"What is going on here?"

A voice ______ didn't know, but Newt knew all too well, rang out across the office. The two of them turned around to see a man at the doorway, a long beard and dark, shrewd eyes. ______ could tell from the immediate panic on Newt's face that this was not one of the "kind professors" he talked about all the time.

Newt was so shocked, he didn't know what to do. If apparating was allowed in Hogwarts, the first thing he would be doing is grabbing ______ and getting out of there. He knew, however, that wouldn't work. They had been caught, and Newt had no idea what to do.

"Well, are you going to answer me?" as the headmaster narrowed his eyes, he realized that these weren't misbehaving students. In fact, they weren't students at all. One of them may have been wearing a Hufflepuff scarf, but it didn't fool him. They were too old to be students.

Then, he realized something else.

He recognized one of them.

As Newt tried to think of something to say, something to do, some way to react, the headmaster continued to speak. "Don't I know you?" he asked.

Newt averted his eyes. "Well, um, I think you might..." he stalled, trailing off. He didn't want to see the headmaster, much less have him recognize him. The headmaster didn't exactly like Newt, especially after the creature incident. Plus, if he got Newt's name, even if they escaped, he'd be able to report them.

There was no good way this could end.

The headmaster kept his eyes fixated on Newt. "You were a student here, weren't you? Did I expel you or something?"

"Uh, I don't think so," Newt told him, avoiding looking at him still.

The headmaster shook his head. "No matter, you have no business in here," the headmaster pulled out his wand, pointing it at them. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

Newt pulled out the first excuse he could think of, and sadly, it was a poor one. "Routine inspection," he told him. "I'm from the Ministry. Just making sure Hogwarts is still keeping up with everything during the holidays."

"Funny, I didn't get a letter of notice."

"Surprise inspection. That's what gives the best results," Newt continued. ______ stayed silent, completely unsure what to say or do. The scenario seemed so unreal, she had no idea how to react. She had no idea what she was supposed to do.

The headmaster wasn't buying anything. Instead, he narrowed his eyes at Newt, becoming more and more suspicious. "May I see your credentials?" he asked. "Surely if you're from the Ministry, you must have some."

"Oh, right," Newt said, reaching for his pockets. Luckily, he did have a wallet in his jacket. As long as the headmaster didn't look to closely at it (considering it does say Beast Division on it), Newt thought that there might actually be a way. That they might actually get away with it.

He thought too soon, and he acted too quick. He didn't even pay attention to what he was doing.

He turned around, facing ______. "I need my coat," he whispered to her. "It has my wallet in it."

______ nodded. "Yeah, of course," she whispered back, beginning to take it off. The both of them were so shocked, they completely forgot the reason why she had the jacket on in the first place. The only thing going through their mind right now was trying to convince this man that they're allowed to be there.

And as soon as the jacket came off, ______'s façade dropped.

The headmaster already had felt it from her. She didn't give off the same vibe as a witch would, and he was smart enough to know not to trust his sense of "smell." When Newt's jacket came off of her, the only faint trace of wizard left on her was the Hufflepuff scarf that hung around her neck.

One he could tell didn't belong to her.

"You," he began, pointing at ______. "Are you from the Ministry as well?"

______'s eyes widened, being called out all of a sudden. "Oh, yes," she began, thinking as quickly as she could. "I'm here to help with the inspection."

"Come here," he told her. "I just want to see your credentials."

"Here they are," Newt butted in, stepping in between him and ______. He opened his wallet, letting his Ministry of Magic ID flash. He didn't give it to him, still worried about the Beast Divisions label.

The headmaster didn't do as much as glance at his credentials. "I want to see hers," he insisted.

Newt hesitated, trying to think up an excuse. He couldn't find a single one that came to mind, and in that moment, he knew it was over. The headmaster pushed past him, going up to ______. She just stood there, to shocked to move, not knowing where else to go or what else to do. There was no way out of this. He grabbed her by the jaw, looking her in the eyes. Newt felt a sudden wave of protectiveness. "I hardly think this is necessary-"

"You're no witch," the headmaster spat in a low tone. "You're a Muggle, aren't you?"

"No," ______ tried denying. "I'm not, I'm-"

"You can't fool me," the headmaster shook his head, and then pushed her away. As soon as he let go of her, Newt stood between the two, feeling the need to protect her.

"Leave her alone," Newt said, his voice completely changed.

"This is a huge offense, breaking into the castle. Not to mention with a Muggle."

"I told you already, I'm from the Ministry-"

The headmaster laughed. "I'm no idiot." The man whipped out his wand, and at the same swift moment, so did Newt. The headmaster raised his eyebrows, and as he saw Newt's face up close and serious, he suddenly recognized him. "It's you. The student who let a creature loose."

Newt didn't back down, keeping his wand pointed. The headmaster took his silence as a sign he was correct. "I remember you, I remember that case. You cause a lot of trouble for a lot of people, but they still made me let you back in. You just love getting into trouble, don't you?" He continued, trying to get a reaction out of Newt. "And to think you're going around with a Muggle..." he shook his head. "You must not have dignity."

"Excuse me?" Newt asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Muggles," he shook his head, and now he was looking past Newt, looking at ______. "Muggles have no business in the wizarding world, and they have no right to be in my school."

"We'll be on our way then," Newt said. "Just let us leave."

The wizard laughed again. "Are you kidding me? You're in a lot of trouble, and this Muggle-friend of yours needs to be ridded of."

"Ridded of?" ______ asked, worry clear in her voice.

"Obliviated," he spat at her. "Obliviated and shipped away. Away from the wizarding world, where you have no business."

______'s eye widened, hearing that word again. She remembered clearly what it meant, and her heart began to beat faster than she could think. No, she thought. I am not losing my memories. The headmaster laughed at the look on her face. "Scared?" he asked. "Don't worry, you won't remember any of this."

As the headmaster opened his mouth to conduct a spell, Newt reacted. "Expelliarmus!" he shouted, and the headmaster's wand flew out of his hands. As the headmaster turned his attention back to Newt with a glare on his face, he continued to speak. "Sorry Headmaster Black, I can't allow that."

"Why is this Muggle so important to you?" he spat, but as soon as he asked the question, he didn't need an answer. Based on the look in Newt's eyes and how they had been behaving when he walked in, he had the idea. He rolled his eyes. "To think you'd love a Muggle..."

"You don't get it," Newt shook his head. "Would you not love your wife if she was a Muggle?"

"I would've never even looked at my wife if she were a Muggle," he spat. "The Blacks are a line of purebloods, just like it should be."

Newt shook his head again. "Then you don't truly love her," he said suddenly.

The headmaster's face twitched. "You're an idiot," he told him, and picked his wand up from the ground. "And you're going to Azkaban."

As the wizard went to cast another spell, he got his with another.

One that didn't come from Newt.

"Expelliarmus!" A wizard's voice cried, and as his wand flew out of his hand, everyone turned to see another wizard standing at the door.

Newt's eyes widened, recognizing the man. "Professor Dumbledore?" he asked, unbelieving.

______ stared at the wizard at the door. This is Dumbledore? She asked herself, thinking back on everything newt had said about him. She knew that Newt respected him greatly, and although she hoped she might meet him one day, she never thought it would actually happen.

And she never thought it would happen like this.

"What are you doing here, Albus?" the headmaster asked impatiently. He never really liked Dumbledore, in fact, he was one of his least favorite Professors. He didn't understand his want to understand to understand the students, he only thought it was a waste of everyone's time.

"I came to speak with you, Phineas," he spoke calmly. "I didn't realize we had," he cleared his throat, looking at Newt and ______. "Guests."

"They're hardly guests," he snapped. "This wizard and his muggle girlfriend broke into Hogwarts and broke into my office. They are to be punished."

"That is not our call, headmaster," Dumbledore assured him. "We must call the Ministry."

"I'm from the Ministry," Newt tried bringing in again, attempting to lessen their punishment. "They know I'm here."

"Do they?" the headmaster asked, turning away from Dumbledore. "Do they know about the Muggle too?"

Newt shook his head. "Leave her out of this, your business here is with me."

"You're truly an idiot," the headmaster shook his head. As he made a quick go for his wand again, Newt pulled his wand out again, but he was a few seconds short. The headmaster began reciting a spell. "Obli-"

"Stupefy!" Dumbledore called out, and suddenly, Black fell to the ground, stunned and knocked out. Dumbledore stood there, his wand out in front of him, as shocked as everyone else in the room was.

"Did..." Newt began. "Did you just stun the headmaster?"

"I believe I did," Dumbledore said, putting his wand back to his side. "I never liked his approach to Muggles and Muggle-borns."

Muggle-borns, Newt thought. That's the word I was looking for earlier. "Dumbledore," Newt began, his voice already pleading. "I'm sorry all about this, I-"

"Don't tell me," Dumbledore began. "As far as I know, you're here from the Ministry. Have you got a badge?"

Newt gave him a confused look. "Right here," he said, pulling out his wallet and giving it to Dumbledore. "Why?"

"Well, as far as I can see, you're here from the Ministry," Dumbledore repeated. "So you and this young lady can do whatever Ministry business you are here to do, and I have no reason to report you."

Newt began to get the hint, but he was still confused. Why is Dumbledore helping me? He asked himself in his head. Newt never caused him anything but trouble, he didn't know why Dumbledore continued to help him out. He shook his head, he didn't have time to question it right now. "We'll be on our way then," Newt said, and exchanging looks with ______, began to walk out of the room.

However, ______ wanted to stay behind one moment longer.

"Excuse me?" ______ asked, looking at Dumbledore.

"What is it?" he asked, giving her a kind look. ______ could tell he didn't believe their act for a second, but he was still trying to help them. It was exactly the kind of thing she could see him doing after hearing all the stories Newt told about him.

She smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I've heard lots of great things about you. I would just like to thank you for all that you've done for us, for me, tonight."

"It is my duty to assist the Ministry," he told her, half-smiling.

"Yeah," she smiled back and nodded. "I hope to see you again." Giving a small wave, she walked out of the room, meeting with Newt again. She looked at him, and they both had the same look of did that really just happen?

"Are you ready to go?" he asked her, wanting to get out of there as soon as possible. All of his fun ideas to show her around Hogwarts disappeared after that, and all he wanted to do was get home with her, where he knew she'd be safe.

"As I'll ever be," she told him, giving him a reassuring smile.

As they took each other's hands, they started to head back to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.

Back to Honeydukes, away from Hogwarts.