"Just like the Pukwudgie, the Wampus Cat is one of Ilvermorny's house mascots. There are quite a few of them in the forests around the school.
"The magical beasts there have formed their own ecosystem, following the ancient laws of the jungle."
Newt answered Sean's question.
This explained why the Wampus Cat they saw was injured.
It also felt like Newt was subtly pointing Sean in a specific direction.
When Sean looked at the Hufflepuff alumnus, the older wizard was standing slightly sideways, his speech a bit slow and halting.
It didn't look like this was entirely Newt's idea...
---
They began a tour of the various patchwork biomes within the suitcase.
Newt walked slowly in front, while Sean, bundled up like a ball against the elements, looked around in wonder from behind him.
There were snowflakes as big as goose feathers, magnificent auroras, and deserts swept by wild winds.
By the end of it, Sean's hair had been static-shocked into a mushroom shape in the Thunderbird's territory, his clothes had holes burned in them by Runespoor venom, and he somehow had an Occamy tucked into his pocket.
Although the Nundu, Swooping Evil, and Billywigs had caused Sean quite a bit of trouble, his passion for magical beasts was only growing.
If I could make Fairy Tale Cookies out of these creatures...
Flight, controlling storms, unblockable teleportation—all of it would be within reach.
Sean knew what he needed to do and what he could achieve in the short term. So, despite his cravings, he didn't adjust his current plans.
He just felt like there wasn't enough time.
Creating an Undetectable Extension storage device, baking Wampus Cat cookies, mastering the second stage of his Soul Restoration Transfiguration, and researching the secrets of Ravenclaw's Diadem... his schedule was completely packed.
He let out a small sigh.
To Newt, however, this intense enthusiasm just made his shy smile grow a little wider.
"Mr. Scamander, can I learn how to create Undetectable Extension Charms from you?"
Seeing that Mr. Scamander was in a good mood, Sean asked the question while reluctantly placing the clinging Occamy back into its nest.
"Of course," Newt agreed with a smile.
Sean's eyes lit up.
Newt watched him, thinking that Professor Dumbledore's description had been spot on.
> Although I haven't found evidence of his youth in other aspects, when it comes to magic, I know he is still a child—a child obsessed with magic.
> His passion for magic is just like yours for magical beasts. Such a nature should be nurtured with care...
"I can only make simple spaces right now."
Sean needed three days to create the massive space he ultimately wanted, but he had crafted some smaller trinkets in the meantime.
He lifted something hanging from his chest, and a tiny book popped out.
In less than a second, the book expanded into a volume with silver-lined edges.
The first few pages were stacked parchments compressed with Shrinking Charms—Sean did this to carry more books. It contained all his notes on alchemy rituals and his insights into magic.
In the very center of the book was a small box.
The moment the book opened, the box unfolded, forming a 3-D wooden rectangle about the size of a handbag.
"I call it the Book of Magic," Sean said, giving it a simple name. "But I can't create larger spaces yet. And more importantly, Mr. Scamander, I don't know how to create the necessary natural environments inside."
Sean let a look of confusion show on his face at just the right moment.
If he couldn't create a natural habitat, how was he supposed to smuggle a Wampus Cat out of Ilvermorny later?
"Create?"
Mr. Scamander repeated the word bashfully. "I just... borrowed parts of them."
"The Severing Charm?"
Sean reacted instantly, figuring out the mechanics of the magic in a flash. "Use the Severing Charm to cut out a piece of space, then use the Shrinking Charm to transport it, and the Engorgement Charm to set it up...
"Finally, use a Shield Charm to isolate the different climates from affecting each other. And if necessary, Atmospheric Charms to stabilize the different spaces."
He muttered to himself, gaining a clear understanding of the difficulty of this alchemical feat.
He would need to learn at least three new spells, and the Atmospheric Charms alone required learning different variations for different beasts' needs.
More importantly, even if he mastered the spells, safety wasn't guaranteed.
The entire manufacturing process was as dangerous as walking a tightrope at 30,000 feet. He was stuffing various volatile spaces into a container that was already magically expanded. In that chaotic spatial mix, anything could happen.
Stabilizing it afterward was the most critical part.
Looking at it this way—Mr. Scamander was basically Superman!
With a world-class grandmaster right in front of him, Sean doubted anyone other than Newt could teach him this incredibly difficult skill with such ease.
Naturally, Sean realized this might be his only chance to learn high-level spatial magic.
"It looks like you've studied this beforehand."
Back at the entrance of the suitcase, Newt placed the Bowtruckle from his lapel onto its tree and patted the little guy's head.
"It's very difficult..."
Sean frowned. Trying to learn all this over one Christmas break was... a stretch.
He had seven days. If he spent fifteen hours a day, he would dedicate every second of it to learning spatial magic.
"Can we start now, Mr. Scamander?" Sean's enthusiasm was practically overflowing.
"Yes, but I must warn you, creating a stable habitat requires a long time to learn," Newt said gently.
"I understand, Professor."
Sean nodded and immediately opened his system panel:
[Mid-Tier · Prototype Book of Magic: Beginner (270/300)]
This was the first time he had seen the tag "Prototype," which meant his theory was likely correct.
A complete Book of Magic, capable of housing natural environments, would likely be a High-Tier Alchemical Artifact.
"I will do my best."
A look of steely determination appeared in Sean's eyes.
At first, Newt didn't know what that look meant.
It wasn't until Sean had drained almost all of Newt's knowledge on the subject within the confines of the shed that Newt realized only a single day had passed.
Ever since Care of Magical Creatures class, the young wizard had been improving at a speed that defied the laws of magic.
Newt watched as the internal space of the Book of Magic expanded from the size of a wardrobe to a thirty-meter radius—riding a Thunderbird of progress—in less than twenty-four hours.
Moreover, the space was incredibly stable. The layers of runes carved into it all screamed of the young wizard's overflowing talent.
A Hermes walking among us...
Newt smiled shyly, recalling the description he'd read in the Daily Prophet.
Until—
"Mr. Scamander, the Severing Charm is too hard."
After showing off his brilliance in alchemy, a dejected Sean finally hit a wall. He had failed to master the spatial variation of the Severing Charm in the last half-hour.
Newt's smile slowly froze.