This story was written for Slytherin house, Bonus Round 3 - 1,196 words

Theme: Third person, past tense

Prompts: Black cat(s) + discovering one's magic

The existence of magic was one thing seven-year-old Newton Artemis Fido Scamander had never questioned. It was all around him: in his mother's casual wandwork as she repaired his and Theseus' clothes, in the deep circles around his father's eyes as he went in and out of house at all hours to attend various Wizengamot sessions, in the colorful array of class books his brother kept neatly stacked on his bedside.

What he did question was his own connection to it, if he even had one. His family had been pureblood for generations, with his mother Evelyn Scamander nee Selwyn being the most successful hippogriff breeder in the Isles, but Newt never really felt part of that legacy. Maybe it was because he had never shown any particular sign of magic other than his 'animal speaker' abilities, as Theseus once jokingly called it.

Well, Newt thought defiantly as he snuck out of the house and in the backyard, even if he turned to be a Squib, he'd still have his animals. He purposefully did not think about his parents as he imagined that situation. Instead, he thought of the creatures he'd care for, and the creature he was caring for.

"Luna! Here kitty, kitty," he called out with a huge smile on his face, looking at the hydrangea bushes.

Technically, Luna was his big brother's black kitten, their parents' gift for Theseus' eleventh birthday. She was supposed to bring Theseus good luck in his first year at Hogwarts. Unfortunately, to say the kitten did not take to Theseus would be an understatement: the moment she saw his brother, she hissed at him, scratched him somewhat fierce and ran into the hydrangea bushes. She hid there for four hours straight, until Newt managed to lure her out by offering her some of his chicken breast.

Theseus instantly signed away his rights to Luna, as Newt had named her, and let Newt take care of her. Later that day, in the privacy of Theseus' room, the older brother admitted to Newton he really didn't like cats, and the fact Luna didn't like him either was a relief.

"Luna! Luna, sweetie, where are you?" Newt called out again, now slightly worried. Even when she didn't come out immediately, Luna always responded either by meowing or rustling the branches of the bushes. "Luna?"

A faint and sad meow pointed him to the neighboring white rose bush. Luna was stretched underneath it in her usual sleeping position, but something did not look right to Newton. The meow Luna gave out was completely uncharacteristic for her for one, and her chest was rising up and down in an irregular pattern. The biggest sign of something being amiss, however, was the thin trail of blood running down her hind legs.

"Luna?" Newt asked, now honestly scared as he tiptoed over to the cat and crouched to inspect the blood. Luna meowed again, her face screwed with pain, and did not even attempt to bat away Newt's featherlight touch as he carefully exposed the wound.

"Oh Merlin..." Newt's eyes watered, voice quivering. The wound was slightly underneath Luna's spine, just before her hips.

He had seen this type of wound once, in the neighbouring Muggle village, couple of weeks ago. Couple of ruffians stole a weapon he heard an old woman call 'air rifle' from their fathers' hunting shed. They had shot Newt's favorite stray, a black Labrador which roamed the village and had been unofficially adopted by the pastor and his wife, in the exact same spot.

The absolutely devastated pastor had had to put the black lab down while his wife comforted distraught Newt, until Theseus came to pick him up, telling him it would be too cruel to let Labrador live. The wound was simply too severe, she explained in shaky voice as she rocked him, impossible for the animal Healer she called 'vet' to heal. The two boys had been publically scolded and the hunting shed locked with several locks, but apparently they managed to break in again, and this time they had hurt his precious Luna.

Newt allowed himself to cry, fat drops of water falling on Luna's glossy black fur and the exposed wound, as he gingerly scooped her up, trying not to jostle her too much. He was only partly successful, though: Luna yowled in pain and squirmed like possessed when he wriggled his hand beneath her hind legs, but when he settled her against his chest she quietened down.

Standing up, Newt slowly walked back into the house, trying not to think about what he was about to ask from his mother, or her and Theseus' reaction to the sight of injured Luna. Despite disliking cats, Theseus still cared about Newt enough to accept Luna, and Evelyn had a soft spot for the little black kitten.

If only I had magic, Newt wished bitterly, bowing his head. I could simply heal Luna. Oh, how I wish I could help Luna!

So lost in his thoughts, he failed to notice Theseus' approach until he called him by his name.

"Newt!"

Newt instinctively flinched, but did not forget Luna, not letting the movement change her position.

"Hey Theo," he greeted, still not lifting his head up.

"Newtie? What's the matter?" Theseus asked, striding up to his little brother and spotting Luna. "Has something happened to Luna?"

"She was shot," Newt answered blandly. "By Muggles."

Theo muttered something Newt could not hear, but would bet was not for polite company. "Those two again?"

Newt nodded.

Theseus sighed. "You know what Mum'll say," there was a distinct note of sympathy in his voice.

"I know," Newt exhaled. I wish I could save you, Luna. You have no idea how much!

"Let me," Theseus offered suddenly, his arms extended and cradled for support.

Newt blinked, stunned. "You'll…?"

Theseus' face softened in understanding. "I'll take her to Mum, and we'll bury her together."

Newt's eyes watered again, but silently consented, transferring curiously silent Luna to his brother. As soon as Theseus turned towards the house though, he yelped, and a black blur fell out of his grasp and raced for Newt.

"Wha- Luna?" Newt cried, scooping her up instantly.

"I thought she was hurt!" Theseus complained, nursing a rather deep scratch on his wrist.

"She was!" Newt could not believe his eyes. "Look! There's still blood on her fur!"

Theseus peered at the spot his brother pointed at, and nodded after a second. "I see it. But how -?" He cut himself off, his eyes widening.

"What?" Newt asked distractedly, scratching Luna under her chin as she purred.

"Magic," Theseus whispered, making Newt look up to him. "You healed her, Newtie." Newt froze, and Theseus' face split into a wide grin. "You healed her with your magic."

"I'm… magic?" Newt choked out, mind on the fritz. I have magic. I healed Luna.

"I'm so telling this to Mum! MUM! NEWTIE DID MAGIC!" Theseus shouted as he ran into the house, leaving shell-shocked Newt to stare after him until Luna squirmed in his grasp and meowed impatiently. She was healthy now, and who cared about how, she wanted her human to continue scratching her!