Harry Potter's : Fantastic Beasts Guide

In the days that followed, David spent most of his time chatting with Tina or exploring the changes in his illustrated book within the magic space.

He summoned each magical animal he had bonded with, observing them closely. To his surprise, every creature, except the three-headed dog, seemed to possess a consciousness of its own. They moved, reacted, and behaved just like living beings, so much so that if someone else saw them, they'd never believe they were magical constructs.

Despite their lifelike presence, they were utterly loyal to David, showing no signs of rebellion. Even more intriguing, any magical creature connected to him could easily locate him, no matter how well he tried to hide—even the unicorn and the ermine from the Forbidden Forest.

His curiosity only grew.

Did the illustrations create a bond between us? Like the contracts I lied about to Newt and the others?

If they can find me, why can't I find them?

And where did their consciousness come from? Is it really based on the original creatures?

David pondered these questions so intensely that he was sure his hair was thinning from all the head-scratching. But no matter how hard he thought, the answers eluded him. Eventually, he decided to let it go for now. Perhaps the Restricted Section at Hogwarts held the answers, or maybe Newt or Dumbledore could shed some light on the mystery.

Most importantly, the day had come to fulfill his promise to Tina—they were going to Romania.

The morning sun poured softly through the floor-to-ceiling windows as David pulled back the curtains. Light flooded the room, chasing away the shadows of his restless thoughts.

He sat at his desk, penning a letter to Hermione. He explained that he was off to Romania and might not be able to write for a while. Once the ink dried, he tied the note to Felix's leg. The owl hooted, nipped his finger affectionately, and took off into the sky.

With that done, David left his room. As he descended the stairs, an intoxicating aroma greeted him. It was warm, savory, and tinged with a scent that was both familiar and distant, pulling at a memory buried deep within him.

"Grandma, what smells so good?" he called out.

"You'll see soon enough," Tina replied, her voice echoing from the kitchen.

Half an hour later, a white porcelain bowl floated gracefully from the kitchen, carried by Tina's magic. It settled on the table in front of David, releasing a cloud of steam fragrant with the scent of broth.

David's eyes widened, his hand trembling as he reached for the bowl. Tiny dumplings floated in the clear soup, their delicate white skins slightly translucent, revealing savory meat fillings within.

He knew this dish. Bianshi. A food he once ate in his previous life.

His vision blurred for a moment, his throat tightening as a wave of nostalgia crashed over him. "Grandma… is this…" His voice was unsteady.

"It's called 'bianshi,'" Tina replied, her attempt at the Chinese word endearing but horribly mispronounced. "A kind of Chinese dumpling. Do you like it?"

David didn't answer. He scooped up one of the dumplings with a spoon and brought it to his lips. As he bit down, the skin melted softly, releasing the flavorful filling inside. Just like before…

He took a moment to compose himself, blinking away the sting of tears. "Grandma, where did you learn to make this?"

"A Chinese wizard made it once. I thought it was delicious, so I asked her to teach me," Tina said with a proud smile.

"There are wizards in China?" David asked, a spark of curiosity lighting his eyes. This was the first time he had heard of Chinese magic.

"Of course! But they don't call themselves wizards. They call themselves 'Taoists'… or something like that." Tina's pronunciation was clumsy, but David understood.

"Do they use wands too?"

"No, they use other magical tools. They even have these papers with magic symbols on them that can cast spells. It's quite impressive, but we can't learn it."

Talismans! David's mind raced. He had heard of these in his past life's stories.

"Do they travel to other countries often?" he asked, his excitement barely contained.

Tina shook her head. "Not really. They're very protective of their homeland. They only leave when they must. This time, they came because one of their magical creatures went missing."

David's eyes widened. "A magical creature?"

"Yes, something called Bai Ze. A very powerful creature, apparently."

Bai Ze? David's heart skipped a beat. That was one of the most legendary beasts in Chinese mythology.

"I don't think Grandpa's notes mentioned anything about that," he said, confused.

"They wouldn't," Tina explained. "The Chinese are very secretive about their magical creatures. They protect them fiercely. It was a rare exception for us to even help them search for it."

David opened his mouth to ask more, but Tina glanced at the clock and interrupted him.

"That's enough questions for now, David. Are you finished eating?"

David quickly gulped down the rest of the broth, savoring the last taste of home.

Tina approached him, holding a beautifully carved wooden comb.

"Grandma, I can comb my own hair," David said, embarrassed.

Tina laughed. "This isn't for your hair, silly. It's a Portkey. I got special permission from the Ministry of Magic to use it for our trip to Romania."

David's face flushed. "Oh… right."

He took a deep breath, his fingers tracing the intricate carvings on the comb. It felt warm, pulsing with faint magic. A sense of anticipation filled him.

Romania… and dragons.

He was ready.