Catastrophe || n.s

vii. obscurus

Penelope and Jacob approached the rest of the group just as they began talking about school, and Kawolski's eyes seemed to light up at the mention of a wizarding school.

"Did you say school?" He asked with a glance towards Penelope. "Is there a school... for wizardry? A school here in America?"

"Of course," Queenie replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, a cheeky smile spread across her red lips. "Ilvermorny; it's only the best wizard school in the world."

"Actually, I think the best wizarding school in the world is Hogwarts," Newt said quietly from where he sat grinding different herbs in a wooden bowl, not looking up from his work.

"Hogwash..." Queenie repeated slowly with furrowed eyebrows, causing Penelope to snicker quietly. This caused Newt to look up from his work, and he looked at Penelope with an amused smile on his face.

Suddenly, a loud crack of thunder caused Penelope to jump, and a loud squawk of a Thunderbird followed shortly after it. Newt immediately stood up from his workbench, running towards the magnificent multiple-winged creature as its cries echoed through the world. Penelope stood beside him, staring up at the bird in confusion.

"Why is it doing that?" She asked quietly, glancing at Newt. The Thunderbird let out another cry, flapping its wings once more and causing the storm around it to grow even more intense.

"Danger," Newt whispered simply, his face lighting up from the flashes on lightning in front of them. "He senses danger."

"What- what kind of danger?" Jacob asked nervously from behind Newt. The No-Maj stared at the Thunderbird with wide eyes, and he was visibly shaking.

"I don't know," Newt admitted as he hopped away from the panicking beast. "But I'm going to find out."

~

Penelope could hear the faint screams of people from where she stood on top of a tall building. Newt stood beside her, staring down at the streets below them with wide, panicked eyes. She had never seen the man like this; he was always so confident, so sure that he could handle the situation he was in. Now, he looked afraid.

Then, Penelope noticed something in the distance- something that made her blood run cold. A thick black mass wove its way through the large buildings of the city, crushing whatever it touched.

"Is that it?" Jacob Kawolski asked from behind them, his voice shaking as he spoke. "Is that the Obscurial thing?"

"Yes," Newt answered simply, his voice so low that Penelope barely heard it over the blaring sirens. "But it's more powerful than any Obscurial I've ever heard of."

Penelope watched with wide eyes as the black mass bounced off the buildings around them, destroying them as it rampaged through the city. The sound of glass breaking and terrified screams followed it wherever it went.

Newt suddenly turned towards Penelope, his blue eyes staring into her own as he spoke. "If I don't come back, look after my creatures," he said quietly, handing her the suitcase that he held dear to him; on top of it was the small leather book that he had given to her back in the prison.  "Everything you need to know about them is in that book. Please, Penny, I trust you."

Though Penelope took the suitcase from his hands, she shook her head stubbornly, her eyes wide at what he told her. "I'm not letting you take on that thing alone, no way."

"They're not getting it," Newt murmured as he stared out over the chaotic streets, the amount of emotion he held in his voice causing Penelope's heart to crack. She knew why he was doing this; he wanted to make up for the little girl's life that had been taken in Sudan. He shook Penelope's hand off as she reached for him, causing her to feel a twinge of hurt. "I can't let you come with me, Penny- not you. I couldn't live with myself if something were to happen to you."