical reaction called gunpowder to fire a projectile at speeds that others are unable to dodge."
The twins exchanged a surprised glance, processing the idea of killing from a distance without a single drop of magic.
"But getting back to Flora's question," Aurelian continued, interlacing his fingers on his lap, "that colossal explosion that went 'boom' at the end… that was an atomic bomb."
Hestia and Flora stared at him, blinking a couple of times, completely baffled by what on earth he was talking about. The word "atomic" didn't exist in any wizard or witch's vocabulary.
Seeing their blank expressions, Aurelian let out a small chuckle and decided to use terms they could grasp.
"Okay, imagine an atomic bomb this way: Think of a Bombarda Maxima spell. Now, imagine thousands—no, millions!—of Bombarda Máximas all at once, each one the size of a tiny speck of dust or even smaller. And suddenly, all those tiny explosions collide and react with one another in a single fraction of a second to create a single detonation that's much larger and millions of times more destructive than if they were to go off separately."
Understanding lit up Hestia and Flora's faces. Now that Aurelian had explained it in terms of explosive magic, the twins fully grasped the magnitude of what an "atomic bomb" was.
They looked into each other's eyes. Slowly, their lips curved upward, forming a pair of identical, sadistic smiles that hinted at their dangerous intentions. If those useless Muggles could create an explosion of that magnitude without magic, what could they do if they combined ancient runes, Arcane Patterns, alchemy, and their own power?.
Aurelian, who knew his fiancées better than anyone and could read their minds like an open book, immediately raised a hand to stop them.
"Hold on there. I know exactly what you're thinking, and I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I forgot to tell you something very important about that bomb," Aurelian interrupted, wiping the smiles off their faces.
The twins leaned forward, annoyed by the interruption, and asked in unison.
"What?"
Aurelian wiped any trace of amusement from his face, adopting a somber expression.
"That bomb can cause a great deal of damage upon impact and incinerate entire cities—that's true… but believe me, the explosion isn't its real danger."
Hestia and Flora narrowed their eyes, falling completely silent and listening with rapt attention. What could be more dangerous than a fireball that wiped out cities?
"The real danger—the terror that this weapon actually causes—comes after it explodes," Aurelian continued, lowering his voice. "The bomb leaves an invisible trail in the air. It contaminates absolutely everything around it: the water you drink, the soil, the trees, the animals, and the air you breathe. Everything, without exception, is cursed. If you're unlucky enough not to die in the explosion and manage to survive the bomb..."
Aurelian shook his head slowly, his eyes reflecting the darkness of his words.
"…you'll wish you were dead, my darlings. Your own body will rot from the inside out, your hair and skin will fall off, you'll bleed uncontrollably, and you'll suffer an agony that no potion can cure. That's what makes the atomic bomb truly dangerous. It's not its immediate destruction, but its consequences and the… invisible poison that can linger on the earth for decades or even centuries."
Silence fell over the Room of Requirements. The idea that an invisible, incurable curse poisoning the entire world could achieve what no magical threat had ever achieved before genuinely terrified the Carrow heiresses.
"Therefore…" Aurelian concluded, gazing at them sternly to drive the point home, "No. Absolutely not. You cannot attempt to create your own magical bomb in the dungeons. At least for now, until we are able to control its consequences. Understood?"
Still processing the horror of the poisoning, Hestia and Flora swallowed hard and, with unusual docility, simply nodded. They now understood their beloved's point: there were forces in the Muggle world that deserved to be treated with far more care than they had initially believed.
At the foot of the hill, near the edge of the forest, Newt Scamander waited patiently. Despite the passing of decades, the renowned magizoologist retained a surprisingly youthful appearance, looking almost exactly as he had in his younger days traveling the world—with his perpetually tousled hair, his signature blue coat, and that slightly stooped posture brimming with inexhaustible energy.
With his hands in his pockets, Newt watched as the colorful group of students descended the castle's stone stairs. One by one, they took their places in front of him. There were only fifteen students enrolled in the Care of Magical Creatures course in their seventh and final year—a select, small group that had passed the rigorous T.I.M.O. exams.
Among them, standing out for her impeccable uniform and posture, was Hestia Carrow, who was surveying her surroundings with a mix of curiosity and mild boredom.
Newt gave them a shy but warm smile and raised a hand to ask for silence. The murmurs ceased immediately.
"Good morning, everyone," Newt began, his soft voice capturing the attention of those present. "Today I have the immense pleasure of introducing you to a truly fascinating creature—one that very few wizards have the privilege of seeing in their entire lives. Please follow me, and avoid making any sudden movements."
The group walked silently behind the professor, venturing a short distance into an area bordered and protected by tall, ancient trees, until they reached a specially prepared habitat, teeming with exotic flora and a small, crystal-clear stream.
Upon entering the clearing, Newt stopped.
"It is my tremendous pleasure to introduce you to… the Qilin," the magizoologist announced in a reverent whisper.
From behind some thick ferns, the creature slowly emerged. It looked like a cross between a deer and a dragon, covered in scales that shimmered with golden hues in the sunlight. It moved gracefully, approaching with silent steps until it came to a stop a couple of meters from where Newt was standing.
Hestia, despite her initial skepticism, couldn't help but watch the creature in fascination. It exuded an aura of ancient, pure magic that she—and probably everyone else—could feel vibrating in the air.
"The Qilin is much more than just a magical animal," Newt continued, looking at the creature affectionately. "He has a gift. The Qilin can see you… but truly see you. He sees straight into your soul, your deepest intentions. And by his very nature, he won't approach you unless he considers you someone truly pure of heart. Someone good."
Upon hearing that, Hestia rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue in disdain. She considered it rather silly. "Goodness" and "purity" were, in her worldview, synonymous with weakness—the kind of people who died first in a war.
Newt continued talking about the Qilin's diet, habits, and natural habitat. Hestia quickly tuned out the explanation, finding the topic uninteresting. She was about to regret switching classes, until the professor's tone became much more solemn.
"But, historically, its most important and legendary trait is another," said Newt, looking at the group. "In times of need, the Qilin also chooses the leader of the magical world—the one with the vision and strength to guide everyone. The Qilin will recognize that leader… and kneel in reverence before the one it deems most worthy."
That simple sentence changed everything.
Hestia sat up straight suddenly. She looked at the creature with far greater intensity. Newt's words echoed in her mind, igniting her ambition. If that beast chose the world's leader, then her beloved Aurelian—who was destined to rule over wizards and witches—was surely the most worthy and pure being on the face of the earth. She would have to bring Aurelian to the gardens so that the beast would kneel before him and legitimately proclaim him its king.
Driven by a sudden impulse—and wanting to test the creature's reaction to someone close to that future king—Hestia stepped forward, separating herself from the group of students.
The other students looked at her with surprise and fear, knowing the reputation of the Carrow heiress. Newt himself tensed his shoulders, ready to intervene if the Qilin became frightened or rejected the magic the young woman radiated.
Hestia approached slowly, showing not a hint of fear, and extended her pale hand toward the Qilin's scaly snout.
She didn't believe she was a good person herself. She had tortured, conspired, and was willing to murder in cold blood anyone who looked askance at her fiancé. Her soul was not pure; it was stained with a beautiful and possessive shade of red.
To the students' surprise—and to Newt's concealed astonishment—the beast did not back away. The Qilin blinked its large, wise eyes, stared intently at Hestia for a second, and finally closed the distance, gently brushing the young Slytherin's palm with its head.
Hestia felt the warmth of the scales and blinked, surprised. A soft smile played on her lips.
She began to stroke the Qilin's head, running her fingers through the golden scales on its neck.
"Perhaps," thought Hestia, looking into the creature's eyes, "this little one saw something else. Perhaps it didn't see the useless kindness that fools like Dumbledore preached. Perhaps the Qilin could see the loyalty, devotion, and pure, unconditional love that burned at the center of her soul for Aurelian Gaunt." And apparently, for the wisest creature in the wizarding world, that was more than enough for her to be considered worthy.
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