ASH AND DUST. ❪ Newt Scamander ❫ ✓

fifteen

After Newt informed Tina he was still missing one of his creatures, Tina mentioned she once had an informant by the name of Gnarlak.

Tina led the group down a back alley covered in bins, crates, and discarded objects. She located a set of steps leading to a basement apartment and motioned them down. The steps appeared to lead to a dead end. The doorway was bricked up. Instead, a poster of a simpering debutante in evening dress, gazing at herself in a mirror, covered the end of the walkway.

Tina and Queenie stood to face each other and raised their wands in unison, their work clothes turning into dresses. Tina stepped toward the poster and raised her hand. As she did so, the eyes of the debutante move upward, following her every move. Tina knocked slowly on the door four times.

Newt, sensing the need for a change, hastily magicked himself a small bow tie and a sheer shawl for Cora to wrap around her.

A hatch opened and the guard looked at them before letting them in. Every witch criminal in New York was in the Blind Pig, their wanted posters hanging proudly on the walls. One poster was Gellert Grindelwald's: WANTED FOR NO-MAJ SLAYINGS IN EUROPE.

A glamorous goblin jazz singer crooned on a stage full of goblin musicians, smoky images wafting from her to illustrate her lyrics.

"The phoenix cried fat tears of pearl when the dragon snapped up his best girl, and the Billywig forgot to twirl when his sweetheart left him cold, and the unicorn..."

Cora hummed. "Phoenixes do cry fat tears, don't they?"

He glanced at her, softly smiling at her attempt to calm his nerves down. "They are of great use for healing potions."

She smiled at him, lightly bumping her shoulder into his. "Breathe, Newt."

Gnarlak emerged from the depths of the speakeasy, smoking a cigar. He eyed the newcomers as he walked to sit at the end of their table, an air of confidence and dangerous control. A house-elf hastily brought him a drink.

"So, you're the guy with the case full of monsters, huh?" asked Gnarlak.

Newt nodded. "News travels fast. I was hoping you'd be able to tell me if there have been any sightings. Tracks. That sort of thing."

Gnarlak downed his drink. Another house-elf brought him a document to sign.

"You've got a big price on your head, Mr. Scamander. Why should I help you instead of turnin' you in?"

"I take it I'll have to make it worth your while?" asked Newt.

The house-elf scurried off, holding the signed document.

Gnarklak hummed. "Let's consider it a cover charge."

Newt pulled out a couple of Galleons and slid them across the table toward Gnarlak, who barely looked up.

Gnarlak was not impressed. "Huh - MACUSA's offerin' more 'n that."

Newt paused before pulling out a beautiful metal instrument and placing it on the table.

"Lunascope?" asked Gnarlak. "I got five."

Newt rummaged in his coat pocket and pulled out a glowing frozen ruby egg instead. "Frozen Ashwinder egg!"

"You see - now we're - " Gnarlak spotted Pickett, who was peeking out of Newt's pocket. "Wait a minute - that's a Bowtruckle, right?"

Pickett quickly retreated and Newt put a hand protectively over his pocket. "No."

"Ah - come on, that's a Bowtruckle - they pick locks - am I right?"

Newt shook his head. "You're not having him."

"Well, good luck gettin' back alive, Mr, Scamander, what with the whole of MACUSA on your back," retorted Gnarlak as he got up and walked away.

Newt, clearly torn, said, "All right." He extracted Pickett from his pocket. Pickett clung to Newt's hands, madly clicking and whining. "Pickett..."

Newt slowly handed Pickett over to Gnarlak. Pickett reached his little arms forward, begging Newt to take him back. Newt can't look at him, choosing to look at Cora who strongly held her gaze on Pickett who was clicking.

"Somethin' invisible's been wreakin' havoc around Fifth Avenue. You may wanna check out Macy's department store. Might help with what you're looking for," said Gnarlak.

"Dougal... Right, one last thing," added Newt. "There's a Mr. Graves who works at MACUSA - I was wondering what you knew of his background."

Gnarlak stared at him. "You ask too many questions, Mr. Scamander. That can get you killed.

A house-elf carrying a crate of bottles rushed toward them. "MACUSA ARE COMING!"

The house-elf Disapparated. Other customers throughout the bar hurriedly did the same.

Tina rushed up to her feet. "You tipped them off!"

Gnarlak chuckled. Behind Queenie, the wanted posters on the wall updated to show Newt's, Cora's, Tina's faces. Aurors began Apparating into the speakeasy.

Jacob, seemingly innocent, sauntered up to Gnarlak. "Sorry, Mr. Gnarlak." Jacob punched him straight in the face, knocking him backward, while Queenie looked delighted.

Throughout the bar, various customers were being apprehended by the Aurors. Newt scrambled about on the floor looking for Pickett. Around him, people were running, diving away from Aurors, trying to escape the bar. Newt finally found Pickett on a table leg, grabbed him, and ran toward his group.

Jacob grabbed another shot of gigglewater and knocked it back. He giggled uproariously as Newt grabbed his and Cora's elbows before the group Disapparated.