Grindelwald's magic suddenly surged.
The air jolted. Sparks cracked.
The defense wards inside the prison cell roared awake.
An invisible force slammed Grindelwald against the wall.
A shimmering magic barrier formed around him like a glass dome…
WHOOOOOM
Then came the sirens.
The next second, a squad of Aurors burst in, wands raised, shouting incantations in perfect formation. Dozens of spell beams locked onto Grindelwald at once, suppressing the riot of dark magic.
Garfield sat on his cushion, munching a pastry.
I am absolutely the melon-eater here, he thought contentedly.
The chaos drew Seraphina Picquery herself. As the President of MACUSA swept into the room, robes billowing, she followed Grindelwald's murderous glare straight to~
The orange cat.
Her brows arched. What in Merlin's name did this cat do?
"Garfield," she asked carefully, "what did you do?"
Garfield pointed to the empty plates in front of him. "Eat."
"...Right."
She blinked. "Hold on, you can talk?"
Garfield puffed out his chest. "Of course I can talk. Why wouldn't I?"
"Then why were you silent at Tina's house? Queenie had to translate for you."
"Talking uses magic." Garfield said solemnly.
"…Oh."
Seraphina didn't know whether to believe him, but she accepted at least half the explanation. The other half, the part where Grindelwald lost control, she suspected had another cause entirely.
Under heavy guard, Grindelwald was transported to an interrogation chamber. Protective wards were activated, and only then did Seraphina unseal his mouth.
The instant the seal broke, Grindelwald erupted,
"You FAT ORANGE CAT!" He bellowed. "I am Grindelwald!"
"Europe trembles at my wand! The entire U.S. Ministry has been played in the palm of my hand, how dare you humiliate me like this!"
He tried lunging forward, but the bindings tightened, pinning him in place.
Seraphina observed him calmly. "Grindelwald, if your pride is so fragile that you can't even tolerate an orange cat, you'll never accomplish anything great."
Grindelwald nearly combusted. If only she knew.
The cat ate in front of him.
The cat posed in front of him.
The cat glanced at him like he was an imbecile.
And now~NOW… the orange menace stood behind Seraphina and quietly mouthed…
Idiot.
Magic exploded around Grindelwald again.
Aurors rushed to suppress the riot for the second time, dousing him in layer after layer of containment spells.
Breathing hard, Grindelwald shot a look at Garfield that could melt iron.
Seraphina noticed the hostility. Her eyes narrowed, drifting between cat and wizard.
Garfield put on his most innocent face.
Meow. (ノw.)ノ))☆ Meow.
Seraphina tapped her wand. "Grindelwald, if you continue like this, I'm sealing your mouth again."
Grindelwald's eyes darted in calculation.
"Give me this orange cat, and I'll tell you a secret. The secret you've been searching for. Something only I know."
Seraphina froze. The secret.
The one MACUSA had clung to him for.
The one Britain wanted him back for.
Ancient spells. Lost relics. The Hallows.
Unknown realms of magic.
For a heartbeat, she wavered.
Then reason returned.
The cat had a contract, witnessed by magic itself. Breaking it meant punishment by the rules.
And behind that contract stood Dumbledore, Newt, and Tina Goldstein's family.
"Sorry, Mr. Grindelwald," She said firmly. "Garfield is under a binding contract. We cannot give him to you."
That was the official answer. The real answer, she knew, was…
We don't dare.
Grindelwald heard the subtext clearly. Seraphina was a politician, composed, calculating. He hated her, but he respected the craft.
Still, he needed to regain control.
He needed someone close enough to pass messages.
So he tried again. "Fine. Then give me another guard."
"I agree." Garfield instantly replied,
"Rejected." Seraphina immediately countered,
Garfield: Meow (ノw.)ノ))☆ Meow.
Grindelwald's fury boiled.
And the Aurors began preparing containment spells… again.
At last, Garfield had a chance to step outside, stretch his paws, and breathe some fresh air, but Seraphina immediately vetoed it.
Grindelwald, glaring from behind his magical bindings, let out a hiss of indignation. "That's my only request!"
"No," Seraphina replied.
Garfield, ever the diplomat, tilted his head and looked at Grindelwald with what he imagined was a sympathetic expression.
"Promise him," Garfield mewed softly. "Look at that poor little face."
Grindelwald shot Garfield a murderous glare.
"I'm just caring about you," Garfield added sweetly.
Seraphina, of course, remained unmoved. Minutes ticked by in tense silence, and finally, physically and mentally exhausted from dealing with both wizards and cats, she gave her ultimatum.
"If Grindelwald has nothing else to request, today's negotiations are over. And Garfield… we have a contract."
Both Garfield and Grindelwald rolled their eyes, their dissatisfaction palpable.
Satisfied, Seraphina sealed Grindelwald's mouth and ordered him locked up again.
Garfield was about to leave when Seraphina blocked him, hand raised.
"Garfield, wait… let's talk."
Paws stretched lazily across her face, Garfield shook his head.
Seraphina, trying to maintain composure, asked, "Garfield, what do you mean by that?"
"Although you're very beautiful," Garfield began, tail flicking casually.
"You simply do not meet the aesthetic standards of His Majesty King Garfield I. You couldn't even pass as a maid."
Seraphina's jaw practically hit the floor. Rejected… by a cat.
Gathering herself, she asked cautiously, "What did you do to Grindelwald?"
"His magic went berserk twice just now. An adult wizard's power should be stable, except in extreme cases like rage or despair."
Garfield stretched languidly, eyes half-closed. "Maybe… I'm just too handsome. He feels ashamed."
"I don't believe that for a second," Seraphina muttered.
"Fine, fine," Garfield replied. "He envies me, His Majesty King Garfield I. I can eat, drink, and sleep freely without a single care."
"Reasonable… but not exactly convincing," Seraphina said, arms folding.
"There must be trust," Garfield explained, "Or you won't find anything in the end."
Seraphina paused. For the first time in the day, she allowed herself to reflect.
Apart from political allies who exchanged favors, she had no real friends, no one she could trust implicitly. That gap, that loneliness, had always been her weakness.
She sank silently into a chair, arms wrapped around herself.
Garfield, ever the perceptive observer, jumped aside and simply watched. As a cat, he was attuned to the subtlest changes in heartbeat and breath, but Seraphina's pulse remained steady.
All women are born actors, Garfield mused silently. Almost had me fooled…
Minutes passed. Seraphina's performance gradually eased. She straightened, though a faint discomfort lingered in her expression.
"Garfield," she said softly, "You know the pressure I'm under. Grindelwald is a dangerous adversary, his plots could destabilize world peace."
"I hope you can help me uncover his schemes. As a reward…" She hesitated, then produced a small, polished medal. "…the Ministry of Magic will award you this."
Garfield's ears twitched. A medal?
Hehe hehe…
꧁𓊈𒆜༺⚜༻𒆜𓊉꧂
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