The Wand Permit Office was slightly larger than a cupboard. There were piles of unopened wand applications scattered about the desks and floors. Tina stopped behind a desk, removing her hat. She tried to busy herself by shuffling her papers around, ignoring Newt.
"So, you got your wand permit? All foreigners have to have them in New York," Tina explained.
"I made a postal application weeks ago," Newt lied.
Tina was sitting on the desk, scribbling his answers into a clipboard. "And you?" she asked Neeki.
Neeki looked at Newt for help.
"She doesn't speak English well - or any other language for that matter," Newt answered. "She's not a witch. She's a...Squib, yes."
Tina raised an eyebrow. "I see, and you two were just in Equatorial Guinea?"
"I've just completed a year in the field. I'm writing a book about magical creatures. Neeki is my assistant. She loves animals."
"So, you're writing an extermination guide?" Tina asked.
Newt glanced at his suitcase nervously. "Uh - no. It's a guide to help people understand why we should be protecting these creatures instead of killing them."
Neeki nodded eagerly with a scrunched eyebrows. "Creatures wonderful."
•
"GOLDSTEIN! Where is she?" Abernathy asked himself. "Where is she? GOLDSTEIN!"
Tina ducked behind her desk, which amused Newt. Abernathy, a pompous jobsworth, walked in. He immediately knew where Tina was hiding.
"Goldstein!"
Tina, looking guilty, slowly popped out from behind the desk.
"Did you just butt in on the Investigative Team again?" Abernathy asked. "Where've you been?" He looked at Newt and Neeki. "Where'd she pick you two up?"
"Us?" Newt quickly looked at Tina, who shook
her head.
"Have you been tracking them Second Salemers again?" Abernathy asked, agitated.
"Of course not, sir," Tina answered.
Graves rounded the corner.
Abernathy was immediately cowed. "Afternoon, Mr. Graves, sir!"
"Afternoon, ah - Abernathy."
Tina stepped forward to formally address Graves. "Mr. Graves, sir, this is Mr. Sca - in that case and it got out and mander - he has a crazy creature - caused mayhem in a bank, sir," she hurriedly said, out of breath.
"Let's see the little guy," Graves replied.
Tina breathed out a sigh of relief. Newt tried to speak up, but Graves dismissed him. Tina theatrically placed the case onto a table and threw open the lid. She looked shocked at the contents. It was full of pastries.
Newt approached nervously, horrified at the contents. It wasn't his case. Graves was confused but smirked slightly.