Closed RP with @readthesign
Most third years were brimming with excitement at the prospect of finally going to Hogsmeade, the trip meant freedom from wandering the hallways of the castle aimlessly trying to find an alcove to spend âindependent study timeâ with friends. Now students had allocated time away from the castle completely unsupervised from teachers to spend however they wished.
Most individuals were excited to attend Honeydukes to sample the shops wares and consume their weight in sweets or run riot in Zonkos joke shop to stock up on dugbombs and frog spawn soap to terrorise unsuspecting first years.
Harmless teenage antics that Newt was no exception to.
Him and Leta had agreed to meet at The Three Broomsticks for a pint of butterbeer before planning an excursion to the Shirking Shack, they were both convinced it was not haunted but perhaps inhabited by a nesting Augurey that wailed when it rained which now gave the abandoned building its name.
Newt was hovering outside the pub when he saw a trio of Gryffindor boys idling in the street next to a vendor selling Every Flavour ice cream, they were using fairies to attract young children close enough to pester their parents into buying a scoop and the lads were no exception, they had taken a liking to the creatures as well and what started off as harmless fun now was turning a bit too rough for the fairies.
They were vain, pampered creatures that had the ability to dodge most birds of prey but a bunch of teenagers firing off spells at them all at once proved too much. A mistimed spell clipped the wings of one of the fairies and Newt found his feet running before his mind could judge what a terrible idea it was.
Naturally he scooped the poor thing up off the ground before any more damage could be done and Newt was able to cradle the creature close as the jeering began.
âOh look itâs Newty Salamander, here to save the day again,â they scoffed. He was use to the bullying by now and self preservation kicked in. Newt started walking diligently away, head bowed down and not giving them the satisfaction.
âHey freak, weâre talking to you,â they called after him and the familiar patten of footsteps could be heard following him. Newt picked up the pace, travelling with a brisker stride. At least it wasnât snowing, otherwise he had visions of a snowball hitting the back of his head, a small mercy but a leg locking curse was not out of the question.
Newt was able to round the corner calmly enough before setting off at speed, running as quickly as he could to gain some distance, tucking the fairy safely into his pocket.
âHey! Get back here!â They shouted, realising he was much further ahead than they anticipated, instead choosing to fire off spells. Newt was able to dodge them for the most part but a well placed stinging jinx caught him off guard and his hand ballooned instantaneously causing pins and needles to shoot up his arm. The pain brought tears to his eyes, once he was safe he could fix himself but for now he had to grit his teeth and keep running.
His lungs were now burning and he turned down into another alleyway to escape the bombardment.
By chance, Newt watched a door being opened and people leaving in a merry state. The sign above the threshold read âThe Hogs Headâ and that was good enough for Newt to escape into. He could wait out the bullies until it went dark and sneak back to the castle once the coast was clear.
Skittishly, he moved through entrance and picked a table where he could see through the grim covered windows without being too close to the glass for the Gryffindorâs to see in. Newt could only hope that he had lost them, he held his breath as he watched.
As he sat, his heart rate was beginning to calm to a steadier rhythm and Newt began to take in his surroundings, realising he might have stumbled across a different sort of danger.
The pub was rundown, dusty and was clearly in need of a scouring charm; the two wizards huddled by the fire looked sketchy and over all the pub felt unwelcoming.
Still, it was better than facing three students by himself.
From the corner of his eye he could see the bartender staring at him, it would not surprise him if he was asked to leave, the pub clearly did not cater to Hogwarts students but if Newt could buy himself enough time for the bullies to get bored and stop looking for him. He could escape and attend to the fairy and his hand in peace.