While the old men, one living and one spectral, debated arcane pet-keeping techniques, Tom plotted.
"Newt! Where are your magical creatures kept? I'm going to have a look!" Tom called out to Newt, who was still nodding as Salazar Slytherin meticulously explained the basilisk's finer points.
"The back hills! But don't hurt them!" Newt warned, before turning back to Slytherin.
The normally introverted Newt was uncomfortable facing one of the legendary founders, but Slytherin, oblivious, dove into the nuances of basilisk husbandry at Tom's request. Newt, completely absorbed, forgot his social awkwardness and listened with rapt attention.
Meanwhile, Tom...
"Don't worry, you won't be missing a single creature. There might even be a few more!"
With that, Tom strode out, leaving Newt gaping.
"Wait! What do you mean, 'a few more'?!"
...
The back hills of Scamander Manor were a primeval forest. Towering trees, their bark gnarled with age, stood like silent sentinels. Did Newt deliberately choose this secluded spot? Tom wondered, surveying the surroundings.
Rustle...
A gentle breeze stirred the leaves. Tom glanced up, spotting several Bowtruckles perched on the branches, their beady eyes following his every move.
Cute, but not my prey, he mused, pushing deeper into the woods.
A Curved-Horned Snorkack… the name alone suggests possibilities! And with its soporific snoring, the first creature that springs to mind is… a tapir?
In Muggle fairy tales, tapirs resemble baby elephants, slipping into dreams to devour nightmares. And while tapirs weren't magical, elephants certainly were.
I'll liberate one from a Muggle zoo later. Then, I need to find some horned magical creatures here. A bit of potion-enhanced encouragement, and nature should take its course.
As for reproductive isolation… magical creatures rarely suffered from such mundane limitations. Even humans could interbreed, as evidenced by the legend of Merlin, supposedly the offspring of a succubus.
Should nature prove stubborn, Tom was confident he could overcome it with potions.
Finally, after a short search, Tom located his target: a slumbering adult Curved-Horned Snorkack, nearly the size of an elephant.
Now to steal an elephant and let nature take its course.
But… given their size, the offspring would be rather large. Perhaps a few more crossbreeds are in order.
...
A bright, sun-drenched afternoon. Golden light filtered through the canopy, dappling the forest floor. Newt and Slytherin, the unlikely duo, ventured into the back hills, eager to share their basilisk-taming breakthrough with Tom.
Using eye membranes harvested from basilisk wings as makeshift contact lenses would neutralize the creature's deadly gaze.
"I did it! I did it! I found… ah?"
Newt's triumphant cry died in his throat as he stumbled upon a scene that shattered his soul. His beloved unicorn was engaged in a rather vigorous encounter with an elephant, while Tom Riddle stood by with a disturbingly satisfied smirk.
...
Back at Newt's humble abode, the magizoologist was inconsolable.
"He's not human! He's not human! That fiend is inhuman!"
The ninety-year-old Newt sobbed into his wife Tina Goldstein's shoulder, a broken man. The reason for his distress was the horrifying "Animal Kingdom" spectacle he had witnessed in the back hills.
And the orchestrator of this mayhem was Tom Riddle.
Meanwhile, Tom sat calmly on Newt's sofa, sipping his coffee, utterly devoid of remorse for his tampering.
After all, if I simply robbed Newt's house, everything would be mine. But I only borrowed a few things. So, rounding up, it's practically the rest of the stuff I'd given to Newt, right?
I really am a good person, he thought, a slight smile playing on his lips.
It's a pity I probably won't be around long enough to breed any Curved-Horned Snorkacks myself.
Having Newt breed them was out of the question. The old fellow would never resort to large doses of aphrodisiacs on his pets.
Though I wouldn't do it on my own pets, either. Still, since those were Newt's pets, it wasn't a big problem.
Since that's the case, why not secretly steal a few magical creatures from Newt's place and breed them in the Forbidden Forest back at Hogwarts?
Tom pondered the logistics. His silence, however, was misconstrued by the weeping Newt, who took it as a sign of remorse. Newt's wails grew louder, and whether it was his imagination or not, they seemed to carry a hint of hysteria.
...
That evening, the group prepared to dine at Newt's before departing for England the following day. Tom had assured the Grangers and Mr. Lovegood that their daughters would be returned promptly.
The Grangers and Mr. Lovegood found it difficult to accept such an extended trip without parental supervision. However, Hermione Granger and Luna Lovegood's enthusiasm was infectious, leaving them no choice but to relent.
Tom sipped the thick soup Tina had prepared, his gaze fixed on the Niffler scurrying in the corner.
That creature... what sort of hybrid might it produce? Could it sire offspring smaller than a Snorkack?
Tom was consumed by curiosity.
As for the practicalities, he wasn't worried. Tales from another world had demonstrated that even vast size differences were no obstacle and that cross-species breeding would be perfectly fine.
It was worth mentioning that Tom wanted to breed the Curved-Horned Snorkack not only for Luna Lovegood, but more importantly because he himself was fascinated by magical creature hybridization. After all, as a top student, Tom had never lacked the desire to explore the unknown.
Just then, a leather-clad foot nudged the Niffler away from Tom. He looked up to see Newt glaring warily.
"..."
So distrustful, are we? Fine, I won't steal it now; I'll just rob you later. Newt's expression will be priceless.
Tom smiled thinly.
But just as Newt's Niffler seemed destined for an untimely demise...
Ding-dong
The doorbell chimed.
"In this desolate place, who could possibly be visiting?" Tom asked, surprised.
Newt's lips twitched, then he rose to answer the door.
---