Afraid

Chapter 3

They Apparated into a narrow, bricked up alleyway. There were still sirens going on in the background. They barely had time to get adjusted to the cramped space before the woman who had just abducted them started to question them.

"Who are you two?" Her voice was kind of shrill, as if very stressed. Newt responded before a scared, but angry Rayla could. "I'm sorry?"

"Who are you?"

"Newt Scamander-"

"Rayla Williams. And you are?"

She interrupted him. The woman just turned to Newt, "What's that thing in your case?"

"That's my Niffler," he pointed the the mustard that was on the woman's lip, "Say, you've got something on your-"

She interrupted him, "Why in this he name of Deliverance Dane did you let that thing loose?"

"I didn't mean to- he's incorrigible, you see, anything shiny, he's all over the place."

"You didn't mean to?"

"No."

"You could it have chosen a worst time to let that creature loose! We're in the middle of a situation here! I'm-"

Rayla was getting annoyed by this woman's shrill voice. It was hurting her sensitive ears. "Excuse me, but did you not just hear him? He didn't mean to let the Niffler loose, and I don't think he 'let it loose'. I think that it got out on its own. Nifflers can squeeze through tight spaces, no matter how small the space is. And they go absolutely wild when they see anything shiny. Also, why am I here?"

The woman turned to her. "I was getting there Miss Williams. As I was saying, I'm taking you in."

Rayla's eyes widened, immediately understanding. Newt didn't seem to catch on.

"You're taking me where?"

The woman pulled out a ID card. It had her name, Porpentina Goldstein, her moving picture and a symbol of an American eagle saying underneath it was MACUSA.

"Magical Congress of the United States of America." Rayla was trying not to look nervous. Newt, now nervous asked, "So, you work for MACUSA? What are, some kind of investigator?"

"Uh-huh."

Despite her fear, Rayla raised an eyebrow. There was a pause in Porpentina's response, plus, it wasn't a very professional response.

Porpentina stuffed her ID card back into her coat before asking, "Can you please tell me you took care of the No-Maj. And that's why you're here, Miss Williams. You were with Mr. Scamander and the No-Maj."

In unison, both Newt and Rayla said, "The what?"

Porpentina was becoming irritated, "The No-Maj! No-magic- the non-wizard."

Rayla let out a long "Ohhhh."

Newt spoke up, "Oh, sorry, we call them Muggles."

The worry was evident in Porpentina's voice when she asked, "You wiped his memory right?"

She looked at both of them, "The No-Maj with the case?"

Newt and Rayla looked at each other. "Um..."

She was appalled, "That's a Section 3A, Mr. Scamander, Miss Williams. I'm taking you in." Rayla looked absolutely terrified when Porpentina took her and Newt by the arm and Disapparated.

They Apparated across from a big building. Tina dragged Newt and Rayla across the street to the building.

"Come on." She sounded impatient. Newt spoke up, "Er- sorry, but I do have things to do, actually."

"Me too!" Rayla piped up, her voice a little shrill.

"Well, you'll have to rearrange them!"

She forcefully guided the pair through the busy traffic.

"What are you doing in New York anyway?"

"I came to buy a birthday present."

Rayla paused, "Just traveling."

"Couldn't you have done that in London?"

She's asking him. They reached the Woolworth Building as he responded.

"No, there's only one breeder of Appaloosa Puffskeins in the world and he lives in New York, so..."

Rayla perked up a bit. "Hey I've meet him. Though he was interested in something else... he thought that'd I could help with a business idea. He also thought that... oh never mind."

She frowned a bit and Newt looked at her sympathetically, knowing what she was talking about. They reached the door.

"I got a Section 3A." Porpentina said to the guard, who immediately opened the door. She turned back to Newt.

"Hey. By the way, we closed that guy down a year ago. We don't allow the breeding of magical creatures in New York."

Rayla rolled her eyes.

"That is incredibly stupid," she muttered under her breath to Newt. He chuckled softly. They walk through the door and the entrance changes from the Woolworth Building to the Magical Congress of the United States of America. They walked up a wide staircase to the lobby.

Rayla gazed around at the huge space with very high vaulted ceilings. There was giant dial with many faces labeled: Magical Exposure Threat Level. The hand pointed to: Severe: Unexplained Activity.

Behind it was a gigantic poster of a witch, who Rayla assumed was the MACUSA president. Porpentina leads the pair to an elevator. The doors of the elevator opened to show a goblin bellboy who greeted Porpentina, "Hey, Goldstein."

"Hey, Red."

Rayla could hear the detest in her voice.

She pushed the pair in.