Into the Newtcase

Eleven

I got to my feet and descended into the suitcase, ignoring my lightly throbbing temples. Ja'alow, the Demiguise, loped over to me. He blinked his alienoid eyes. Hazel? Newt told me to keep you here when you came down.

Am I that predictable?

Evidently so.

I tried to do a dodge around him, but I slipped and fell on my butt. Ja'alow stood above me and sat on my chest. He wasn't terribly heavy, but enough to keep me down. Please stay down. I don't want you to hit your head.

I had an idea. MANDUS!

In two point four seconds the niffler was at my side. Blocking our conversation from Ja'alow, I told Mandus my plan. He giggled. If you say so!

Ja'alow, Mandus complained, drawing the Demiguise's attention to him. I think one of the Occamies is pregnant.

They're babies.

I know, Mandus said in disgust. That's what makes it nasty.

Occamies are self impregnating.

Yeah, but... oh, never mind.

I winked at Mandus- while Ja'alow was distracted, I had clipped my watch around his hind leg. Mandus's snout twitched.

Go get him, tiger.

Mandus totally lost it, lunging straight at the Demiguise. In pure self defense, Ja'alow went invisible, and I felt his weight leave my chest. Stealthy as a cat, I rose and crept off towards the obscurial enclosure.

I sat directly outside and almost blew my cover. Newt was contorting himself into the strangest positions, and I could hear Catherine and Wisely laughing at him.

Be nice, I snapped at them. He's trying.

I heard Newt grunting words under his breath. "What... can... we... give... you... to... make... you... stop?"

Where can you send us so we can shop? Catherine repeated the correct translation. I don't know, Wisely, what were you looking to buy?

I walked forward and Newt sighed, pacing over to me. I leaned into him and wrapped my arm around his waist. You guys are jerks. We want to know how to congregate you, then make a trade.

That will take a lot of effort. You'd need to gather at least five more of us in here.

Why five?

Seven obscurials to go to seven continents populated by wizardkind, Wisely said in an offhand way. I looked up at Newt- while he stood at roughly five foot eight, I was perpetually five foot three. "They want us to get five more of them, then send them off to all corners of the earth to gather the rest- wait. Couldn't you just go to the Assembly? Your leaders?"

Catherine's voice ran cold. No one goes to the Assembly unless they have news of a freshly punished Mudblood.

But could we try? To negotiate?

I suppose, Wisely mused. If they listened it would be much easier.

Where are they, then?

They're headquartered at the start of it all, aren't they? Wisely said. We've got to go back to London.

I thanked the obscurials, then turned to Newt. "Let's go back out. I know what we have to do. Oliver!"

After a moment, my cat appeared in the snowy landscape. His tabby pelt was fluffed out. Hazel-you-had-better-have-a-good-reason-to-have-called-me-into-this-Godforsaken-snow-hole.