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It was midnight when Newt was stirred from his sleep by a soft noise beside his head. His eyelids fluttered open, and he blinked into the dim light, glancing sideways at his bedside table.

His eyes widened as he saw a small, familiar green creature fumbling with the knot of his yellow tie.

"What—?" he whispered, blinking again to make sure he wasn't imagining it. But there it was.

The Bowtruckle, with its large, curious brown eyes, seemed to notice Newt's gaze and gave a little wave. The sight sent a shiver of excitement through him, though he quickly scanned the room, making sure no one else had seen his little friend.

Newt moved swiftly, gathering the creature into his hands as he slipped out of bed, quietly putting on his shoes. The night was silent, the only noice where his quiet footsteps. He crept down the dark hallway, heart pounding with a mix of wonder and concern, until a faint sound of footsteps echoed in the distance.

He turned a corner, his pace quickening, glancing down at his hands to find the Bowtruckle staring back up at him with those wide, knowing eyes.

"Why did you follow me here?" Newt asked in a hushed voice, half-exasperated, half-amused. Without waiting for an answer, he climbed the stairs two at a time, careful to keep his footing steady as he hurried up to one of the castle's towers.

Finally, reaching his destination, Newt dropped down into a cross-legged position on the cold stone floor. He gently set the Bowtruckle down before him. The creature blinked as it looked around, its eyes widening at the sight of its new surroundings. A few plants dotted the floor, and a large window offered a perfect view of the whole castle.

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This was Newt's secret spot, one that he and Davina often used to talk and share secrets away from prying ears. It was different from their tree spot, which took a half-hour to reach; this one was much closer, a hidden gem tucked in the corner of the tower.

Newt's mind raced with questions. Where could he keep his little friend safe without anyone noticing? He wanted to tell Davina, but sneaking into the girls' dorm at this hour was far too risky.

So, Newt did what he always did when he needed to improvise. He removed his shoes and stuffed a few soft cloths inside them to make a comfortable bed. Then, he pulled out a blanket from the pile on the floor—a blanket that had originally belonged to Davina. She always got cold up here, so Newt had started bringing it for her, knowing it would keep her warm during their late-night chats.

The Bowtruckle eyed the arrangement curiously as Newt carefully built a little nest for it. The creature stepped into one of the shoes, testing it out for size before promptly getting out of the shoe and rather curling up underneath the blanket, settling into the warmth beside the wizard.

Newt smiled softly, his heart lifting at the sight. He leaned back against the cold stone, imagining the look on Davina's face when she discovered the Bowtruckle had decided to join them tonight.

As the minutes passed, Newt's eyelids grew heavy, and the quiet of the tower wrapped around him like a comforting blanket. Before long, his thoughts blurred and he drifted off to sleep, the Bowtruckle curled contentedly beside him.

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As the young brunette entered the classroom that morning, she was surprised to find the seat next to her empty. Normally, Newt would be there, waiting patiently for her, his books neatly arranged and ready for the lesson. But today, there was only the vacant chair, a subtle reminder that something was different.

Davina scanned the room, her confusion deepening, until her gaze met Julien's. He was just walking in, a tired look on his face as he took the seat behind her.

"Good morning," Julien muttered, noticing the empty seat beside her.

"Where's your usual partner in crime?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, amusement flickering in his tone.

Davina shrugged, her eyes still flicking to the door, hoping Newt would appear any second.

Just then, Lizzie walked in and sat down beside Julien. She, too, noticed the empty space next to Davina.

"Where's Scamander?" Lizzie asked with a curious tilt of her head. "Did he catch a cold on your trip yesterday?"

Davina frowned. "I don't know. He's never late for class. It's... it's strange," she murmured, her voice tinged with concern.

Lizzie offered a playful smile, trying to lighten her friend's mood. "I mean, we're all a bit late sometimes, right? Who can blame him? Maybe he just wants to sleep in."

Davina didn't reply, her mind still preoccupied with Newt's unusual absence. She turned her attention to the front of the room where Ms. Ravenshade, their Potion professor, was already preparing for the lesson. But the mystery of Newt's disappearance lingered in the air.

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Newt stirred awake as sunlight streamed through the window, its warm beams falling directly onto his face. He blinked, slowly opening his eyes and glancing out the window. Below, students were hurrying to their classes, their footsteps echoing in the courtyard.

His mind, however, was still caught up in the odd situation from last night. The Bowtruckle—his little green companion—had followed him to the tower and was now tucked snugly under a blanket beside him. The tiny creature let out a massive yawn, stretching its arms into the air before blinking its big brown eyes and staring up at the wizard.

Newt's eyes widened as he noticed the time. Students were already heading to class. He was terribly late for his first lesson of the day, and to make matters worse, he had a magical creature in tow with no idea what to do about it.

Panicking, he scooped up the Bowtruckle, gently tucking it into his pocket, and rushed to his feet. He dashed down the stairs, barely pausing as he made his way to the classroom. While fiddling with his tie in an attempt to look presentable, he mentally cursed himself for not having a better plan.

He knew it was foolish to bring the Bowtruckle with him—he wasn't exactly sure where to hide it—but there was no other choice.

"I really don't know what to do with you, but until I figure it out..." he muttered, more to himself than to the creature. As he turned a corner, he found himself face-to-face with a group of students. Their curious stares followed him as he mumbled to himself.

"You need to stay in my pocket. Don't do anything stupid, and whatever happens, don't come out," he said in a low voice, trying to keep his nerves in check.

The Bowtruckle popped its little head out of Newt's pocket and gave a slight nod, but Newt immediately shoved it back inside, hoping no one had noticed. He continued down the hallway, his heart racing as he approached the classroom.

When Newt finally reached the door, he hesitated. He knew that walking in late would surely draw attention, and he wasn't looking forward to the reprimands. With a deep breath, he raised his hand to knock before slowly pushing the door open.

The room fell silent. Every eye in the class turned toward him, and Davina's head whipped around in surprise. Newt felt his cheeks flush under the weight of all the stares.

"Oh, Mr. Scamander. How nice of you to finally join us," Ms. Ravenshade said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Newt's face reddened further as he quickly took his seat next to Davina, who was now looking at him in bewilderment.

"I assume you have a good reason for being late, then?" Ms. Ravenshade's sharp gaze flicked to him, her tone making it clear that she was not impressed with his sudden, flustered behavior.

Newt swallowed, his throat dry, and tried to compose himself. "I-I'm so sorry, Miss. I swear this won't happen again," he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.

Ms. Ravenshade gave him a measured look, her expression unreadable as she turned back to the board, her chalk scratching against it. "That would be better, Mr. Scamander," she muttered, her irritation palpable.

The class went quiet as Newt sank into his seat, the weight of the moment still heavy on him. He couldn't shake the feeling that today's lesson would be more difficult than usual.

Davina shot Newt a quick glance, then turned fully to face him, her curiosity piqued. "Where were you? What happened? You're never late," she asked, her voice a mix of concern and impatience.

Newt scratched nervously at the back of his neck, feeling the weight of her piercing green eyes on him, waiting for an answer.

He leaned in closer, his voice barely a whisper as he made a subtle gesture beneath the table, signaling that he couldn't speak freely with the whole class listening in. His fingers moved quickly, conveying that this was something to be discussed in private.

"I'll tell you later. I-I promise," he stammered, trying to hide his nerves. But Davina, who knew Newt better than most, could see that something was off. The way his leg bounced restlessly under the table, and how his fingers fidgeted with the edges of his book, gave him away. Newt was anxious—far more than usual—and it only deepened her concern.

Davina gave him a small shake of her head, deciding to focus on the lesson for now, but the gnawing feeling in her gut told her that something wasn't right.

Just as she tried to return her attention to Ms. Ravenshade, she felt a sudden tug on her arm.

Newt froze, his eyes widening as he felt it too. Both of them glanced down at the bench, where the familiar little green creature had appeared. The Bowtuckle was standing right between them, its tiny body perched on the edge with its big brown eyes blinking up at them.

Davina's breath caught in her throat. She stared at the creature in shock, but Newt quickly shot her a warning look—one that said *don't make a scene*.

The Bowtuckle, oblivious to their concern, gave a wide, contented smile as it recognized the young witch beside Newt. It reached out a tiny hand, as if trying to greet her.

Davina's gaze darted around the room in a panic, scanning the class to make sure no one had seen the magical creature. Newt, meanwhile, quickly cupped his hand around the Bowtuckle and tried to guide it back into his pocket, his face flushed with embarrassment.

"You brought it here?" Davina whispered furiously, her voice a low hiss. "Are you out of your mind, Newton?"

"I didn't bring it," Newt whispered back, his voice filled with sincerity. "It followed us."

The realization hit Davina like a bolt of lightning, but before she could say anything more, Newt quickly adjusted his pocket and shifted in his seat, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. It was clear that, for now, they would both have to keep the Bowtuckle a secret—or risk even more trouble than they were already in.

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𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞: And the third chapter done. I did these chapters in one day and I'm still thinking about writing a fourth one but I think this was the last one for today.

Sorry this chapter is a bit to long...

Larah :)