Newt mutely handed him the case. Dumbledore opened it with two flips of his thumbs and glanced down inside. “How wonderful. You’ve quite the set up down there. Is that a kitchen? Do you mind?”
Newt opened his mouth and shut it. He was hoping Dumbledore would come down and see Credence but he wasn’t expecting Dumbledore to anticipate him. He’d rather hoped to soften Dumbledore up to the notion of Credence a bit first. But Dumbledore never did what people expected him to, which was what made him, as much as his skill with spells, so formidable. After an awkward hesitation, Newt said, “Yes, please. Absolutely.”
“I so enjoy seeing proper extra-dimensional spells in practice. So elegant. So practical. Hungarian design is it not?” Dumbledore gently set the case on the stained and ratty Persian rug and carefully stepped inside. Newt watched him sink slowly but gracefully, obviously not using the stair, but some levitation spell.
“It’s charming,” Dumbledor’s voice called up. “Do let’s have our tea in here.” The tea tray rose up and followed Dumbledore down. Newt hesitated a moment out of sheer befuddlement, but then stepped into the case himself. There was nothing doing but to join in.
To his infinite thankfulness, Credence was not in the kitchen. Newt had worried that Credence might be so eager for a look at Hogwarts that he’d ignore Newt’s instruction to stay in his room. Dumbledore had made himself comfortable at the wooden table and was sipping his tea when Newt climbed down.
“Do shut the lid if you don’t mind. Seeing my ceiling way up there is a little disconcerting.”
Newt shut the lid, then joined Dumbledore at the table.
“Sorry about imposing on you this way,” said Albus gently, “But a few of the paintings in my room are terrible gossips and you seemed to want to speak privately.”
Newt nodded. Now that he was with Dumbledore he found his throat tightening up again. That awkwardness he always felt around people had reached up to strangle the words right out of him. Funny how he hadn’t felt that around Credence at all. Perhaps because Credence was even more tongue tied than he was.
“Out with it,” said Dumbledore with a firmer edge. “Or would you rather I tell you what I already know? Oh, Newt, you have gotten yourself involved with quite a string of messes lately. I read something about your managerie escaping and causing havoc at a zoo. Or perhaps robbing a muggle bank? Is that what has got you in such a fluster? Or … perhaps it is none of that. There was also this unfortunate affair with Grindelwald going on at the same time that rather dwarfed all that nonsense. Is that why you came to see me?”
“Yes, uh, yes, but no,” fumbled Newt. “That’s not why I came to see you, though maybe, now that you mention it, it would be something to understand as well. I heard that you and he knew each other. He mentioned your name when we met.”
Dumbledore smiled beatifically. “Did he now. Said nothing good about me, I’m sure.”
“Not exact— no. He didn’t seem to care for you much.”
“He wouldn’t. Jealousy is an ugly emotion.” Dumbledore looked graver. “But what business did he have with you? I’m worried that you came to his attention at all. “
“I didn’t mean to.”
“I advise you to stay away from him as much as possible. He is far more dangerous than he seems and he is extremely persistent when it comes to getting what he wants. He can be quite seductive as well when he puts his mind to it. Do not fall for him.”
Newt let out a breath. “No, he wasn’t after me. He didn’t want me. I got in his way, that’s all.”
“Then you are very lucky to be alive. But I wouldn’t be so quick to think that was all there was between you. I’ve heard some mutterings in dark corners that some of Grindelwald followers are still looking for you.”
“They are — why?”
“You did defeat him.”
“Well, yes there is that. But,” blurted Newt, “It might be something else. I have something that he wanted.”
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. “Oh dear. That thought hadn’t occurred to me. And that’s why you are here — to give it to me?”
“No! It’s not an it. It’s a he. I’ll — wait here. I’ll bring him out.”
Re: newt/credence, credence accompanies newt- FILL 7/?
Newt opened his mouth and shut it. He was hoping Dumbledore would come down and see Credence but he wasn’t expecting Dumbledore to anticipate him. He’d rather hoped to soften Dumbledore up to the notion of Credence a bit first. But Dumbledore never did what people expected him to, which was what made him, as much as his skill with spells, so formidable. After an awkward hesitation, Newt said, “Yes, please. Absolutely.”
“I so enjoy seeing proper extra-dimensional spells in practice. So elegant. So practical. Hungarian design is it not?” Dumbledore gently set the case on the stained and ratty Persian rug and carefully stepped inside. Newt watched him sink slowly but gracefully, obviously not using the stair, but some levitation spell.
“It’s charming,” Dumbledor’s voice called up. “Do let’s have our tea in here.” The tea tray rose up and followed Dumbledore down. Newt hesitated a moment out of sheer befuddlement, but then stepped into the case himself. There was nothing doing but to join in.
To his infinite thankfulness, Credence was not in the kitchen. Newt had worried that Credence might be so eager for a look at Hogwarts that he’d ignore Newt’s instruction to stay in his room. Dumbledore had made himself comfortable at the wooden table and was sipping his tea when Newt climbed down.
“Do shut the lid if you don’t mind. Seeing my ceiling way up there is a little disconcerting.”
Newt shut the lid, then joined Dumbledore at the table.
“Sorry about imposing on you this way,” said Albus gently, “But a few of the paintings in my room are terrible gossips and you seemed to want to speak privately.”
Newt nodded. Now that he was with Dumbledore he found his throat tightening up again. That awkwardness he always felt around people had reached up to strangle the words right out of him. Funny how he hadn’t felt that around Credence at all. Perhaps because Credence was even more tongue tied than he was.
“Out with it,” said Dumbledore with a firmer edge. “Or would you rather I tell you what I already know? Oh, Newt, you have gotten yourself involved with quite a string of messes lately. I read something about your managerie escaping and causing havoc at a zoo. Or perhaps robbing a muggle bank? Is that what has got you in such a fluster? Or … perhaps it is none of that. There was also this unfortunate affair with Grindelwald going on at the same time that rather dwarfed all that nonsense. Is that why you came to see me?”
“Yes, uh, yes, but no,” fumbled Newt. “That’s not why I came to see you, though maybe, now that you mention it, it would be something to understand as well. I heard that you and he knew each other. He mentioned your name when we met.”
Dumbledore smiled beatifically. “Did he now. Said nothing good about me, I’m sure.”
“Not exact— no. He didn’t seem to care for you much.”
“He wouldn’t. Jealousy is an ugly emotion.” Dumbledore looked graver. “But what business did he have with you? I’m worried that you came to his attention at all. “
“I didn’t mean to.”
“I advise you to stay away from him as much as possible. He is far more dangerous than he seems and he is extremely persistent when it comes to getting what he wants. He can be quite seductive as well when he puts his mind to it. Do not fall for him.”
Newt let out a breath. “No, he wasn’t after me. He didn’t want me. I got in his way, that’s all.”
“Then you are very lucky to be alive. But I wouldn’t be so quick to think that was all there was between you. I’ve heard some mutterings in dark corners that some of Grindelwald followers are still looking for you.”
“They are — why?”
“You did defeat him.”
“Well, yes there is that. But,” blurted Newt, “It might be something else. I have something that he wanted.”
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. “Oh dear. That thought hadn’t occurred to me. And that’s why you are here — to give it to me?”
“No! It’s not an it. It’s a he. I’ll — wait here. I’ll bring him out.”