The Darkness Within

•Chapter 15 - The Case•

The two followed Newt outside and were in awe when they saw the view around them. Thunder stroke and rain drops wet Lily's dark hair before she could take out her wand and conjure herself an umbrella. She looked up and saw a Thunderbird flipping its wings.

"Come on, daddy's home," Newt told the gigantic bird. Soon it stopped raining and the bird landed on a big rock. "Oh, thank Paracelsus. If youd have got out that could have been quite catastrophic." Lily approached Newt and the bird slowly.

"You have a Thunderbird too?" She asked weakly. She was so shaken in awe and surprise she could barely speak.

"That's the reason I came to America," Newt said. "To bring Frank home." Jacob took a step forward too, and the bird chirped loudly. "No, sorry, stay there, he's a wee bit sensitive to strangers. Here you are, here you are. He was trafficked, you see. I found him in Egypt, he was all chained up. Couldn't leave him there, had to bring him back," Newt said, holding the beak of the bird close to him in an embrace. "I'm going to put you back where you belong, aren't I, Frank? To the wilds of Arizona."

He took a step back and threw a small rat in the air. The Thunderbird soon flew after it into the night stone.

Newt Scamander's case was the most amazing thing Lily had ever seen. Hundreds of magical beasts lived in there, and Newt somehow had the time and the responsibility to take care of all of them. Lily would give anything to have something like that.

"Wait a minute, where is Pickett?" Newt suddenly asked. Just then, Lily heard a small chirping coming from somewhere near her ear. She placed a hand under her hair behind her neck and pulled out a small bowtruckle.

"Is this Pickett?" She asked him. Newt looked at Lily holding his bowtruckle and smiled at the sight.

"He had a cold. Needed some body warmth. I don't know how he ended up in your hair, though," Newt explained, taking the bowtruckle from her hand and approaching him to the small tree in front of them where other bowtruckles were waiting for their friend. "He has some attachment issues," Newt said when Pickett took a step back on Newt's hand. "Now come on, Pickett," he tried to place him on the tree again. "Pickett, they're not gonna bully you, come on." Pickett jumped, alright, but not ono the tree. He jumped back on top of Lily's head and hid on her hair. He wasn't completely hidden, once her hair was pitch black and he was a pale tone of green, but he made an effort. "Alright," Newt finally gave in. "But that is exactly why they accuse me of favouritism."

They walked off and Lily spotted the occamy again. "Oh, I know these guys," Jacob said, proud of himself.

"Let me take a look at you," he said, taking the new occamy on his hands and holding it out to Jacob. "Your ocammy."

"What do you mean? My occamy?" Jacob frowned.

" Yes, do you want to..."

"Sure, okay," Jacob took the ocammy in his hands, before petting it.

"Don't pet them," Lily tried to warn him, but it was too late. The ocammy bit Jacob's finger.

"No, sorry," Newt said. "They tend to defend themselves early. See, their shells are made of silver so they're incredibly valuable."

"Yeah, their nests tend to get ransacked by hunters all the time," Lily finished his explanation as Newt took the ocammy from Jacob's hands and lowered it back onto its nest.

"Mr. Scamander? Miss Baker?" Jacob called.

"Lily," she told him.

"Call me Newt," he corrected.

"Lily and Newt," Jacob repeated, testing the names out. "I don't think I'm dreaming." Lily chuckled.

"What gave it away?" She asked the man.

"I ain't got the brains to make this up," he told the wizards.