The Underground

Chapter 7 - News and Secrets

Elizabeth lurked under the kitchen table, hidden from her uncle and aunt by the tablecloth that hung down on all sides. She knew she was too old for this, crawling around and spying on the adults. She and Thomas used to do it, and they had had a great time playing secret agents or spies, or whatever else they wanted to, but now she was on her own. Thomas, William and Nicholas had gone off to Hogwarts and she was left with only Jonathan and Isaac to play with, Martin was still too little. Next year she would join her cousins at Hogwarts, it felt like forever. 

"Jacob, Honey, can you start dinner?" Her aunt called out, she sounded tired. No surprise because the baby was due next month. Elizabeth hoped it would be a girl, but she was used to being wrong, she had been wrong the last three times. "And Lizzy." 

Caught by surprise, Elizabeth jumped and bumped her head on the table. "Yes?"

"Get out from under the table dear. You won't hear any secrets that way."

"Yes Aunt Queenie." She got up and looked sheepishly at her aunt, then took a stack of plates and set the table. During that time, Uncle Jacob came in and began to cook. It was casserole with meat and potatoes and beans on the side. She hated beans almost as much as not being told things, so she hurried to finish the table to get away from the beans. 

She eventually wound up in the case, looking at the photographs of her mother, and wishing she was still with her. Oddly, her father never interrupted her times in the case, shutting himself away in the attic instead. Like the case was no longer a safehouse from the torments of the past. She saw a glint of light coming from a broken, dust cabinet on the wall, and opening the stiff, wooden doors she saw a collection of old bottles filled with liquid. She looked at it carefully, trying to determine what was inside, but the liquid revealed nothing. She would have to ask her father, he would know, as he had likely put then there to begin with. But as she began to climb the ladder, she hesitated. She didn't want to tell her father that she had been down there, it wasn't her case, she wasn't even sure she had been given permission to go in without his supervision. And something else made her stop, a chilling feeling that crept down her spine.

Father had a secret. And she was prying into it. 

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(Nine months later)

The radio blared music that no one was listening to, the entire Kowalski and Scamander families were gathered around the fire, waiting for the news to come on. William was tense and Thomas was eerily silent, but not as silent as Newt, for he hardly moved at all, leaning against the wall, barely breathing. The room was thick with expectation, any moment now the news would come on, and then they would know. Elizabeth took in a shaky breath, letting it out slowly and steadily, trying to stay calm. This news wasn't the muggle news they listened to during the day, this was news from the wizarding world, news of the Hallowed, and the strange dark force that was currently on the move. 

The song ended and the news came on, changing everyone in the room. William began to breath heavily, Thomas began to pace up and down, Queenie began to rock in her chair, while comforting Martin and Isaac. Jonathan was sitting by himself in a corner, not speaking. Jacob stood by the window, looking out on the bleak June rain. Newt barely moved, but twitched when the newscaster began to speak.

"My fellow Witches and Wizards, the news this evening." For the last four months the news had been bad, and from the tone of his voice it wasn't about to get better.

"The Hallowed have been spotted in France today, along with the discovery of six dead bodies in the sewers, that brings the total of killings up to twenty three. Aurors are closing in on their last known position, but the chances are they have slipped through our grasp yet again. Their leader, Rasigan Bregovitch was almost caught by one of the aurors, but he also had escaped."

Elizabeth let out her breath through her teeth, it made a dull hiss as it escaped.

"Also, the unknown force spotted in what was Czechoslovakia has increased in size and destruction across the counties of Germany and Poland. It is rumored that it is an obscurus of gigantic size, but others have called it a fantisical darkness told about in histories of ancient people. Penelope Bruscha had more..."

Obscurus. That was what her aunt had been talking about when it first appeared. An Obscurial called Credence. She looked over at her father. He was still leaning on the wall, breathing heavily and shaking. She moved over to him and slipped her hand in his. They could face the news together. 

A crack of thunder sounded outside, and Martin whimpered softly, buying his face in his mother's skirt. 

"and now," the Newscaster continued, "More on the case of Beth-Anne Thatcher." 

William started and began to pace.

"Her body was found on the corner of first and thirty-second street late this morning. She has been murdered by her captor, but further details are unavailable at this time. She was fifteen years old, and is by far the youngest victim of the Hallowed. We mourn her death."

William broke into tears, and buried his face in the armchair by the door. His heaving sobs wrenching the room into complete and utter silence. No one moved as the Newscaster started to speak again.

"We wish you safety, warmth and health on this day. Thank you for listening." 

Jacob turned off the radio before the music could begin again, instead comforting his eldest son, with the loss of his girlfriend forever. 

Queenie started to go toward him too, but was bogged down by children, and comforted them instead. 

Newt and Elizabeth stood alone in the corner, comforting each other while the storm raged outside.