#gnarlak

[mistressaugury]

I like to headcanon Gnarlak had his fingers ruined because he got caught ripping off some Dark Wizards.

[seriousbrat]

gobbledegook and notes on goblins (part 2 of 2)

Part one covering the language here.

GOBLIN NAMES:

(Some of these are from canon and some are ones I’ve made up/taken from various places, including ALL the female names because no goblin ladies are ever mentioned in canon sadly)

MALE NAMES:

A goblin male name often ends with a hard “k”, which is considered a strong, masculine sound. If not a k, then they almost certainly end with another hard consonant. Male names usually feature “o” and “u” sounds, though an “a” or an “i” is often present in the first syllable of the name.

Alguff

Bodrod

Bogrod

Burgok

Garkun

Gnarlak

Gornuk

Gringott

Griphuk (often spelt by wizards, including Harry, as Griphook; “uk” and “ook” are two English spellings of the same Goblin rune)

Hodrod

Nagnok

Odbert (old name, obsolete)

Ragnok

Ragnuk

Ranrok

Rikbert (often spelt as Ricbert by humans, “k” and “c” are one letter in the goblin script)

FEMALE NAMES:

Female names often feature “s” or “z” sounds, which are considered sharp, snappy, and fresh– feminine traits in goblin culture. They often end with “i” or “a” sounds.

Adartza

Arantza

Eguzki

Garazi

Isaskun

Itziar

Joska

Nadezhda

Saveka

Sigdrífa

Revka

Rifavka

Rizakva

Urdza

Urzuri

Zevka

Zigrífa

GOBLIN SOCIETY:

Goblins generally prefer to live underground or in cave-houses, in proximity to the ore and metal that is so important to their society. Most live together in large underground cities. The largest of these in Britain is Lekbek or Lek Fell in the Yorkshire Dales, which is connected through what is known to humans as the Ease Gill cavern system, part of the wider Three Counties system. The larger group of goblins in a particular territory, such as Britain, is known as a Bastion.

It is of interest to wizarding scholars that there is not as much linguistic variation among Goblins in different parts of the world, compared to humans– it is theorised that they have some method of communication between Bastions hidden away deep in their underground cities. This is a secret closely guarded by Goblin leadership.

Most goblins are miners or smiths/artisans, and in opposition to a common human misconception only a few are involved in banking or monetary transactions with wizards. The goblins usually encountered by humans are the Gringotts goblins, who act as a liaison between humans and goblins— this fact warps the perception the Wizarding World has of the species. It is ore, not coins, that is of value to goblins, as casting galleons, sickles, and knuts takes little real skill. To them, wizarding currency is merely a way to maintain influence over wizarding society. Still, each smith tasked with minting coins employs a mold with his or her serial number as a method of tracking those coins. Knuts and sickles contain trace amounts of gold, as gold is unable to be produced magically, and goblins can tell instantly if the coin is counterfeit.

Many of the Gringotts goblins are members of the same sprawling extended family tree, and though many do not know each other they share a common descendant in the goblin Gringott, who founded the bank in 1474. This is not at all universal, however, as many goblins now working for Gringotts were born to miners or smiths and simply displayed a good head for numbers or the diplomatic skills necessary to treat with humans from a young age.

Goblins have a loose system of factions— most of the time, those born to mining families become miners, while those born to artisans become artisans, and those descended from the goblin Gringott remain bankers. However, this system is usually maintained out of habit, as it is not enforced and is not rigid— Goblins prize raw talent, and if a young goblin can prove their skills in a different area than that of their parents, then they are happily accepted and permitted to shine.

Goblins have different ideas about property than humans. They prize talent and the ability to create above all things, and therefore believe that true ownership of an object rests with its maker— “buying” the object is viewed merely as a loan. Among themselves they are typically generous and neighbourly, and do not exchange money but goods and services. For instance, a miner might need a brooch for his daughter— if he provides the artisan with extra raw metal, the artisan will make it and the daughter is permitted to wear it until her death, upon which it returns to the smith. If the smith is no longer alive, it goes to whichever smith has taken over his tools and trade, who may or may not be a blood relative.

Some more radical elements believe that wizards should have no rights to own any Goblin-made items at all, but this is not a view shared by all. However, inheritance by blood is not a Goblin value, and nearly all goblins believe that upon the death of the human “owner” of a goblin-made artifact, the artifact should return to its makers rather than passing onto the descendants of the wizard who, in their eyes, have done nothing to deserve it. They do not respect or understand wizarding laws regarding this matter.

Goblin leadership is run by a Council of Elders, composed of the Grauld, the oldest goblins in each Bastion. They aren’t voted into their positions, but simply come into them upon reaching a certain age and if they are willing to leave their previous role behind. Supposedly banking, smithing and mining goblins are represented equally, but in practise the banking goblins have long held more sway than they should given their smaller numbers. (nearly 100% of banking goblins join the Grauld whereas many smithing goblins opt to continue their trade, and mining goblins have a higher rate of mortality) Some theorise that this is because of their close association with wizards, and that the Ministry of Magic is pulling the strings to make sure that their influence over goblin politics remains stable, as many in the smithing and mining factions often call for isolationism and a total withdrawal from humankind.

Goblins tend to believe that humans are lazy and resort to magic to fix every problem and create the things they need, rather than valuing the time and effort needed to carry out a trade and create quality artisanal goods. The few wizards who have ever earned even grudging respect from goblins have tended to be particularly brilliant inventors, though wizarding smiths are often regarded with suspicion and contempt.

Goblin leadership has also long had an interest in Muggles and Muggle technology; however, the Ministry of Magic keeps an extremely tight leash on goblins in this regard; they are expressly forbidden from contacting or approaching Muggles in any way, and have been promised harsh consequences if they do.  

OTHER NOTES:

Gravak Leshak: the Goblin Liberation Front (literally “Goblin Freedom”, the “Front” is added on by wizards.) An organisation devoted to the advancement of Goblin interests in wizarding society. Mostly comprised of banking goblins, (as the other factions, particularly the miners, tend toward an isolationist approach) they advocate for more power and influence over the Wizarding World, and have often resorted to violence to achieve these ends as well as strikes and picketing. Gravak Leshak is not officially supported by Gringotts Bank, which maintains a neutral position— however, many of the top officials at Gringotts have ties to the organisation.

Other goblins: There are goblins living assimilated into the Wizarding World, especially in rural areas. They may work as artisans or barkeeps. They tend to be solitary and not care much for politics, and usually maintain cordial relationships with neighbouring wizards. It is these sorts of goblins who typically beget half-goblin children, as mainstream goblin society is by and large hostile towards humans.

Gobbos vs wand-carriers: While the term “Vvargden” in Gobbledegook is simply a neutral term for wizard or witch, Goblins use the literal translation in English of “wand-carrier” as a despective term. Conversely, many humans refer to goblins with a variety of rude slurs, the most common of which is “gobbo”

Ak Varld Vvargden: a popular Goblin rights manifesto, perhaps the most widely distributed Gobbledegook text in existence. It is typically studied by humans who are learning the Goblin language, owing to the slightly more tempered views it expresses when compared to other Goblin political writings– which on the whole tends to be rather bloody and violent. This is because it was originally written with the intent to reach a Wizarding audience as well as Goblin.

Euskaldunak: As mentioned in part one, Basque wizards and Goblins have had a unique relationship throughout history in that there has been markedly more cordiality and cooperation, even friendship, between the two than in other parts of the world. This relationship still remains to some extent, but it has largely diminished due to the best efforts of the Spanish Ministerio de Magia to quash it. Nevertheless, goblins around the world have more respect for the Basque language and culture than for any other group of wizards.

[wizardingwirelessnetwork]

The jazz goblin aka the not so wizardy magical musician! + the importance of Bars and Pubs in the WW

The female goblin was singing Jazz numbers in the Wizarding bar „The Blind Pig”. She could use wandless magic to create smoky images that accompanied her songs.

She was performing during 6th December 1926 when Newt, Tina, Queenie and Jacob visited the establishment.

Her songs were accompanied by a goblin band, that also used wandless magic as there were more instruments than goblin players.

As we can see not only wizards have cultural influence. As for the Blind Pig, the New York located bar was a speakeasy. When the prohibition laws swept USA, illegal bars popped up all around the country. This one is owned by a goblin named Gnarlak, and was frequented by dawn-and-outs of the American Wizarding World.

It offered a variety of drinks and snacks, dancing and jazz. Known drinks are “Gigglewater” and “Lobe-Blaster”

Bars & pubs are also an important cultural part. Places like that are often frequented by Wizards who want to spend time in a loose environment, and not worry about muggles. It’s especially important since in a case of a drunk fight, there’s no need for a batalion of Obliviators, to ride the place and bother with all the muggles there. There’s much more pubs than just The Blind Pig, Three Brommsticks and The Hogs Head! To read the list featuring more bars/pubs visit the wiki here! To read more about certain magical drinks visit the wiki here!

Song and Lyrics:

“The phoenix cried fat tears of pearl

While the dragon snapped up his best girl

And the billywig forgot to twirl, when his sweetheart left him cold

The unicorn done lost his horn

And the hippogriff feels all forlorn

’Cause their lady loves have upped and gone

or that's what i've been told...

Yes love, love has set the beasts astir

the dangerous and the meek concur

It's ruffled feathers, fleece and fur

’Cause love driver all of us wild”

[hawkinsprompts]

[A] has finally agreed to attend a session of Hellfire. Little do they know, the rest of the members have decided to make it absolutely unforgettable in the most chaotic way possible. Welcome, to Gnarlak Songworth's Birthday Party, everyone. Put on your seatbelts and get ready for things-that-shouldn't-be-in-cake, dancing magical creatures, and the strangest Orc you've ever met.

[mylittlesecrethaven]

Trollhunters Voice Actors Cause Why Not: Pt 3

I'm doing 10 this time around cause I have time and I don't want this series to be 7 parts.

*sigh*

Yara Shahidi

Who plays Darci in TrollHunters, Callie in My Father's Dragon, and Brenda in Smallfoot.

Lauren Tom

Who plays Mary Wang and Ms. Nomura in TrollHunters, several small characters in the Kung Fu Panda movies and shows, Agent Ping and Dinky in Pound Puppies, Amy Wong in Futurama, and more.

Jimmie Wood

Who plays NotEnrique in TrollHunters and Bonecrusher in the 2007 Transformers show.

Ike Amadi

Who plays Angor Rot in TrollHunters, Martian Manhunter in several DC movies and shows, and a few characters throughout several games in the Fallout series.

Thomas F Wilson

Who plays Coach Lawrence in TrollHunters, Cecil Star and several other minor characters in several Spongebob shows and movies, and several characters in Gargoyles.

Laraine Newman

Who plays Miss Janeth in TrollHunters, Ms. Ribble in The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants, Akala in Kulipari, Aunt Ivy in The Garfield Show, and several other minor characters in many many shows and movies.

Mark Hamill

Who plays Dictatious in TrollHunters, Grand Uncle in The Boy and The Heron, Bardle in The Last Kids On Earth, and Joker in several DC Batman games.

Anjelica Huston

Who plays Queen Usurna in TrollHunters, Queen Clarion in several Tinker Bell movies, and Princess Julienne in All Hail King Julien.

Frank Welker

Who plays the Goblins in TrollHunters, Scooby-Doo and Fred Jones in several Scooby-Doo movies and shows, Azrael in The Smurfs 1 and 2, Sonya in Madagascar 3, Argonaut in Spy Kids 4, Curious George in several shows and movies, Bullseye in Toy Story 3, The Bandersnatch in Alice in Wonderland, Garfield in several Garfield shows, movies, and games, Bolt in Bolt, several characters in several Transformers movies, shows, and games, and so so so many more.

Ron Perlman

Who plays Bular in TrollHunters, Optimus Primal in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, Gnarlak in Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, Xibalba in The Book of Life, the Stabbington brothers in the Tangles movie and show, Sozin in Avatar The Last Airbender, Slade in Teen Titans, and a ton of other characters.

I wasn't expecting to have two vas with so many roles. Doing 10 in one post was definitely a mistake cause now it's late and I'm tired.

[magicalhideoutengineer]

TINA (CONT'D): Maybe I'll be good at being a criminal. I can't be worse than I was as an investigator.

NEWT: Don't say that. (off her look) [For the record] I think you're onto something with these Second Salemers.

[TINA: You do?]

NEWT: I do.

QUEENIE: Hey [Teen], it's him! [Gnarlak.]

The goblin owner of the Blind Pig, Gnarlak, is moving through the bar, tea-towel over his shoulder, cigar in mouth, many of his long fingers bent back on themselves, useless.

QUEENIE (CONT'D): Sir! Mr. Gnarlak, sir? Could we talk to you for a moment?

GNARLAK (menacing): I don't see you phizz on any posters, sweetheart.

QUEENIE: I'm on the run with these guys.

[JACOB: She's the brains of the outfit.]

GNARLAK: Weeell... you oughta be illegal in that dress. And we gotta No-Mage with us, I see.

JACON: Is that a - a problem?

GNARLAK: I'd keep it quiet. There's guys in here who'd kill ya just 'cause you're wandless. Me, I don't judge. So (he sits down) what d'you wanna know and how much you gonna pay?

The house-elf returns with another of TINA's smoking cocktails. She knocks it back.

NEWT: [hoping you're familiar with certain unsavoury elements. I understand you're a gentleman who has his ear to the ground.] Mr. Gnarlak, we're looking for -

GNARLAK: British, huh? Yeah, I'm from the old country myself. Yeah, my whole family's with Gringotts Wizarding Bank, yeah, dey's all in the treasure-and-curse business. (MORE)

[jazlynriddle-legacy]

Welcome to your life - Pt 3:

It's My Own Design Ch 15:

Summary:

Ominis fought to control his expression, to keep his hands from trembling. Five years. Five years since he'd seen his parents, and this. This was the reason they'd given him the honour of their time? This was the reason they'd sought him out at Hogwarts?

The bitterness welling up within him was thick enough to gag on.

New year, new allies, new responsibilities, new avenues of revenue, and new aspects of their own Ancient Magic to explore. As the Keeper and their partners enter their last year at Hogwarts, it remains to be seen if the new school year will bring with it new problems or adversaries, but they are confident in the strength of their relationship with Sebastian and Ominis. The three of them would endure, no matter what befell them.

And if they were wrong?

What a joke, they would suffer no alternative.

Warnings: Sebastian x MC x Ominis! Drug Addiction! Spoilers! Slow-burn corruption! Dark content! Fucked up 1800s orphanages! MC has no love for Anne or Solomon! Dubious happy ending (it's happy for MC, Seb and Ominis at least).

You can also read on AO3! (chapter specific warnings below)

Notes:

Warnings: Canon-typical violence, blood, death, all that fun stuff xD

So, I fell sick, and for some reason, I started writing a short spin-off Fairytale AU for this series. I don't know if I want to upload it as part of this series when I'm done lol

And I'm exhausted, so I'm gonna upload early and hit the hay, this chapter is like 10.6k words, good lord why does the word count keep rising-

With a clang, the arrow shooting towards the Keeper, hit their shield charm and clattered to the floor.

Retreating a step back behind the wall, they peaked cautiously around the corner and scrutinised the direction it'd come from. It took a minute, but they quickly spotted the crossbow and threw a standard cast at it, shattering it, before using reparo to fix it after they'd gotten past, and then paused to collect the arrow to hide evidence of the triggered trap.

They sighed, the last hour had been remarkably tedious. While, fortunately, thanks to Borgok's refusal, Gnarlak didn't have a lock on his secret base at the calibre of Gringotts' bank vaults, the three locks on the front door had been magic resistant and it was only thanks to the Keeper's skill in lockpicking that they were able to enter.

Though their fingers nearly froze trying to lockpick without gloves in the early fucking winter.

Said entrance, carved into the side of a mountain, led into a literal maze and the Keeper had already spent almost an hour navigating it. Fortunately, the enclosed nature of this underground maze actually made it easier to find the correct path, unlike the Eunon Blackwood hedge mazes.

Whenever they reached a fork in the maze, they'd pick up a rock, reduce it to dust, and scatter the dust upwards, to see which path the air flowed through more freely. It was a slow method, but all they needed to do was make one mistake, step into one trap that their shield wouldn't stop, and they'd be dead.

At least the unknown large creature Gnarlak owned couldn't possibly fit in such a small maze.

Oh yes, the ceiling was lower than Garreth's grades. The Keeper wouldn't be bending over for a week after this, not even for Sebastian or Ominis.

Well, maybe.

If Sebastian asked nicely.

...or if Ominis demanded it.

Wow, their brain really only had one place to go when they were bored.

To their relief, the maze soon came to an end and the cramped, claustrophobic corridors gave way to a dizzyingly large open cavern. It was a pity that there hadn't been any fun puzzles in the maze, unlike the Elder Keepers’ trials, but considering that Gnarlak was trying to kill intruders, not test them... Kind of understandable.

Poking their head out of the tunnels, the Keeper cast a lumos maxima, sending the bright orb up into the air to hover just under the ceiling, illuminating the area. The cavern was large enough that they couldn’t quite imagine how whatever Gnarlak had used to carve this place out, had been brought in to begin with. Then again, perhaps he'd constructed the drill in here instead, and left the machine somewhere further in.

There were several large pillars of natural stone left untouched, holding the ceiling up, and what looked like a pair of tunnels leading off to the left and right. Impressively enough, the ceiling of the cavern was even higher up than the spire of Dìon castle.

Deeming it safe to proceed, they cautiously inched out of the tunnel, shield at the ready as they straightened. When nothing happened, the Keeper relaxed, biting back a groan as they took a moment to stretch. Good lord, those tunnels were awful. How the hell did Faun manage to sneak around a base made to that height for over a month?

Taking a few steps forward, the Keeper grimaced when their footsteps echoed across the stone, well, their boots were made for combat, not stealth. Besides, they wanted to draw out anything that would stop them from getting the kill.

A deafening roar split the air, bouncing off the cavern walls and splitting the Keeper's ears as well. Bloody hell, clearly the monster wanted to deafen them first.

Covering their ears, the Keeper's eyes darted about, just barely catching a glimpse of something large shooting out from the tunnel to the left, before it landed on the floor before them with a violent crash that shook the earth.

Large wings spread overhead, casting a shadow over stone and the Keeper sighed. Of course, a dragon. What else would it be.

Actually... the Keeper's eyes narrowed as they spied a familiar collar around the dragon's neck, quickly recognising it as the same beast that attacked their carriage during fifth-year, on their way to Hogwarts for the first time. Had the dragon been here in captivity this whole time? If that was the case, maybe this cavern had been in use since Ranrok.

“Hello again, a tad overdue for our rematch, aren't we?” The Keeper bared their teeth as the dragon roared, jaws spreading wide open and from deep within its throat, rose a bright hot glow.

Without a second to waste, the Keeper dived to the side, augmenting their roll with ancient magic to dash further out of the range of the plume of fire that spewed towards them like the flames of hell. Well, too bad, the Keeper knew they would burn, but it wasn't the time yet.

Hiding behind a pillar, the Keeper popped the cap off a jar from their satchel, and took a sliver of C-Pain in their mouth, shoving the jar back in as their eyes burned red. Ugh, they'd be glad when they had an energy armlet that they could use to consume energy on the go, rather than juggle all these cumbersome jars.

There was no time to complain, however, and they dashed once again as the dragon appeared from around the pillar. The glow of their Ancient Magic was now red, and their dash took them far further than before, the power of Pain rushing through their body.

“Bombarda!” The Keeper shouted, twisting and flicking their wand to throw the spell at the dragon, only for it to shake its head lightly, brushing off the blast like it was nothing.

Right, magically resistant creatures that required half a dozen stunners cast simultaneously to momentarily stun. That was inconvenient, but let's see how it does against something stronger.

The Keeper collected a vast amount of Ancient Magic in their wand instead, and sent a red blast of pure magic at the dragon. This time, the great creature was knocked off to the side in the middle of its lunge towards them and it roared as it slammed into a nearby pillar.

Okay, still not very effective, they grumbled to themselves, dashing again as the dragon got up inside the cloud of dust and blew fire at them. It did seem to do some damage, but knocking the dragon off its feet wasn't worth that much magic. They had brought a lot of C-Pain energy, but the more they used, the harder it would be to return to their regular dosage later.

As they dodged, a large rock fell from the ceiling, dislodged when the dragon slammed into the pillar, and it landed right on the creature's back. The dragon roared in pain and the Keeper took the opportunity to examine the cavern again. There were eight large pillars. An idea bloomed in their mind, and they grinned. If they couldn't use magic, then they would use the environment.

Ducking behind a pillar, the Keeper took another sliver of C-Pain and then dashed again when the dragon chased them around the obstruction. The creature was clearly being careful not to damage the pillars, the Keeper noted as they rolled out of the way of its fire, just barely avoiding being turned to charcoal. Clever.

They weaved through the pillars for several minutes, gradually widening the gap between the dragon and themselves with their boosted physical strength, before looping around a pillar and coming to a stop.

Brandishing their wand at the pillar, now perfectly placed between the Keeper and the dragon, they shouted. “Bombarda Maxima!”

The red hued spell slammed into the pillar and the impact shattered it, sending large boulders flying towards the dragon on the other side. The explosive momentum of their spell essentially turning the boulders into canons and firing them into the dragon's face.

The dragon roared as it was barraged with heavy boulders, pelting its scales and slamming into its wings. Now enraged, the great beast lunged for the Keeper and a smirk formed on their face when the dragon leapt through the space that was previously occupied by the pillar.

“Reparo!” The Keeper waved their wand with a flourish.

The boulders shot off the floor and swirled around the dragon like a hurricane, smashing into its jaw and wings, before coming back together as tightly as it could, the pillar returning to its original form, but with one difference. The dragon was now trapped inside the rock, its head, tail and one of its wings jutting out of the pillar at odd angles.

With a victorious grin, the Keeper withdrew the jar containing the Fear-Pill from their satchel and extracted it with their wand. They weren't sure it would work on the dragon, but it would be easier if they could render the creature unconscious and remove its collar, rather than kill it. They cautiously approached the dragon's head, and when it opened its mouth to roar, they lobbed the pill into its mouth.

Unfortunately, the dragon seemed to realise what they were doing and even as the pill flew into its mouth, it conjured fire from within its belly and blasted the pill back out. The Keeper cursed, diving out of the fire’s path as the pill flew off somewhere in the distance and the dragon began to thrash wildly in its confining rock.

With a roar, the pillar shattered once more, freeing the dragon and forcing the Keeper to dodge the flying boulders. Blast. They rolled when the dragon swiped at them with its claws, taking off once more across the cavern. Round two then.

The Keeper widened the gap once more and blasted a pillar at the dragon like before, but this time it didn't leap over the spot where the pillar had once stood, going around it instead. Well, dragons were certainly clever. Hopefully Shai wouldn't give them this much trouble when it grew up.

So, the Keeper continued to blast pillars at the dragon, casting reparo to fix them shortly after, for the fewer pillars there were, the less there was to hide behind and the more room for the dragon to attack them freely. Not to mention, they really didn't want to bring the ceiling down.

While they were certainly not dealing any blows of deadly force, the Keeper was slowly but surely wearing the dragon down. Honestly, this fight would have been hilariously short if they didn't have C-Pain to keep their stamina and strength up, and for a moment, the dragon seemed to realise that it was losing this battle of attrition.

Breathing heavily, after a little over an hour of fighting, the dragon turned to flee down the tunnel to the west, before letting out a shriek of pain. The Keeper watched with a frown, as the collar around the dragon's neck flared bright red and it collapsed to the floor, seeming to go into a seizure.

The dragon dragged itself to its feet and tiredly lunged at the keeper again, and they resumed their dodging. It seemed like the dragon was most certainly being forced to kill any intruders and did not have the option to flee, on pain of... well, pain.

As they finished their first C-Pain jar, the Keeper wondered if there was a difference between the way they consumed Pain energy as a drug, and one that caused pain with the same energy. Perhaps the collar was a method Ranrok had discovered, one that allowed him to inject Pain forcefully, in a way that caused the collared person to experience it, rather than become empowered by it, while the armlet allowed for consumption in a way that did so.

Still, they were burning through their C-Pain energy concerningly fast and had only a little over an hour to finish this before Gnarlak arrived.

The Keeper cursed as the dragon slammed its weight into a pillar that they were about to blast at it, turning the tables and using their own method against them, in what might have been an act of desperation. Casting a Protego and leaping backwards, their shield caught a large chunk of pillar and shattered under its weight.

While the shield took the brunt of that boulder, shards of flying rocks flew at them like bullets, and several caught them in the legs, ripping through their clothing and skin, and slowing their retreat.

With a roar, the dragon swiped at them with its tail, which caught the Keeper in the side and threw them across the cavern, into the wall, where they slid down into a heap on the floor.

Coughing through the dust, the Keeper struggled to stand, can't afford to be dazed, but found their legs to be covered in blood and in enough pain that they practically felt numb.

Shaky fingers fumbled for their wiggenweld potions, downing three in rapid succession before tossing aside the vials, and they rolled across the floor to avoid the dragon's claws, that slammed down where they'd been a moment ago.

Pointing their wand at a large rock a distance away, the Keeper shouted. “Accio!”

With the rock being far heavier than themselves, the Keeper was instead dragged across the floor rather painfully towards it, putting some distance between the dragon and themselves.

Balling up their Ancient Magic once more in their wand, the Keeper threw the red tinged magic at the dragon while it lunged at them, knocking it to the side, and it fell backwards into the collapsed remains of the pillar it'd just destroyed.

“Reparo!” The Keeper shouted, hoping that this time, the dragon would be too tired to break free of the pillar.

The dragon roared until it was silenced, encased in stone, and this time, its chest was exposed while its head was covered. The Keeper took another sliver of C-Pain while their calves itched and burned as the wiggenweld healed their flesh wounds, before holstering their wand and drawing the dagger that Sebastian had given them.

Having recovered enough to move, they leapt forward, landing on the dragon's exposed belly, and grabbed one of the great dragon's scales tightly between their fingers. Chest heaving with exertion and with a grunt of effort, the Keeper ripped the scale out, exposing the dragon's soft underbelly.

Shoving the bloody scale into their pocket, they held the dagger in both hands and brought it down on the dragon's hide. The blade's tip pierced the thick skin, but its body was so tough that they struggled to get it in further.

The Keeper's eyes glowed red and they leaned back, before throwing their weight forward again, putting all their strength into it, red bleeding from their body as they strained their muscles to their limit.

Until finally, with a shout, the blade sank fully into the dragon's body.

The pillar shook as the dragon's exposed tail thrashed, and the Keeper released the hilt of the dagger. Leaving it buried in the dragon's body, they jumped back and out of the way, before the pillar shattered once more.

The dragon thrashed violently in the shower of rock and stone, and the Keeper struggled to dodge the hail as they distanced themselves from it.

This continued till the debris settled and the Keeper watched warily as the dragon got to its feet unsteadily.

Had the poison not begun to work yet? Or was the poison not enough? The Keeper worried, but it seemed that they had been needlessly concerned, as the dragon barely managed to stumble a step forward, before collapsing to the floor.

They approached, watching silently as the dragon struggled to regain its footing, growling and wheezing.

A feeling of pity overtook the Keeper as they watched it struggle, threatening growls soon giving way to high pitched fearful whines and whimpers.

This creature hadn't fought them because it wanted to. It hadn't killed Osric because it wanted to. It had been forced. With their Pain energy, the power that Ranrok had stolen from them.

How hollow a victory this was.

As the dragon's struggles abated and its bright orange eyes began to lose their glow, the Keeper cautiously approached, knelt by its jaw and placed their hand gently on the side of its head.

“I'm sorry.” The Keeper murmured. “But you have my word, this will not happen again.”

The dragon's breathing gradually became weaker and soon, it ceased to draw breath altogether.

With a heavy sigh, the Keeper stood. The cavern was now eerily quiet, and they grimaced as they drew their wand. A quick tempus told them that it was almost five, they didn't have time to rest, and they took another sliver of C-Pain energy to recover their stamina, before getting to work.

Placing their wand against the dragon's collar, they tugged the E-Pain energy out of the band and transferred it to the empty jar. Before inspecting the collar, finding a latch on the back that they could unfasten and they removed it with some effort, placing it in their satchel.

Then they went to its belly and grasped the hilt of their dagger, pulling it from the dragon's body slowly and carefully. Wouldn't be funny if they cut themselves on it or got some of the bloodroot poison in them after all.

It took some effort to dislodge, but as the blade came free, it snapped in half, and the Keeper sighed as they held the broken blade. It looked like the shattered glass in the middle had weakened its structural integrity.

Well, at least they could bring back this half for now, the rest of the blade would be recovered when they gutted the dragon for parts.

“Tynx, Tibsy, Penny.” The Keeper called out as they sheathed the dagger, and with three soft pops, the elves appeared beside them.

Penny was quite startled by the dragon carcass and stumbled back in fright, but Tibsy steadied and comforted her, while Tynx bowed to the Keeper. “Yes, Master?”

“Take this carcass back to Dìon territory and harvest its parts.” The Keeper instructed. “But keep them separate from the parts of Shai's mother. This carcass is contaminated by poison, so its value is likely reduced, but it might still be worth something.”

“Yes, Master.” Tynx nodded and turned towards the other elves. “If we combine our magic, we should be able to get it home.”

“There's a blade and glass shards in its belly, so be careful of that. And the aforementioned poison.” The Keeper added as the elves plodded over to the carcass, Penny still looking rather disturbed.

The Keeper were quite glad that they'd had their elves wear shoes, if they cut their feet and stepped in poisoned blood, that would be quite... bad.

With that, the three elves snapped their fingers in unison and the large dragon's carcass disappeared, along with the elves.

The Keeper flicked their wand to vanish the blood from the floor and restored the pillar with a reparo, before turning to scan the cavern. Now they had to find the Fear-Pill. Great.

“Tempus.” The Keeper cast, fifteen minutes past five. They had to get a move on, but how would they find it? Should they search for it after killing Gnarlak?

Ugh, no time. For now, they would just check the place and perhaps they would come across it.

The Keeper walked across the cavern, limping slightly as their wounds continued to heal with the aid of their wiggenweld potions. Checking for traps or secret tunnels, and as they did so, a curious feeling began to gnaw at them.

It felt almost like a pull.

Like something in their body was gravitating towards something else, something nearby.

The Keeper wondered for a moment if they should be listening to that pull, but decided that if they kept their guard up, it would be alright. So, they closed their eyes and focused on the sensation.

In their mind's eye, the Keeper stood, a single point in space, and they could feel something familiar pulling them in one direction and in another, something almost cold.

The Keeper recalled the misty smoke, given off by the Fear-Pill, and its chill. If it was constantly smoking, perhaps that was what they were sensing?

Well, they had been hoping to find and retrieve the Fear-Pill, so they decided to follow the cold sensation first, moving cautiously and occasionally opening their eyes to avoid tripping.

After a few minutes, they felt as though they were right beside the cold spot. When they opened their eyes and looked around, they quickly spotted the Fear-Pill lodged in a crack in the floor. Using their wand, they extracted it and placed it back in its jar.

Now to investigate the other pull. If the cold sensation was the Fear-Pill, then...

They closed their eyes, focusing once again, and followed the tug.

Every step towards it felt like falling.

Growing stronger as they walked, until they found themselves standing before a wall. How strange. The Keeper examined the wall for a moment before casting a Revelio. As the charm washed over the area, something on the wall lit up in their vision, a rock that seemed unnaturally smooth.

They tapped the rock with their wand and the wall split in two, sliding aside to reveal what was unmistakably a Repository, with familiar E-Pain swirling within its confines. So, this was what Gnarlak was hiding here, a grin that was all teeth spread across their face, this must have been a backup cache Ranrok had sequestered away for distribution to his army.

With a wave of their wand, the Repository opened, and the Keeper examined its contents. It didn't look like there was much left in the silver receptacle, certainly not enough to fuel an army for a war. What strategist would be spoiling for a war when their trump card was so diminished?

That was strange to them, especially after Gnarlak had proven his intelligence and paranoia with his traps, but they supposed it didn't matter to them much. It'd be nice to get an answer to that, but this was first and foremost a job.

The Keeper withdrew an empty jar from their satchel and set to work stealing a majority of the energy, leaving just enough so that it wouldn't be obviously emptied, unless he looked too closely. Even if Gnarlak took the amount of energy they'd left in it, they should still be able to defeat him relatively easily.

Finishing up with that, the Keeper waved their wand and closed the Repository back up, along with the wall. They then took a few more rounds about the cavern to search for anything that would hinder their work and found nothing of note.

Perhaps he felt confident enough in his maze of traps and dragon to leave the cavern relatively clean, or he didn't want to risk the dragon triggering anything. The Keeper thought idly as they cast a disillusionment charm on themselves and hid behind the pillar closest to the Repository, so that they couldn't be seen from the entrance.

Checking the time, the Keeper abruptly remembered to do their evening Animagus chant, and quickly placed their wand against their heart, grimacing at the odd second heartbeat that thrummed in their ears for a moment. They'd be glad when the Animagus process was over and done with, it sure was inconvenient having to do this twice a day.

Fortunately, after all they'd done, the Keeper didn't have to wait very long before they heard footsteps emerging from the maze tunnel. Not too shabby, for everything to have gone perfectly according to schedule.

The Keeper watched as the goblin lumbered across the cavern floor, eyeing his clothes and armour. Surprisingly light on the armour actually, compared to Ranrok and the other Loyalists, he was carrying a smaller axe than usual too, standard crossbow.

Shouldn't be too hard to dispatch. They'd probably be better served going for a clean diffindo at the back while he was busy collecting energy at the Repositor-

“You might as well come out, I can feel your bloodlust.” The goblin called out as he came to a stop before the wall, turning around to face the pillar they'd been hiding behind.

Well, there went all their efforts to stay undetected.

The Keeper leisurely stepped out from behind the pillar, dispelling their disillusionment charm with a flick of their wand.

“You...” Gnarlak’s beady eyes gleamed with hatred the moment they landed on the Keeper. “I'd been wondering what manner of creature the eyes I'd felt belonged to, so careful they were, that even I couldn't discern its owner's intentions. Perhaps it's no surprise that it would be you.”

“Know me, do you?” The Keeper chuckled, leaning casually against the pillar they'd emerged from.

“Of course. Soulless murderer.” The goblin bit out.

“Pot, kettle.” They snorted. “I think at this rate, you'll have killed more of your own kind than I.”

“Perhaps, but unlike you, I haven't touched the red magic.” Gnarlak sneered.

The Keeper frowned, was he seriously considering the usage and consumption of Pain energy on par with killing his own fellow goblins?

“How'd you tell?” The Keeper asked, struggling to keep their tone conversational and indifferent.

“The red in your eyes gives you away, child.” Gnarlak answered with a smirk. “But it is so subdued. None I know would be able to resist gorging themselves on that magic, makes my Loyalists so obedient and easy to control. So, for the red to be that mild, you must be running out. That's why you're here, isn't it?”

The Keeper narrowed their eyes, well, if he thought so, they weren't about to correct him.

“I'm sure you're thirsting for more, would you like some?” He tapped the wall with what was probably Vesper’s wand, and it opened to reveal his nearly empty Repository, a misty red fog spilling into the chamber.

“If you kneel before me and beg for forgiveness, perhaps I'll share some of the power Ranrok discovered.” Gnarlak’s grin was cruel and his tone mocking.

“I think you mean stole.” The Keeper spat, some of their legitimate anger rising to the surface, as they left their spot against the pillar to stand in the centre of the chamber, several metres away from him. “That power is mine by right.”

“Is that a no?” Gnarlak ignored their statements, and the Keeper intentionally looked away, hoping to give him the impression that they were tempted by the offer.

“So that's how you've been controlling your army? By being the only provider of their drug. Why are you giving out that power in such vast quantities?” The Keeper asked instead, wouldn't do to kill a double like Faun did after all. “Do you not fear depleting your trump card long before the war even begins?”

Gnarlak scoffed. “I care little for what comes after the war. My lord and my love died to bring and win the war for our people, and then they turned on him. Denounced him!”

His voice was a furious shout by the end, pain written all over his face. “They abandoned Ranrok. He who laid down his life and his sanity for them. I care not if my kinsmen win or lose the war. I will simply bring it about, as my love intended.”

Well, can't fake that level of madness, plus he was missing a finger like Faun said.

So Gnarlak would begin a war and then leave his fellow goblins at the mercy of wizardkind, all to punish them for denouncing Ranrok, for not heralding him as a martyred messiah. At least Ranrok had wanted the E-Pain energy to win the war, this madman practically wanted his people to lose it.

“Your lord.” The Keeper spat in disgust. “Killed his own brother in cold blood. He was insane.”

“Yes...” Gnarlak’s pupils were pinpricks as he gazed, seemingly through the Keeper, at something far in the distance, visible only to him. “He gave up everything, his family, his life and his sanity. We knew what the red magic was doing to him, and he forbade me from touching it myself, but he needed it, to win the war.”

The Keeper flinched. That sounded too much like their own words to Sebastian and Ominis. They needed it. To cure Anne, to protect what was theirs. The mantra they repeated to themselves every time they stilled their trembling fingers, as they struggled against the urge to consume more than their weekly dose.

How then, were they different from Ranrok?

“All will feel our pain.” Gnarlak murmured and the Keeper bristled at his words.

No, they were different from Ranrok. They just wanted to be free of suffering for the rest of their days, and maybe get the justice that had been denied them.

Ranrok and his Loyalist army wanted to tip the scales and become the oppressors, wanted to grind all of Wizardkind under heel. Innocent and guilty thrown into the same hellfire the goblins had endured. Simply trading places, the suffering unending.

Gnarlak was worse, he abstained from touching the Pain energy, sure, but he had no loyalty to anything or anyone. He'd lost all principles and only sought destruction. He had to die. This wasn't just a job anymore.

It was their job.

“Very well.” The Keeper made a show of putting away their wand in their thigh holster, and strode forward calmly, not reacting when a wide smirk spread across Gnarlak’s face. “If you give me the rest of your ‘red magic’, I will serve.”

Placing a hand over their heart and dropping to one knee at the goblin's feet, the Keeper bowed their head, as one would before a king. Cackles of laughter grated on their ears, but it only lasted for a handful of seconds.

Their eyes glowed red and in a single smooth motion, the Keeper's hand dropped to grasp the hilt of Sebastian's dagger, drawing the broken blade, and with their enhanced speed, swiftly slashed it across Gnarlak’s throat, silencing him before he could so much as blink.

The goblin fell backwards with a choked gurgle, and collapsed to the floor, clutching at his throat as blood bubbled through his lips and squeezed past his palm, flowing down his arm and seeping into his cloth.

The Keeper stood slowly, watching impassively as Gnarlak inched backwards across the floor, trying to distance himself from them. Fear and anger in his eyes, even as his veins darkened with the residual poison still coating the dagger.

“I fight to protect, you fight to throw away what Ranrok left you. His poisonous dream ends with you.” The Keeper gazed down at him, as they drew and raised their wand to finish the job. “Diffindo.”

The goblin's head hit the floor and rolled for a few steps, while his body slumped to the ground.

And just like that, it was done.

The Keeper took a deep breath, before sighing and stooping to collect Vesper’s wand, shoving it into their satchel as they straightened. They had more work and cleaning up to do before they could go home.

Casting a levitation charm on the goblin's boot, the Keeper raised it so that he hung upside down in the air and the blood drained from his corpse through the opening in his neck.

They then collected the remaining E-Pain energy and placed the empty Repository into their satchel as well. They would give it to Borgok that he might recycle the silver to craft their purchases from, should offset the price somewhat.

It took a while before Gnarlak’s head and body were emptied enough to make less of a mess, and the Keeper shoved both into an expanded pouch they'd brought along, to provide evidence of their kill.

Finished with everything they needed to do, the Keeper took out Owl's two-way pocket mirror and opened it. “Owl.”

A moment later, he appeared in the reflection, a wide smile on his face. “Hey, kid! You're still alive!”

“Of course, finished off Gnarlak too.” The Keeper snorted. “And there was a bloody dragon in here.”

“A dragon!?” Owl exclaimed. “What happened with it?”

“Like I said, there was a dragon in here.” The Keeper smirked and Owl's eyes became very round and wide.

“Damn, a dragon too. Guess I underestimated you.” The man murmured.

“Anyway, I'll meet you at the pub to give you your payment around ten.” The Keeper continued. “If you get there before me, help me ask Alasdair to send Borgok a letter to see if he's free to meet tonight?”

Owl nodded. “Can do. Though, you sure, kid? You don't look so goo-”

The Keeper closed the mirror and pocketed it again.

A quick tempus informed them that it was just past seven, well, that gave them enough time to have dinner with Ominis and Sebastian, and grab a change of clothes.

Looking down at their torn and bloodied clothing, the Keeper sighed and turned to leave the cavern. Thank goodness Ominis was blind, they'd never hear the end of it if he were to see them like this.

That was what the Keeper so thought at least, until they collapsed on Dìon castle's doorstep, the panicked shouts of their boyfriends ringing in their ears.

“Absolutely not! You're going to rest for the rest of the night!” Ominis exclaimed, storming after the Keeper as they strode towards the castle entrance.

“I'm fine, Ominis.” The Keeper shook their head. “I've already told Owl I'll be meeting with him at the Phantom’s in thirty minutes and possibly Borgok. I'd rather get this all sorted out tonight if I can.”

“You just collapsed from an impacted liver and a bloody hemothorax!” Ominis grabbed them by the arm, looking like he was barely restraining himself from pinning them to the floor to keep them from leaving.

“Which you've healed up quite nicely, I barely feel a thing!” The Keeper smiled brightly and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“You-” Ominis spluttered in indignation, before spinning around with a glare. “Sebastian! Say something!”

The brunet in question was busying with something in his... bag.

“Sebastian, why are you taking out your broom?” The Keeper asked warily.

“Isn't it obvious?” Sebastian returned dryly, shooting them a glare that almost matched Ominis’ in intensity. “You're not fine, not even close.”

The Keeper blinked as his knuckles turned white around the broom's handle, his voice trembling as he spoke. “If I hadn't made that dagger for you-”

“But you did.” The Keeper interrupted with a soft and grateful smile. “And it saved my life.”

“Well, it shouldn't have!” Sebastian shouted, shaking his broom at them. “It was supposed to be a fail-safe! A last resort! There wasn't supposed to be a bloody dragon in there!”

“If I hadn't-” Sebastian's eyes were dark, in a way they’d only seen when talking about Anne's curse before. “If there were something worse, you might not have come home.”

The Keeper grimaced and folded their arms. Admittedly they hadn't thought they'd end up using the dagger either. The dragon had caught them off guard too and with its magic resistance, they doubted anything else they had would have put it down. They supposed that for all his confidence and bravado, Sebastian hadn't thought the stakes quite as high as they'd ended up being.

“I won't stop you from taking jobs like these.” Sebastian muttered, his voice strained. “But I’m not letting you go alone again until I'm convinced that you'll come home.”

With a sigh, the Keeper gave him a helpless smile. “I suppose I can't argue when you put it that way.”

“You most certainly can't argue if we put it any other way either.” Ominis scoffed.

“And I'm going with you tonight, to make sure you don't pass out in the middle of Knockturn Alley or something.” Sebastian added firmly.

The Keeper sighed, they supposed it wouldn't hurt to have Sebastian with them, Owl was already aware that they were living with him in Feldcroft after all.

“Fine. You can come with, but try not to say too much around Owl.” The Keeper conceded. “The man's sharper than a unicorn's horn.”

Receiving a nod from Sebastian, they then turned to Ominis. “Does that satisfy you, darling?”

Their blind lover didn't seem entirely appeased, but gave them a grudging nod, his lips pressed together into a thin line. “If you start having difficulty breathing, you come right back home, you hear me?”

The Keeper chuckled, pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Yes sir. I'll come home and you can drain any fluid you want out of me.”

Ominis’ cheeks flushed and he pushed them away with an annoyed huff. “Ugh, just go before I change my mind.”

Grinning, the Keeper gave Sebastian a casual pat on the shoulder. “Come on, then.”

“Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on them.” Sebastian murmured to Ominis as he followed.

Shaking his head, Ominis gave a tired sigh and ran a hand over his hair, as the doors closed behind his lovers. At this rate, he was definitely going to lose all said hair by the time they reached their thirties.

Still, they'd come home alive, which was better than he'd feared, considering that the Keeper had gone up against a dragon on their own. He would have thought they'd come home more injured than the Hogsmeade broom incident rather than less. He grimaced, the memory alone was enough to tempt him to go downstairs to pay the depressed Selwyn an unpleasant visit.

Ominis shook the thoughts from his mind, no, he should just focus on being happy that they'd survived. With another sigh, he turned to head up the stairs.

At least their room here in Dìon finally had a proper bed, he was beyond exhausted.

The image of the Keeper’s broken body on Hogsmeade’s cobblestone remained burned into Sebastian's mind, as he followed them silently through Knockturn Alley and towards the pub. Not quite how he'd pictured his first trip into the illicit derelicts, but he was still too upset to really take in the sights.

From the moment the Keeper landed on the grass of Dìon castle's lawn, covered in blood, robes torn and tattered, smiling at him and Ominis as they collapsed, he could not shake the memory that had resurfaced.

His stomach had turned, and it was all Sebastian could do to hold in his panic as he carried them into the castle kitchens and set them down on Shai's bed to warm their cooling body, while Ominis hurriedly cast charm after charm on them. It was just from their flight through the cold winter air, but it felt all too familiar, the stench of rust and smoke, cold blood on his hands and nothing he could do.

Why had he agreed to let them go alone? Talking up a weapon he never thought would be needed. It was almost more terrifying that the Keeper hadn't disagreed, when he suggested that they'd needed the blade to win that battle.

Even with the Keeper's insane Ancient Magic and C-Pain energy, it was a plain old dagger and poison made by a novice that ended up legitimately being their trump card!? That had been a joke! The whole project was something to do to occupy himself. To scratch that frustrating itch by doing something, anything that made him feel like he was contributing to their survival, no matter how small.

It was supposed to have been small.

It hadn't been.

His 'small' contribution had brought them home.

What if he hadn't finished it in time? What if he hadn't made it strong enough? No, he couldn't let them do this again. He now understood why his beloved had lost their temper with him for being reckless on the Marunweem mountain. It was unbearable, imagining what might have happened to them if he hadn't gone with the old adage of, ‘better too much than not enough’, for the poison dosage.

He'd thought Ominis over-worrying as always, as the blond paced a hole into the floor for almost the entire four hours, till the elves came back with the dragon's body. His boyfriend had almost passed out from relief when Tynx said the Keeper was fine, and Sebastian had felt assured in his confidence in them.

Now, he felt like Ominis’ worry had been well founded and it was Sebastian who'd been stupidly overconfident. Again.

But what could he do? He was always just... tagging along. Following and watching, the sidekick of the main character. The Keeper, always solving his problems, providing cryptic mysterious answers while he stood on the sidewalk, and every time he acted on his own, he messed up and hurt someone. His uncle, Ominis, and even the Keeper themselves.

So, he'd been content to follow their lead and trust their judgement, let them guide him and point him in the right direction, but... what if they weren't as all-knowing as they came off? Twice now, they'd almost died while he wasn't watching. What could he do? What was he supposed to do?

Merlin, the Keeper drove him mad, in all the innumerable ways he needed them, relied on them. No, they hadn't been wrong about their direction, they just hadn't been strong enough. That's all.

He couldn’t afford to lose them. He just needed to make sure the Keeper had all the power in the world. As long as they were indestructible, he would have nothing to fear.

Right?

“Sebastian, we're here.” The Keeper whispered quietly to him and touched his arm gently. “Keep your wits about you, love. And just follow my lead.”

Taking a breath, Sebastian nodded. “Always.”

The flash of teeth in the Keeper's grin, under their hood, sent a shiver up his spine. He could almost pretend they hadn't been unconscious from their injuries two hours ago.

Following the Keeper inside, Sebastian glanced about cautiously, so this was the notorious Phantom’s Flask they'd talked about. It certainly looked like any other pub, barring the dour externalities.

“Heeeey, Sal!”

The moment the Keeper lowered their hood, there came a cheerful call from one of the nearby tables and Sebastian lowered his hood as well. Following them to the table, where a skinny fellow with dusty brown hair was seated, looking quite out of place between the intimidating patrons of this pub.

“Owl.” The Keeper nodded in greeting and took a seat, Sebastian doing the same beside them. So, this was the man his partner had hired, somehow, he felt younger than Sebastian had imagined.

“Congratulations on completing your first job, kid.” Owl grinned, raising his mug in toast to them, before adding. “Alasdair says Borgok can make it tonight.”

“Great, my thanks for passing on the message.” The Keeper tipped their head in gratitude.

“It's no bother at all.” Owl shook his head, before giving Sebastian a curious nod. “And who's your friend here?”

“This is Sebastian.” The Keeper answered, to Sebastian's surprise, what happened to aliases?

“Ah, the young man you've been living with!” Owl beamed, snatching Sebastian's hand off the table for an enthusiastic shake. “It's very nice to meet you!”

Sebastian blinked at the man for a few seconds, before cocking an eyebrow at the Keeper. “You told him?”

“Nope.” The Keeper flashed him a wry smile, before turning to speak with a blond lady that stopped by the table.

“Oh, don't sweat it, kid. I'm just too curious for my own good.” Owl gave a hearty laugh and patted Sebastian's hand. “And I peddle information. It's kinda my thing, comes with the trade.”

Right. Tracker and info guy. Must have been real curious to spend extra time sniffing the Keeper's business.

“Is that so...” Sebastian nodded slowly as he retrieved his hand. “Don't suppose you'd like to share how you came about that information?”

Owl chuckled with a pleasantly affable smile. “Now that would be telling, wouldn't it? Got to keep some trade secrets or I'll lose me edge.”

Sebastian snorted lightly, sharp like the Keeper said. For once, he felt like it'd be better if he kept his mouth shut for most of this conversation.

“Speaking of trade.” The Keeper fished out a small pouch from their satchel and slid it across the table. “Here's the rest of your payment and your mirror.”

“Thank you kindly.” Owl grinned as he caught the small pouch.

The moment he did so, a blue flame appeared over the back of his hand.

“What was that?” Sebastian asked curiously.

“Just means the contract's conditions have all been fulfilled.” Owl explained, dropping the pouch into his rucksack and pulling out the rolled-up contract to present it to the teenagers. “See how the seal's turned turquoise? Now we need only bring our contracts to the guildmaster to discharge them.”

What fascinating magic, flashy, and elegant in a way he appreciated, and Sebastian couldn’t help but enquire further. “What happens if a Merc fulfils their end of the contract, but the contractor doesn't pay?”

“Oh, the contractor will feel like they're engulfed in blue flames until they make the agreed payment.” Owl answered with a bit too much enthusiasm. “If the payment is something that can't be made any longer, Alasdair will try to negotiate an alternative, but otherwise, it's... let’s just say, inadvisable trying to get out of paying.”

“I see.” Sebastian murmured, eyeing the colour changing wax seal. He'd spent some time examining the Keeper's contract after they'd gotten it, but it had been impossible to identify the type of wax it employed, and it'd driven him nuts for an entire week.

“And now that you've finished this job, what will you do next?” The Keeper asked Owl, their tone casual and conversational as the blond lady from before came by to drop off two tall glasses of lumpy brown sludge. Passing one to Sebastian, they cautioned. “Drink slowly.”

Taking the glass, Sebastian peered at it curiously and took a slow sip through the straw. What the- he leaned back in surprise.

He squinted at the sludge in the dim lighting, ice? That was bloody genius! He took another sip. Crunchy texture, coffee and chocolate? Brilliant! Could he recreate it? Ominis would love this. How the hell did the guildmaster make the ice so evenly shaved? Not a blade surely, crushing? No, each sheet was too thin. A spell no doubt, but he'd never read of a freezing spell this intricate...

“-stumble on someone who needs assistance or Alasdair points someone at me.” Owl's voice cut in on Sebastian's speculation.

Right, the Keeper was still interrogating Owl, Sebastian shook his head and refocused on the conversation.

“Not too different from the way I made my earnings before, I see. What made you join the Phantoms?” The Keeper asked with a cajoling smile and Sebastian had to look away to calm his heart.

Powerful, intelligent, cunning, oh, and bloody hot. Sometimes Sebastian still felt like he needed to pinch himself to check that he wasn't just having a complex dream of the new fifth-year that just happened to be his type.

“It was mostly happenstance. Shortly after Hogwarts, I stumbled into the pub in the middle of a job, not knowing what it was. Alasdair plucked me out and offered me a spot. Said something about dying young if I play without a team for too long.” Owl laughed. “Won't disagree, he's helped me out of tough spots many a time. Mostly when someone wants info I'm not selling.”

“How much does Alasdair help his Mercs?” The Keeper asked.

“Beyond facilitating contracts, he hammers heads if anyone tries to force us to do a job uncontracted, or tries to cheat us. He plays judge if there's a disagreement over payment.” Owl listed with a thoughtful expression. “He only stays out of it if we're in trouble as part of a job. We get to deal with the consequences of accepting a job that’s over our heads, you know?”

“Makes sense, so how do you decide what jobs to take then?” The Keeper prodded.

Owl flashed them a wry smile that was a tad confusing to Sebastian, but he imagined the Keeper understood it. “I take jobs I'm interested in or work that pays well. Though I don't normally take wet work, you're a bit of an exception. Still rather impressed by how deep your pockets are for a Hogwarts student.”

“What can I say, I do good work.” The Keeper chuckled. “So, what are you going to do with my coin? Enjoy an expensive lifestyle?”

“Oh yes, very expensive lifestyle. Wouldn't recommend taking in six orphans unless you're masochistic.” Owl shook his head.

“You've got six kids!?” Sebastian exclaimed incredulously, somehow the idea of this guy being a dad felt absurd.

“Yup.” Owl's grin was absolutely glowing with pride. “Oldest is in fourth-year at Hogwarts.”

“I guess you like kids.” The Keeper commented dryly.

“Well, yes. That's one reason.” Owl nodded slowly, and his eyes narrowed with some frustration. “The lack of magical orphanages is another.”

“I see.” The Keeper's expression was neutral, and Sebastian was quite amazed that they could wear such a detached look, while he had to take another drink from his glass to smother his grimace.

“I grew up on the muggle streets and I wouldn’t wish that on a magical kid, but I can't run an orphanage on my own and the damn Ministry doesn't give a rat's arse.” Owl shook his head with a tight smile. “So, I do what I can for the kids I come across.”

“And I'll thank you for that.” The Keeper flashed a small smile at the man, which seemed to brighten his disposition some. “If you like helping orphan kids, then perhaps you'll be willing to take another job from me.”

“Oh?” Owl raised an eyebrow, leaning forward to fold his hands on the table. “What kind?”

“I'd like you to help us find his sister.” The Keeper tilted their head towards Sebastian, and he promptly choked on his drink.

“His sister?” Owl echoed, eyeing them warily. “You're not-”

“Sebastian's twin sister, Anne Sallow, cut contact with him and we're hoping for reconciliation, but we don't know where she is and she's not answering our owls.” The Keeper gave Owl a hopeful smile. “I'd appreciate it if you could help these orphan twins reunite. I'll pay you handsomely for this of course.”

Coughing to clear his throat, Sebastian wasn't sure if the tears in his eyes were from choking, or from overwhelming gratitude. He couldn’t believe he hadn't thought of this himself and felt a tad stupid now, of course, a professional tracker would be the perfect person to help them find Anne.

Had the Keeper taken up this Mercenary position, thinking too of the connections they'd obtain that could help Sebastian find his twin? The sheer number of things they'd taken on for him was beyond belief, and honestly, inspired no small amount of guilt in him.

“Want to tell me why she cut contact?” Owl asked with a charming smile and the Keeper laughed.

“You don't need to know that to find her.” They answered with an equally knowing smile and Sebastian felt like he was watching a chess match.

Owl gave them a hearty laugh. “I suppose I don't. Very well, I accept the job. Got anything that might help?”

“We've already searched these locations.” The Keeper unrolled a map on the table and began pointing out some of the towns that Ominis had been to, in search of Anne.

Sebastian was also happy to contribute with Anne's preferences and any habits that could help Owl determine where she might have chosen to live. While the Keeper dodged several more attempts at digging additional information and stopped Sebastian every time he came close to oversharing.

When that was finally done, the Keeper and Owl left Sebastian at the table while they went over to the bar to archive their previous contract and create a new one for Anne's search. He watched from the table as the bartender cum guildmaster stamped a seal on the old contracts, turning the wax a deep green.

Honestly, Sebastian was amazed at how deftly the Keeper was handling all this. While he enjoyed political chess as much as the next Slytherin, he had to admit that it was a bit tiring to play against someone like Owl. The man made it extremely easy to forget that he was an information broker, and Sebastian really couldn't believe that he'd been a Hufflepuff.

Then again, the Keeper had played that game well from the moment he met them- bloody hell, had it really been three years already? It'd been difficult playing against someone he found distractingly attractive, but the whole Anne thing and the lack of Ominis had somewhat tempered his libido.

Now, however? Watching the Keeper striding confidently through a pub full of dangerous wizards, witches, goblins and other creatures, bantering with a bartender who looked like he could snap a man in half with a sneeze. Merlin's blue balls, it was hot.

A little voice in the back of his head that sounded suspiciously like Ominis, reminded Sebastian that he was there to make sure the Keeper didn't push themselves, not gawk at them. Which was difficult to convince himself of, when they looked far more in their element here than he felt.

The Keeper soon returned with Owl in tow, tucking away both the new and old contracts with one hand, while the other held a tray carrying a plate of chips and two new glasses of that brilliant chocolate ice drink.

“Alright, I'll let you know how it goes, but it'll probably take longer than Gnarlak.” Owl was saying as the two reached the table, and he shot Sebastian a small smile. “I doubt your sister's got an army's worth of movements or criminal activity to track, and it doesn't help that she can apparate.”

The Keeper and Sebastian snorted at the same time, the idea of Anne doing anything remotely criminal was laughable.

“It's fine, we'll just be glad to speak with her again.” The Keeper replied evenly as they sat down with the tray, and Sebastian couldn't quite stop himself from glancing at them at their words. After all, they weren't planning to just talk with her.

“Uh huh.” Owl grinned, hefting his rucksack over his shoulder. “See you next week, kid.”

“Till then.” The Keeper nodded, and popped a chip into their mouth, while the tracker gave Sebastian a parting wave as he left the pub.

“That was impressive, you sure got a lot out of him.” Sebastian smiled, curiously stealing a chip from their plate to taste.

Not bad, but he would take no more. Seeing as they'd rushed off after being healed, the Keeper hadn't yet eaten, and he was fairly certain that they planned to hit the hay when they got home, only having eaten this paltry excuse of a snack for dinner. He could already hear Ominis’ complaints.

“Trust me, love. We only got what he deigned to share. That arse knew what I was doing, he was just humouring my prying.” The Keeper grumbled, taking a sip from their glass. “Glad you didn't see my first go, gave him far more when he first tried prodding at me.”

“Hard to imagine, what with the way you handled him this time.” Sebastian chuckled.

“Yeah well, I do learn, you know?” The Keeper flashed him a teasing smile, and Sebastian scolded his heart for going nuts at such a small thing. You'd think they hadn't been dating - and occasionally getting each other off, though not nearly as often as he'd like - for almost two years now.

“That I do.” Sebastian took a gulp of his drink in the hopes of cooling his head down, and winced when a sharp pain bloomed in the back of it.

“I told you to drink slowly.” The Keeper shook their head with a fond smile.

“And now I know why.” Sebastian's laugh was a broken up staccato as he rubbed at the base of his skull.

“Don't worry, it'll pass in a bit.” The Keeper reassured with a fond smile that undid any impact the drink had had on cooling his head, as they popped another chip into their mouth.

A few minutes and most of the plate of chips later, something caught the Keeper's attention, just off to the side, and Sebastian followed their line of sight, spotting a goblin that was lumbering over to their table.

“Borgok.” The Keeper nodded at the goblin, gesturing at the chair across. “Please, take a seat.”

“I assume you have good news.” Borgok's smile was knowing as he sat down.

The Keeper pulled a pouch from their satchel and dropped it on the table. “Here you go, Gnarlak’s head, as agreed.”

The goblin's eyes were wide as he stared at the small bag. “You- is that?”

“Yup, and the rest of him too.” The Keeper nodded and Sebastian wrinkled his nose in disgust, ew.

“Wha- why did you bring his body?” Borgok asked faintly.

“Evidence of the kill?” The Keeper raised an eyebrow in confusion. Ah, Sebastian cringed, right, muggleborn.

Borgok gave an uneasy laugh as he picked up the pouch. “Er, I appreciate the thoroughness, but the contract is evidence enough.”

“Oh.” The Keeper blinked.

“That would be the magic part of the contract.” Sebastian whispered into their ear, and they cleared their throat in some embarrassment.

“Right, good to know.” The Keeper nodded awkwardly, quickly changing the subject. “Anyway, there's also some goblin silver in there that you can use to craft my requested items.”

“Of course, glad to see that I was right about your capabilities.” The goblin nodded slowly as he gingerly placed the pouch in his pocket. “I believe you wanted a cauldron, two collars of human size...”

“And an armlet.” The Keeper continued, handing him a sheet of paper with the measurements for their items. “And make that three collars.”

“Alright.” Borgok nodded, glancing at the list before pocketing the slip. “I should have them ready for you by next week.”

“Oh, what about the Fear-laced blade idea I had?” Sebastian prodded the Keeper in the arm, speaking in a hush. Considering how handy the poisoned dagger had ended up being, he felt like he’d rest easier if they got something stronger to replace it.

“Right, actually, Borgok. Do you think you'd be able to make a dagger that has a similar design to the collars?” The Keeper asked. “Essentially a dagger that would inject in the same way collars do.”

Borgok frowned. “I told you, I don't make weapons anymore.”

“Are you taking the piss?” A surge of anger overtook Sebastian, and he glared at the goblin across the table. “You sent them into a dangerous battle without arming them or giving them anything to go on! They had to kill a bloody dragon to do your damn job and now you're holding out on weapons that'll keep them alive!?”

A crack formed on the glass cup in Sebastian's tight grip and the Keeper placed a hand on his, murmuring quietly. “Calm down, love.”

“A dragon?” Borgok echoed with a startled look.

“Indeed.” The Keeper answered. “Gnarlak had a dragon in his control, and I broke a poisoned dagger in its hide and would like a replacement.”

Borgok's expression was still uncertain, and the Keeper pressed him further.

“Our contract says that you will supply me with any goblin silver metalsmithing. Are you going back on our agreement?” The Keeper's eyes narrowed. “I thought this was to be an ongoing partnership to prevent further uprisings, perhaps you'd like to handle future rebellion leaders on your own, hm?”

The goblin hesitated for a moment more, before sighing and nodding. “Well, I did agree to that, and I suppose there's a difference between crafting weapons to prevent war and crafting them for war. Very well, I'll craft a dagger for you as well, it shouldn't be too difficult to give it a functionality similar to the collars.”

“Thank you.” The Keeper nodded, giving Sebastian a small smile that helped him relax further.

“Did you actually kill the dragon?” Borgok asked after a few moments.

“I did actually, hardest battle since Ranrok himself.” The Keeper chuckled. “Gnarlak was easy by comparison.”

“Incredible, with a poisoned dagger you said?” Borgok asked with some amazement. “We have one living in Gringotts' vault caves that we would unleash upon thieves, so I'm quite familiar with a dragon's ferocity.”

“Yes, it would likely have killed me if not for this dagger Sebastian made.” The Keeper withdrew the broken dagger from their satchel and presented it to the goblin, warning. “Be careful, it's still steeped in poison.”

Borgok drew the dagger from its sheath and inspected the broken blade, the unmistakably sulfuric stench of dragon blood filled the air, along with the sickening sweetness of the poison. “Curious design, and you made this, young man?”

Sebastian nodded. “Had the hollow in the middle covered by glass, with poison inside.”

“To hold enough poison for a dragon... I must say, that's rather brilliant.” The goblin nodded, scrutinising the edge for a moment more, before asking Sebastian. “Interested in blacksmithing?”

“Not exactly, I just wanted them to be safe.” Sebastian murmured, glancing at the Keeper as he answered, though it made him slightly embarrassed when Borgok's eyes softened with understanding. Clearing his throat, Sebastian continued. “Though I was thinking of becoming a Curse Breaker for Gringotts when I graduate.”

“Is that so...” Borgok eyed him speculatively and took another look at the blade in his hands. “Sebastian, was it?”

He raised a questioning eyebrow at the goblin and Borgok steepled his fingers with a small smile. “I'd like to offer you the opportunity to learn from me.”

“Wha-?” Sebastian blinked at him in confusion, what in Merlin's name was this goblin on about?

“My apprentice... my nephew.” Borgok sighed. “Was murdered by Ranrok for seeking peace with wizardkind, and I think he'd be happy if I took on a human as an apprentice. One who understands what it means to create with and for love.”

Sebastian's eyes went wide, there was some poetic irony, that a goblin would seek to bridge relations with humanity through him of all people. He who had spent two years hating and killing goblins, and here he was, being offered apprenticeship by a master blacksmith, who was a goblin.

“And this.” Borgok raised the broken blade. “Unpolished and lacking in technique, but extraordinarily designed and I can feel the effort that went into it. It would be a shame to let a mind for craft and a steady hand go to waste, and I can get you a fast track into the Curse Breaker ranks, if you accept.”

“I-” Sebastian floundered for a moment, before looking to the Keeper for help.

“It's your future, it's up to you.” They patted him on the shoulder, and he frowned thoughtfully.

Well, it would help to have a way into the Curse Breakers immediately after graduation, without any prior experience in the field. The sooner he gained access to their logs, the sooner he might find a cure for Anne's curse, and it would feel good, being able to jump into a well-paying job and contribute to their funds quickly.

Plus, the Keeper's experiments with energies would mean a lot of work with goblin silver. If he knew how to forge and craft with said goblin silver, he'd be useful to them. They'd done so much for him... Sebastian would do anything for them, anything to be useful, to make them stronger.

“I accept.” Sebastian answered and Borgok grinned.

“Excellent, we can speak further of the details next weekend. Shall we say, nine in the evening?” The goblin nodded. “I'm afraid I can't stay much longer.”

“Sure.” Sebastian agreed, still a little dazed by all the surprises that tonight had had to offer.

“I look forward to receiving my pay.” The Keeper gave the goblin a small smile.

“Of course, till then.” Borgok tipped his head in farewell and lumbered off towards the doors.

After he'd been gone for a few moments, the Keeper laughed lightly. “What a turn of events.”

“No kidding.” Sebastian chuckled, slumping against the back of his chair. “Somehow, I feel pretty tired after all that.”

The Keeper laughed lightly and stood, offering him a hand. “Come on, let's go home then.”

Home.

Sebastian smiled, and took their hand without hesitation. “Yeah, let's go home.”

Notes:

The Keeper, as they kill Gnarlak: Your blood is on Ranrok's hands. xDDD

Hemothorax is basically when you have pockets of blood in your lungs, which can be caused by blunt trauma, essentially minor internal bleeding which if given enough time can become a collapsed lung. An injured liver can be really bad too because of toxin build-up in the blood and cause feelings of exhaustion among other symptoms.

So, not nearly as serious as the Hogsmeade broom incident, but has the potential to be. Sebastian does manage to forget that pretty fast tho-

Also, Gnarlak’s means of controlling his army is actually a method used by criminal organisations to control their members in reality. Make a person addicted to a drug that only you can provide and bam, you have a desperate slave with no ego.

However, unfortunately for him, the Keeper essentially has an endless stock, since they can actually create Pain energy, so this isn't a weakness they have.

He also assumed that the Keeper would have become mentally corroded by Pain energy via over-consumption and drug abuse, like his own Loyalists. Just like Ranrok. Which they weren't because Sebastian and Ominis keep them from abusing the Pain drug.

I mean, if you put someone on a pedestal too hard, it can damage your overall logic. He began on the assumption that "if someone as strong as Ranrok can be corrupted by Pain, no one can resist it." And that made him vulnerable to underestimating the Keeper.

On the less extreme end, Sebastian also kinda puts MC on a pedestal and his game dialogue lines make it plain that he is very concerned with proving himself useful to them. The second of which is incredibly endearing imo x3

I find it rather irritating when people don't seem to understand that Sebastian isn't being manipulative when he tries to pressure MC to help Anne. If anything, it's pretty clear that he thinks MC is badass enough to do anything and everything if he can convince them to try and he just throws everything he's got at us, kid's just desperate xP

He's so adorably earnest despite all that, and I love his character so much for it- Ugh, he's so cute-

But ahem, anyway, cute as it may be in moderation, pedestals aren't a great place to put people, no one is perfect and thinking people are perfect can be dangerous in many ways. Sebastian still hasn't quite grown out of that, hard to blame him, when they are as OP as the game made them, and as I've worsened heh heh- but he's getting there, slowly xP

I also think it's reasonable to say that someone with good hand to eye coordination for the wand flicks of spell casting would have a steady hand for crafting as well. Well, hopefully, and I think Sebastian has the creativity, endurance, determination, and hard working attitude that would be suited to it as well, with the right motivation xP

Many thanks once again, to my Patreon, cheeky_idler, for naming Shai as a Paid member with voting & suggestion power! ;)

[fblover]

I have some thoughts about this. It’s only a theory, of course.

JKR hates Jacob from the very beginning. Because he’s muggle – she hates muggles and in the wizarding world she would join to Voldemort, not Dumbledore. I think someone forced her to add muggle character at the FB. She wouldn’t do it voluntarily because she hates muggles and didn’t understand what to do with them. You can see it at the Jacob’s story. He’s brave, strong, war vet, he’s connected person according to Newt. What did she do with it? Nothing. At the first movie she indulgently allowed Jacob to hit Gnarlak and knock down the door, and at the 2nd movie he did nothing. And at the 3rd movie too. Why? Because she didn’t know what to do with muggles because she hates them.

And than she hates Jacob because he’s fat. He didn’t be fat at the beginning, when JKR imagine a story. Michel Sera and John Krasinski tried to this role. They’re both thin. JKR would never take at her story fat character at the main positive role. So, someone push to her to get fat actor to this role. At first it was Josh Gad and finally they got Dan Fogler. David Yates’s girlfriend recommended him, as I know.

So, JKR got a fat muggle character, which she didn’t want and actor, which recommended another person, at her ideal movie with thin wizarding persons only. And she wanted to destroy him. She used every single moment to make a fatphobic joke or a humiliating moment. Even his relationships with Queenie are a joke, like you said “he’s fat, she’s pretty, you should laugh at this dumb pair, their like King Julian III and Sonya from “Madagascar 3”, hahaha, fat people should die!” I think even a legilimency appeared at the story because she didn’t believe someone could fall in love to fat person, especially at the first sight.  

…But people liked Jacob. Suddenly. (not in a fandom way, you know, you can like Jacob as a comic relief, but if you like Jacob as a man and ship him with someone, people will laugh at you and bully you) And they want more Jacob and Queenie/Jacob relationships. JKR didn’t want them. She hoped didn’t write about Jacob again, but someone forced her to add them at the 2nd movie and made their story wider.

JKR always angry when people have other opinion to her characters. Remember her angry when she knew about Draco’s fans? Or about fandom’s obsession of Percival Graves? She didn't care about him too badly so she never communicated with Colin Farrell. And people doesn’t dance at her flute. Again.

When JKR recovered from butthurt, she tried to destroy Jacob again. At the 2nd movie actors didn’t have so much creative freedom like at the 1st movie. Alison Sudol almost completely rewrite Queenie to make her kinder and softer person at the 1st movie. So, if you love jaqueenie and Goldstein sister relationships, it’s her merit.

JKR tried to ruined all of these. Obviously, she knew what she did. Jaqueenie relationships it’s a bad copy from Meropa and Tom relationships. But even worse, because a victim falls in love to his abuser. And now JKR got that she wanted. Almost everyone hates this jaqueenie’s version. No one asked for it.  So, it’s a answer to question why jaqueenie is so bad and became even worse.

Then JKR evilly laughed in her evil castle, but show must go on. She needed to write the 3rd movie. I think in the hell JKR will write a scenario to an endless sitcom about jaqueenie and their children. Haha, what a shame.  

I really want to hear your opinion about Queenie/Jacob, but after you will see the 3rd Fantastic Beasts movie. I read you didn't like this ship at the 1st movie. As this ship became worse and worse at movie to movie, I would like to hear how you smash it. Or not 😂

(I haven't seen 3rd movie yet I can't wait to see if she gets worse ❤) I love Queenie/Jacob. Oh my god it's so entertaining Like seeing a crash in slow motion - every time I think 'Wow they can't make it creepier than this' they manage to make it creepier.

Do I think that's good? I guess not. But it's hard to hate. It's absurd.

Her instant infatuation with Jacob when he was drugged was a creepy opening - and she never stops. She just gets worse.

In movie 1, for a side pair, I can accept the instant simplicity of "She understands him deeply because she can read his mind - and he is enamored with how magical she is. She isn't used to people being so openly positive about her and her abilities."

But it never feels like it is being shown in that angle. It seems to rely on the 'comedy' that Jacob is fat and Queenie pretty - so him loving her is obvious, and her loving him is 'funny'. Which is gross and uncomfortable. Jacob is a handsome sweetheart. I would date him.

She starts out just being weirdly into him... but the second movie opens with her restoring his memories, pulling him from his dream bakery life, enchanting him into a lovesick state where he can barely even feed himself, kidnapping him to England to force marriage...

He is understandably upset about it when Newt saves him, so she storms off and joins the anti-Muggle fascists. Grindelwald has a speech about 'Not seeing Muggles as lesser, but other.' and she loves it! She pledges herself to his cause!

It makes it pretty clear she isn't just desperate to marry and have a family with Jacob because she loves him but because she wants to own him like a pet. She doesn't care if he doesn't have human rights but instead alternate No-Maj 'rights' decided by awful wizards.

Imagine if Tonks joined the Death Eaters because 'At least then you'd have a place in society, Remus! They WANT werewolves around!'

I think Queenie/Jacob is awful - but I don't hate it. I love it. This woman is a freak and it's compelling. I never know what she is going to do next, so if she gets even worse in the third movie I'm EXCITED.

[suitcasesandsalamanders]

fantastic beasts characters as old head memes

aka it’s 2:30 am and i can’t sleep also i missed making these types of posts🥺

newt:

tina:

jacob:

queenie:

credence:

grindelwald:

leta:

theseus:

gnarlak:

niffler:

[frunbuns]

Late night discussions with my friends

[speakbeastypodcast]

You ask too many questions, Mr Scamander. That can get you killed.

Gnarlack

[bookseraph]

Gnarlak: "So you're the guy with the case full of monsters, huh."

Newt: "News travels fast."

[professorlupins]

“He’s interested in anything he can sell.”

[fantasticparksandwheretofindthem]

Gnarlak: Welcome to the world famous Blind Pig. The place the New York Post has called, "The sexiest, most dangerous club in town!" Tina: That's not what they wrote. Gnarlak: Fine. I added the word sexiest. But, we've hired better security.

(Parks and Recreation; Season 2, Episode 23: The Masterplan) 

[dmitri-smerdyakov]

Quote from the 2012 film “That’s My Boy” (I’m sorry) 
From my Instagram: please do not steal or claim as your own or remove any watermarks.

[newtscamandersfantasticbeasts]

uggghhh i love newt sm