Garfield waved a lazy paw at Grindelwald as he left the cell.
Three months he'd lounged on that soft cushion, and he made sure to take the entire table of food with him when he went.
He swore it wasn't because he wanted to check whether the table magically refilled itself when he wasn't there. Absolutely not.
Grindelwald watched the fat orange silhouette waddle away and felt the sting of defeat. This was only the second time in his life he had failed to persuade someone.
The first time had been Aberforth's fault.
The second… he had lost to a gluttonous orange cat.
He clenched his fists. One day… one day he would make the Orange Cat agree with his ideals.
…Well, beating the orange cat outright sounded suicidal.
Just thinking about being hauled into that dimensional space and beaten like a carpet made his soul ache.
The great dark wizard Grindelwald can bend and stretch, he told himself proudly.
Then winced.
It still hurt.
✦••┈┈••✦••┈┈••✦
Seraphina didn't want Garfield to leave either. Her Aurors had lost too much face these past months, and Garfield leaving now made it feel like the circus was closing early.
Garfield strolled out of the prison, down the corridor, and stopped at the elevator, where he happened to bump into Tina.
They exchanged a casual greeting.
Ding.
Ride the elevator.
Into the bustling Ministry hall.
Garfield slipped into a quiet corner, opened a portal door, and stepped back into the shop.
Everyone was present today. Tina and Queenie were behind the counter, while Lilith and Vivian sat together practicing demonic magic.
Succubus magic came from the depths of their soul. Most succubi were support-types, gifted in charm and illusion rather than combat.
Yet Lilith and Vivian had always been a bit… off the norm. Their aura was stronger.
Garfield watched them practice.
Confusion and enchantment spells, he thought. Fitting for succubi. But their growth speed is abnormal…
"Garfield, you're back!" Baima scooped him up, hugging him against her chest.
Immediately after, Queenie joined in.
Two warm, soft embraces.
"Okay, okay, I haven't even showered yet," Garfield protested. "How've things been here? Busy?"
Queenie sighed. "Another evil spirit appeared in the slums. A dark wizard made it. The No-Maj who was injured has been healed, and the Aurors are hunting the culprit now."
"Dark wizard?" Garfield murmured.
He doubted it. Many so-called "dark wizards" were simply those being persecuted under the strict magical secrecy laws. Just like Ariana, targeted because she could not control her magic.
Some chose to hide. Others chose to fight back.
Queenie was kindhearted, Garfield didn't want to burden her with his thoughts. He merely nodded. "It's only the beginning, Queenie. Protect yourself. You don't have to take every case."
"Lilith and Vivian will protect me," She said brightly.
Garfield snorted. "They're still cubs, what can they protect you from?"
Lilith and Vivian glided over. "Master Garfield, while we succubi are not front-line fighters, we are high-ranking demons by birth."
"We can easily banish lesser demon creatures evil spirits, minor fiends and we bear the mark of Pandora. No demon would risk offending a monarch-level being over trivial matters."
Pandora… Garfield's eye twitched.
The tenant who refuses to pay rent, he thought.
A pulse of irritation flickered in his chest.
Pandora exploded out of his soul like an angry pixie-dragon and chomped down on Garfield.
"OW, Pando Godzilla, let go!"
"No."
╭(╯╰)╮
"Okay okay! I was wrong!"
"No."
╭(╯╰)╮
"Mercy! Great grandma, spare the little one!"
After ten agonizing minutes, Pandora released him and swayed back into Garfield's soul with the regal strut of a queen returning to her throne.
Garfield wiped sweat from his forehead and glared at Lilith and Vivian. They laughed behind their hands.
"Don't. Tell. Anyone," He warned.
"But Garfield," Queenie said with a mischievous sparkle, "We all saw it."
"Your Majesty King Garfield," Baima added with a grin, "Why were you begging so pathetically?"
Garfield's face flushed furiously.
Begging for mercy from your own family wasn't cowardice. It was… a strategic retreat.
The room filled with laughter.
Garfield held onto his last scrap of pride. "I—I'm going back to Kamar-Taj."
He opened a door and vanished.
✦••┈┈••✦••┈┈••✦
Kamar-Taj
Garfield arrived at the exact spot where Ancient One and Odin had once met.
He looked around, no Ancient One.
Where on earth did she go?
Logically, the Ancient One never leaves Kamar-Taj unless something truly important happens. So if she isn't in her usual place… she must be teaching.
With that assumption, Garfield padded out of the hall and headed toward the Martial Arts Court, following his memory.
But as he passed a fork in the walkway, he suddenly stopped.
His head slowly turned toward the library.
Something had brushed against his instincts… his stomach buds, to be precise.
A faint tug.
Something in the library smelled delicious.
Garfield hesitated… should he investigate?
He reminded himself solemnly, curiosity killed the cat.
Then added, with equal solemnity… But I, Garfield, will not be baited so easily.
He turned away, tail lifted with dignity.
…took three steps…
And proceeded to U-turn.
Fine. Fine. He'd just go have a little look. Looking wasn't a crime.
Besides, he wasn't just a cat, he was a Great Devour. Super fierce. Super terrifying.
Decision made, Garfield tiptoed to the library entrance and peeked his round head in.
No one in sight.
Normal.
Except… not normal at all.
Garfield blinked and leaned back out.
The library always had mages stationed inside, twenty-four hours a day.
So why was it empty?
Someone sneaking in?
If there was danger, and if he found it first… well, he wouldn't say no to earning a little credit.
He cast a Disillusionment Charm over himself, slipped inside, and began scouting along the walls, moving with what he proudly called his 'lost-trace catwalk.'
No one.
Still no one.
He swept through row after row until he reached the last shelf. Still empty.
Very strange.
Had he misread the situation?
He sniffed the air, no unfamiliar scent… but something else.
A faint fragrance drifted toward him, soft but captivating… so enticing it made his heartbeat speed up. That was the smell calling to him, that was the reason he'd felt hungry.
He followed the scent to the center of the library, where a magic barrier shimmered, guarding a sealed chamber.
The aroma seeped from inside.
What was it?
Garfield rubbed his fluffy chin thoughtfully, examined the spellwork, and decided he would crack it open. Just a peek.
Before he could begin, Pandora popped out of his soul, crouching on his head like a tiny queen.
"Garfield, what are you doing?"
Garfield pointed at the barrier. "There's something good behind this wall. I want to open it and see."
Pandora squinted, studied the barrier, then sighed deeply.
"Garfield… in the wizarding world, curiosity kills the cat. You know that."
"I'm a Great Devour." Garfield replied proudly.
"SAME THING. You're still an orange cat."
For once, even Pandora who usually feared nothing, looked uneasy.
Some secrets weren't meant to be opened. And when a partner didn't want you to find something, you had two choices…
Dig until there was no fun left for anyone… or quietly let it be.
Garfield chose the second. "Alright, my life is precious. I'll go find Master."
Pandora, still perched on his head, patted her chest in relief as Garfield walked away from the barrier.
Thank goodness he backed off. Thank goodness he valued his feline safety. If he had actually opened that door…
Her secret would've been exposed.
Looks like she needed to have a serious talk with the Ancient One. Security needed tightening around her things. And if it really came down to it…
She could always dump the excess into that annoying one-eyed bastard's vault.
Sure, he was a scumbag, but his treasury was solid. At least things locked in there stayed locked.
Yes.
That was the plan.
꧁𓊈𒆜༺⚜༻𒆜𓊉꧂
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