It felt good to be back in his usual attire, Newt thought fondly. Even if it was just for an hour or so, he was grateful.
Within ten minutes of Nick returning with Newt's clothes, the trio had vanished from the hospital. The plan was to sneak into the ministry, find out if they could figure out the prophecy, then get the hell out before someone found them, as specified by Theseus.
Occasionally, Tina assisted Newt with keeping his balance on the crutches. It was hard getting back into the swing of things. No major falls or problems had occurred so far, so they were already off to a great start. Theseus strode briskly next to them, head held high and entire body tensed up, as if expecting Grindelwald to jump out at any moment.
Surprisingly, Newt couldn't recount any muscle memory while walking with crutches. It was a different sensation altogether. A different way he was walking.
Nick hadn't told them anything, though if Newt had to guess, he'd say that the metal was positioned differently- correctly- in his leg. Perhaps that was why he was walking differently.
Tina was watching him.
Watching him, as he weighed every step he took. Every time his buckled brown shoes met the rich carpeting it felt different to him. Maybe he was learning to walk normally again. The strange tingling feeling in his leg had subsided as well. Not entirely, but enough so that it was bearable.
"Does it hurt?"
A careful, empathetic question. Tina cocked her head to the side, and a wisp of brown hair fell across her face.
"Shh," hushed Theseus. Newt payed him no heed.
"No," he murmured back. "It just feels different."
"Wait- be quiet," said Theseus sharply, pausing in his tracks. Newt and Tina stopped behind him.
"What? Is something wrong?" the former asked.
Theo wheeled around to face them, a slightly agitated look on his face.
"No. I just want you to be quiet."
They approached the single, ominous door at the end of the corridor, and he only hesitated a split-second before resting his hand on the knob and twisting it open.
Tina prided herself on remembering her coat, this time. A subtle glimpse to her left told her that Newt was grateful for his old grey coat back as well.
In the back of her mind, Tina made a vague, subconscious note that she preferred his peacock blue trench coat to his grey wool one.
"The feeling might mean that you're starting to walk normally again. Like you did before everything happened," she whispered as the trio tiptoed into the darkened, circular room (or gracefully hobbled, in Newt's case).
Once they'd all had their fill of gaping at the black-tiled walls and numerous identical doors, Theseus was the first to speak.
"I'll keep a lookout in case someone comes in. Tina, you show Newt where the prophecy is. You," he gestured towards his younger brother, features as hard as stone. Then they softened. "Don't get yourself killed. That's all I ask."
Newt barely inclined his head, hinting at a smile.
With a final nod towards the two of them, Theseus stalked to one of the doors, indistinguishable from the others. He turned the handle and nudged it open, and Newt and Tina were left staring at a gasping black mouth of a doorway.
"C'mon," Tina breathed, and with one last look at Theo, she and Newt stepped into the hall of prophecies.
Judging by the look of awe on his face, Tina assumed that he'd never been in there before. His wondrous expression lasted until they reached the tiny room off to the side of the hall. Tina lead him inside.
Now Newt was eyeing the room- and the prophecy- with a glint of curiosity in his eye.
"Careful," warned Tina, though she had minimal doubt that he would.
A dull thud caused them both to jump, and Tina whipped around in panic just in time to see the door slam shut of its own accord. The room plummeted into almost-darkness, lit only by the silvery glow of the prophecy ball.
Newt twisted to face her. His features looked more pronounced with the bluish light illuminating the right side of his face.
Tina let herself look at him for long heartbeats, the same question hanging in both their panicked expressions.
Did you do that?
Both their expressions answered no.
More alert now, Newt turned his attention back to the prophecy, dormant as ever. Tina tentatively stepped up to his left.
He found himself studying the orb- almost as if he were observing a beast of some sort. No judgment, just curiosity.
A strange white mist swirled inside, reminiscent to that of a wispy cloud.
The orb itself was so minute, the three of them could've pocketed it and left, and no one would've noticed if they skipped out of the ministry clutching the it in hand.
"Newt?"
Not bothering to turn again, he slid his eyes toward hers. Alive with anticipation, they shone animal-bright through the dark, like two burning stars.
Loosening a breath, Newt gradually let go of the right crutch, tentatively reaching out his hand. Why? He had no idea. Perhaps it was a strange instinct of some sort.
His hand began trembling as it moved through seemingly endless black air. The peculiar misty substance within the prophecy began swirling faster, pulsing.
Tina's breath hitched in her throat as his fingers met with smooth, warm glass.
Then her heart leaped out of her chest as the light from the prophecy winked out and plunged the room into complete and utter darkness.
"Newt?!" squeaked Tina almost instantly.
No response met her.
Just to check if he was still there, that he hadn't somehow been whisked away, that he was seeing (or rather, not seeing) what she was, Tina sharply asked him, "What did you do?"
"Nothing! I just- just touched it!" came his panicked response through the dark.
Then the strangest thing began to happen.
It started small. A minute, insignificant spark of electric blue light fizzed to life in the empty space between them.
Newt looked down- the tiniest little replica of a firework buzzed like a small fairy at his side. Tina was gaping at it too.
They might as well have been made out of stone, they remained so still as the spark bobbed a bit, then moved. Still fizzing, it floated like the world's smallest jellyfish to a point a fair way in front of Newt. Too high for him to reach, but still in front of him.
Tina was staring at it too, over his shoulder, until she abruptly spun around so they stood back to back. Still captivated by the spark, and leg aching too much to turn, Newt kept his gaze trained on the strange, beautiful thing floating in the air.
"Newt," breathed Tina, barely moving her lips. "Newt, there's another one over here."
Without having to turn, Newt could tell. A second minuscule source of light fizzed to life somewhere behind him, giving off enough of that peculiar blue glow that he could see the floor now.
A third glint to his side- another spark materialised in the air with a soft fizzling noise, and Newt turned to watch it bob around like the others, his mouth now hanging slightly open in awe.
Newt and Tina stood, back to back, as they watched more and more cerulean sparks appear, all humming gently with life, all drifting in a crude circular shape around them.
More and more and more, until the entire room was filled with fiery blue scintillas, streaming around them and the orb like a hurricane. A feral hurricane, and they were in the very eye of it.
From where he was, Newt could hear Tina's rapid breathing. It was hard to blame her. His own heart was hammering relentlessly against his chest. The bright sparks, all moving at once, were beginning to make him dizzy, and his leg was beginning to ache terribly again.
The tides are shifting.
For one horrible moment in time, Newt thought there was someone else in the room with them, speaking in a grave, echoing rasp of a voice. When he scanned the room in alarm, though, all he could see was the chaotic swirl of electric sparks- almost like fire- swarming around them, and Tina's wild, panicked eyes reciprocating his movements.
A storm is brewing.
A soft hand closed around his and squeezed tight. In fear, maybe. He squeezed back.
Fiery sapphire light roared and churned around the pair in a frenzy, as they stood, terrified, gazing up with their hands entwined.
To run is a fool's mistake.
"It's a prophecy," breathed Tina, more to herself than to Newt. She doubted he could hear her anyway. "It's reciting a prophecy."
Weapons will be cast, war will erupt, souls will be turned.
Still, faster and faster, the sparks screamed and thrashed, sweeping a whirlwind through the room. Neither of them could see the walls, there was so much light. Could barely see the floor.
But only when the true to heart heal the blind victim...
Still, they held hands, gripping onto one another with sweaty palms as to try and find an anchor- somewhere- in the chaos.
... Only then will the alliance begin its downfall.
With one final, bestial shriek, the unearthly swarm of sparks began to subside. Bit by bit, they drew back towards the prophecy ball, as if a magnet were pulling them inside.
Too frightened to release hands, Newt and Tina turned to watch. All of the electric scintillas were being dragged back inside the orb. Slowly, slowly, like a wintry blue mist, until they faded away into the glass ball completely.
The orb went dark.
The room was quiet.
Quiet, bar the heavy breathing of its occupants. Of its own accord, the door leading out creaked open, just enough to let the tiniest sliver of light into the room. Enough so that they could see each other and nothing more.
Neither Newt nor Tina spoke. Neither needed to.
A long, charged look held between them.
Theseus would probably be wondering where they were. There were only twenty minutes for them to get back to the hospital.
They had to leave... but all of that was secondary. None of it mattered at that moment, because what they'd seen, what they'd discovered... everything was going to change from here.
Newt held her gaze, subconsciously aware of their still-entwined hands. Both of them were frightened, both intrigued. Their eyes shone wide like cats' eyes through the dark.
They didn't know what it meant. Didn't know who made it, or what Albus Dumbledore had to do with it. All they knew that they had inadvertently stumbled across something deep.
And from here, it was only going to get deeper.
BOOM.
THERE YOU GO.
Here is a long-overdue update, because;
1) I was in Melbourne for the Robotics National Championships
2) It creates more tension >:3
But mostly 1). Anyway, I hope you are all thoroughly shook.
I know that this isn't normally how prophecies act- I'm sorry- but it was cooler to write. And Newt and Tina panicked and grabbed each other's hands... soo... can I be forgiven? No? Alright, fair enough. I'm sorry.
I've been working forever on this chapter, so please leave feedback and advice- I'd really appreciate it ❤❤❤ This took forever to perfect- I had to rewrite and alter the prophecy about eight times before I had something I was vaguely happy with.
Anyway, this is one of the most important chapters, as you have probably gathered. I hope you enjoyed.
Have a great day!
Cateye992, out!