Chapter 5
The three of them landed somewhere along Broadway. Porpentina kept a strong hold on Newt’s arm and Remus grabbed Newt’s other coat sleeve tightly. Porpentina dragged them along forcefully. Remus stumbled to keep up.
“Er - sorry, but we do have other things to do, actually.” Newt said, slightly annoyed. The portkey that was designated to take them to Arizona was probably already gone and he really needed to get his own case back.
“Well, you’ll have to rearrange them!” Porpentina retorted. “What are you doing in New York anyway?”
“I came to buy a birthday present.” Newt lied.
“Couldn’t you have done that in London?” Porpentina lead them to a huge office building. The large plaque on it says it’s Woolworth Building. Muggle workers walked in and out of the large revolving doors at the front.
Remus showed her Maisie who was still on his shoulder. Maisie squeaked. “No, there’s only one breeder of Appaloosa Puffskeins in the world and he lives in New York, so no…” Newt murmured.
They moved through the crowds and moved towards a small side door, guarded by a man in a uniform.
“I got a section 3A” Porpentina tells the guard. He immediately opened the door. As the three of them walked past, Newt could feel him glaring at the back of his head.
“Hey, By the way, we closed that guy down a year ago. We don’t allow the breeding of magical creatures in New York.” Porpentina said. Newt gulped. He thought of the muggle with his case. He hoped that this whole fiasco would over soon.
As they entered, the inside of Woolworth Building transformed to reveal the entrance to the Magical congress of the United States of America. They moved up a wide staircase and entered the main lobby. It was vast and had huge vaults extending towards the ceiling. In the middle, was a huge clock signifying the amount of magical activity through the country. The arrow of it was currently pointed to Severe: Unexplained Activity.
Porpentina continued to drag them towards the elevators near the corner. Remus clung tighter to Newt. The elevator doors opened to reveal a goblin, who was the bellboy.
“Hey, Goldstein.” The goblin greeted.
“Hey Red.” Porpentina mutters under her breath. She pushed the two of them inside and turned to Red.
“Major Investigation Department.”
“I though you was-“ Red said, confused.
“Major Investigation Department! I got a Section 3A!” She interrupted him hurriedly. Newt sensed that something wasn’t right. He held on tight to Remus’ hand.
Red, the bellboy, used a long stick to press the elevator button.With a series of gears cranking and sqeaking, the elevator started to move.
When they arrived at the floor, Porpentina continued to guide them towards a room with large double doors. Muffled voices came from it. Porpentina pushed open the doors softly and pushed the two of them in. Remus stumbled again and clung to Newt. A soft whimper escaped from him.
Newt silently marvelled the mahogany decor. As the entered, Newt realized that the murmuring had stopped. A women who Newt recognized to be the president of MACUSA turned towards them. New could see the anger burning in her eyes.
“I made your position here quite clear, Miss Goldstein.” She talked in a clipped tone.
“Yes, Madam President, but I - “ Porpentina stammered.
“You are no longer an Auror.” Oh. So that’s what Red was talking about. Newt wondered what had happened.
“No, Madam President, but - “
“Goldstein.” The president said exasperated. Newt silently hoped that they would be let off.
“There’s been a minor incident - “ She tried again.
“Well, this office is currently concerned with very major incidents. Get out.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Porpentina said, resigned. Newt realized that she was most likely eager to prove herself since something must have happened for her to be demoted. Newt smiled, bemused. Porpentina left the room and beckoned for them to follow her.
They took the elevator again. Newt could see the despair rolling off her in waves. She took them to a small basement room. The place was cramped and windowless. Remus sneezed at all the dust that had collected. They walked past rows of typewriters. Newt noted the pipes sticking out of the walls.
Porpentina showed them towards the corner of the room where a sign hung. Wand permit Office, was what it said. The ceiling was far too low and Newt ducked under the sign. Remus walked towards a desk, enraptured with the magical paper rats.
“So, you got your wand permit? All foreigners have to have them in New York.” Porpentina finally said. Newt gulped again. He had only just narrowly escaped arrest. Despite not really caring about the rules and laws, he at least wanted to stay on the good side of the ministry. So he lied.
“I made a postal application weeks ago. Um - could I just -” Newt tried to ask her if they were allowed to leave.
Porpentina took a seat and scribbled on a clipboard, she ignored him. “Scamander… you were just in Equatorial Guinea?”
The thunderbird had taken them there. After sending a quick message to Dumbledore, he had arranged a ship for them to travel to New York.
“I’ve just completed a year in the field. I’m writing a book about magical creatures.” It was technically true. He had traveled around the world, he ended the trip a couple months ago and returned to Britain before meeting Remus and the fiasco with Dumbledore.
“Like - an extermination guide?” She asked.
Newt frowned. Apparently those in New York were also as narrow minded. He picked at his sleeve indigently.
“No. A guide to help people understand why we should be protecting these creatures instead of killing them. Look, the thing is … my case is -” Before he could say anything else a voice called for Porpentina.
“Goldstein! Where is she? Where is she? Goldstein!” A man Newt could only describe as pompous and snooty entered the room. Porpentina ducked behind her desk. Newt watched, amused. Remus looked at them curiously.
“Goldstein!”
Porpentina emerged from behind the deck. She looked at him guiltily.
“Did you just butt in on the Investigative Team again?” The man demanded. Porpentina opened her mouth again and the man interrupts her. “Where’ve you been?”
“What?”
Sensing that Porpentina would probably not be giving him any answers soon, he turned on Newt. “Where’d she get you?” He looked at Remus. “Is that your child?”
“Me?” Newt asks. He looks at Porpentina who frantically shakes her head. Newt avoids answering the question.
The man glares at the two of them. He rounds on Porpentina again. “Have you been tracking them second Salemers again?”
“Of course not, sir.”
Another man who Newt recognized to be Percival Graves entered the room as well. Newt had met him when his brother returned from the war. The two of them fought together and quickly became good friends. Only this time, Percival seemed to not recognize him. He hardly glanced in his direction.
“Afternoon, Mr. Graves, sir!”
“Afternoon, ah - Abernathy.” Percival drawled. Porpentina stepped up to him.
“Mr. Graves, sir, this is Mr. Scamander - he has a crazy creature in that case and it got out and caused mayhem in a bank, sir.” Newt felt slightly betrayed but he wasn’t worried. They would only see whatever the muggle had in his case.
“Let’s see the little guy.”
Porpentina breathed a sigh of relief. Newt gaped at them as they took his - no - the muggles case. She placed the case down and opened the lid. Newt felt a slight satisfaction at her expression. Inside the case were pastries. Newt nervously approached them and noticed Percival smirking.
“Tina…” He reprimanded. Tina. Newt noted. That was what they called her. Much better than to be called Porpentina but who was he to judge?
Percival walked away and Newt gave her a sheepish smile. “I tried to tell you before… Now if you excuse me, I have a case to find.”
Tina glared at him. “Oh no, Mr. Scamander, if you’re going to get that sniffy thing back, I’m coming with you.”
“It’s a niffler.” Newt corrected her. He honestly couldn’t care any less if she came along. She didn’t seem as intimidating as she tried to pretend to be. Or perhaps he was wrong, she was an Auror after all.
He closed the muggles case and looked at Remus. He seemed to be trembling with all the new information. He bent down at his level. “How are you holding up?” He asked softly.
“I’m fine.” Remus whispered. “I-its a bit confusing.” Newt could tell there was something bothering him but Remus would not be likely to tell him now. He held his hand gently and made his way to leave the ministry.
*****
They left the ministry and were currently walking down the street where Newt had seen the muggle take after running away from the bank. Tine seemed especially frazzled.
“I can’t believe you didn’t Obliviate that man! If there’s and inquiry, I’m finished!”
“Why would you be finished? I’m the one that’s - “ Tina cut him off. Remus trudged slowly next to him.
“I’m not supposed to go near the Second Salemers!”
Newt thought back to the woman who had been giving a speech in front of the bank. He guessed that Tina was referring to them. Out of the corner of his eye, Newt caught a flash of blue. One of his Billywigs zoomed over their heads. Newt looked at it, horrified. The muggle must have opened his case.
“What was that?” Tina asked.
“Er - moth, I think. Big moth.” Newt continued to stare at it as it wizzes away. The billywig was rarely noticed by muggle. He was, however worried about the other creatures that might have escaped. Tina looks at him sceptically.
The two of them rounded a corner to see a crowd of people gathered in front of a crumbling building. There are people shouting and more who are evacuating the place. A policeman is trying to gather information.
“Hey … Hey, quiet down - I’m trying to get a statement…”
“I’m telling you it’s a gas explosion again!”
“It ain’t no gas! Officer! It wuzza - a gigantic huge hippopotamus!”
Newt discreetly casts a confundus spell on the crowd. He and Remus ran towards the building, entering it while Tina is distracted by something else. Newt didn’t want anyone else caught up in this. Especially the government. He would go up, see if the muggle was injured, heal him and obliviate him. Then, he would go get his escaped creatures and have another portkey arranged and go to Arizona. Newt rubbed at his aching head. The day was not going as he had planned at all.