Unspoken // Theseus Scamander

Chapter Four - New York

Word Count: 3,178 words. 

Warnings: None. 

I had never liked apparating but that was something that Percival Graves elected to ignore. We left the boat within seconds, the world around turning to darkness for a moment before my feet touched solid, unmoving ground.

I stumbled away from the Auror, bracing my hands on my knees, panting. Memories of that night came to mind as I closed my eyes to try and push them away.

"It'll be fun," she told me, smiling.

Her face invaded my thoughts and I shook my head. "Not now."

"Are you alright Miss Clayton?" Graves' voice asked and I felt his hand touch my arm gently.

Shrugging it off, I turned to face him with a smile. "I haven't apparated since I was nine years old."

"You apparated at nine?" he posed.

I shook my head. "My friend. She was fourteen."

Percival perked a brow. "This friend sounds powerful. Would I have heard of her?"

"No," I muttered, taking a deep breath. "She died a long time ago."

He nodded curtly. "I apologize for asking."

"We'll be there and back without anyone noticing."

I turned my gaze to the scene behind us. People gathered around a broken house. There were large holes in its walls and bricks and cement had been thrown from it onto the street.

"What, in Merlin's name did that?" I spoke up.

The Auror turned around, taking in the scene himself. "I have a feeling it might have been our Obscurus."

"And it was like..." a man began. He seemed to be taking to a police officer.

"Muggles," I muttered and Graves nodded. We made our way towards the house.

"...like a wind or like a... like a ghost... but dark.... and I saw its eyes."

I kept my eyes on the man as Percival led us into the broken building. Somehow the stairs seemed to be still intact. Perhaps it was because they were pressed tightly against the back wall which seemed to be completely missed in the attack.

"Shinin' white eyes. Like a dark mass, and it dove down there, down underground."

Percival sent a small glance my way as he gestured to a charred mark on the wall. I moved by him, running a gentle hand along the brick.

"Soot?" he posed.

I rubbed the material between my fingers. "You'd assume so but..." I trailed off, bringing my hand to my face and trying to get its smell. "Ash."

"What kind of ash?" he asked, tilting his head and placing a hand on his hip.

"It could be wood. There could have been a fire here, but this Obscurus..." – I took a deep breath, turning to face the Auror – "...they are a lot stronger than they should be."

His brow creased. "How come?"

"The damage," I explained, gesturing at the rubble. "No Obscurus, no matter how supressed the child's magic, could do this. The kid is older than ten."

Graves shook his head. "They can't be. There's only been one recorded case of an Obscurus living over ten."

Ariana. "That was because the Obscurus formed at fourteen. Hence why she didn't attack anyone. She died within the first year after the suppression of her magic but this power..." – I took a deep breath – "This kid had been pushing down their magic for years."