Lost and Found [Newt Scamander]

Eight

The cell they had all been placed in was silent. No one spoke. No one had the heart to.

Newt was slumped in the corner where the barred walls met, knees drawn up and fingers linked, and Jacob had taken claim of the stout black cot placed upon a dais. Tina was standing, looking lost, and Kel was leaning on the opposite wall, arms crossed and gaze focused intently on something on the ground.

"I'm so sorry about your creatures Mr. Scamander," Tina said, breaking the silence. "I truly am."

Newt remained silent, refusing to meet Tina's gaze, he shook his head.

"You destroyed his life's work," Kel said, brows furrowing as his gaze remained rooted to the spot. He didn't look up. "You sent in a report that was not ready and torn in two, you caused me to most likely lose my job, and you willingly put us in front of a delegation of wizards that will want to have us killed."

Tina felt her eyes brimming with tears. "I was doing what I thought was best, I didn't know it would lead to this."

Kel almost felt bad and so he lifted his head and sent her a half smile. "I know. That's what we're all doing. Yours just went in an undesired direction." He said. "I'm going to fix this."

"You can't fix this, Kel," Newt said, speaking for the first time since they had been locked away. "Not this one."

"I have to try."

Newt, at this, looked up and regarded Kel like he wanted to be mad but could only offer a frozen gaze of subdued melancholy. He offered no rebuke.

"...Can someone please explain to me what this Obscurial, Obscurius thing is, please?" Jacob asked, voice quiet.

"There hasn't been one for centuries," Tina said solemnly.

"I met one in Sudan three months ago," Newt added. He was still sitting on the floor, fingers splayed together as he tried to keep his head level. Kel recognized the calming act immediately but didn't know how to help. "There used to be more of them, but they still exist." He took in a shaky shallow breath and Kel frowned as he watched Newt recal the instance. "It was before wizards went underground when we were still being hunted by muggles. Young wizards and witches sometimes tried to suppress their magic to avoid persecution. So instead of learning to harness or to control their powers, they developed what was called an Obscurus."

"It's an unstable, uncontrollable dark force that busts out and attacks," Tina explained.

"And then vanishes," Kel added soberly, physically pained when he saw Newt duck his head, shaking it.

"Obscurials can't survive long, can they?" Tina asked.

Newt forced his head up but never ceased his anxious finger ticks. "There's no documented case of an Obscurial surviving past the age of 10. The one I met in Africa was eight when she... she was eight when she died."

"W-what are you telling me here?" Jacob asked, still lost. "That Senator Shaw was killed by a... a kid?"

Kel shook his head, feeling just as lost himself. "I too, have worked with Obscurials but they never... could never cause such harm. This one has to be older. Twenty, even."

Newt's gaze landed solidly on Kel's eyes wide as he entertained the bizarre notion. "It's not possible. No one could ever survive that long."

Kel's face was grave. "This one has."

✧ ✧ ✧

They came for Kel, Newt, and Tina first. Jacob was left behind, later to be obliviated while the wizards entertained the presence of Graves.