Tina tried not to wake her sister, so she tiptoed out into the living room before lighting her wand. Goodness knew Queenie needed all the sleep she could get these days.
'Teenie?'
Tina sighed. She should've known.
'Go back to sleep, Queenie,' she said softly. 'It's still an hour before sunrise. Just the Aurors and the 'bliviators got called in early. Nothing Dark though, sounds like it's just a magical kid getting loose in Central Park.'
'Take care, Teenie,' Queenie murmured. Her voice, still laced with sleep, seemed sweeter and more vulnerable than usual.
'Of course,' said Tina. 'I'll tell you about it later.'
But when Tina reported to Central Park, it was obviously more than a young witch or wizard playing pranks. Half a dozen No-Majs were levitating off the ground, some looking terrified, others elated, while harried-looking wizards from MACUSA tried all manner of incantations to bring them back to the ground. President Piquery herself had come to the scene, and was waving her wand about, trying to assist her Aurors.
'Madam Picquery?'
'Ah, Goldstein.' The president beckoned her over. 'Currently six No-Majs have been affected by some sort of Levitation spell, or possibly a potion. We have been unable to locate the source. Only thing common between them is that they were all out for a jog in Central Park and heard a buzzing sound before the levitation began. My ears, on the other hand, are wide open to any ideas.'
Tina was puzzled. She glanced around the scene. It appeared that MACUSA had switched tactics. They'd given up trying to undo the levitation spell, and were trying to round up the floating No-Majs and transport them to MACUSA headquarters, where there was less chance of more No-Maj witnesses.
'Woah, woah, woah!' A great shout came from one of Auror Tolliver as his own feet began to lift off the ground. 'Finite Incantatem! Descendo!' His spellwork did nothing and he found himself levitating a few feet from the ground, just like the other No-Majs.
Havoc ensued as his colleagues, including Tina, ran forward to try to help.
'It's no good, Achilles,' said Finnigan. 'We're going to have to bring you back to MACUSA with the others, until we figure it out.'
While the others directed the grumpy-looking Tolliver, Tina's eyes drifted and caught onto a tiny blue object whizzing away from Tolliver at high speeds. It darted so quickly that Tina wondered if she'd imagined it, except that she was sure she'd seen it before, when she and Newt were looking for Jacob.
'Madam President,' Tina said to Picquery, who was directly the Aurors to Side-Along Apparate the No-Majs. 'I have an idea but I need to do some more research first.'
'What's your idea, Goldstein?'
Tina hesitated. She didn't want Newt to get into any more trouble, not least because it might jeopardise his chances of returning to New York as he'd promised. 'I just thought it could be some sort of rare toxin.'
Picquery nodded, somewhat impatiently, and dismissed her. 'Find out as quickly as you can and report back, Goldstein.'
'Yes, Madam President.'
Tina hurried away. She needed to figure out what that blue insect was and quickly. Despite what Newt had claimed, it was almost certainly not a large moth. If only Newt's book had already been published - then she could look it up.
But Newt had written manuscripts, and she was sure that in between all the chaos of New York, Newt spent a lot of time ruminating over his manuscripts.
Which meant Queenie could help.
Tina found a deserted corridor a few streets off from Central Park and Apparated. She needed her sister's help.
