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“And so we levitated back to a safe distance, quickly extinguished the fire in the trees surrounding us and congratulated ourselves on the discovery of the Heliopath. Thank you.”
Applause rang through the small auditorium, and Rolf allowed a small smile to escape him as he bowed. He reached over and shook the hand of his co-discoverer, Dennis Creevey, more for the reporters than for themselves (when they had actually seen the Heliopath, they had hugged and shouted victoriously, but these American papers didn't need to know that, thank you). The floor opened for questions from the press and Rolf took a deep breath.
“Mr. Scamander, a question: what ever made you think to search for such a creature in that area of the world? Would they not be better suited for a dessert climate?”
“Ordinarily that would be perfectly logical, however Mr. Creevey and I heard a rumor that a subset of recessive genes found in the Heliopath DNA, suggests that it could indeed survive, even thrive, in a tropical climate. As I stated earlier we were able to confirm this claim."
For Rolf it felt like hours had passed. Finally they had reached the last question addressed to him.
“Mr. Scamander, Jane Campbell here. What is the mystery behind your darling, little earring? Do you have an affinity for root vegetables, or is there hidden meaning? “
Rolf broke into a smile and out of habit he tugged on the radish earring hiding just behind his brown hair. It was a question he got often from other scholars, reporters, and small children alike.
“…so you see, I was wrong; it wasn't the corks that were keeping them away, it was the earrings. You have to keep it on to protect yourself.”
She was standing on the landing, just past the open door of their little home. She was clad in a sundress of floral print and barefoot. It was a quaint little cottage between a small lake and a forest, with a green door, and a garden of magical herbs and artifacts growing in the back. He stood on the bottom step, matching their heights. He smiled softly and held her hand as she told her story just like she always did before he went travelling without her; it was as though the explanation was as important as the item itself in protecting him. He never tired of listening to her stories, and Merlin he would miss her while he was away. But the twins were growing fast, and Luna was more comfortable at home being tended to by friends and their midwife. As she hooked the small radish earring into his ear, he raised both hands to encompass her face and when she was done he pulled her in. He kissed the babies next; two simple and sweet kisses upon her belly and then he was off to America.
Rolf nodded a little and then responded, “It belongs to my wife, Luna. As you might know, she is also a Magizoologist, but she can’t always attend these functions, especially now that we’re expecting our boys. It’s a token a love to remind myself of why I do this; it’s a reminder that I have a magnificent witch waiting for me back home.”
The reporter, Jane, nodded along to Rolf’s story but wrote nothing down.
“Very good, now, Mr. Creevey, you’re a photographer are you not? Where did this sudden desire to search for mythological creatures come from? “
Dennis stood and approached the podium with a light smile on his face.
“Well actually, the Heliopath isn't mythical, that’s why we’re standing here today, but yes, it all began after the Second Wizarding War back home. My brother...”