Unlikely Companions

Chapter 2 The Prisoner

She killed someone.

That was Newt's only thought as he went down the stairs to the depths of his suitcase, with the girl still in his arms.

Once down, he made sure to leave her somewhere safe inside the cottage. The habitats for his creatures that were currently on display were occupied by mostly inoffensive beasts – and besides, he had another human there to keep her company. Someone who was also a fugitive and a killer, although he hadn't committed those actions intentionally.

He left the boy with instructions on what to do in case she woke up, and headed back to the stairs to wait for Tina's signal that it was safe to come out again.

The signal came soon after that, and he returned to the girl's apartment, filled with questions that buzzed through his mind.

"Who is she?" Newt asked, as soon as he sat down in a chair in the living room.

"She's a good friend," Queenie said.

"Why was she imprisoned? Queenie, she said she killed someone..."

"Well, yes, but not really..."

"I'll explain," Tina said. "It's not a very long story."

"I'm all ears," he said. "If I'm going to hide someone, I might as well know who I'm dealing with."

Queenie nodded, and urged Tina to speak. She, in turn, sat down in front of Newt and wrung her hands together.

"We met Mathilda a few years ago," she began. "She had left her family behind, in England, for their involvement with the Dark Arts. She never mentioned their names, and we never asked. She needed help, and we helped her.

"Soon, she became independent. She found a job at a No-Maj store, she began making money, and she started renting her own apartment. But, we knew there was something she wasn't telling us..."

"She had a boyfriend," Queenie said, interrupting. "He was a nice guy, but the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy forbade that relationship. She must have been lying to him, I suppose."

"The truth is that we didn't know how she was handling it," Tina continued. "And by mistake, I let it slip at work. They went looking for her one night, and created a mess in her house."

"Her boyfriend died of shock," Queenie said. "It turned out that she never told him that she was a witch, and was planning to keep it that way, but with each passing accusation made by MACUSA, his heart grew weaker, until it couldn't handle it anymore."

"He died in her arms," Tina said. "And we immediately took her into custody for maintaining a relationship with a No-Maj, almost exposing our secret, and involuntary murder."

"But she didn't curse him or anything?"

"No," Tina said. "He had a heart condition, and we didn't know it until the investigation was over. By then, she had already gone to trial."

"There was a trial?" he asked, dumbfounded. "There was no reason for it, if it was an accident."

"Yes, there was," Queenie said. "Mathilda asked for it, rushed it, and declared herself guilty as soon as she could. We think she felt like it would fix her broken heart to be away from magical society."

"She doesn't allow me to speak with her," Tina said. "I think she's still hurt."

"I've talked to her a few times since," Queenie added. "She's completely sane, and like we told you, she has a great notion of Dark Arts – which we need."

Newt nodded, slightly more convinced that breaking her out of confinement was their best option. He hoped, however, that no one would connect them to the crime, and that she actually proved to be helpful.