They Talk
Chapter 6
“So,” Tina starts, watching the four others at the table. “The creatures. What got out?” She glances at Newt.
Heads turn towards her, making her feel uncomfortable.
“Well,” Newt glances at the child in his lap. “What is the count, Sprout? Do you know?”
“The Murtlap,” Eli whispers. Tina hears it. It’s a high pitched voice, a little too high for a boy. “It bit Mr Jacob…”
Jacob reaches up to touch the patch over his neck.
“I’ve got that one back in,” Newt nods. “What else?”
“The Occamy,” Eli starts to list, counting on her fingers. “The Dougal, the Erumpent, and a Billywig… the Niffler too.”
“What are those?” Jacob questions. “Creatures?”
"The Occamy has an XXXX classification. They're found in the Far East and India. It's a plumed, two-legged winged creature with a serpentine body." Eli mumbles. "They are defensive of their eggs, whose shells are made of the purest, softest silver."
Newt couldn't believe that Eli was talking to Jacob. Eli rarely spoke at all.
"Fascinating," Jacob nods. "And the doo-gal."
"Dougal. That's what we call the Demiguise. A XXXX classification. They're found in the Far East but they're incredibly difficult to find because they are able to make themselves invisible when threatened. They're generally a peaceful herbivorous beast, looking like an ape but with silvery hair. Their pelts are highly valued because their hair can be spun into Invisibility Cloaks." Eli explains softly, gesturing with her hands.
"Amazing! Invisibility Cloaks! Who knew!?" Jacobs enthusiasm makes Eli laugh. "And the elephant? Those aren't magical, are they?"
Tina can't help but smile as the child eagerly corrects him.
"Erumpent. Also a XXXX classification. They're a large grey African beast that can weigh up to a tonne. They look like a rhinoceros, but they aren't. It has a thick hide that repels most charms and curses, a large, sharp horn upon it's nose and a long, rope-like tail. They won't attack unless provoked and their horn can pierce everything from skin to metal. Their horn contains a deadly fluid which will cause whatever is injected with it to explode. Their horns, tails and Exploding Fluid are all used in potions and are classified as Class B Tradeable Materials." Eli explains, their voice getting a little louder in their excitement.
"Exploding fluid!?" Jacob gapes. "Woah!"
"The Billywig is an insect native to Australia. It has an XXX classification. It's a half inch long and a vivid sapphire blue. It flies at such a speed that Muggles and often wizards won't even notice them unless they sting. Those stung suffer giddiness followed by levitation. Dried Billywig stings are used in several potions and are believed to be the main component in sweet Fizzing Whizzbees." Eli nods, using her fingers to demonstrate how big it was.
"Sweet Fizzing Whizzbees?" Jacob repeats.
"They're sherbet balls that causes the person who eats them to float off the ground a few inches." Newt pipes in. "Eli doesn't like them because they might contain Billywigs"
Eli nods in agreement.
"Candy that makes people fly?" Jacob gushes in an exuberant manner. "What is your favorite creature?"
Eli reaches up to their head and pulls off their hat to reveal a green stick nestled in her short brown curls.
"Bowtruckles." Eli mumbles. "They have an XX classification and are found in the west of England, southern Germany and certain Scandinavian forests. They love woodlice."
"Pickett loves Eli, isn't that right Pickett?" Newt questioned the Bowtruckle as he extracted it from Eli's hair.
Pickett merely blows a raspberry at Newt before hopping from his hand to Eli's now outstretched one.
Eli reaches to moves him to one hand and strokes the top of his head with the other. Pickett leans into the warm hand with a closed eye smile.
"And you," Jacob starts. "Are you a wizard too?"
Eli freezes and Pickett lets out a yelp when the hand tightens.
Tina hadn't stopped to question that. She had just assumed that the child was considering the school uniform they donned under their coat and how they traveled with a wizard.
"He is," Newt confirms. He would have lied and told him that Eli was a squib but Eli was at risk of accidental magic leaking from the obscurus.
"Have you got a wand?" Jacob questions. "I've seen the others."
Eli shakes her head.
"He hasn't got a wand," Newt pipes up. "But he can do wandless magic."
"You know that each wizard and witch is required to receive their wand and proper schooling upon the age of eleven," Tina buts in. "It's a way to channel their magic and learn to control it."
"He is proficient at controlling his magic," Newt frowns. "He knows a few spells."
"Knowing spells is different than learning," Tina interjects.
"He doesn't need a wand," Newt argues.
"Every child needs a wand," Tina argues back.
Their voices were getting raised and Eli slinks back in her chair.
"Mr Scamander," Queenie pipes up, noticing the child's distress, their mind practically screaming out in fear.
Newt ignores her in favor of arguing with Tina. "He is proficient in wandless and nonverbal magic."
"Teenie," Queenie tries her sister instead to receive the same result.
"Newt," It was Eli's voice that got Newt's attention as she was always quiet and Newt learned to keep an ear out for her.
Newt looks down at her and the anger melts off his face. "Oh, Sprout. I didn't mean to yell. I'm not angry at you."
Eli sniffles in response.
"Come. Let's get you to bed," Newt moves towards the child who lets him pick her up, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"I'm sorry but we'll have to continue this conversation another time," Newt tells Tina before grabbing his case.
"You can stay in the guest room. Come, I'll show you." Queenie pulls Jacob along with them and leads them into the spare bedroom.
Newt sets his case onto the floor and sits on the bed with Eli in his lap. Jacob gets settled into the second twin bed as the door is closed.
“Story?” Eli requests quietly, hesitant after Newt had raised his voice.
“Of course,” Newt agrees, rubbing his hand up and down Eli’s back as the child curls up in his lap. “Any requests?”
“About the Niffler,” Eli smiles up at him.
“I always tell you that story,” Newt laughs, tickling Eli’s stomach slightly.
“It’s my favorite,” Eli defends softly. “Please?”
“Anything for you, Sprout,” Newt smiles and opened his mouth, talking about how he had met his first Niffler.
Jacob listened in as Newt tells the story, watching as the man slowly rocked the child until they were almost asleep.
“Alright,” Newt stands, the child cradled in his arms as he opened the suitcase and carried the child in. Jacob lets out a startled laugh as he watches the duo disappear into the suitcase.
There was a pair of hammocks in the tiny hut in the suitcase. One on either side. Newt sets Eli down in her usual faded blue hammock, brushing her hair out of her face.
He grabs the checkered blanket Eli is fond of and drapes it over the sleepy child, tucking her in.
“Good?” Newt checks, lifting Pickett from Eli’s hair.
“Good,” Eli nods, letting out a yawn. “I was scared earlier…”
“So was I,” Newt admits gently. “But we found each other and everything was alright.”
“I thought that you would never find me and they would make me go back,” Eli whispers her fear. “I don’t want to go back.”
“I swear to you, I will never let you go back, Elizabeth,” Newt promised firmly. He wouldn’t mention that he may have obliviated her from their memories.
“Okay,” Eli nods. “I believe you.”
Newt smiles gently. “Goodnight, Sprout.”
“Goodnight, Newt,” Eli replies and Newt watches over them until he’s sure that they’re asleep.
