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Fantastic Tales of Maggick (and Other Adventures)
by: Janelle Borbank
'for those that need a touch of Maggick'
Newt x OC
Chapter Two
Janelle
June 29th, 2011
I stared at the clock, vehement on returning home on time today.
For the past four days Ms. Bernie had cornered me to ask questions on my most recent short story. She always had to say what amazing fantasy I had in my mind, and how I could come up with the most interesting creatures. She could believe that all she wanted, because I honestly didn't have the heart to explain exactly where I had gotten them from.
When the bell rang I bolted from my seat, narrowly missing my English teacher calling out to me. It was the last day of classes and I couldn't be bothered to engage in another mindless session of talking.
"Jelly! Where are you going?" Someone called. I spun around to see Sarah running after me. She opened her mouth to say something, but I didn't want to get caught so I grabbed her arm and dragged her around the corner.
"Ms. Bernie keeps nattering, I just wanted to get out of there before she cornered me again." I explained, slowing my pace once I had made it out of the building. My shoulders loosened instantly. Sarah laughed hard at me, finding the whole thing funny. I stuck my tongue out at her.
"Honestly J, you're smart and pretty, revel in it why don't you?" Sarah said. I shrugged, deciding to change the subject.
"So what are you doing this weekend? School's almost done, and I really want to do something fun this summer." I said, wondering if it would be too bold of me to ask Auntie and Uncle if we could go to the cottage. Sarah hummed a bit in thought before explaining it out loud.
"I'm supposed to be seeing some distant relatives. Oh, and as for the summer Mom and Dad want to go to America for a trip soon, but I don't know if I want to. Would be nice, but I'd rather visit Greece." Sarah explained. I grinned, wondering if Sarah knew half of what she said was ridiculous to someone like me. People like me weren't poor, but I certainly didn't have the money to galavant across the nations.
We eventually reached my house and I scuttled inside, waving at Sarah as she continued on her way. The house was quiet when I entered, so I quickly made it to my room after confirming nobody was home. I locked my door and used a small stool to grab a box in the top right corner of my closet.
It was tiny, indiscernible amongst the endless clutter in there, and didn't have any obvious markings. Most people would probably walk right by it without a second thought honestly. That was the point of this though.
Quietly and with the delicate touch as though manning fine glass, I gently pried open the box and peered into it's contents. About a year ago I had been cleaning Auntie's shelves when I came across a few odd objects. A stick that was intricately carved, an odd looking necklace, and a leather bound book.
I had taken to wearing the necklace, tucking it under my shirt. The stick was odd, but I left it in the box mostly. The thing that I actively used was the leather bound book. It wasn't very big, just slightly larger than a pocket book, with nothing descriptive on the cover. The first page, however, had a hastily written title.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
Weird name, but I didn't linger on that, because I was soon entrapped in the correctly titled book. It seemed to be a strange enactment of someone's lively imagination. I had never heard of a Niffler before, but the tiny creature sounded intriguing. The fact that this Newt had even written all of the different common breeds of dragons he could think of was impressive. I enjoyed this novel, reading it multiple times and even going as far as to use some of the creatures in my English projects. Ms. Bernie thought I had a fantastical mind, but I was really stealing from someone else's.
The front door to the house shut then and I scrambled from reading about an Occamy and shoved everything back into the box before hiding it and tossing all my homework around haphazardly as though I had been working on it and jumping on my bed.
"Janelle, please come to the living room." Auntie Martha called. I paused, the tone she was using was the one that she always used when she was 'ashamed' or 'disappointed'. I shivered before shakily walking out of my bedroom and into the living room. Auntie Martha was sitting there, prim and proper, as she looked out the window. Her eyes shifted back to me and she watched me carefully before glancing down. I followed her gaze to see a piece of paper folded neatly on the coffee table.
"Please explain this," she said. I took a step forward hesitantly and picked it up. My face paled as I realized this was the story I wrote for English class. "Ms. Bernie told me you had the most vivid imagination."
"This was just a story." I insisted too quickly. Aunt Martha's gaze snapped to mine and I swallowed any other retort I had. My heart froze as I began to wonder if things really had changed at all in the past half dozen years. Aunt Martha's eventually sighed before taking a step towards me and patting my arm. She softened her features then, but I couldn't hide the flinch when she touched me.
"I hope so." She said before walking by me. Her nimble fingers snatched my paper and she disappeared around the corner. I swallowed thickly before gently touching the necklace beneath my shirt. It was a close call.
I spent the better part of the next week tip toeing around my aunt, making sure she didn't hear anything odd from me. Exam week came and left, but my attention was captivated by the small book and necklace. The stick was peculiar, but something about it made me think it was mine. It looked hand crafted and smooth, definitely not the rough craftsmanship of a child.
I was handing my final grades to Aunt Martha when I noticed another letter with my name on it. The cover was hand written, looping the 'J' of my name beautifully. Uncle handed it to me, and I turned it over a few times as I tried to find a return address. Nothing but my name and current address.
Curious, I pocketed it when Uncle called to me.
"I trust you found your acceptance letter?" Uncle asked. I nodded automatically.
"Yes, my application to Pre-Veterinary School was accepted. I got the letter a few weeks ago." I said, thumbing the odd letter in my pocket. Quietly I drifted out of the room to read the letter privately in my room.
The letter was a simple white envelope that had been sealed with a stamp that said 'JT' on it. I raised a brow, but opened the letter. Inside was an older piece of parchment that had yellowed with age. Once unfolded a newer piece nearly slid out before I caught it.
'Forgive me, I wasn't able to find it until now.'
With a frown, I glanced over the aged letter before freezing.
'Dear Miss Borbank,
We are pelased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
Minerva McGonagall
Headmistress'
I stared at the letter for a long time, a massive ache burning in the back of my skull. A yelp escaped my lips as my ring burned heavily again.
"Theres no such thing as magic." I told myself in response to the sting. Yet my eyes re read the letter, over and over, wondering where on earth someone could come up with this kind of prank. I opened the box of unmentionable items hidden in my closet before tossing the letter and the newer one in the shoe box before slamming the lid and the closet door.
"There's no such thing as magic."
My feet scuttled along the side walk quickly. It was bloody cold outside what with the heavy rain. I was meeting Sarah at our favourite café. It was an awful day to meet, but both of us would be busy preparing to be off at university. I had been accepted into one while she was going to another. A shame, I quite liked her, but we were both on different paths. So we promised to spend as much of the summer together now.
When I finally got to the café, drenched despite my umbrella, I felt mildly miserable. The past few days had been dull, taking the time to decide whether to live on campus, or find my own place. Would I need a car, or would I need a job? So many questions Aunt Martha asked that I really didn't care to answer.
"Sorry I'm late," I said when I spotted Sarah. She looked much dryer than myself. In my quest to remove my scarf I also managed to remove my necklace. It clattered the the ground loudly, making me cringe. "Would you mind picking that up?"
Sarah gave me a look, raising a single brow as she looked to the ground.
"Pick up what?" She asked, staring right at the necklace before looking around. I rolled my eyes, not finding her at all amusing.
"My necklace, Sar." I said before bending down to pick it up. Sarah watched me, almost like I'd gone loopy, as I grabbed my necklace and put it back on.
"So sorry I didn't pick up an invisible necklace, Jelly." Sarah said before going back to her menu. I paused in what I was doing, confused. Before I could say anything though the waiter came up to us. I politely said my order and Sarah said hers. When he walked away I didn't say anything for a while. The image of the letter and this strange fiasco bothering me.
"So have you spoken to David?" Sarah asked. I paused, distracted enough to momentarily forget my worry. A shrug lifted my shoulders before a rancid taste filled my mouth.
"Oh I did." I said bluntly, sipping my coffee after the waiter returned with them.
"And?" Sarah asked. I sighed deeply.
"He'd rather keep it under wraps. So I told him we were through." I said indifferently. Sarah pouted slightly.
"But you were right cute together!" She cried. I laughed a little before resting my head in my hand.
"Not as cute as you and Stan." I teased. The blonde instantly turned scarlet as I brought up her current beau. She fluttered her lashes and tried not to look embarrassed. I was happy that Stan and Sarah were going to the same school, it would've been awful if they too had to break up. While David had been a fling for the past two months, one not worth mentioning, I was convinced Stan and Sarah were endgame. I didn't say this much about couples, but I really liked them together.
We talked a bit about our plans, our hopes to see each other during the holidays, and I was absently playing with my necklace. Sarah gave me weird looks, but it wasn't until a man bumped into our table that I collected myself from our conversation.
"Excuse me Miss." The man said, but his eyes were locked below mine. My cheeks reddened at his brash nature and I covered my chest quickly.
"My eyes are up here, sir." I snapped. He came out of his daze suddenly and nodded at me before leaving.
"That was weird." Sarah said before sipping her tea quietly. I nodded before drinking my own beverage. We continued to chat for a long while, no plans to return to the absurd weather outside. I found myself forgetting a lot of my problems quite quickly when I spoke with my high school best friend. She made you forget a lot of your problems and enjoy your conversations, quite the character.
It wasn't until night had arrived and the rain had settled to its typical drizzle that I decided it was time to return home. The walk was chilly, making me pull the collar of my trench coat higher for warmth. Thank the Lord I had the sense to bring the long coat today, or this would've been disastrous. The wind had picked up, so I decided against my umbrella for safety and bared my skull to the elements. My hair was swept into a messy bun, but the fly aways had lost their natural curl due to the weight of the water pouring down on me.
Huddled into my collar and curling myself for warmth may not have been my brightest move as it hindered my eyesight. Hidden underneath my wet scarf I didn't see the man in front of me before colliding with him.
He must've been in a hurry, because the force he used knocked me to the wet ground. It stained my leggings and no doubt drenched my tunic. I was positively freezing to begin with, forget the mind numbing chill that was creeping up my spine now!
I looked up, expecting the man to have at least stopped to apologize, but he didn't. With a gasp I stood up and watched him speed through the crowd. I curled my hands under my scarf to warm them up as I was about to shout for the man to get back here. Honestly the nerve of some people-
I felt around my neck, a piercing sensation running through me as I realized my scarf was on the ground.
And my necklace was gone.
It didn't take much thought to realize what this man had done, and before I really even knew what I was doing I took off running after him. I shouted for him to stop, but he was awfully far ahead of me. Water splashed and soaked me in the little bits of spots that had been previously dry on me. Still I gave chase, pushing through bigger crowds and mostly trying to keep track of the black fedora on the man's head. Had I gotten a breath I probably would've teased to distract, but most of my efforts went into running at that moment.
I lost him around the corner, but quickly gained speed after tripping over a dropped umbrella and skidding around an elderly couple. Honestly I'm amazed nobody tried to stop me I probably looked absolutely mad. Imagine my face though, when I spun around the corner to find an alley way, and didn't see the man anymore. Taking a breath, okay a couple dozen breaths, I tried to put together all logical escape routes.
Where would this man go? More importantly, why the necklace? Come to think of it Sarah acted as though she couldn't see it. Was that was the man was staring at? Could he see it? I ran into the alley way, perhaps a path was hidden at the end?
"Stupefy!"
I sprinted to hide, not sure what had just happened, but a good chunk of the building beside me had just blown off. Reality of how stupid I had been caught up to me as I realized I was stuck down this alley, it was bloody dark, no one was down here, and this crazy bloke has some sort of dangerous long distance weapon. The dumpster I was hiding behind was not a good spot, but it did provide enough cover that I could gather myself for a moment.
"I knew it was you when I saw your face. That Borbank child," the man called out. His footsteps, though faint, were growing closer. "You've got your mother's face, lucky girl. Father wasn't much of a looker."
I swallowed heavily, trying to stabilize my breathing, as I pulled out my cell phone and dialled 999. Despite hearing the man's words they had no affect on me. I could barely recall the night I was dropped at Aunt and Uncle's. Forget my parents faces.
"I don't mean you any harm, I just need to obliviate this little incident. If you don't fight you can be on your merry way. Sound good, Love?"
The phone began to dial, but I set it on the ground though, and began to extend my umbrella that had been in my hand. I didn't open it though and held it like a bat. The man's footsteps slowly rounded the dumpster. His shoe came into view first and I hesitated as I looked up at him. My blood ran cold as I saw what was in his hand.
A stick, he was holding a bloody stick. So how did he-
"'Night, sweetheart." He said before flourishing his stick. I winced and recoiled, expecting to be blown up like the side of that building.
There's no such thing as magic.
There was a pause as I lifted my head to peak out at him. The man frowned before doing the thing again. Still nothing happened. Maybe this bloke was just nuts and the building was crumbling- Oh God why am I wasting time?!
I swung my umbrella at him, hard. It hit him in the gut, then the head. He fell and I watched my necklace clatter out of his hand. However as I tried to grab it only the centre piece that freely spun could be grabbed by me. The man had grabbed the outer portion and yanked it away. The motion caused the centre to spin rapidly. Without thinking I grabbed onto the chain and made to pull at the necklace at the same time I made to hit him with the umbrella.
Then the thing happened.
I'm calling it a thing because it was so painfully nauseating that I'm not quite sure how else to describe it. I clenched my eyes shut as the world around me spun. I slammed my head mistakingly into the ground before opening my eyes. Stars burst forth and in my disarray I let go of the necklace. The man, however, didn't look bothered and was sitting up beside me, staring in awe and the jewelry.
"So it was a true time turner after all." He said in a disbelieving voice. At the sound I gained enough bearings to realize he had the necklace in his hands. I snatched at it, albeit clumsily, before flipping over and trying to run out of the alleyway-
Only to run directly into a wall.
I most comics the individual crashes and falls slowly, albeit gracefully. Being myself, I simply slammed my head and flew directly back. Why was there a bloody wall in the way? I didn't lose myself that much to forget where the buildings were…?
"Sorry Love, but I need this." The man said as he went to grab for the necklace laying next to me. I tried to grab for it but instead grabbed his hand. He jerked back and I let go, causing him to fall down. I groaned before slowly sitting up. The world spun something awful, but it was then that I became aware of my surroundings. No dumpster, no exit in front of me, and a strange scuffling sound from beside me.
I frowned, looking to the necklace…. Only to see three tiny black creatures stuffing it down the front of it's fur. Like a kangaroo with a joey. All three black furry creatures spun around, stuffing all three of my necklaces into it's pouch, and looked up to me. I just stared for a few seconds with incomprehension. Finally the creature slowly started to back away from me before taking off.
Hang on…..
Tiny black creature…
Necklace…..
My eyes bulged as I jumped up, kicking the man on the ground in the groin by mistake as I stumbled over him and after the creature.
"I need that! Hey!" I shouted, darting after the tiny thing. It rounded the corner, but I didn't even slow down. I hopped over carts and under people carrying stuff on their shoulders. The creature darted through, seemingly unseen, and I chased it like a bull through a china shop. It paused to look both ways before crossing the street. I didn't, taking the risk. London wasn't exactly renown for safe crossings anyways. A car did almost hit me, slamming to a halt in front of me. I held out my hand, almost coming into contact with the bumper-
Whoa that car looks old. Like 1920's old. I glanced up at the driver, who had no problem screeching at me, but shouted 'sorry!' And running off. The black fur ball rounded another corner and into an alleyway. I gained speed around the corner after crashing into a man with a briefcase and bolted into the alleyway.
The tiny creature was at the very back, scratching at the walls as though trying to climb. It spun around when I neared, it's beady black eyes staring into my soul. The claws and almost webbed feet immediately reminded me of something.
Claws, long snout, fluffy black fur, small, pouch, loves anything glittery…
A Niffler?
But…. But there's no such thing as a 'Niffler'.
"Norman."
I jumped three feet at the name and spun to see the man I crashed into earlier. He narrowed in on the creature, taking slow steps as he came up next to me, not even looking my way. He paused next to me and seemed to think I was listening to him.
"You've got to be quick, he's awfully fast," was he talking to me? "I'll go right and you go left." I guess he was, because the next thing I knew he was stalking the tiny thing. I frowned, but the familiarity this man had didn't pass me as I decidedly followed his instructions. He crept, and I mimicked him. All the while the black fur ball curled down, ready to bolt. Dare I say he looked almost sheepish.
"Now!" The man said before jumping for him. The creature jumped above the man and that was when I full on tackled for him. Being careful to not actually harm the creature I wrapped both arms around him, holding him tightly to my chest. It screeched loudly in frustration. The man stood, dusted himself off, and plucked the creature from me with ease. Little bugger settled as he did so.
"Thanks for that, he can be a handful sometimes." He said before glancing at me. His smile went from 100 watt grin to shocked. "You look awful ma'am, pardon me for saying."
I paused as he held up a stick- I am so done with these things- to me, but I pointed to the creature.
"T-That thing, what is it?" I asked. He raised a brow before glancing to the creature tucked into his arm.
"That is a Niffler." He said, making my head burn again as I recalled the creature from the little book.
But there's no such thing as magic….
"Are you…." He looked back at me, tilting his head curiously. "You're a muggle, aren't you?"
"A what? Oh forget it, I don't care. That little thing just stole my necklace!" I said, still pointing an accusing finger. The man frowned before glancing at his little furry friend.
"Did he now? I apologize." He then proceeded to hold the creature by it's hind legs and- I kid you not- shake him. No joke, he literally shook the little thing. What's more, the sheer amount of gold, jewelry, coins, and other glittery items that fell out was physically impossible.
"Th-There's no such thing as magic." I repeated out loud as my ring burned. The man chuckled before tickling the Niffler's stomach to make a little more fall out of the pouch. When he was done he proceeded to open the briefcase he was carrying and toss the Niffler in before slamming and locking it for good measure. I stared at the pile, shocked at the sheer mass that probably weighed as much as I did.
"Can you find your necklace?" He asked, not even batting an eye at the amount of shiny objects in front of him. I shook my head before getting closer to the pile and shuffling through it. I plucked the necklace out after a moment before smiling.
"Found it." I said, letting it dangle from my hand as I stood. The man stared at the necklace with surprise.
"Oh, I apologize, this makes more sense I suppose." He said. I furrowed my brows, looking up at him then. "You've got blood on your face, by the way."
Immediately my hands went about wiping my face, which was useless with how wet I was. It only reminded me more of how impossibly cold I was too.
"Here." The man pulled out his stick again, but before either of us could say anything another voice chimed in.
"Found you." The man from earlier said in such a low, dark voice that I involuntarily shivered. The young Niffler tamer glanced between the two of us before taking a step forward.
"I think we're good here, sir." He said in a polite tone. I immediately shrank behind him, watching as they both pulled out those bloody sticks.
"Oh trust me, she'll be coming with me." The scary man said before flourishing his stick. The Niffler tamer did the same thing and I was shocked when sparks of some sort met between them and ricocheted off the walls. I made to move away from the younger looking man, but that seemed to be a bad idea as the other man flourished his wand at me. I held out my arms, but to my shock the attack didn't hit me…. Rather…. The necklace in my hands.
It shattered into tiny little pieces, and all I could hear was the cry of frustration from the other man. When I looked to him my heart quickened in fear at the look in his eyes.
He looked ready to kill.
The Niffler Tamer stepped in front of me as the other man took slow, stalking steps forwards. However before he could get very far a puff of black smoke appeared around us and several people were all standing together around both the young man and I, and the other person who'd been attacking.
"Lower your wands!" One man shouted. I watched as both men lowered their sticks-erm wands, before all three of us were grabbed by one of the several people. I flinched and tried to run, but was held by two persons, so I panicked more.
"Let me go!" I shouted. The Niffler Tamer spoke.
"She's a muggle, no need to put her through all this." He said quietly, calmly. I instantly calmed just hearing the soothing sound.
"She is a key witness to this tonight." The last person to not be holding one of us said. Then she vanished, along with everyone else. I had a bad feeling that sickness was going to come back, and I wasn't wrong when the world spun and I was dropped onto a smooth marble floor.
This time though, I did pass out.
So... That was a lot to happen. I had other plans for chapter two but I'VE WRITTEN THIS CHAPTER 6 TIMES MAN! Like I was so happy by the response I got that I immediately started fleshing out all the characters. Janelle changed a LOT from her original draft to better fit being Newt's partner and being a good main character. Then came this little bugger. Originally Janelle was supposed to be in vet school and almsot graduated, but having 'strange' issues, but then I was like 'no, there's not way she'd fly under the radar' so I said 'fudge it, I'm making a story with a fast beginning.' And viola!
In reviews I was asked if Janelle's 'abuse' was going to just be a one time thing... Well it's not. It's kind of one of those things I don't want to outright explain because I have plans, but I can say while it won't be front row too much for a while, it's definitely got it's part to play down the road.
As for being an obscuri... Again, tough answer. Since JKR hasn't really specified much about it, I don't know much aboout it at all other than how it occurs. I originally wanted her to become one and Newt 'save' her, but I'm not sure if it's curable yet. So yeah, lots of unknowns walking into this...
So pardon my issues but I've got a thing for time travel and OC going to the past. I assure you all of these events are not random, and there were 3 big reasons she came from the future (If you haven't figured out that that's what happened). I can't tell you those reasons, but you'll learn throguh out the story. Mostly it's because the possible sequel (featuring marauder era) needs a lot of these things.
Anywho, I'm getting carried away. Again, I'm Canadian, I don't know much about the UK other than my short visits, so I appologize if things aren't sounding authentic. PLEASE politely let me know if anything is out of whack. A lot will be explained next chapter.
Iland Girl