Chapter 128: Newt, in Danger!
Chapter 128: Newt, in Danger!
What would happen if a wizard were to face an adult Knarl without a wand or any magic? No one would know better than Kyle.
He had been in Dorsetshire for a week now, and during that time, he had done little else besides eat, sleep, and get beaten up.
The Knarl's blue eyes saw through every thought that flitted through Kyle's mind.
No matter how he tried to dodge, the pink-padded paws always appeared precisely in front of him, followed by a light or heavy pat on his body.
The force of the pat depended on how well Kyle could employ Occlumency.
The method of judgment was simple.
If the Knarl's vision was blurry, it would only give a gentle pat as a formality. Otherwise, it would mercilessly send Kyle flying into the lake.
During the first few days, Kyle found himself taking a long-distance plunge into the water every few minutes, his clothes perpetually soaked.
However, as the days passed, the frequency of these plunges gradually decreased.
After a week, when the Knarl's paws descended, they did so with much less force, causing Kyle to stumble only slightly before regaining his balance as if nothing had happened.
"Well done, Kyle. Remember, clear your mind of those messy thoughts and emotions," Tina encouraged from the sidelines, holding a tiny Bowtruckle. "Don't worry about what's to come. Stay calm and focus on the present!"
Unlike Chris and Newt, who hadn't visited even once, Tina came to watch every day. Whenever she noticed Kyle becoming anxious or overly agitated, she would offer a timely reminder.
Upon hearing her words, Kyle quickly turned his head and gave her a thumbs-up.
The Knarl across from him tilted its head, a hint of bewilderment on its face.
Apparently, it hadn't "seen" Kyle's gesture, or it would have swatted at him already.
Tina raised her eyebrows slightly, as if noticing something.
After leaving the crate, she returned to the room and found Newt tinkering with a crucible.
"I think you can write to Chris now," she said.
"That soon?" Newt looked up, surprised. "It's only been a week. Can he already withstand Nadari's Legilimency?"
"More or less," Tina replied, setting the Bowtruckle aside and smiling. "Nadari isn't as leisurely as she was in the beginning, and her movements are much faster now.
I can tell that she's attacking purely on instinct rather than using Legilimency.
It's just that neither Kyle nor she has realized this yet."
After all, the Knarl was a magical creature. Even when acting on instinct, it would subconsciously believe that it had "seen" something, albeit vaguely.
"Looks like Dumbledore was right about Kyle being an exceptional student," Newt said with a chuckle as he stood up and brushed off the herb crumbs on his clothes. "I thought he'd need to stay here for at least half a month.
I'll write to Chris now and ask him to come and take Kyle back."
"Hmm... wait a moment," Tina suddenly said. "Did they mention having any plans recently?"
"Not that I'm aware of," Newt replied after a moment's thought. "If I recall correctly, when Chris left, he said he would come to pick up Kyle before the start of the school year to go shopping in Diagon Alley."
"In that case, there's no need to rush," Tina said thoughtfully. "Let Kyle stay here for a few more days. It's been a while since I last saw him anyway.
"Alright, alright, I'll do as you say." Newt returned to his squatting position in front of the crucible and added some white powder to it.
The liquid in the crucible soon turned a lovely pale yellow and emitted a pinkish smoke.
Beside them, the little Sniffer, who had been scooping something into its pouch with a spoon, suddenly froze. Its nose twitched as its eyes fixed on the crucible, and drool began to drip uncontrollably from the corner of its mouth.
Whatever was in the crucible seemed to have a strong attraction for the little beast.
Sniffer's dark eyes darted about, and with a scurry of tiny legs, it climbed onto a nearby shelf. Finding the right angle, it gave a mighty push with its short legs and leaped toward the crucible.
But before it could reach its target, a large hand caught it in mid-air.
"No, not yet. You have to be patient," Newt said, shaking his head at the little creature. "And no hiding spoons. Take it out now."
Little Sniffer covered its pouch with a slap of its paw and tried to scurry away on its remaining three legs.
"Oh no, you don't," Newt said, grabbing Sniffer's back leg and gently tickling its tummy with his finger.
With a jingling sound, several small objects tumbled out of Sniffer's pouch.
Not only was there a spoon, but also three knuts, a button, and a whistle that somehow found its way into the pouch.
Even Newt was surprised at how Sniffer had managed to smuggle all these items.
...
At dinnertime, Kyle emerged wearily from the crate.
Tina handed him a towel and asked, "How are you feeling?"
"Not great," Kyle said, wiping his face. "I don't feel like I've made any progress compared to yesterday."
"That's normal," Tina said with a smile. "And you shouldn't rush when it comes to learning Occlumency. You've been practicing non-stop for a week now, so it's a good idea to take a little break and relax."
"You're right," Kyle nodded in agreement.
After being pummeled relentlessly for so long, he felt he needed to do something else to take his mind off things.
"How about baking cookies with me tomorrow?" Tina suggested with a smile. "We can go back to practicing in the afternoon."
"Okay," Kyle agreed without hesitation.
While he was curious about the other magical creatures in the crate, baking cookies sounded like a welcome distraction, especially if it meant he didn't have to face that menacing Knarl, Nadari.
Just then, Newt walked over and asked, "Can we make grapefruit-flavored cookies?"
"Of course," Tina replied with a smile.
She was a little surprised because, on the day they settled in Dorsetshire, she had made grapefruit-flavored cookies, and she hadn't expected Newt to remember.
"Thank you," Newt said as he washed his hands and sat down at the table, picking up a piece of bread. "I remember that's what Anvil used to love the most."
"..."
The smile on Tina's face faded, and she said flatly, "Sorry... I just remembered we don't have any grapefruits at home, so I think I'll make cream cookies tomorrow instead."
"Huh?" Newt scratched his head, confused. "But you just said..."
"Squeak~"
Tina bent the spoon in her hand and said sternly, "Let me say it again. We don't have any grapefruits at home!"
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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