Chapter 3: Scamander knows nothing about magical creatures

Chapter 3: Scamander knows nothing about magical creatures

Rolf wielded his wand like a conductor, commanding the vines to wildly sway.

As a Bowtruckle, possessed the innate ability to accelerate plant growth and control them by channeling his magical energy.

Rolf had successfully tamed a Bowtruckle and could also use the magic called "Vine Growth."

Two chubby figures were tightly entwined by the vines, swinging like little dolls in mid-air.

In their excitement, the two chubby figures, under Rolf's persuasive words, deeply regretted their actions. They cried loudly, sincerely apologizing and begging for forgiveness.

Rolf nodded in satisfaction. Changing for the better was what good kids did.

With a snap of his fingers, the two chubby figures were lifted by the vines and thrown out of the carriage, crashing onto the ground.

Hermione stared in disbelief and finally exclaimed, "You call that reasoning with them?"

"Well," Rolf rubbed the back of his head, enjoying the breeze on his face, and smiled. "But there's another half to the sentence."

"What is it?"

"If they don't listen, beat them."

"..."

The round-faced boy stood up from the ground, his legs a bit weak. He swallowed and spoke in a low voice, "Goyle and Crabbe are just Malfoy's lackeys. They will definitely come back for revenge...".

"Don't be afraid. The more you fear those lowlifes, the more trouble they'll cause you. Besides, even if Malfoy does come, don't I have your back?" Rolf didn't mind at all. He patted the boy's shoulder and said, "I'll reason with him... afterall we are good guys!"

Hermione rolled her eyes.

The round-faced boy was moved and wished to declare Rolf as his big brother right away. "My name is Rolf Scamander. And you?"

The round-faced boy stammered, "Neville... Neville Longbottom."

The Gryffindor swordsman, right? Rolf raised an eyebrow, examining Neville, but was somewhat disappointed.

Obviously, Neville was not the courageous swordsman who dared to face Lord Voldemort, but rather a timid and round-faced chubby boy.

Rolf turned to the girl with a wine-red ponytail. She nonchalantly held a baseball bat and said softly, "Shirley Swinton."

Seeing Rolf's gaze fixed on the bat, Shirley calmly said, "I like playing baseball. It's reasonable to carry a baseball bat, right?"

"..."

"Carry it if you want. It's handy for self-defense." Rolf shrugged, "Hogwarts is dangerous, and people die every year."

Hermione exclaimed in shock, "People... die every year?!"

"Yes, last year, a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor fell off a flying broomstick," Rolf's mouth curved slightly, deliberately lowering his voice, "His brain matter splattered on the ground like jelly, and his eyeballs bounced around. In the end, Hagrid's dog ate them."

"And two years ago, a professor was fishing by the Black Lake and was drowned by Grindylows!"

Hermione stood frozen, mouth agape, her eyes vacant.

Even the aloof Shirley tightened her grip on her bat. Although her expression remained unchanged, her movements became slightly stiff.

Rolf suppressed his smile, no longer wanting to frighten the two clueless girls. He sat down in his chair and looked out the window.

The heavy rain was subsiding, and the silhouette of Platform 9 became clear, veiled in mist.

The thick smoke from the steam engine drifted above the bustling crowd, accompanied by the noise of dragging luggage and the laughter of wizards.

The atmosphere inside the compartment grew somber.

Neville was still trembling, worried that Malfoy would come back with a group of people to cause trouble.

Hermione took out a book titled "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," but her gaze wasn't on the book. Her eyes wandered, lost in thought about whether or not to go back home for safety.

Shirley clutched her bat, gazing out the window in a daze.

Basking in the warm sunlight, Rolf began reading a book called "Postnatal Care of Nifflers," leisurely enjoying the illustrations, when suddenly a toad hopped onto his knee.

The toad stared at his black suitcase with wide eyes.

It turned out that a vivid green magical creature, resembling a bamboo insect and a plant, emerged from the suitcase. Its body was only as long as a finger, with two small brown eyes that blinked continuously.

After being fixated on by the toad, the Bowtruckle that had originally wanted to climb upward immediately froze.

The toad quickly flicked its tongue, startling the Bowtruckle, who no longer dared to play dead and swiftly started climbing.

Its front claws hooked onto the button of Rolf's coat, and it sprinted, quickly reaching his waist, then made one final leap, hanging under his sleeve, gently swaying.

Rolf flicked his right wrist and held the Bowtruckle with two fingers, lightly cupping it in his palm as it affectionately rubbed against his fingers.

"Trevor!" Neville exclaimed anxiously, "What are you doing?!"

"It must be hungry," Rolf reached into his pocket and took out some freeze-dried food.

Both Shirley and Hermione were shocked, their eyes fixed on the Bowtruckle—it was a creature they had never seen before!

Hermione, in particular, was excited and nearly bumped into the luggage rack. She exclaimed, "Bowtruckle! I've read about it in the book!"

The girl stared at the Bowtruckle, illuminated by the sunlight, and raised the book in her hand. She said excitedly, "According to the book, Bowtruckles are gentle magical creatures. They become protectors of the trees they inhabit, and the wood from those trees is usually suitable for making wands."

Hermione showcased her impressive memory. She didn't even need to open the book to recite its contents accurately.

Even though the study of magical creatures was only taught in the third year!

"Rolf, what did you feed Trevor?" Neville curiously asked. He had tried feeding Trevor mosquitoes before, but Trevor ignored him.

"It's freeze-dried food made by Horklumps," Rolf pinched the freeze-dried food and said, "It has a chicken flavor, crispy texture... It's six times more nutritious than beef. Would you like to try some?"

Neville quickly shook his head.

Finally finding an opportunity to show off, Hermione refused to let it slip. She crossed her arms and raised her head, saying, "Horklumps are mushroom-like pests. The book says they can only be used as food..."

Rolf shook his head, correcting her, "Actually, the secretion of Horklumps can be used to make healing potions and herbicides."

"It's impossible! Where did you read that? It's not written in the book!" Hermione was a bit defiant.

"The textbooks aren't always correct. It's a mistake in this case, and it will be corrected in the revised edition of 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' in the future," Rolf smiled and said, "Don't be so rigid when reading books... It's not good."

But Hermione didn't believe him. She looked at Rolf and said with wide eyes, "You know more than Mr. Newt Scamander?!"

"Newt Scamander is just a retired old man. He knows nothing," Rolf's face had a peculiar expression, almost like a smile.

Hermione's face filled with discontent. It seemed like Rolf insulted her idol. The girl stared at the boy, her small face clearly expressing the question, "Who do you think you are?"

Rolf looked at the stubborn girl before him and grinned, "Oh, I forgot to tell you... Newt Scamander is my grandfather. A few months ago, we discovered a new use for Horklump secretions."

"..."

Hermione suddenly remembered that this person was also named Scamander... Ah, how embarrassing! She immediately deflated and took out a pen from somewhere, biting off the cap, viciously jotting down on her book.

Watching this scene, Shirley supported her cheek with one hand and smiled softly.

Rolf scratched Trevor, who was frantically eating, on the leg. Suddenly, his mind chimed.

[Detected A White Frog Trevor, triggering a side quest:

Treat Trevor's hyperactivity disorder, reward magic ability:

[Giant Tongue Whip]

[Enhances control over the tongue, allowing it to stretch and expand freely. Inflicts magical damage on licked targets, and intense vibrations have a chance to cause dizziness and confusion.

(Note: When used on female magical creatures, the chance increases by 20%)]

"..."

Rolf was stunned. This was an absurd kind of magic... He licked his lips and suddenly grinned at Neville.

"You see this toad? It looks like it's suffering from heatstroke. How about... hehehe!"

...