The Shapeshifter (Fantastic Beasts and Where to find them)

Ch2: Don't tell me- It's the Niffler, isn't it?

Newt's smile never faded in the slightest as dragged a less than enthusiastic Sage along.

The woman was practically walking blind as she squinted her eyes, allowing Mr Scamander to lead her where ever he pleased as her pained, sensitive hearing was really testing her patience. It was times like these, that being in the middle of the hustle and bustle of city living, caused shifters to react a little more violently and unpredictable, than normal.

Hence Newt's firm grip on her wrist.

Newt was acutely aware that shifters would chose country living over the city any day, as it was in their nature to live as peacefully as possible, in relation to the wizarding world and muggles alike. And loud noises and antsy muggles definitely didn't fit the bill for a peaceful living.

After meeting Sage on the train in their first year, Newt had spent a lot of time trying to understand everything humanly known about shifters. He even went so far as to invite himself long to Sage's home that summer, not that she nor her parents minded one bit. In fact, her parents were thrilled to find their daughter befriending such a kind hearted Hufflepuff.

And after many late nights, filled with stories and hot chocolates, Newt had not regretted his decision to befriend Sage, not because she was a shifter but because she was his friend. She was the fiercely brave Gryffindor that would do anything to protect their bond from the judgmental comments from prideful Slytherins and he was the loyal Hufflepuff that thrived with his friendship with the girl, giving her loyalty in return.

Newt had learnt early on that shifters were highly sensitive to their surroundings, whether they wish to be or not, was never an option. These senses and their ability to change between their human form and any animal forms at will, was both a blessing and a curse.

For agencies like MACUSA, it was their acute senses that played a role in the successful decimation of the species across America. Setting off specialised high pitched devices, that more often than not, had the desired effect of drawing them out. Here, in New York, shifters were readily hunted for both sport and exotic pets, as they weren't recognised as anything remotely human, juxtaposing the views of the Ministry of Magic in England.

So, MACUSA was the main reason that Sage wanted to avoid areas of America, such as New York, like her life depended on it. But Newton Scamander was a determined little bugger and had insisted on her further accompaniment to buy the Appolusian Puffskein. He had promised his friend that they'd be out of New York just as quickly as they'd entered. But as fate would have it, the pair weren't going to be leaving the city within the next few days.

And one, may not be leaving at all.

The pair quickly cross out of the middle section of the road and accidentally find themselves surrounded by a strange group of muggles, who appeared antsy about the subject they were rattling on about. Sage releases a sigh as she realises just who the group were — Salemers. She had heard a fair deal about this group through her father's story telling about coming to New York as a teen with the ministry.

Her father had explained, in as few gruesome details as possible, about his experience in meeting MACUSA in his teen years. From what Sage had gathered, John had been tortured and restrained like an animal, said to be sold to the highest bidder at auction, during his extended stay in America. It was only after the higher ups from the Ministry arrived and forcefully extracted John from the country that he was safe from MACUSA's grasps.