Garfield had no idea that, by showing his fangs earlier, he'd just solved one of Newt's biggest creature problems.
The magical beasts in Newt's case weren't only rare, they were outcasts in their own species, each with their own quirks and issues.
Now that Newt and Tina had realized the mix-up with the suitcase, they hurried out to find Jacob.
On the way, they ran into a buzzing Billywig who had escaped and was now desperately seeking help with its own dilemma.
They followed it to Jacob's building, only to find the entire area in disarray.
Most of the structure had collapsed, a chaotic mess of magic and destruction.
Before the Ministry of Magic could arrive, Tina acted quickly.
She cast a wide-area Forgetfulness Charm on the crowd of onlookers, wiping their memories clean.
With practiced skill, she waved her wand and began repairing the crumbling building, brick by brick, beam by beam.
Inside, Newt pushed open the door and froze at the sight before him.
Garfield was perched smugly atop the suitcase, tail flicking with pride. Jacob lay unconscious nearby.
"Garfield." Newt asked cautiously. "How many escaped?"
"Four or five…" Garfield replied while raising his paw to indicate. "You're lucky I was here."
"Go on, say thank you."
Newt sighed in relief, kneeling to examine the case. A faint claw poked out from beneath a pile of feathers, Chicken Ah's paw. Not bad.
The most dangerous creatures were still accounted for. Even the troublesome Swooping Evil was safe. The rest would be easy to track down.
The poison-horned beast and the Thunderbird were docile enough to lure back. Only the sneaky Niffler had slipped away again.
Meanwhile, Tina was checking on Jacob. "He's been bitten. We need to get him to a magical hospital."
Newt knelt beside her, inspecting the wound. "That's a Murtlap bite."
"It causes mild rashes and hallucinations, but it's treatable."
With the situation under control, Tina generously invited both Newt and Jacob to stay at her place for the night.
Garfield, naturally, came along, and that's when he finally met the famous mind-reader… Queenie Goldstein.
Both Tina and Queenie had graduated from Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the American counterpart to Hogwarts.
It was founded by a descendant of Salazar Slytherin, Isolt Sayre, another link in the ever-interwoven magical world that tied back to Hogwarts.
When Garfield saw Queenie, his curiosity piqued.
'Hey.' Pandora scolded him telepathically. 'Why are you drooling again, you lecherous cat?'
'Excuse you?' Garfield sniffed. 'I, Garfield, am simply intrigued.'
'She's a Legilimens. Don't you remember what Dumbledore said? 'Find a mind-reader. Maybe they'll finally understand you.''
"Dumbledore didn't know your true nature."
"If he did, he'd just throw you a steak and walk away."
"I am a Devourer. A creature of power and mystery."
"Please. Even Carl from back home could catch a rabbit. You can't even catch a bird."
Garfield grumbled and leapt off Newt's shoulder, trotting over to the dining table where Queenie was preparing some herbal remedies for Jacob.
As he sat watching her, mesmerized, Pandora hissed again. 'Pervert cat.'
With a huff, Garfield ignored her and fixated on Queenie. Queenie, slicing ingredients with expert care, suddenly stopped.
"Hey, Sister Queenie, you've got talent. Ever thought about joining me?"
Her knife clattered on the counter. "Who... who said that?!"
"Queenie? What's wrong?" Tina turned to her, concerned.
Queenie scanned the room. Jacob was still groggy, and Newt was inspecting his case. No one had spoken.
No one… except the orange cat staring at her intently.
Her eyes widened in horror as Garfield winked at her.
"Up here, sis." He said smoothly, twitching his whiskers.
Queenie gasped, clutching her mouth. "Oh my stars… that cat can talk!"
"Queenie… why not come with me? How about I make you my chief maid?"
Queenie went and grabbed the cat and stared into its eyes.
"Ahh… Queenie?"
Tina pressed a hand to Queenie's forehead. "Are you feeling okay?"
Queenie didn't even blink, still cradling the orange cat in her arms. "Tina, he talks! He talks! He called me 'chief maid!'"
"Isn't that the cutest thing?!"
Garfield wriggled uncomfortably in her grip, clearly not expecting such an intense cat-lover reaction. "Okay, okay, you can stop hugging me now—"
"Nope." Queenie said cheerfully, tightening her hold.
"You're way too cute. Sister, look at his little white paws! I love him."
"Queenie, seriously." Tina said, raising a brow. "Put the cat down. What even is it?"
Reluctantly, Queenie let go. Garfield jumped to the table with a huff, tail twitching in mild offense.
Just then, Newt emerged from his case, having checked on the beasts and calmed the chaos inside.
He hadn't even had a chance to sit down before Tina turned to him with arms crossed.
"Newt, your orange cat caused quite a stir."
"What?" Newt blinked. "Garfield? What did he do this time?"
Before anyone could answer, Queenie piped up. "He talked, Newt. He's a talking cat!"
"He what?!" Newt's eyes widened.
He rushed over to the table where Garfield sat, now leisurely licking a paw. "Garfield, talk to me! What kind of magical creature are you?"
"Too close, Ugly." Garfield stopped mid-lick and looked up.
He calmly lifted a paw and smushed it against Newt's face. "Back up. I'm negotiating maid contracts."
Queenie burst into giggles, covering her mouth. "He called you ugly, Newt!"
Tina couldn't help but laugh either. Newt blinked in confusion, completely baffled.
Meanwhile, Jacob, barely recovering from the Murtlap bite, looked around the room in complete disorientation.
Why does it feel like I walked into a dream? he thought.
Where even am I? Who's this stunning blonde? And why is everyone treating the cat like the star of the show?
But Queenie was too entertained by Garfield to notice Jacob's mental rambling.
Newt, though mildly insulted, was far too curious to stop.
He turned to Queenie with urgency. "Can you read his mind?"
"Maybe help me get some real answers? If this is a new species, it could change everything!"
The sisters understood his excitement.
Magical schools all had signature beasts… Hogwarts had lions, snakes, badgers, and eagles, so discovering a rare new talking creature was no small matter.
Dinner was promptly delayed as the group shifted into 'magizoology research mode.'
Garfield, now the center of attention, remained lounging on the table, smug as ever.
Roles were quickly assigned:
Newt would ask the questions.
Tina would take notes.
Queenie would telepathically translate Garfield's responses.
Jacob… was there for the snacks.
The plan seemed brilliant until they actually started the interview.
"Garfield, what is your real identity?"
"I'm your master, Chef Newt."
"How many of your kind are there?"
"Enough to form a barbecue club. Speaking of which, got any ribs?"
"What are your abilities?"
"Eating. Napping. Insulting people."
"Are you male, female, or… something else?"
"Ask again and I'll claw your face off."
Newt paused, bewildered. "These answers are… not exactly scientific."
Queenie giggled helplessly. "He's not lying though."
Jacob finally chimed in. "So let me get this straight… the magical orange talking cat is the boss of us all now?"
"Finally, someone gets it."
꧁𓊈𒆜༺⚜༻𒆜𓊉꧂
Phantom your way through a treasure trove of chapters waiting on P@treon!
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