SCENE 33
INT. NEWT’S BASEMENT MENAGERIE—MOMENTS LATER—NIGHT
A gigantic hospital for magical creatures.
NEWT
Bunty! Bunty! Bunty, the baby Nifflers are loose again!
(to the Nifflers)
Oi! Oh.
BUNTY, NEWT’S assistant, hurries into view. She is a plain girl, crazy about creatures, hopelessly in love with NEWT. She peels off the Nifflers with freshly bandaged fingers.
She tempts the last baby Niffler—the champagne cork rider—with a gold necklace, then tucks all three into a nest full of sparkling objects.
NEWT
Well done.
BUNTY
I’m so sorry, Newt, they must have picked the lock while I was cleaning out the Augureys—
NEWT
Not to worry.
NEWT and BUNTY walk together among the enclosures.
BUNTY
Hmm . . . I’ve fed nearly everyone, Pinky’s had his nose drops, and—
NEWT
—And Elsie?
BUNTY
Elsie’s droppings are nearly normal again.
NEWT
Wonderful. You can clock off now—
(seeing her fingers)
I told you to leave the Kelpie to me.
BUNTY
That wound needs more ointment—
NEWT
I don’t want you losing fingers over it.
NEWT marches toward a patch of black water, BUNTY trotting in his wake, awash with emotion at his concern for her.
NEWT
Seriously, you go home now, Bunty. You must be exhausted.
BUNTY
You know the Kelpie’s easier with two.
They approach the water. NEWT unhooks a bridle hanging beside the pond.
BUNTY
(hopeful)
Perhaps you should take off your shirt?
NEWT
(oblivious)
Don’t worry, I’ll dry off quickly enough.
NEWT smiles and jumps backward into the water. The Kelpie erupts: a gigantic, semi-spectral horse intent on drowning NEWT, who grabs it around the neck and manages to scramble onto its back as it thrashes.
The Kelpie dives, taking NEWT with it. BUNTY waits, frightened.
WHOOSH—NEWT bursts back out of the water and the Kelpie is bridled. Now docile, it shakes its mane. BUNTY transfixed by the sight of NEWT in his wet shirt.
NEWT
Someone needed to let off some steam. Ointment, Bunty?
She hands it over. Still mounted, NEWT applies ointment to a wound on the Kelpie’s neck.
NEWT
Bite Bunty again and there’ll be trouble, mister.
As he dismounts, there is a crash from overhead. Both he and BUNTY look up.
BUNTY
(scared)
What was that?
NEWT
I don’t know. But I want you to go home now, Bunty.
BUNTY
Shall I call the Ministry?
NEWT
No, I want you to go home. Please.
SCENE 34
INT. NEWT’S STAIRCASE—A MINUTE LATER—NIGHT
NEWT climbs the stairs to his living quarters, wand drawn, curious and expecting the worst. He pushes open the door.
SCENE 35
INT. NEWT’S SITTING ROOM—NIGHT
A spartan bachelor residence. NEWT’S real life is in the basement.
JACOB KOWALSKI and QUEENIE GOLDSTEIN stand in the middle of the room, suitcases beside them, QUEENIE nervous and excited, JACOB unfocused and over-merry, possibly drunk. He is holding the remaining pieces of NEWT’S vase, which he has just broken.
QUEENIE
If you could just give it to me . . . Just give it to me, sweetie. Just give it to me.
(whispering)
If you could just give this to me, sweetheart. Oh!
JACOB
(looking at NEWT)
He doesn’t care. Hold it.
NEWT
St—
JACOB
(bellows)
HEY! NEWT! Get over here, you maniac.
He flings his arms around a delighted but awkward NEWT.
QUEENIE
We hope you don’t mind, Newt? We let ourselves in—it’s raining out there—cats and dogs! London’s cold!
NEWT
(to JACOB)
But you were supposed to have been Obliviated!
JACOB
I know!
NEWT
So . . . But . . .
JACOB
It didn’t work, pal. I mean, you said it, the potion only erases bad memories. I didn’t have any. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I had some weird ones. But this angel . . . this angel over here, she filled me in on all the bad parts, and here we are, I guess, huh?
NEWT
(overjoyed)
This is wonderful!
He looks around, sure that TINA is here too.
NEWT
Is . . .Tina? Tina?
QUEENIE
Oh it’s just us, honey. Me and Jacob.
NEWT
Oh.
QUEENIE
(uncomfortable)
Why don’t I make us some dinner, huh?
JACOB
Yes!