Free as a Bird

Adaw

Newt and Jacob were in Newt's apartment, sitting on couches and drinking some morning tea. Sure, the pressure of the outside world never mattered to them as they had a much bigger task.

"When?" Jacob asked.

"Christmas?" Newt asked.

"Too early".

"New Year's?"

"Too clichéd".

"Easter?"

"Too late".

"Jacob!" Newt threw his quill down in frustration, "Come on! I want to plan the most perfect proposal ever!".

"We are always at odds" Jacob folded his arms, "Look, do what's right for you. Plus, we can ramble on and on about when you can propose. But you need an excellent speech".

"A speech?" Newt took notes.

"Yes. You are usually a flustered mess, so I'd expect you'd need at least a week's time for preparation" Jacob guessed.

"Okay, what do I say?" Newt got up and paced.

"Start with a nice description of. . . " Jacob began but he was interrupted by a hoot at the window.

"Ah, my morning paper" Newt took out the Daily Prophet from the owl's beak and took out a few coins from his pocket. He placed it carefully in the owl's little pouch, attached to its body and sent it off with a nice pat.

"Jeez" Jacob gasped, "Are you wizards a bunch of weirdos? Owls?".

"Quite fast" Newt took out the paper and unfolded it to see the headlines.

A SERIES OF MURDERS ALL OVER LONDON : CULPRITS UNTRACEABLE!

"Oh no" Newt folded the paper, "Something is wrong".

"Murders?" Jacob glanced at the paper.

"It seems they couldn't trace him, even with witnesses. The witnesses think that it's some kind of a huge figure, hairy and sort of. . . with bright eyes" Newt read from the paper.

"Then why do they call it a murder?" Jacob asked, "I mean, it could be a giant grizzly bear".

"Giant grizzly bears around London?" Newt said, "The thought of that seems preposterous".

News travels fast. At the very same moment, Anna and Theseus were talking about the article. Their cases had piled up in the last three days.

"This guy" Theseus considered the case of Paul Victors. He was brutally murdered under the oblivious nose of his wife.

"Mrs Victors said that she saw a giant hairy creature exit the window as she saw her husband lying down, bleeding to his doom" Theseus read the document.

"It could be a werewolf" Anna guessed.

"Werewolves don't kill people like that" Theseus said, "They aren't rogue until they are provoked".

"Well, someone must've provoked them" Anna decided.

Just then Dakota burst into the office.

"Dakota! Would you knock?" Anna complained, "Plus you belong in the curse-breaking division".

"I don't care. This is a huge matter" Dakota slammed the door shut.