A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts-Chapter 500: The Hatching of the Bird-Snake

On the northern coast of the English Channel, in Dorset County.

"Hiss? (How much longer do we have to wait?)"

"Patience, Valen. It's almost time."

Felix and Valen lay on a bed of thick, dry leaves, each holding a pair of binoculars, scanning the distance. Surrounding them was dense woodland, and about sixty to seventy feet away lay a nest woven from vines.

The nest was intricate, filled with fallen leaves, and nestled within were six or seven silvery eggs that resembled delicate works of art.

This was Newt Scamander's home, more specifically, a part of his underground cellar. Felix and Valen had been here for nearly a week, spending most of their time in this place, experiencing various magical adventures without stepping outside. Just last night, they were rowing in the marshy waters, and today, they were observing the bird-snakes hatching in the woods.

Everything was happening in Newt Scamander's wondrous underground sanctuary.

This place was a gathering of magical creatures to rival Romania's Dragon Sanctuary. Since Newt's retirement, his outings had significantly reduced. Several magical ministries secretly breathed a sigh of relief... but the scale and variety of magical creatures hadn't diminished. If anything, they had grown even more extensive. Apart from those Newt brought back himself, there were creatures from his son, grandson, Ministry workers, the Magical Creatures Association, the sanctuary... and enthusiasts from abroad seeking his help and advice.

This time, Felix brought along a complete set of 'Future World' company products as rent for his peculiar journey. Newt was initially taken aback, but his wife rather liked these novelties.

"Rolf visited us and brought a chair, very comfortable to lie on," Tina Goldstein mentioned to him.

...

"Tap, tap, tap—"

A crisp metallic tapping echoed through the woods. "It's hatching!" Felix whispered to Valen. Both of them raised their binoculars, carefully observing the nest. Initially, there was just one source of sound, but it was like a signal as all the bird-snake eggs started emitting the same sound.

"Hiss?"

Valen gently nudged Felix.

"The record button? The red one—" Felix whispered, all the while keeping a close watch. Cracks swiftly appeared on the surface of the silvery eggshells. Then, the shells contorted and twisted as if something enormous inside was expanding. After a few probing attempts, the pecking began, and the cracks continued to widen.

"Clack, clack, clack," the sounds chimed together, creating a symphony.

Finally, the first bird-snake emerged from its shell.

The bird-snake was a two-legged winged creature with a snake-like body adorned with beautiful feathers, usually exquisite and brilliantly blue, though exceptions existed. The newly born bird-snake's legs were still weak, pressed against its body's sides, moving more like a snake. It swam in circles in the nest, curiously surveying its siblings.

They were still trying to break out of their shells.

"Did you capture it on video?" Felix whispered.

His partner Valen hummed happily, envisioning that the footage they captured might become a precious imagery released by the 'Future World' company, to be seen by countless wizards.

"I did too. We can compare later... Let's get closer; the bird-snake mom isn't around..."

"Hiss? (Because you lured her away with a bucket of bugs!)"

"Haha, the bird-snake mom needs a nutrient boost, right? We came in quietly and will leave quietly."

"Hiss? (Any transformation to see?)", Valen asked.

The bird-snake possessed a special ability even among magical creatures—they could stretch or shrink at will, filling all available space or reducing their bodies according to the space available.

"Are you referring to them or me?" Felix gestured towards the nest in front of them. His binoculars were almost poking into the nest, and the first bird-snake that hatched was drawn to their voices and the glittering lenses, curiously tilting its head to scrutinize them.

The gaze of the young bird-snake shifted from Felix to Valen, fixating on its long, pink beak for a while. Then, it tilted its body to inspect its reflection on the surface of the silver eggshell, seemingly confirming that the two in front of it weren't its mother. The little one immediately unfurled its bright blue wings in a display of protest toward them.

The body of the bird-snake expanded a bit too.

"Wow-hiss!"

Valen watched in amazement; after all, sniffing wasn't its forte. Slowly reaching behind, it gestured frantically to Felix, who grinned and handed it a small glass jar.

Valen stared at the young bird-snake, waving its fist in front of it and revealing a beetle.

The small bird-snake, still trying to puff itself up, stopped in its tracks, tilting its head to inspect the food Valen offered. Its stomach grumbled irresolutely. Though it didn't speak, its mouth edged closer and closer...

The young bird-snake quickly succumbed to the temptation of food.

With the first one setting an example, the other newly hatched bird-snakes, not bothering to ponder the complex issue of 'why does mom look different?', began clamoring for food. Felix and Valen took the chance to reach out, caressing their lovely feathers.

Especially Felix; his fingertips emitted a faint magic as he touched them, not to harm but to analyze...

The joy of feeding was short-lived. Before long, Valen was shaking the empty glass jar and holding it up for Felix to see.

"Gone?" Felix asked.

Valen turned the jar upside down, shaking it twice, completely empty.

"Should be enough, right? They've just been born; it's best not to feed them too much at once..." Felix was undecided.

At that moment, rustling sounds came from behind them.

Valen looked up, mouth gaping through the bottom of the glass jar.

"Umm—" Felix felt something amiss. He turned around and saw the bird-snake mother slowly rising behind them, growing in size, its huge bird-like head looming down toward them.

'Bird-snakes will attack anyone near them, especially when they're protecting their eggs.'

As this thought flashed through Felix's mind, he grabbed Valen and appeared twenty feet away. To the bird-snake mother, this distance was insignificant; a leap forward could bring her to them. Luckily, Felix had spent a few days here and was somewhat familiar.

So, the bird-snake mother only encircled the nest, watching them warily.

As Felix and Valen cautiously retreated, the bird-snake mother's body gradually shrank. Soon, it revealed the protected nest, and the young bird-snakes chirped and climbed onto their mother, awkwardly flapping their wings, watching the "caretakers" depart.

"Let's head back too."

Felix said contentedly.

On their way back, they passed an empty tree hollow. "Hey, Lightning," Felix greeted, waving at the tree hollow where an invisible creature lived. Then, they crossed a small open plain, walked across a long wooden bridge, and returned to their base.

This area was

adjacent to the exit, the most human-like part of the entire underground chamber.

It was filled with pots, pans, and books, and Felix suddenly felt as though he had stepped into the territory of a Potions professor, despite the contents of the bottles being entirely different.

He had never intended to introduce these two individuals to each other.

That meeting was destined to be unfriendly.

>

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