#theseus scamander x vinda rosier

[dogwaterpoopyboy]

poo

[lienin]

Заворожённые

Как-то я зашла на фикбук в надежде найти что-нибудь на почитать. И неожиданно взгляд мой упал на фик с волшебным названием Enchanté. Но истинное моё внимание привлёк пейринг. Тесей/Винда - зверь редкий, но для меня на диво интересный. И пока глава за главой передо мной раскрывалась драматичная история о любви и взглядах на мир, в голове рождалась идея для коллажа. А там уж дело оставалось за фотошопом.

[herwold]

Theseus: Have you ever wondered why Professor Dumbledore doesn't have a wife?

Newt: Because he has a husband

Theseus: What?!

Newt: What ...?

[sofoulandfairaday]

Fantastic Beasts - The Secrets of Dumbledore semi-rant

I saw this movie yesterday and I have to say I'm very disappointed. It wasn't as bad as Crimes of Grindelwald, but it wasn't good either. Already the fact that I saw it only yesterday and not in theatres should be a bad sign. There was a time when I would have gone to the ends of the earth to see a movie set in the Harry Potter universe at the cinema. This time, I tried, found out they weren't showing it that night and said "oh, alright then, I'll do something else".

Also, I'm already forgetting half of what happened. It wasn't boring, but it wasn't gripping either. I paused it twice (TWICE! A HP movie!) to do other stuff. I'm reblogging and reposting the most visually pleasing parts of the film (which is a marvel to see, but that's probably its best quality), and that's it. Usually, I'm obsessed with the movies I've just watched, I look up theories, reviews, posts, reblogs, etc. For months if they're set in the harry potter universe.

There will be spoilers ahead.

Let's start with the good things:

the beasts. they are so beautiful and well done. cgi is mostly good, the way newt interacts with the animals he cares for is, as always, one of the best parts of the movie.

jacob's lines, which are always a delight

grindelwald - probably the best thing about the whole movie. i liked johnny depp, but i loved mads mikkelsen in the role. he and jude law have incredible chemistry.

on this note, grindeldore. oh, it was so good, and FINALLY warner brothers had the balls to call them for what they were. gay men in love. of course, it's too little too late, but at least it's a win.

the fighting scenes. there were many, and all wonderfully choreographed. too bad they were confusing af. what is that double, mirror dimension of sorts? no clue, it was never explained, it was a cheap attempt at making sure that the fights hurt no muggles or wizards and i hated it. it was never explained in harry potter, i think (maybe i'm wrong, but i'm pretty sure) and while it looks great, i dislike it.

the parallel between the duel that killed ariana and when gellert tries to kill credence.

grindelwald as a seer.

the final scene.

that's basically it.

oh, everything and anything visual was great. except for maybe costumes but i'll talk about that later.

And now the bad stuff:

the writing. which is probably the worst thing ever to get wrong. the acting is good (except for eddie mumbling every single one of his lines which becomes annoying after a while), even great at times. but the writing is so bad.

i mean, jkr and steve kloves were the writers. and i know jkr has questionable views but she was never a bad writer. or better, she was never a bad novelist. i'm starting to think she sucks at screenplays.

the whole first part of the movie is useless. it's even explicitly stated inside the movie. well, that's bad writing my friends. if it was all for nothing, and no lessons/additional information that couldn't be read in a newspaper (i.e., grindelwald being allowed to run), then it's bad writing. it wasn't for the characters. it wasn't for the plot. so WHY DID YOU SHOW IT TO ME? when you could have saved time for more important things?

the movie is two hours and a half. after thirty minutes the wheels of the plot aren't even in motion. you would think that if the movie took its time it was to include meaningful dialogue and character development. but NOPE. it's for shenanigans like bunty and the trunks.

and i get their struggle, i do: fans want good duels and fighting scenes (and those are very good, especially the ones with Lalie and Gellert v. Albus). but fans also want the magical creatures. they want the beasts to have their space, and they need to show new ones. but then they also want grindeldore. alright, okay. let's show it. but what about good dialogues and high stakes? what about complex bidimensional characters? NOPE. no time for those.

this happens, of course, because there are TOO. MANY. USELESS. CHARACTERS. so many that, since they all need screen time, none of them gets explored in the right way. except maybe gellert.

nagini is gone. they don't even mention her. not even credence. not even when he talks with queenie, who can READ MINDS, so there was the perfect excuse to bring her up even if credence doesn't want to.

queenie is useless. i still don't understand why she joined grindelwald since she knows he hates muggles. while in his service she does NOTHING. she's not a double agent, she's not useful to either grindelwald or dumbledore. she's just there. of course i know they did this because they had to wrap things up in the end since there probably won't be a fourth movie, but couldn't they do it a little better?

maybe give her yusuf's screen time. since he's the worst character in terms of how he's written and he has no weight on the plot whatsoever. he doesn't have a mission, only has two scenes, isn't useful for the whole luggage subplot ... why is he even in this movie?

but at least, AT LEAST, they show him grieving for his sister (even though he just accepts to have his memories of her erased?? why was this done?? to show that gellert is bad? i mean, i think it's pretty obvious from the scene where he kills bambi...)

THESEUS you dick. why is he so happy? why is he not incoherent with grief? why does he not seethe with rage at the thought of leta, who he was going to marry? and not in the "ohi, you're under arrest "way. nono, in the blowing avada kedavras at vinda and grindelwald like a madman way. why doesn't he look sad and sombre?

they killed my leta FOR WHAT exactly? she was hands down the most complex character aside from grindeldore (which coincidentally are the only two whose story is actually told in the original saga). and maybe the single best performance on screen in all three movies. i don't get it. i hate it when female characters are killed off just to give male characters an origin story, but at least it gives them purpose. leta died just because. her death adds nothing to the story.

her replacement is lalie. now, i know that in this day and age god forbid you have a cast that is too white (you know, made up of witches and wizards from 1930 britain) and you need the token diversity character. it's irritating, but i get why they do it. i can forgive it. what i cannot forgive is how useless to the plot she is.

she was probably my favourite character of the whole movie, i enjoyed her sassiness and the way she used magic, but she is so. useless. why is she, or theseus, or yusuf, or jacob even, required for this mission? don't they all have jobs?? dumbledore needs to find a substitute teacher for his classes, porpentina is busy with work (AND SHE HAS THE SAME JOB TITLE AS THESEUS) so why are they all strolling about? i get newt and bounty, and maybe jacob since his bakery is in ruins, but what about the others?

more than that, what compels them to fight grindelwald? "Oh, it's the right thing to do!" NO YOU FOOLS, that's not enough. It's not compelling, it's BORING. especially when some of them have good reasons, in theory. theseus (and yusuf) lost leta. jacob lost queenie.

no idea why an american schoolteacher feels so touched by a german despot, but okay. i guess. she's nice but so bi-dimensional.

why do they need these people in particular? give me an "ocean's eleven" type of segment where you explain why these people and not 5 trained aurors.

dumbledore needs to send his own men because the ministry takes no stance like fudge did years later? because grindelwald has supporters in the british ministry that don't want this to happen? give me a scene where vinda goes to talk with her british cousins and gets them to support gellert and we see baby druella every reason is fine but there must be one.

the minerva mcgonagal cameo is useless. also, they didn't retcon what is clearly a mistake so... i hate it :)

vinda rosier gets 5 lines and no characterization whatsoever apart from being "pretty and evil". if she was less striking we probably wouldn't care about her as much. this woman has no motivations of her own, apparently. we don't even know what her relationship with grindelwald actually is.

and do not get me started on the other useless henchmen.

why do they force jacob to come along? why do they insist on putting a muggle in danger? albus is no seer but COME ON. we already saw grindelwald use people as scapegoats in the last movie, and it's clear he would do the same with jacob. "oh but he's a good man with courage" WHO CARES? are there no good men in 1930 england? where are all the brave gryffindors ffs?

it does NOT work. you know what would? JACOB wanting to go. JACOB demanding to go, because he hasn't given up on queenie and he wants to "save" her.

was it to confuse grindelwald? it doesn't work, because there isn't one (1) scene where he looks shocked, or even perplexed at the sight of a muggle with a wand.

and what about the whole thing with the tie? how could dumbledore know that theseus was going to get captured? even if he could predict that, you seriously want me to believe he was basing his rescue plan off the niffler??

also, we never see newt activate the portkey in that moment and that is not how portkeys work.

the whole subplot with bunty and the luggage was stupid. we know that there's a spell that literally duplicates objects by creating perfect copies, so it's a useless waste of time. also, why doesn't she use the switch that sets it to "muggle mode"? we've seen newt do it before.

the two candidates for supreme mugwump are absolutely the same. they have no personality and are just namesakes.

the german minister of magic contradicts himself more than once in the film. i watched his scenes twice and i still don't understand his motives. there must be a cut scene or something because one minute he implies that he doesn't like grindelwald and the next he's chilling with him and his men. he openly says that he thinks GG will lose just as he sees him arriving by means of crowd-surfing. it's not like he turns a blind eye and that is why gellert wins. no, the man actively enables him and helps him. WHY?! have vinda or even yusuf put him under the imperius curse ffs!

how do credence and aberforth have communicating mirrors? no idea. it's never explained.

why is the phoenix dying because credence is dying? phoenixes have their own independent cycle of life and rebirth. we see this with fawkes. otherwise, why isn't fawkes dying when dumbledore is in book 6? it's never explained.

This all comes down to the main problem of the movie: this movie has no dialogues. seriously, all they do is duel and say vague things like "the plan is no plan". fuck off. they don't even state clearly why the plan is no plan, they say vague stuff, the characters acknowledge it's confusing and then they laugh about it.

SPOILER: even if you acknowledge your mistakes in the story itself ("oh, we don't know what to do against grindelwald" or "oh, we're back where we started ahaha") it DOESN'T MAKE IT GOOD. actually, it makes it worse. it's just lazy writing.

Nothing is explained to the audience because the movie uses "show not tell" to the extreme. fine, don't tell, but please at least give a name to what we're seeing. good stories are character-driven. this one is not.

seriously, none of them has one good dialogue, that isn't full of clichés.

finally, one last thing that really bothered me. why why why are they all dressed like muggles? the costumes look amazing - my personal favourite was eulalie's gold evening gown - but WHY are they all dressed like muggles? yes, there is a little outfit change for eulalie when she goes to pick up jacob that maybe should underline the differences between wizard and muggle clothing - there are none.

albus dumbledore and gellert grindelwald should all be donning the most campy over-the-top wizard robes. why would grindelwald ever be dressed like a muggle? it doesn't make sense, especially since albus is described more than once as being ignorant of muggle clothing rules. alright, he's younger here, but how is it that he and gellert don't look even a little out of place at the beginning of the movie?

don't get me wrong, i think the costumes are absolutely beautiful and i would kill to have them in any other film BUT THIS ONE. because they don't fit the characters at all. all of these wizards dressed like muggles, i don't get it.

the worst offender of all, imo is pureblood dark witch vinda rosier who dresses in a suit to a fancy wizard party. her outfit is amazing and high fashion and exactly my style... i adore it. i, a muggle, would definitely wear it. the question is- why would she?

This is what I strive to look like at social gatherings. I want this to be me and my future husband. I just don't think it's the right look for them.

[buttered-baguette]

And it's finally finished!

Nice & Cosy, a Gellert x Newt fic, with 23 chapters and a Newt that is picking up on his partners habits. (Rated Teen & up)

Filled with many magical / mythical creatures of course. We can't have a story about our favourite magizoologist without them.

[annuities]

Schilderwald ; three

*REUPLOADED*

pairing: theseus scamander x reader

notes: find chapter one and two here. 

edit: sorry to everyone who already saw this! i realized i reblogged some of the same posts and was trying to clean them out, and then i accidentally deleted this too!

x

You finally, finally return to the Ministry at seven o’clock in the morning after zero hours of sleep, fully intent on imposing the misery you’re feeling onto everyone you come within three feet of.

Seven hours of drinking and maybe one piece of useful information. But one thing was for sure– Grindelwald wasn’t in American borders anymore. And that thought terrified the hell out of you.

If not in America, then where?

England – your parents: your mother, who’s given her all for the fragile peace that’s being threatened. Your friends, your colleagues… France – then was England next?

You close your eyes against the warmth and the noisy crowd the reach you when you enter. Opening them, you shuffle down the halls and into the Auror department. Muttering a quick spell beneath your breath, your hair dries and your clothes no longer stink of alcohol (much, there was only so much even magic could do).

When you enter, the ladies greet you with a minx-like smile and a wave. Oh, well havoc can wait then. Walking towards them, you plaster a smile on your face as you prepare yourself for the inevitable squealing.

“Oh, you sly English!” Lorrie fans herself as the others pretend to faint, back of their hand pressed against the foreheads. “You were hiding such a fine specimen from us.” She sighs dramatically.

“He was such a gentleman!” Heidi says, hands pressed together against her chest.

“And those intense eyes! I could just drown in them.” Addie squeals as Mila giggles softly, a blush adorning her cheeks. “Oh he could arrest me any day!”

Without meaning to, you burst out laughing. “Oh you guys,” you giggle. “This is what us girls at the English Ministry have to deal with every, day.”

Lorrie hums. “Well, actually, I met his fiancee the other day. Leta Lestrange. She was lovely though.” There’s a thoughtful look in her eye, and unbidden, a tendril of jealousy warms its way into your heart.

“Well,” you say softly. “Some people have all the luck in the world.”

x

The creeps down by the bar, Mon Cher weren’t much help. They mentioned something about the overflux of MACUSA activities and the accidental illegal busts happening around the city. And the boy— His crazy mother—

You jump up from your cubicle, suddenly excited. His batshit crazy mother! She’d probably know… Somewhat… You sink back down into your chair and put your head in your hands. Batshit crazy, witch hunting mother. Yes. But against your will, there’s a thrill of excitement and adventure running through your veins, the type of adrenaline that inspired you to become an Auror in the first place.

And look where that led you. You laugh and the feel doesn’t leave. Ah, maybe you’re just a masochist.

You stand up and put on your coat before dashing down the hallways, excitement painting your cheeks a bright maroon colour as your eyes glitter with something like suspended starlight.

You should’ve known that the world wouldn’t give you nice things— Because the next thing you do is round the corner and slam into a very hard chest—

And freeze up.

Because A: you recognize that cologne. And B: you recognize the feel of Theseus’ expensive suits anywhere.  Now— Fight or flight?

Thankfully, he releases you from the burden about having to think hard about it. His hand clamps down on your shoulder as he steadies you, but it tightens once he gets his bearings and sees the awkward, semi-terrified smile you offer him.

Still awkwardly smiling, you try valiantly to remove his hand from your shoulder and found it impossible to shake off his iron grip.

“Well,” Theseus finally says, flashing his all-star, billion-dollar smile that had Lorrie and the gang swooning over him. “Here’s a face I haven’t seen in a while.” His tone is definitely accusatory.

You laugh skittishly. “What are you talking about?” You try and play it off. “Anyway,” you make a run for it as his grip loosens. “Gotta go! I need to chase down a new lead!”

Lightning fast, his hand reaches out to grab the end of your jacket. “Hold up,” he says, chuckling good-humoredly, looking at you over your shoulder as your heart begins pounding. “You good on your own? Sure you don’t need an extra pair of eyes?”

“One woman mission,” you say as you yank back possession of your coattail. “I’ll be fine!”

Wistfully, you remember a time where it had been you and him against the crimes of England. Him running after the adventure and you going along with him. That was probably how you’ve managed to become so deeply infatuated with him: the little quips, the dimples and the warm touches. His lessons on wandless magic that always led to you nearly getting cardiac arrest every time because of his chest anchoring you from behind; hiding in small spaces and being aware of every movement, every breath. And that once in Benson, where you’d been unprepared for the cold and he gave you his House scarf, one that had his scent sunken in every inch of the wool, as well as those words— Keep it, you look better with it than I do.

And then, at some point, some place, some time— Maybe, probably at that Christmas Party, you realized the dangers of your infatuation and Theseus’ bleeding heart and stopped trying to bleed him dry.

You don’t know if it’s the right choice.

x

“This better be good, Auror [Surname],” Piquery warns you as she settles down in the conference room alongside a majority of the other Aurors. There’s a pensieve in the center of the room, which she casts a doubtful glance at between you and it. Which is completely unfair since you were doing your job, and it was entirely innocent.

Well, good thing you were immune to the fear of being fired. Wealthy, war-hero mother who adored you was your means of going to places in life. Yes. Being a freeloader sounded great.

“Don’t worry, Madame President,” you beam. “This is definitely worth your time.”

“I would hope so.”

“Alright!” you flail your arms around excitedly. Distantly, you hear Theseus chuckle in the background at your antics. “So, Grindelwald’s purpose is to reveal the wizarding world to the non-magic. Well, he’ll need supporters to do that, right?” you babble excitedly. “So, I visited one of the pureblood membership-exclusive bars in Upper East. Particularly, Mon cher, which actual Graves,” you accent. Maybe non-existent Graves, because let’s be honest. “Frequented.”

Piquery nods for you to keep going.

“So, I went around and the cree— The gentlemen there,” you amended to Theseus’ sharp look. “Weren’t really much help. However, one of them mentioned something about keeping an eye on Modesty, which, for your information is one of Credence’s adopted siblings.”

MACUSA was so desperate to find a monster that they looked for him in every nook and cranny of the magical world. But what Credence Barebone is was a boy, which is why of all the places searched, MACUSA never once went back to where it began. Second Salem Church.

“I spoke to one of the siblings there, I told them I was with non-magic authorities and was looking for her brother. She said she saw him—”

Abernathy, an asshole looking guy pipes up. “So where is him? Get to the point!”

Before you can tell him to shut up because your story was getting to the good part, Piquery gives him a glare that lowered the room ten degrees. “Go on,” she says. “I want you to explain every detail of what happened.”

“Anyway,” you drag the syllables annoyingly. “She told me that he came back and said he was going to look for ‘truth’. Now, what truth could an orphan boy possibly look for?” You gesture grandly. “Why, his origin of course! Why, any boy who was just told that he had magic after growing up under an oppressive witch-shaming woman would want to know how he came under her care! So, I, uh… Asked, where Mary Lou got him from—” You pointedly ignore Theseus’ look of disappointment. “And, well I figured out which orphanage he came from.”

With that, you brandish a name with a few charms in the air. Children’s Aid Society. “So, from their records,” this time you keep out your method of investigation, “I discovered where Credence was adopted from. Thus, I went to the harbour and uh… With permission from Aketcheta—” You beam at the woman. “I extracted the harbourmaster’s memories and viewed it in a Pensieve.”

You wave your wand and one appears in the room.

You fast forward through the memory carefully, pausing a few moments at nine AM… As a dark-haired boy with a bowel cut enters the view.

A few people gasp.

The boy— Credence, glances around nervously as he empties a wad of wrinkled bills into the harbourmaster’s hand and buys a ticket on the Carpe Diem.

“So, this—” Even Seraphina isn’t able to keep out the wonder in her voice this time. “You,” her gaze snaps toward you. “You got me a—”

You smile victoriously. “I believe I just got you where the boy is going. France. Credence Barebone is going to France.”

x

Theseus engulfs you in a hug the second you walk out of the meeting room. “Nice going, [Name],” he says by your temple. “You’re a genius!”

You’re frozen in his arm, cheeks flushing and heart racing as you pat at his back awkwardly. And as much as you want to sink into his warmth, there’s is a whisper of wrong at the back of your mind.

He disengages from you, completely unaware of your inner turmoil. Whistling cheerfully, he walks at a slower pace than he usually does, making sure you’re keeping pace with him. He’s abnormally close to you, shoulders bumping periodically. When you’re in the main reception, he says, “Let’s go out for dinner.”

You head snaps toward him, incredulity written all over your face.

He gives you a good-natured look. “My treat,” he offers, because you are a petulant child—

Or, not right now anyway.

“I can’t,” you say decisively and turns around as you begin walking again.

He falters behind you. “Tomorrow?”

“No.”

“Day aft—” he suddenly stops. “[Name],” he says as he reaches out for your hand. You pull it away. You hate it. You suddenly realize.

You hate how he treats you. The touches, the pet names, the gentleness. You hate it because that’s how he treats everyone. This is Theseus Scamander, ladies and gentlemen and you couldn’t take it because you aren’t that type of person. You aren’t the selfless type of person who takes every little bit they can and are willing to sit in silence forever, who can be happy just by watching the one they want.

You can’t do that.

When you love, you want it returned whole-heartedly, not a fraction, not half. All or not at all. At the same time, you still… Cared for Theseus. Cared for Leta and if you couldn’t control yourself then you were going to control your environment. And that was the reason why you started drawing away, why you submitted that transfer.

“Is this about… What happened that night?” And the gates of your heart burst open, all of the ugliness and the truth seeps out, every last bit. Because he remembers.

You always thought he didn’t, because he made no reaction towards your lips and the hickeys on your neck the morning after. And you’d thanked Merlin for it.

“I can’t do this,” you tell him as you step outside, chin raised and eyes glassy. “I can’t. And I’m going to tell you this because you remember. I wish we could just be friends. I wish everything can go back to how it was before the kiss.” He jerks sharply at the spoken evidence of what happened.

You bite your lips, shaking. “But it can’t!” you say, as the New York wind cuts across your cheeks. “And I’m sorry for it! I wish I can reverse time and stop the kiss from happening, maybe stop all of this,” you flail your arms again and this time it’s no longer humorous. “But I can’t!” You say as something like understanding enters his eyes.

Your heart cracks.

“I’m not… That type of person, Theseus,” you say, and there’s nothing apologetic in your tone. “I’m sorry.” You shake your head and you turn, walking down the steps of Woolworth with only the bitterness in your heart and the chill in the air as your companion.

Deep down, it hurts—

That he never called for you to come back.

x

@maggiekelly51 @kinkyspellman @can-i-say-something-please @sanya-gryff@lotr-th-hp @gawabby @thatkidofwarandpeace @lindsay-got-lost-in-the-tardis @dinopowa @fem-oid @somepiesmothertrucker @replay-music @living-in-an-alternate-universe @azx-re @malamutelord @city-of-fae@miraculouslysupernaturalladybugs @ere-the-sun @notexactlythatgirl@elishamoon13 @rubylovesnewt @love-too-much-thoughts @brooklymw @livalovelylife @nxwtscamandr

[kenneth-omega]

The Mistakes of Grief (part 4) Theseus Scamander x Reader

A/N: Part no. 4 is finally here! Sorry for the super long wait, I just took some time off the majority of social media around Christmas and New Year. But to make up for it, here is the next part of TMoG and it’s longer than any of my previous parts!! Also, you’re finally getting some goddamn fluff, even if there is still angst oops

Now I’m back, there will be more frequent posting, so don’t worry I haven’t gone AWOL.

If you’d like to be tagged in upcoming parts then just send me a message, or comment on any of the three instalments, that way I’ll definitely see it! x

Disclaimer: This only loosely follows the plot of FB:CoG so please don’t come after me because of inaccuracies. This is my own AU version.

Word count: 5325

Synopsis: You’ve allowed yourself to be roped into Grindelwald’s inner circle, fighting for your own cause whilst trying to also cope with the recent, muggle-related death of your brother. Having received their invitation, Theseus has arrived at Grindelwald’s execution in search of you, both of you unaware of the danger that lies ahead.

Warnings: Fire?? I guess? FINALLY got fluff for you guys

Part 1     Part 2      Part 3

Theseus appeared outside of the theatre, the ripped-up letter in one hand and his wand in the other. Allowing the bits of paper to flutter to the ground, he made his way into the building.

It was dark, not a soul to be seen in the foyer or a single noise to be heard. Theseus noted that even the reception desk was empty. No doubt whoever had put together this whole scheme had made sure to clear out the muggles. At such a horrid thought, Theseus couldn’t stop the shiver that ran down his spine. 

Altering his grip on his wand, partly due to his nerves, Theseus made his way through the abandoned foyer and headed straight for the closed doors, where a sign informed him they led to the auditorium.

He tried the handle first, but to no avail. Stepping backwards, he raised his wand to aim it at the old-fashioned lock, muttering the simple unlocking spell. 

With a small click, the heavy wooden door creaked open, the simple locking charm that had been cast on it had broken without resistance. Theseus should have known it was too easy. He should have realised that this was a trap, the alarm bells in his head ringing, telling him this was all a way of drawing him in until it was too late to go back.

Stepping through, the door was quick to slam shut behind him at an unnatural speed, causing him to jump and look behind him.

A woman appeared in front of him, moving so silently he hadn’t noticed her sneak up and it caused him to startle once more, drawing his wand with lightning reflexes so that the tip dug sharply against the underside of her chin.

“Move and I’ll kill you.” He hissed, glaring down into the glimmering black abysses of the woman’s eyes. She sneered, her rouged lips twisting into a sickening smile.

Even in the half-darkness, Theseus recognised her face.

She was one of Grindelwald’s lackeys, part of his inner circle.

“You received my invitation.” She simply replied, ignoring his vicious threat. He couldn’t contain the hiss that escaped his bared teeth, hating how calm and collected she was. “If you want to see her, you’ll come with me. Quietly.”

Theseus once again had that small voice in the back of his head that screamed at him. Warning him.

Another trap.

Choosing to ignore his initial instincts, he lowered his wand and simply waited for her to show him the way.

A pin could be heard dropping just by how silent the crowd was. Not a single whisper or hushed murmur to be spoken, as all the wizards took in the sight before them.

Waiting.

Finally, he spoke.

“My avid spectators, please look closer.” Grindelwald beckoned forward to the wizards that stood below him, willing them to stand from their seats. The people above could only watch from above, like a jury waiting to give their verdict. 

“Tonight, we are here to mourn…but to also rejoice.” Grindelwald, with a flick of his wand, levitated the chair from where it had been fixed, and commanded it to float out into the crowd, hovering above their heads. The man that was strung up and presented like some kind of animal on parade could only look around him in fear. He couldn’t speak due to a silencing charm that had been cast on him, so his panicked cries went unheard.

Grindelwald smirked, his piercing eyes flashing for a moment of something dark and foreboding.

“This man,” Grindelwald spat these words out like hot venom, “Is not who we are to mourn over. As he has inflicted pain upon our world. On this special night, we will rejoice in his bigoted death.”

There was a flutter of murmurs in the crowd. The man could only twist and writhe against his bounds, the panic evident in his pleading eyes.

Grindelwald spun the chair round, allowing it to face him. The man’s breathing was laboured as he stared at the terrifying figure before him, the one who possessed such unnatural powers.

Grindelwald continued his tirade, his free hand now gesturing towards the hundreds of faces that gazed upon him.

“One of us, stood among us tonight, is a victim of this man’s horrid crime. A crime for which there is no forgiving.”

Grindelwald began to make his way towards the steps that you and Queenie occupied, at a painstakingly slow pace. Queenie, able to notice the distress you felt, gently grabbed your elbow and hoped to soothe your instincts to flee.

That man that sat there shouldn’t be here.

“He can’t hurt you.” Queenie muttered, her lips barely moving.

In your mind, you knew what she was saying was true, but just having such a horrid beast of a man so close made you feel queasy, your stomach twisting itself into more intricate knots, over and over until it felt like it would burst.

Grindelwald continued his path, heading straight for you, no longing addressing the crowd as he spoke.

“For you see, one of our own was murdered, simply for being different.”

There were audible gasps, even from up in the heavens where the wizards watched from the highest point. The ripple of energy that you felt made you quake. The anger, upset and most of all…hatred.

Suddenly, the chair was brought down with a harsh slam, the four legs crashing onto the varnished stage floor, without a single wobble as it stuck once more. The man’s head whipped about at such a quick and sharp impact, the pain evident on his face.

“This man you see before you? He was the one who did it. He killed an innocent man. A man who fought in a war that wasn’t his to fight in, yet did so out of the goodness of his heart,”

“Murdered! Simply out of hatred for the fact that he possessed…unique talents.”

Now the shouts of rage and abuse began to rise from the crowds, having recovered from the initial shock, they only had room to feel fury towards the man. Someone even went so far as to try cast a curse upon the man, the spell shooting out from somewhere in the crowd of protesters.

Grindelwald deflected it with a mere flick of his wand.

The man was frozen with terror, his eyes scanning out amongst the dimly-lit room before him.

Grindelwald was only metres from you now when he came to a halt, turning back to face the audience.

“Mallory, was his name.”

You couldn’t help how your bottom lip quivered uncontrollably, just the mention of his name had you crumbling.

The man who had taken the last bit of happiness away from you was sat in front of you, looking just as scared as Mallory had probably been when they had killed him.

There was a flash, the brief image of a flickering ember had you gripping the side of your head, wincing at the sudden pain that ripped through you. The best way you could describe the sensation was like an arrow piercing your skull.

Queenie held you a little tighter, trying to keep you upright as your legs began to wobble, buckling from the intense stabbing sensation.

“Not now.” You hissed to yourself as Grindelwald swept an arm in your direction, his long and frightfully pale fingers outstretched to you. Although he spoke clearly, his words seemed to echo distantly around you, like a reverberation that travelled through a long and winding cave.

“Tonight, Mallory’s sister is here in attendance. She has shown her bravery to me and proved to be a loyal fighter against this kind of repulsive discrimination. Therefore, I believe it's only fitting that she be the one to avenge her brother’s unfortunate death.”

Had you of been listening instead of focusing on wishing away the excruciating pain that pounded in your head, you probably would have reacted to his announcement. Queenie did so, with a strangled cough as her protective hold on you faltered.

“Please, step forward my dear.”

You stumbled forward on heavy legs, still disorientated from the burning sting of the repressed memories that were slowly beginning to unfurl themselves from the chains and numerous mental locks you had wrapped around them.

Part of you only wanted to take Grindelwald’s hand so that you had some form of support as you tried to cope with the images that flashed before you.

This was unlike the memories you had recalled of Theseus. These hurt, there was no happiness lying behind them, no dwelling on small smiles or on thoughts unspoken. It was just torture.

Pure, unforgiving torture.

You barely registered the movement of Grindelwald as he reached up to your shoulders, pulling something cool and soft up and over the back of your head. It felt like a chilling kiss, one that soothed the intense heat you could feel radiating off of you.

A hood.

Grindelwald stepped back and smiled down upon you, teeth flashing like the sharp metal of a knife.

“The stage is yours, Executioner.”

With that, Grindelwald stepped away, leaving you a direct path to the murderer before you.

Theseus couldn’t believe what he was witnessing.

Grindelwald, having called you into his arms, had announced that you were going to be the one who carried out the murder of the muggle that had killed your brother, Mallory.

That’s who you had cried over at the rally, when he had asked you merely a week ago why you were part of Grindelwald’s delusional vision. He’d been ridiculous to think it was something as trivial as a boyfriend. Of course it was family.

But Theseus could see the cogs in Grindelwald’s mind working, the way he watched with intent as you drew closer to the man. All this, but what for?

The one thing Theseus didn’t understand was how you were supposed to carry out such a heinous act without a wand. They wouldn’t risk giving you a wand that wasn’t actually yours would they? If it were to backfire, or the spell went awry, it could have disastrous effects.

Theseus knew he had to move, had to do something to stop the certain events that were about to take place. He couldn’t let you kill that man, knowing that if you did take his life, whatever amount of purity was left inside you would surely be eradicated.

The woman who had greeted Theseus upon his arrival had her wand pressed into the small of his back as they stood at the back of the auditorium, watching behind the heads of all the wizards that looked on in anticipation.

She had taken both his wand and yours, upon finding the latter in his pocket she had sneered at him and muttered something to herself gleefully in French.

Taking in a deep inhale, Theseus moved like lightning, jerking his body sideways whilst also bringing his elbow up sharply to connect with her face, the sound of the impact was sickening as her nose cracked. She dropped her wand without hesitation to cup her nose in anguish, crumpling to her knees.

Theseus saw the trickle of blood that began to leak through her closed fingers but gave it no more thought as he quickly pickpocketed the two wands back from her and ran. He knew he needed to get to the front of the stage without being recognised by any of Grindelwald’s lackeys. Slowing his pace down to a brisk walk, he circled the crowds, keeping his wand hidden behind his back as he walked towards the steps.

Luckily no one noticed him moving silently past them.

Reaching the bottom of the stage steps he looked up and his heart sank a little in his chest.

Staring at him with eyes as wide as saucers, was Queenie.

“I can’t let you past.” She warned him, her voice hesitant and not fully convincing.

Theseus took another step, wary of how close you were getting to the man in the chair.

“If I don’t stop her, I’ll lose her. Please, Queenie. Help me.” Theseus pleaded with the blonde woman stood before him, noticing how her fingers curled and uncurled nervously as she looked back and forth between you and Theseus.

“I’m not here to hurt anyone, you can look into my mind and see for yourself. I just want her back.” Theseus explained, waiting for her to make her judgement.

There was a tense moment of limbo as Theseus waited, knowing that she was delving into his mind and searching for any hint of untruth.

Then she sighed, stepping aside.

Theseus had no time to stop and thank her, instead he squeezed her arm as he passed her and ran onto the stage, towards you, towards his goal.

You heard a sudden yell of pain that had you stopping in your tracks, such a strangled cry of agony sending shivers straight through you. You knew who the voice belonged to before you saw them, knowing that if you turned you’d only confirm your fears.

Spinning around on the spot, you came to witness the body writhing in pain before you. The horrible sight that looked so familiar to you, having seen it countless times in your dreams.

Theseus, screaming in pain.

Your hand flew up to your mouth in shock, tears springing forth faster than lightning and blurring your vision. The pain in your head returned once more, the moment of relief where you’d been free of the crippling pain, coming to a sharp end.

“Theseus!” You screamed, unable to bear the sickening sight, watching helplessly as his body shook with all its effort to deflect the pain being inflicted upon him. Movement out the corner of your eye had you looking up from his convulsing form, which is where you spotted the person who was inflicting such an unforgivable form of abuse upon him.

Vinda Rosier.

Her nose was purple and spurting an alarming amount of blood which oozed down over her rouged lips, the dark crimson dripping off the tip of her chin and spattering in drops over the floor. She smiled maniacally, the scarlet liquid coating her perfectly white teeth, as she flicked her wand again.

Theseus couldn’t help the scream of pain and rage that tore through his body as the Cruciatus curse, perhaps the worst of the three Unforgivable spells, had him throwing his head back against the polished wood. His teeth were gritted together so hard he thought they might break under the immense pressure, trying not to let the pain that coursed through his body weaken him.

He couldn’t do anything except claw at his body, as if he could tear out the agony from his skin. He knew it must make him look deranged and he could feel the pain of how deep he dug his nails into his flesh, but nothing could compare to the torture the malignant witch was inflicting upon him.

As you watched helplessly, your stomach churning and threatening to empty its contents on the floor, something rolled away from where Theseus thrashed about and halted at your feet. You bent down and picked it up to inspect it.

Your wand.

He’d brought your wand with him and to your relief, it was intact. Knowing you know had a way of harnessing your magic and protecting yourself, you raised your wand to the witch who was having far too much fun in torturing the man in the floor.

Grindelwald stepped forward, his own wand aimed at you threateningly. There was something unnatural and dark about the way his eyes sparkled as they stared straight at you.

“Finish the job, child.” He muttered cautiously, the subtle threat in his tone was barely noticeable due to the sudden, uncharacteristic growl in his voice.

Your wand quivered in your hand. You looked back and forth between the man responsible for your brother’s death and then the man who had risked his life to save you.

“If you do not kill him,” Grindelwald gestured his wand carelessly to the tied-up muggle, “Then I will kill him and then your friend.” He flicked his wand, so it now pointed down at the writhing body before you.

“Please, stop!” You begged, the tears you had tried so hard to hold back now falling freely as the horrific howls that filled the room continue to ring in your ears.

“Kill him.” Grindelwald demanded, his persistency was unbreakable, and you could finally see the psychotic and manipulative cogs turning in his mind. Theseus managed to fight off the pain and open his eyes momentarily, long enough to lock eyes with you. In that singular moment he begged with his eyes, imploring you not to submit to Grindelwald’s command.

To run.

Then he was gone again, curling up and succumbing to the pain, his mind shutting off once more.

Shaking your head, you knew the choice you had to make to save him. Turning on your heel, you lifted your wand, sidling up beside the terrified muggle who was still sat in the chair, so that your wand tip was pressed to his temple. The man simply stared at you and you could see in his eyes he was afraid.

But despite the fact he was awaiting his death, he still held resentment and hatred towards you, something you could see so clearly on this man’s face. This only made your next action more difficult.

Leaning in, you brought your mouth close to his ear, a hand resting on his shoulder whilst the wand still dug into his skin. You took a deep breath as you prepared for what you were about to do.

“You are forgiven.”

With those three words, you whirled around and knocked Rosier to the ground. She hit the floor with a thud, her head whipping back against the stage floor, you hadn’t even had time to fully extend your arm as you had cast the only spell that had come to mind in the moment.

Vinda’s control over the curse was broken, finally releasing it’s grip on Theseus’ body, allowing him to breathe freely. Theseus scrambled onto his knees and began heaving, not able to gasp for air quick enough as his body continued to spasm and twitch.

At the sudden turn of events, the crowd who had only stood and watched began to panic, the majority of them starting to Disapparate whilst others screamed and ran for the doors at the back of the auditorium.

Despite their avid protests and outward hatred towards muggles, you realised they were simply a bunch of spineless cowards.

Grindelwald, after having taken a second to process what had happened, simply tutted as you stood defensively, both hands gripping your wand as you aimed it directly at him.

“Pity.” Grindelwald sighed. Without warning, he flicked his wand at the muggle you had spared, a brilliant green light shooting from the tip and hitting the defenceless man with full force.

You tried to reach him as his body hit the ground, the enchanted ropes that bound him instantly unravelled, allowing him to fall freely from the chair. By the time you had got to him, he was dead.

You pulled him onto his back, rolling him over to reveal his face. His eyes were open, but you knew they saw nothing more, all the spark and life behind them gone. You slipped your hand over his pale face, shutting his eyes.

You didn’t feel sadness, or grief. Slowly, the anger started to bubble inside, rising up inside you like a volcano on the brink of eruption. It was hot and intense, eating away at your heart, burning your lungs and filling your mind with a dark haze.

Pushing yourself to your feet, you turned to face the ungodly creature in front of you. He simply stood there, his face showing no remorse, no regret. In fact, you realised that the expression he wore on his face was nothing short of sheer boredom.

“Y-You killed him! He couldn’t even defend himself!” You accused, the disgust in your voice clearly audible.

Having had enough, Grindelwald rolled his eyes. You found this to be a bold move considering how volatile you were feeling.

“Enough, you foolish, little girl. You’ve exhausted your usefulness to me.” He waved you off with a flick of his hand, as though you were nothing more than a piece of trash on the street.

“You used me” You hissed, raising your wand.

Grindelwald cast the fatal curse that would stop your heart, but you were quick and prepared, managing to just deflect the blow before it hit you in the face.

“Yes, my dear. Your irritable little friends were getting in the way and I needed a martyr for my followers. Your brother’s death was the perfect scapegoat.”

“Well, your plan failed.” You taunted, despite knowing that goading such a dangerous and powerful wizard probably wasn’t the best idea. You just needed to keep him distracted whilst Theseus was still recovering.

Grindelwald flashed you the same smile he had done when he’d brought you up on the stage and declared you his executioner.

“Did it?” He mused.

As you prepared for another attack, you saw a flash of purple light fly past you towards Grindelwald, momentarily distracting him from his forthcoming assault.

Theseus was on his feet finally, his wand in hand as he flung spell after spell at the corrupt wizard. Anything he could think of, he made sure to cast, hoping one of them would hit home in Grindelwald’s chest. However, he wasn’t that easily beaten, and he deflected every spell easily seeming to exert very little energy. You joined in, hoping to double the firing speed and make him sweat a little.

Rosier was now back on her feet, her face a not-so-pretty picture, outraged at having been knocked out and her nose busted up. She summoned her wand that had been abandoned when she’d fallen and got ready to blast you and Theseus into the sky.

You were about to counter-attack her advance, until she was thrown forward onto her front, her face smacking into the floor. The scream that erupted from her was purely animalistic, her already messed up nose having received the brunt of the fall and no doubt causing her a fresh amount of pain.

You looked past her and saw Queenie, her wand withdrawn and a radiant smile on her face.

Giving her a grateful smile, you spun on your heels and threw another stunning charm, this time towards Carrow who had unsuccessfully tried to sneak up on you from behind. You sent her soaring backwards, her limbs flailing as she collided with Abernathy.

You couldn’t stop the gloating part of you at such a comical scene, despite the severity of your current situation.

In a bold and brazen move, you stuck your middle finger up at the two of them, sniggering at their miserable faces.

To add to their misfortune, you cast the Jelly-Legs Jinx on them, watching as they struggled to stand up, clambering over each other to try and give themselves leverage. Amidst the humour, you had momentarily forgotten where you were and just who you were fighting, until Theseus piped up.

“Queenie, you need to get out of here!” Theseus yelled over the noise of the battle, whilst simultaneously deflecting a blasting curse that was about to catch his rib.

“I ain’t leaving without you guys!’ She hollered back, a rope bursting from the tip of her wand to wrap around Rosier’s arms and legs, binding her up like a turkey in a butcher’s window.

“We’ll be okay, just go!” You assured her, watching as your new friend gave you one last hopeless glance, before Disapparating. You guessed that Theseus had given her a location by showing her in his mind, since she needed no further instruction before leaving.

Making your way back over to Theseus, the two of you stood back to back, guarding each other.

Abernathy and Carrow had managed to reverse the jinx on their legs during your brief conversation with Queenie, now back on their feet and advancing rapidly.

“What’s the plan Theseus?” You barked, blocking a particularly nasty hit from Abernathy who was now proving to be a pain in your ass. Which irritated you greatly.

Theseus growled in frustration as he realised you were slowly becoming overpowered, trying to cast a haphazard shield charm over the two of you whilst countering the onslaught he was receiving from Grindelwald.

“We need to Disapparate, but it’s too risky right now. A co-ordinated attack might give us an opportunity, but it’s only going to be a small window. Get ready.” He commanded you.

Strangely enough, you understood exactly what he was trying to hint at, noticing how Grindelwald, Abernathy and Carrow were all stood opposite each other, firing shot after shot at you both.

You focused on simply countering the barrage of spells, hoping you could hold out until an opportunity arose. The pair of wizards in front of you were beginning to close in, and you knew time was running out.

Throwing a look over your shoulder, you noticed Grindelwald was also considerably closer than he had been initially.

When Abernathy was about to strike again, you yelled at Theseus to go. In the blink of an eye, numerous things happened all at once.

Theseus shouted the incantation that summoned a smoke screen, thick red plumes emitting from his wand tip and cloaking you both. At the same time you ducked sharply, your body hidden under cover of the thick fumes that tickled at your throat. Theseus also ducked beside you, the sound of two spells going off above your heads. There was a sharp crack as the two spells exploded above you, colliding with each other and showering you with red sparks.

“Let’s go!” Theseus yelled, grabbing your hand to Disapparate.

Over your shoulder you saw a blinding ball of deep orange flames speeding towards you at a frighteningly rapid pace, above the noise you could hear Abernathy’s voice as clear as day.

“INCENDIO!”

You gasped, as the burst of searing flames shot towards you. You could only call out Theseus’ name as the two of you began to shift out of place, the familiar jolt of your body moving and rematerializing somewhere else. Before you were completely transported, Theseus saw the same flash of orange as you and moved without hesitation. You felt Theseus’ strong hands pull you towards him, his broad chest pressed up against you as he twisted your bodies round.

The heat of the looming inferno grew ever hotter, until suddenly it disappeared as if it were no longer there.

You daren’t open your eyes, your head reeling from the multiple different things that had just happened.

Instead, you tried to readjust to the sudden change of location, focusing on quelling that same nauseating feeling you got during every Apparation trip.

You realised how silent everything suddenly was, no yelling of incantations, no more screams or spells missing their mark. Something else you noticed was how cold you suddenly felt, despite the fact that you had just been inches from having your eyebrows singed.

Were you dead?

No of course not, because there was something else. You could feel a pair of very sturdy and solid arms wrapped around you, holding you in a secure embrace.

Beneath your hands you could feel something thudding rhythmically, a strong heartbeat that drummed at a rapid pace. It was a comforting feeling, knowing that there was someone protecting you, and it caused a warm feeling to flow through you. You buried your face into the soft fabric that tickled your cheek.

There was a new smell too, instead of the musty theatre or the dense, smoky scent of the charm Theseus had cast, this one seemed almost familiar. It was a refreshing change and one that calmed the nerves inside you. It was like it had always belonged there. 

To you, it smelled like home.

“We made it. We’re safe.” A soft voice mumbled beside your ear, the warm breath tickling your skin. You still wouldn’t open your eyes, just in case you were to find that you had woken up back in that castle, in a strange bed that was far too big. You didn’t want this to be a dream, because you knew that if it was, it was the cruellest one yet.

The arms around you slackened and you couldn’t stop the little sinking feeling as they took that tranquillity and warmth away with them.

“They’re gone?” You whispered, fingers curling up round a section of the fabric of Theseus' shirt, a silent plea for him to not let go just yet. You feared that if you let go, that might be what wakes you up, what yanks you out of this perfect moment.

“Yes. We’re alone.” Theseus promised, one hand slipping up to cradle the back of your neck softly, his hand never leaving your body as it travelled upwards, driving you mad as tingles shot up your spine.

Convinced that this was real and not some cruel fiction you’d imagined, you slowly allowed your eyes to flutter open, hoping it wouldn’t land you back in Austria.

You couldn’t stop the way your breath caught a little or the small skip of your heart when you were faced with that inviting smile or those captivating eyes that were so welcoming. It was just like at the rally, when you had awoken to him hovering above you like some ethereal being, looking down at you with such worry. But this time there was only relief and endearment.

“Are we both dead?” You half-joked, not quite able to believe that he really was there in front of you, his body pushed against yours, that devastating smile that made you go weak in the knees. You couldn’t stop staring at him, at everything about him.

Mostly at his lips and how unfairly desirable they were.

The hand that was cradling your neck gently rubbed the sensitive skin below your ear, sending a chill through you, but the good, rousing kind.

“No, but this does feel like Heaven.” Theseus muttered, his eyes flashing with something intense, an emotion you couldn’t quite read. You could feel his other hand slipping down to rest on your hip, the fabric of your blouse shifting so that his touch grazed your skin ever so slightly.

There was a shuffling sound behind you both and the two of you whipped your heads round to where the noise resonated from. There stood Queenie, her face contorted in horror.

You opened your mouth to ask her what was the matter, but she simply screamed, a strangled cry that she tried to muffle with her hand, as she pointed at Theseus.

There were loud footsteps, bangs and clatters as more people arrived, filling the doorway.

You recognised Newt, but the other two were less familiar. All of them expressing varying degrees of shock and horror.

Pulling yourself away from him, you looked at where Queenie’s accusing finger was aimed, turning Theseus around to see his back.

The sight of the burning flesh, the red raw skin and the charred fabric that still smouldered slightly. All of it was enough to make you vomit and you could feel the bile rising up your throat, threatening to keep the promise.

Tag list:

@igotmadskills @velairena @nightskywriter @sleep-i-ness @dreacantsleep @brittanymcsharry @iamtheonewhocares @mystrade-shipper

[hearteyesmotherclucker]

Common Enemy

(Part 1)

*spoilers!

Word count: 1.6k

Summary: Theseus x reader where Reader is a criminal, but Theseus and the reader are forced to work together to find Grindelwald. Angsty, but it leads up to the good fluffy stuff.

—————//—————

“Y/n l/n, is it?” A tall man with dark hair and blue eyes stood before you in the cold interrogation room.

“Yes,” you say begrudgingly.

The man glanced down at the file in his hands. “Selling illegal dark objects is a serious offense, you know. Enough to get you, say, three years in Azkaban.”

You shifted uncomfortably, but they caught you red-handed, so there was no point in lying.

“However,” the man said, spiking your interest. You liked ‘however’s’. “I’m willing to make a deal with you, if—and only if— you help me. You’ll be on probation for a few years, but not in Azkaban.”

You nodded vigorously. “Whatever you need, handsome,” you say, mostly to spite him, but he wasn’t exactly ugly...

He may as well have rolled his eyes, but he just looked straight into your eyes and said, “It’s Mr Scamander to you, y/l/n.”

“Can’t help it.”

He tossed your file on the table and leaned towards you. “Alright, y/n. Grindelwald is still missing and I need your help finding him.”

You froze. The Grindelwald? He didn’t happen to have a brother, an uncle maybe?

“You... need me?” You breathed, completely stupefied.

“Yes, you have had dealings with many of his followers,” he said. “Oh stop it with that look, we’ve been watching you for months,” he added at the confused look on your face. Nice.

“Listen, Salamander—“

“Scamander.”

“Gesundheit. I can’t help you people, my reputation will be ruined! My client’s trust will be, like, completely destroyed. Come on, don’t you understand?”

The look on his face told you he didn’t.

“You will help us or go to Azkaban. Your choice,” he deadpanned.

“...Fine.”

“Great! Welcome to the team.” He grinned with fake enthusiasm.

———————————————

Your handcuffs were removed and you rubbed your wrists (mostly to make a point, not because it hurt). You now sat in this “Mr Scamander”’s office. Of course, you were sitting in his chair with your feet on his desk.

The door opened, and Scamander walked in with a two more men behind him.

“—careful, Theseus. We don’t know what side she’s on,” one of the said. They stopped talking when they saw you.

“Y/l/n, feet down. Meet your new team. Gentlemen, this is the dangerous criminal who is going to help us, and she’s very excited to be here,” this Theseus said, though mostly to you. They nodded to you and you tipped an imaginary hat.

You feigned hurt. “I wouldn’t say dangerous,” you said with a hand over your heart. “Just... fierce.”

“Mmhmm. Tell us all you know about Vinda Rosier,” One of them said.

Your stomach dropped. You were unsure of what they were going to do, but as long as you weren’t going to Azkaban...

“Er- I’ve had a few dealings with her over the years. Lady has a few dark hobbies, sure, but who doesn’t?”

“Most people.” Theseus wasn’t amused, but that wasn’t going to stop you.

You cleared your throat. “She bought a cursed necklace once and a rare poison about a month ago. A rare mix of Basalisk and Acromantula venom. It’s very difficult to obtain.”

“Did she say anything about it? Tell you anything?” One of the two men asked. He was older and had a thin mustache that looked like a thirteen-year-old boy’s. The other one was younger and fit, and had a large scar on the side of his face.

“Oh, you mean something like, ‘Oh, thank you, y/n, I’m going to use this to murder an innocent’? No.” Theseus rubbed his temples in exasperation. “But, she did ask me the name of it in French, which is something. Le sombre morte, or the dark death.”

The one with the mustache nodded. “See, now we’re getting somewhere. What else did she buy?”

You hesitated. “Um, it’s kind of—“

“Just tell us, y/n,” Theseus demanded.

You childishly rolled your eyes. “Alright, keep your panties on. She bought a sort-of hookah pipe thing. It’s not what you think, it’s for seers. They sort of blow into it and their vision is projected into their surroundings. It’s quite interesting, really.”

The aurors looked at each other with worried glances.

“What?” You asked.

“Did she say anything about it? What she was going to do...?” Mustache asked.

You stared at him. “It’s sort of our thing, us criminals: Don’t ask questions,” you deadpanned.

“You’re not helping, y/n,” Theseus reprimanded.

You stuck your tongue out at him. “She did say something actually. It’s ‘for a friend,’ as she said. Lots of people say that though, especially with those odd and possibly compromising objects,” you tell them, your arms crossed. “Why, do you know something?”

Theseus bit his lip. You didn’t even stop yourself from staring at them.

“Not many people know this, but Grindelwald is a seer. He sees small bits of the future at a time,” he told you. Your eyebrows raised. You were intrigued.

“That’d be nice. Imagine how much money you could—... Sorry.” Theseus shut you up with a glance that said ‘shut up or so help me.’

You and the aurors worked together over the next week, you giving them information and them going out and questioning new suspects and finding answers. You actually liked it, which surprised you. You got used to the feeling of power with your information.

Theseus has loosened his tight grip and watchful eyes over you, and even sometimes laughed at your jokes. Little did you know, he actually liked you, but couldn’t let anyone know (for obvious reasons). Your humor and mysterious background intrigued him. The others still were mistrustful, but they were coming around.

Because of you, they now knew that Grindelwald was in Paris and that Vinda Rosier was close to him and was a vigorous supporter. They also found a few new followers of his as well. Not bad on your behalf.

You were sitting on Mustache’s desk (You forgot his real name and just called him that now), doing your best to distract him when Theseus strode over to you.

“My office, now. It’s important,” he said vaguely and gestured for you to follow him.

“What’s wrong?” Mustache asked. “What’s happened?”

Theseus sighed. It was a heavy sigh, and he was clearly exhausted. “It’s what’s going to happen. There’s to be a rally in Paris. Grindelwald is trying to recruit new followers, and our source expects hundreds of people are going to be there,” he explained.

The other man with a scar entered the office and the four of you hatched a plan.

—————————————

You stood amongst the crowd of followers in the Lestrange tomb, doing your best not to draw attention to yourself. You saw some people there that you didn’t exactly have a friendly past with.

There was nervous chatter all around you, reflecting what you were feeling. You were undercover, listening for information in the crowd. You felt like a part of the team, even if it was just for this case. They didn’t even need to have a tracker in your wand, you weren’t going anywhere. You loved the feeling this job gave you.

Suddenly the crowd quieted and Grindelwald entered, not even needing to raise a hand or ask for quiet, the eerie silence already filled the air.

He delivered his speech and you knew most people were convinced. You might have been if you didn’t already know the dangers of his seductive power.

You stopped listening to him and watched the crowd around you for clues when a collective gasp filled the air and a girl lay dead on the ground.

People apparated away as the aurors began arresting people and Grindelwald cast a fire spell of some sort. You retreated to the back of the room as you watched the scene before you.

There were only Grindelwald’s most loyal followers, aurors and Theseus’s brother and friends (you met Newt at the ministry a few days ago).

Theseus was in the front, fighting off two people. You saw him block green flashes, and you were sure you heard one of them yell ‘Crucio.’ Against your criminal judgment, you fired a spell at the two men Theseus was fighting, effectively taking them out.

He gazed up at you with gratitude before dodging a steam of the raging blue fire.

You stepped down and joined the Aurors, silently choosing your side. You fought off former clients, and you knew you would never be able to return to your life as a dark magical object dealer.

You ended up fighting side by side with Theseus until a woman seemingly came out of nowhere, calmly stepping down the large stone steps.

“Grindelwald, stop!” She yelled, and everything stilled as Grindelwald turned to address her.

He said something you couldn’t hear and offered her his hand. She took it lightly.

“Leta, no!” Newt yelled from somewhere to your right.

Leta let her hand slip out of Grindelwald’s and fired a spell at him, distracting him long enough for you to find your way to Theseus and the others and apparate to the outside.

The blue fire raged out of control, taking even more lives as it devoured the graveyard. You thought you saw the man with the scar down his face get swallowed, and you almost got sick. You had grown to like him in your brief time together.

Finally, an ancient-looking man instructed you to cast a spell and to stick your wand into the ground, and you did just in time. Paris was safe for now.

You were sitting against a stone wall when Theseus dropped down next to you, leaning his head back.

“Good work, y/l/n. I’m glad you chose us over them,” he said, his voice low and hoarse.

You chuckled softly. “I’m just glad I didn’t die tonight,” you joked.

He laughed and shook his head. “There’s no one like you, y/n. No one in the world.”

-

Find parts 2, 3, and 4 in my profile!

(Message or comment for a tag)

[under-the-lake]

It Has To Be You  -  Fantastic Beasts The Second: What we know (or don’t) so far

WARNING: SPOILERS (writing this 9-10th August 2018)

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - The Crimes of Grindelwald, Second Film of the five-film franchise, coming out 16th November 2018… already there! Can’t wait, to be honest. However, there’s some clues that have been dropped by the Wizarding Community online and that can allow us some kind of anticipatory excitement. Here’s a sort of summary, along with some personal thoughts and dug out information, because why bother only summarize when you can actually think?

Let’s start with the trailers, shall we?

Teaser trailer from Pottermore (PM - posted 13th March 2018): https://www.pottermore.com/news/watch-the-first-trailer-for-fantastic-beasts-the-crimes-of-grindelwald

Second official trailer : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlCKOG9ut8g

Short ID

Warner Bros., Heyday Films, 2018, directed by David Yates, screenplay by Joanne K. Rowling, music by James N. Howard.

Setting: London, Hogwarts, Cliffs of Dover, Muggle and Wizarding Paris (we get to see the local equivalent of Diagon Alley - entrance via a statue), New York, (maybe Godric’s Hollow?), 1927, plus at least Hogwarts in the early 1900s.

Main Characters: Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law), Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp), The Niffler, Pickett, Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler), Tina and Queenie Goldstein (Katherine Waterston and Alison Sudol), Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller) and his Obscurus.

Secondary Characters: Leta Lestrange (Zoë Krawitz), Nicolas Flamel (Brontis Jodorowski), Seraphina Piquery (Carmen Ejogo), Theseus Scamander (Newt’s brother, Callum Turner), Maledictus (Claudia Kim), Skender (owner of the Circus Arcanus, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson), Abernathy (a Macusa supervisor, Kevin Guthrie), Vinda Rosier (Poppy Corby-Tuech), Spielman (Wolf Roth), Bunty (Newt’s assistant, Victoria Yeates), Torquil Travers (Derek Riddell), Arnold Guzman (Cornell S. John), Yusuf Kama (William Nadylam), Eulalie Hicks (Jessica Williams), Mrs Lestrange (Sabine Crossen), Laurena Kama (Isaura Barbé-Brown), Credence’s Aunt (Linda Santiago).

Rough plot outlines:

The series ranges from 1926 to 1945, when Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald and Tom Riddle graduated from Hogwarts. See… there’s no end to evil, only keeping it at bay.

The story of The Crimes of Grindelwald  is set just after the first film. If you remember well, in 1926, Newt was in New York apparently buying an Appaloosa Puffskein and unofficially releasing his Thunderbird back in Arizona. He gets into trouble because of a 21-year old Obscurial, Credence Barebone, and is condemned to death along with his friend Porpentina Goldstein, by Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA) supervisor Percival Graves. Miss Goldstein was at the time a dismissed Auror from MACUSA - she was investigating the New Salem Philanthropic Society - NSPS - against the orders of her superiors. They escape, along with Tina’s sister Queenie and a No-Maj (US word for Muggle), Jacob Kowalski. The group eventually confronts Percival Graves in the Subway tunnel, and in front of Seraphina Picquery (head of MACUSA) and her crew, they uncover Gellert Grindelwald under the traits of Graves. Grindelwald is taken into custody. Kowalski is Obliviated, along with apparently all the Muggles in New York, by some weird rain that raised a lot of questions, the Thunderbird flies to Arizona and Newt returns to the UK.

In 1927, Newt’s book, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, has been published, Grindelwald has escaped MACUSA and is gathering followers. He wants to expose the Magical Community, and advocates Wizard supremacy over Muggles. Sounds familiar. Newt is sent to Paris by Dumbledore to track down the Dark Wizard, and the Ministry of Magic people don’t seem exactly ecstatic about that. Credence has survived and is becoming more powerful, apparently siding with a mysterious cursed woman called Maledictus who works for a non less mysterious circus called Arcanus. We can imagine that Tina, reinstated Auror for MACUSA, has been sent to track Grindelwald, and she and Newt meet again, together with Queenie and Jacob.

Apparently, from the trailers, we’ll be back at Hogwarts during Newt’s school years but also later.

What Has Been Disclosed So Far

‘Following the declassification of certain secret documents kept at the Ministry of Magic, the wizarding world has recently learned a little more about the creation of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. I am not yet in a position to tell the full story of my activities during the two decades that Gellert Grindelwald terrorised the wizarding world. As more documents become declassified over the coming years, I will be freer to speak openly about my role in that dark period of our history.

[...]

It is true that I was the first ever person to capture Gellert Grindelwald and also true that Albus Dumbledore was something more than a schoolteacher to me. More than this I cannot say without fear of breaching the Official Magical Secrets Act or, more importantly, the confidences that Dumbledore, most private of men, place in me.’

(Scamander, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, 2017, pp. x and xii)

A poster made by MinaLima for the Comic Con of San Diego this year reveals a lot (see picture below): People (Dumbledore, Grindelwald, Credence and Maledictus, Leta and Theseus), locations (Hogwarts, London, Paris), a Thestral-driven carriage, the Deathly Hallows and a Snake...

To start with, Grindelwald is free. That was pretty obvious though. It looks like Seraphina Picquery’s cells and measures of protection weren’t enough. In the trailer Grindelwald is seen in a thestral-drawn carriage (I thought the only tame ones were at Hogwarts, and only after Hagrid tamed them, so way later), wands pointing at him. The two men driving the carriage look like back-dressed Willy Wonkas :P and the carriage is followed by two people on broomsticks. What happened? Grindelwald is still with long hair and beard so when does this take place?

Once free, Grindelwald is making his point to a big crowd, trying to convince them to follow him. His inner wish is of course wizard supremacy over Muggles and other non-magical beings like Squibs. His ‘official’ version is that wizards shouldn’t be in hiding. He’s seen working with a woman holding a skull, who is Vinda Rosier (another ancestor to Death Eater Evan Rosier? Even the first names sound similar).

Grindelwald has his own logo, apparently, that looks like two letters ‘G’ put back to back, and that actually resemble a distorted swastika…. (see zoomed picture above). Well, the film takes place during one of the darkest periods of European history, namely the one during which rough extreme dictatorships rose... We don’t see it in the trailer (or I’m really blind), but we can assume that Grindelwald has already stolen the Elder Wand from Gregorovitch. The crew made Dumbledore’s first wand similar to the Elder one, though, as seen on a tweeted picture.. I am not sure if I like it yet.

A second major news is that we’re going back to Hogwarts, on two distinct occurences in time, it seems. The first is 1927, while what seems like a delegation of the Ministry of Magic (MoM - that has a different logo then, more in the fashion of the times) comes to confront Dumbledore about his use of Newt Scamander on a mission in Paris. It makes sense to think they are MoM people because among them is Theseus Scamander, Newt’s brother, who is Head of the Auror Office at the time. Along with him on the MoM team is a bloke called Travers. Rings a bell? His family tree has a Death Eater on it, later in the 20th century. The lines from the trailer are the following:

MoM Official: ‘There’s a rumour that Newt Scamander is headed to Paris. I know that he’s working under your orders. What do you have to say for yourself, Dumbledore?’

Dumbledore: ‘Well, if you ever had the pleasure to teach him, you’d know Newt is not a great follower of orders.’

However, Dumbledore and Newt have a meeting that has to be secret (since it’s shot on the roof of St Paul’s cathedral, London), and that tends to back up the idea that Newt is working ‘for’ Dumbledore. Moreover, Newt owes Dumbledore, who made a strong case for Newt not to be expelled from Hogwarts, as we learnt in the first film.

The second occasion on which we visit Hogwarts is during Newt’s school years as a Hufflepuff boy there. Maybe we’ll have more details about his relationship with Leta Lestrange. We know he loved her, and shared her passion for creatures. When one of Leta’s experiments with a Jarvey went wrong, Newt took the blame to prevent her from being expelled. Dumbledore defended Newt, and we don’t know if the expulsion finally took place or not. However, Newt could keep his wand, which would tend to back up the theory according to which he could stay at Hogwarts and graduate. What also backs up this theory is the fact that he’s been working for the MoM, which wouldn’t have hired someone without top grades in N.E.W.T.s so... yeh. Not expelled, I believe. We also know that later, Leta fell for Newt’s brother Theseus and got engaged to him.

One of the trailer scenes pictures Newt taking over a Boggart. The film crew placed the same cupboard in the DADA classroom as in the Prisoner of Azkaban film, which is all right given the period, I mean on an antiques point of view. Why assume that Boggarts would be hidden in the same cupboard, though? Moreover, who is teaching DADA but Dumbledore. That doesn’t make sense at all. That being said, Newt’s Boggart is funny: a desk full of in-trays and papers (see picture above). Because his worst fear is to be made to work in an office (that’s what he says in the trailer).

To stay with Newt a bit longer, do you remember how he did not have a Wand Permit for the USA? Well, his travelling troubles seem to have no end. From some official documents, we can see that his MoM Travel Permit is pending, because ‘subject uncooperative and evasive on reasons for last trip’. If it had only been a trip to collect data for his book he would not have been evasive or uncooperative…. (picture below)

Among the latest news, we learn that Newt wanted to go back to New York once his book was launched. He didn’t seek celebrity, he wanted to find Tina. Unfortunately for his introvert self, his book is a success. Redmayne says ‘Newt has been grounded in London and unable to leave.’ (Buzzfeed, 10.8.2018). In the same post we learn that Newt has a basement to his London apartment, that Rowling intended as a creature hospital. It is actually an extension of Newt’s suitcase, and is apparently bottomless. The entrance is…. You’ll never guess…. Via a cupboard under the stairs! I’m NOT taking the mickey.

Something unexpected, maybe is the appearance of a well-known prop. The trailer shows lights being sucked from street lamps. That can mean only one thing: Dumbledore had already invented the Deluminator (aka Put-Outer) in 1927. Who’s using it though? The shadows won’t yet reveal the answer. Is the use Ron Weasley put it to going to be displayed too?

Another point that has been fantasised about is Credence. Credence has survived the blasting in the Subway tunnel, and is now more powerful and seems more angry than ever. At one point in the first trailer, he is in the circus and frees some kind of creatures from a glass ball, or so it looks like at least. He’s also seen intensely looking at the posters advertising the circus….

From one fishy character to another… Who is Maledictus? She is Credence’s companion as it appears. She is said to bear a blood curse that transforms her into a beast, and that she’s one of the attractions of the Circus Arcanus, owned by Skender, currently on tour in Paris. One of the posters says ‘Snake Girl’... and Maledictus means ‘cursed’ but also ‘ill spoken’. We also know that the Circus was on tour in New York late 1926, and left only at the beginning of January 1927 to cross the Pond to France. Hm….. could Credence and Maledictus have met before? Or is it a new acquaintance? Why would Credence be in Paris otherwise?

The most unexpected visit to the film might be that of Nicolas Flamel. It makes sense since he lives in Paris (or does he still? We know from the Dumbledore Frog Card from 1991 that he lives in Devon), but I wonder what is going to be his role. He meets Jacob, that’s sure, from the trailer. Will he be meeting Dumbledore? Some kind of alchemical discussion could be really nice, and offer a rest in the probably action-packed-CGI-ed film. It appears from pictures that Newt will at some point hold an alchemical symbol, which, if I remember well, is that of gold. It’s a circle with a dot in the middle. What significance to this? Link with the Hallows? Or the Philosopher’s Stone? 

Another point is that there’s a hint, on Pottermore, that the film will show us younger versions of the main characters. Does that mean yet another flashback? Apparently. That fits the fact that we are to see Newt at school, in the early 1900s, but it also says that there is going to be a younger Grindelwald. Would that mean that maybe we could have a glimpse of that visit he payed to his great-aunt Bagshot in Godric’s Hollow the summer after Dumbledore graduated?

Let’s move to Creatures: the series is called Fantastic Beasts, after all. Pickett is back, and the Niffler. There’s all sorts of other creatures. In the trailer, Newt is seen riding an underwater creature. What could it be? A water dragon (he’s been training dragons for WW1, after all), a Kelpie (but it would likely eat him)? There’s also some sort of weird bird I’d say is an Augurey, and Thestrals. That bird appears to be sort of controversial in its determination: I mean that some people think it’s a Fwooper. Well, according to Scamander, in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the book, of course, Fwoopers are brightly coloured, which this bird is not. As a pet, it would be quite dangerous to have one, since it’s cry drives one mad. Moreover, It doesn’t match Rowling’s illustration for it at all. The bird from the trailer does, however, match the description of an Auguery a bit more: a vulture-like creature (all right it has feathers on its head, vultures, as scavengers, don’t), blueish grey, used as a home weather-forecaster.

Ok this kills me: there are going to be BABY NIFFLERS! FantasticBeasts retweeted a post about that and here’s the picture in there. 

This is not a joke, There are really baby Nifflers. There are four different colours actually, as published by PM today 10th August. One adult Niffler was already some kind of a Weasley twin.... what about FOUR?

Here they are:

And HA another of their tweets lists creatures. And the bird IS an Augurey, but there is also indeed a Kelpie (wondering why, and how Newt is going to escape). The weird thing walking in the streets at some point in the trailer is called a Zouwu, that seems, from what I saw on Twitter, to be a Chinese creature. In the trailer, there’s also a weird-looking crumpled-antlered stag/elk-like creature, that some people refer to as a Leucrotta, but the usual description doesn’t fit here, some think it might be a Crumple-Horned Snorkack. There’s no description matching the beast in Newt’s book, unfortunately.

That’s what I’ve dug out so far. There is new info coming out all the time, and I probably have missed some. If that’s the case, please comment under the text :)

Paris, London, New York and the Wizarding World in 1927: Short Description (more after the film is launched)

I wanted to do a tiny bit of research on 1927 in Paris and London, mostly, and have a more deeper go after having seen the film, to put things more into context.

As The Crimes of Grindelwald set in 1927 directly follows Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, set in 1926 New York, there’s not much point into dwelling into what New York looked like at that time. There are a couple of papers on this blog about that:

http://under-the-lake.tumblr.com/post/157988584836/fantastic-beasts-and-where-to-find-them-the-film (first deeper impressions after the first film, mainly deeling with Speakeasies and Immigration Rules)

http://under-the-lake.tumblr.com/post/158268815626/fantastic-beasts-and-where-to-find-them-the-film (first deeper impressions part 2: laws and death penalty)

http://under-the-lake.tumblr.com/post/159376016836/fantastic-beasts-and-where-to-find-them-the-film (first deeper impressions part 3: the NSPS and Credence)

http://under-the-lake.tumblr.com/post/153419399321/fantastic-beasts-and-where-to-find-them-first (Very first Impressions)

Paris in 1927

President of France at the time: Gaston Doumergue (1924-1931)

Here’s an 8-minute video of Paris in 1927. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QDmzfyqNJM It shows really how life was in the streets.

Among the artistic life of the 1920s in Paris were people like the Missouri-born Josephine Baker, who was spotted in New-York in 1925 by French producers who were looking for an all-black cast for their Parisian Revue Nègre. Josephine was chosen and she moved to the French capital in the same year. She was one of the stars of the nightlife there from then on (see picture above). She was not the only foreign artist to set quarters in Paris. They came from the USA but also from the whole of Europe, mainly the East and South: Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Hungary, Spain. The whole neighbourhood of Montmartre, with its Moulin Rouge and Bateau-Lavoir, and that of Montparnasse and the Quartier Latin, were exploding with modern artists from poets to painters and composers, trying things, often living on nothing, often collaborating, often also hating each other in peace. The 1925 Exposition of Decorative Arts had also launched the period of Art Deco. The Expo hosted works by artists like Lalique or Le Corbusier.

It was also the period of weird circuses. Fêtes foraines were travelling fun fairs with carrousels and other attractions, but also with displays of ‘monsters’ or other ‘unusual’ creatures, including humans. Famously, of course, bearded women and elephant men, or dwarves, were showed to the public. Audience were attracted via posters and even music, like barrel organ music, that could be heard up to 3 km (1.8 miles) around. From what the trailer of The Crimes of Grindelwald shows, the Circus Arcanus is exactly along those lines. The name itself should be enough for us to know that something fishy is coming, ‘arcanus’ meaning ‘mysterious’ or ‘secret’ in Latin. Plus there are snakes and that evil cloak-holding being on the poster.... and that phrase, Le musée des curiosités vivantes (the museum of living oddities, like a live curiosity shop). According to Wikia, the Circus was in New York for a fortnight in late 1926 and travelled to Paris, France, in early January 1927…

London in 1927

King: George V (reigned 1910-1936)

PM: Stanley Baldwin

There is footage from London in 1927, and Simon Smith has replicated the shots in 2013:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kml92pPjx0

In 1927 the UK was recovering from the General Strike of 1926. The lower class had lost for many reasons, and the majority of the population was in a worse state then than before the strike.

The posh London society youngsters were known as the Bright Young Things. They were offspring of those who had gone through WW1 and were either fighting their parents’ values or taking life at face value, living carpe diem because of the war that had slaughtered so many young people. Maybe, for the young women, it was a way of showing their newly born independance. Maybe the reason was a mix of all. At any rate, it was a time of party, alcohol, drugs, freedom, jazz and a feeling of fighting the establishment. That latter was expressed, among other things, by the full acceptance of gay and lesbian relationships, which were, at the time, banned by the British laws.

Among them were people like photographer Cecil Beaton (see pic by him above), who is partly responsible for starting the cult of celebrity in the UK, via his portraying of the Bright Young Things. Since they were children of rich families, they had also connections with tabloids and could use them to spread their image, which they did. By the start of the 1930s, unemployment, Wall Street Black Thursday and global unhappiness were getting people bored by the growing excesses of that group.

On the cultural side, BBC (British Broadcasting Company) was created in 1927 (it was really founded in 1922 but was granted a Royal Charter in 1927). Authors who published in this year were among others Agatha Christie, Virginia Woolf and P. G. Wodehouse.

The Wizarding World in 1927-ish

In February 1927, Gellert Grindelwald, notorious Pureblood supremacist, makes an escape from MACUSA prisons in New York, while a month later, in March, Jacob opens his bakery, thanks to Newt’s Occamy Egg shells (Fantastic Beasts Screenplay, scene 123). Newt is doing well too, his book being published somewhere between January and March. The launch is set on 19th March 1927 at Flourish & Blotts, Diagon Alley, London.

By December, Seraphina Picquery has made the Thunderbird a protected species. She has instituted a Protective Order on it (While in the Muggle world Theodore Roosevelt had made Pelican Island a protected area in 1903, and the first protected list of species was used in 1918 jointly by Canada and the USA).

Dumbledore has been writing for Transfiguration Today for a year in 1927.

A French Ministry of Magic? Well, if the USA have their MACUSA and the UK have the MoM, why not a French Ministry. At any rate, the trailer gives us a glimpse of a glass dome with constellations and creature names written in pseudo-French: Le Niffleur, Hippocampe, Le Nundu, Le Doxy….  (there is even a typo because ‘centaur’ in French takes an ‘e’ at the end). I cannot vouch for this being the building of the French Ministry, but at least we know there is one, mentioned by J. K. Rowling in her writing about Beauxbâtons Academy on Pottermore. In French it is called Le Ministère des Affaires Magiques de France, which translates into ‘French Ministry for Magic Affairs’. According to Wikia, it was founded in 1790 during the French Revolution, and has ‘Incanté, Envoûté, Conjuré’ as a motto, which would translate into ‘Cast, Bewitched, Conjured’. The latest news from today tell us that the entrance is via one of the multiple public drinking fountains scattered all over Paris, called Wallace fountains. How can people enter via such a thing, search me. In London, you could either use Apparition, or the Visitor’s Entrance in the telephone box that you could actually enter, or later the public loo that you could get flushed in. The French thing is a fountain. Are people going to be suck via the plumbing after shrinking themselves or something? What about the Statute of Secrecy??

I must acknowledge that I hadn’t thought about Voldemort when I started this piece of writing. However, since Grindelwald’s defeat is followed by Voldemort’s rise to power, it must be considered. Merope Gaunt eloped with Tom Riddle Sr. in 1925-1926, and Tom Riddle Jr. was born on 31st December 1926 at Wool’s Orphanage, London, after his father left Merope, probably due to her stopping to feed him on Love Potion. So if we put two and two together, Tom Riddle Jr. had a nice model to worship when he was at school...

UK Minister for Magic: Hector Fawley (1925-1939)

US President of MACUSA: Seraphina Picquery (1903-1928)

French Ministre des Affaires Magiques: Unknown yet

Grindelwald and the Deathly Hallows: Dusting Our Memories

According to Rowling in her writings for PM, Gellert Grindelwald was born somewhere around 1883, somewhere on planet Earth. However, he was sent to Durmstrang Institute, that is located somewhere in northern Norway or Sweden (according to J. K. Rowling, see report of her reading GoF). He was ‘as ‘precociously brilliant as Dumbledore’ (Deathly Hallows, ch. Eighteen). Grindelwald was expelled when he was sixteen. The official reason is that he was making ‘twisted experiments’. They must have been really nasty if he was expelled from a school that favours Dark Magic.

Grindelwald knew about the Deathly Hallows and believed they would give him limitless power once united. He stole the Elder Wand from Gregorovitch the wandmaker. He wanted the other two Hallows, the Resurrection Stone and the Invisibility Cloak, badly. We don’t know if he wanted to be Master of Death or just have power, but he was obsessed with overruling the Muggle world and put the non-magic people in their rightful place. He engraved the Hallows sign on one of the Durmstrang walls. Later Dumbledore draw it on the front page of his copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard.

How lucky then that Grindelwald’s great-aunt, Bathilda Bagshot, happened to live in Godric’s Hollow, which, apart from being the Potters’ and the Dumbledores’ family village, was the place where the Peverells had lived. Ignotus Peverell and his two brothers are said to be the Three Brothers of the tale, and thus the first owners of the Hallows.

After being expelled, Grindelwald went to visit his great-aunt. How very convenient… and there was Dumbledore, having to spend his summer looking after his family instead of taking his Grand Tour of the Wizarding World with Elphias Dodge. Bathilda introduced the two men, and it was like a bubble of fresh air to Dumbledore, according to Rowling. The two became inseparable, writing to each other about Wizard domination over Muggles for the Greater Good (that’s what Dumbledore thought) when they couldn’t talk about it. The relationship lasted two short months. Albus was besotted and that cast a gloom on his family, because he would not fulfill his obligations. His brother Aberforth eventually reacted, and the result was a three-way duel and Ariana’s, their sister, death. Needless to say, Grindelwald vanished. (Deathly Hallows, chapter Eighteen).

He travelled through Europe, gathering followers, and tracking down the Elder Wand, the easiest Hallow to trace, due to its bloody history. Apparently, he avoided Britain.

Europe having probably given out what it could, Grindelwald crossed the Atlantic and hired himself as MACUSA Auror Percival Graves. I guess he had heard about Obscuri and about Credence, because why go exactly there otherwise. Credence would be a wonderful weapon of destruction if he learnt to control his powers. Pottermore says that Grindelwald discovered Credence later, but I can’t think of any other reason for someone to go to the USA while the wizarding community there was so much more restrained than in Europe, and hopes of bringing it to the light were therefore so much smaller. Using an Obscurial to wreak havoc and thus expose the community would be a huge blow for his enemies. And of course we know that Grindelwald was already tracking down the Hallows, and knew of their existence, as proven by the necklace he gives Credence in the first film. Actually, I just read that according to Rowling, Grindelwald is a Seer… and had a vision about Credence’s immense power (see tweet). 

During his stay in the USA, Grindelwald was discovered by Newt Scamander, and captured and imprisoned by MACUSA. Not for long, though. That’s what the second film is telling us.

Questions Raised by the Trailers and the Written Info

Some of these questions, together with the fact that since Rowling wrote the screenplays herself, make things that were canon from the Harry Potter series and Fantastic Beasts collide….

- Now were we hoodwinked in the first film? I mean drawn into thinking that Newt is an innocent Magizoologist, trying to gather information for his book? Was he actually already on a mission to track down Grindelwald? Because honestly, that’s what he does in the end. Nothing about collecting stuff for his book. Setting Frank the Thunderbird free seems like a nice cover story.

- If he was indeed on ‘innocent’ business in New York, then why are MoM officials monitoring his movements, and why is his current MoM travel authorization pending? Why are MoM officials coming to Dumbledore to inquire about Newt? Or are they actually investigating Dumbledore? And remember, MACUSA was already tracking Newt from the start of the first film...

- What are Queenie and Jacob doing in Europe? If Tina is probably on MACUSA duties or tailing Credence because she’s still on the NSPS trail, I can’t imagine why a baker would leave his flourishing new business and why a witch like Queenie would leave her makeup and brushes to travel to Europe.

- Who’s that bloke with long white hair and beard levitated by apparently officials in some kind of prison?

- Is Maledictus the Snake Lady? If she is, it would be clever for her to hide her curse in a circus, given the intolerance of the age for differences of any kind. Some rumours actually have it that she would become Nagini...

- How did Credence survive? And after recovering, did he join the circus? Otherwise it doesn’t make much sense that he’s in Paris, right? Nor that he knows Maledictus.

- From research done by SuperCarlinBrothers, Credence is related to Corvus Lestrange and is half-brother to Leta Lestrange, Corvus having had offspring by two women. It’s all here in their video, time 7.27  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3ChukSDGRU  

Now how did Credence end up in the care of Marylou Barebone in the first place, please?? Or is that name a fake one?

- That family tree bears the name of Laurena Kama, a black witch. The film cast says that there’s going to be a character there called Yusuf Kama, played by William Nadylam. Family? And we know from cast that Credence has an aunt...

- And now we’re talking about Credence and his family tree... what about Modesty? Is she going to appear some time in this film or the next ones? What’s the point of developing her character so much in the first film if she has no role to play in the story later?

- Tina looks dark. ‘We’ll all have to pick our side’.... ? And it appears like she feels the urge to look after Credence… and maybe she’s a bit jealous of Bunty, Newt’s assistant, who in turn might be a bit infatuated with Newt, from what Redmayne says.

- WHY the bloody hell is Dumbledore teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts (DADA)???? That is so not canon. He’s a Transfiguration teacher. By 1927 he had been writing regularly for Transfiguration Today for a year. He was never mentioned as a DADA teacher, and it sounds really wrong. I know some people argue that DADA didn’t exist then, and that maybe Care of Magical Creatures was merged with it, as well as Transfiguration, but that doesn’t make any sense. Dark Wizards have always existed, and bad curses, hexes, jinxes, and dangerous creatures, if not dark ones. It makes no sense to ‘invent’ DADA just because Voldy was on the loose, or after Grindy was sent to Nurmengard.

- What’s that orb the woman next to Grindelwald is holding in her hand? Looks like either a Crystal Ball or a big version of a Prophecy. That last would be ruled out since it is too big to be one, but again, tampering with canon stuff seems to be the fashion. Unless, since everything seems to happen in Paris, it is a French Prophecy. Actually, new theory: from pics where you can see the two protagonists from the front, it seems Vinda is actually holding a skull with glowing orange eyes.

- Who’s the woman walking with the three thestralish cats? I found out she’s called Melusine…. That could open a lot of speculation.

- What’s Grindelwald saying to Dumbledore in the Mirror of Erised? And why does Dumbledore see Grindelwald in the Mirror in the first place? While actually at the end of the HP books, it is hinted that he’d be seeing his family… If the deepest desire of his heart were to see Grindelwald finished, then the latter wouldn’t be alive in there.

- Why always ‘it has to be you’? Same with Harry Potter and Severus Snape. Reminds me of Lord of the Ring, where people with the Rings of Power (that is Galadriel, Gandalf and Elrond) can’t take over Sauron and it has to be a Hobbit. Or David and Goliath. Oh wells. Always puppets played by experienced puppeteers.

- Last but not least. Why is Jacob working with wizards? Is he a descendant of wizards himself? I’ve been giving this some thought myself, but haven’t had time to work out all the connections. HOWEVER, there IS a theory that he’d be a descendant of Helga Hufflepuff, and it’s really interesting how the blokes who thought this came to that conclusion. It would explain, for instance, why Jacob has not been totally Obliviated by that rain that was destined for Muggles only (he makes pastries in the shape of all the animals he saw in Newt’s case, for instance). If you are curious about this theory, check this video by SuperCarlinBrothers :  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uT7i4Lu55pg (for details about disagreements on some names used in the video, check the comments under it :P ) There’s further evidence to be read in the comments below the video, because one of the people mentioned a Quentin Kowalski playing Quidditch for the USA in 2014, which would mean there are Kowalskis in the wizarding world, maybe a descendent of Jacob?

- Ok not last. I just rewatched the trailer and here comes one more question: HOW COME those people can just APPARATE on the bridge at Hogwarts??? I thought you couldn’t Apparate on the premises. At least according to Hermione, Severus and Hogwarts: A History. However, it is possible that those protection measures were put on later than 1927. On the other hand, Rowling says, on PM, that the castle and ground have always been protected by Anti-Apparition charms…

Of course, more info will be released the closer we get the the launch, on 16th November. We will see if any of those theories are confirmed, any questions answered… - can’t wait!

Meanwhile, as all these questions, all these thoughts, are obviously only assumptions and ramblings of my own mind, sometimes backed up by others, sometimes not, feel very free and very welcome to discuss any point you might feel worth it! Either in the comment thread under the article, or on our facebook page!

Happy anticipation to everyone!

Sources

https://www.pottermore.com/writing-by-jk-rowling/beauxbatons-academy-of-magic

https://www.pottermore.com/writing-by-jk-rowling/durmstrang-institute

https://www.pottermore.com/features/gellert-grindelwald-the-story-so-far

https://www.pottermore.com/news/watch-the-first-trailer-for-fantastic-beasts-the-crimes-of-grindelwald

https://www.pottermore.com/writing-by-jk-rowling/the-hogwarts-express

https://www.pottermore.com/news/introducing-the-baby-nifflers-in-fantastic-beasts-the-crimes-of-grindelwald

http://www.redhotjazz.com/josephinebaker.html

https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Bright-Young-Things/

https://fromthebygone.wordpress.com/2017/12/30/the-bright-young-things-captured-by-cecil-beaton-1920s/

Full Credits currently available:  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4123430/fullcredits

Latest update, 10th August 2018: https://www.buzzfeed.com/eleanorbate/fantastic-beasts-crimes-of-grindelwald-set-secrets?utm_term=.cvKd2rJEw#.gnnJo7gP0

J. K. Rowling reading Goblet of Fire report: http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2000/1209-hpfgu-scruton.html

Scamander, N. (2017). Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Bloomsbury Publishing, London, in association with Obscurus Books, Diagon Alley, London.

Rowling, J. K., (1999). Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Bloomsbury, London.

Rowling, J. K., (2007). Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Bloomsbury, London.

Rowling, J. K., (2007). The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Bloomsbury, London

Rowling, J. K., (2016). Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - The Original Screenplay. Bloomsbury, London.

[ao3feed-skam]

<SKAM羞耻>

by XavieraTse

英伦天使阿不思X邪魅撩神盖勒特/SkamAU/三强争霸背景 -人物属亲妈，OOC属我- -SKAM：挪威语，意为“羞耻”-

*HP背景与配角均参照Pottermore百科等官方信息，并根据剧情需要作小幅度修改，如有不符请见谅*

Words: 6459, Chapters: 2/?, Language: 中文

Fandoms: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), SKAM (Norway)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Gellert Grindelwald, Albus Dumbledore, Jacob Kowalski, Newt Scamander, Theseus Scamander, Vinda Rosier, Queenie Goldstein, Tina Goldstein, Ariana Dumbledore, Leta Lestrange, Nagini (Harry Potter), Aberforth Dumbledore, Credence Barebone, Minerva McGonagall

Relationships: Albus Dumbledore/Gellert Grindelwald, GGAD - Relationship, 盖勒特格林德沃/阿不思邓布利多, grindeldore - Relationship

source https://archiveofourown.org/works/24833944

[kenneth-omega]

The Mistakes of Grief (part 1) Theseus Scamander x Reader

 A/N: Not requested but just a little idea I had for my man Theseus. This only loosely follows the plot of FB:CoG so please don't come after me because of inaccuracies. This is my own AU version. This story will be predominantly fluff, perhaps a few heated moments in certain parts, but nothing explicit. If you’d like to be tagged in upcoming parts just drop me a message/ask!

Word count: 3966

Synopsis: You’ve allowed yourself to be roped into Grindelwald’s inner circle, fighting for your own cause whilst trying to also cope with the recent, muggle-related death of your brother. At the Parisian rally held beneath the Lestrange Mausoleum, you’re reunited with an old acquaintance from school. Theseus Scamander.

Warnings: Bits of fluff, hella angsty moments, a bit of violence.

Part 2

As the last of the preparations were being made by Grindelwald’s lackeys, you sank further into the uncomfortable high-backed armchair and closed your eyes momentarily, trying to calm the nerves inside you, writhing like a pit of Flobberworms.

The thought of Flobberworms slithering in your stomach made you gip a little and you had to banish the vile thought from your mind before you vomited the contents of your stomach all over the carpet. You couldn’t even begin to imagine the humiliation of having Grindelwald and his main group of followers see you deposit your guts on the floor in front of them.

It was beginning to turn to night outside, you noticed the dusky orange sky was growing less vibrant as the minutes passed and just a couple of the brightest stars began to appear above the city.

Although you had never been before, and had seen very little of it so far, you found Paris a beautiful city and knew that you wished to return some day.

Perhaps when the battle was won, and Grindelwald had finally accomplished the task he had set out to achieve, you could come back a free woman, with the knowledge that you could walk down those streets and not have the urge to look over your shoulder every few seconds.

There was a knock at the door, a small and timid one. The hushed conversation between a man, an American who you knew to be named Abernathy, and a woman who you remembered was named Carrow, ceased.

The door opened as all the present members in the room looked at who it was that had announced their presence.

Krall.

A quiet and sulky man, who seemed to waver on where his loyalty lay frequently, never really being able to convince the other members that he was truly devoted to Grindelwald’s cause.

Not that you could be one to talk about loyalty. You still weren’t entirely sure what you were doing here, why you had agreed in the first place. How you had been so easily attracted to the beautiful Vinda Rosier’s offer when she had appeared to you merely days ago.

Rosier was currently with Grindelwald elsewhere, but would be arriving imminently with their leader to prepare to head for the rally.

It was a rally, that much was true, however there was also a carefully poised trap prepared in the shadows of his scheme. Grindelwald was after a boy, having barely even hit adulthood by the sound of it, who was extremely crucial to make sure their goal was successful. Although you didn’t know exactly what was so special about this boy, you knew he must be frightened and in pain from what Grindelwald had vaguely told you about New York.

MACUSA, which you knew was something like the American’s version of the Ministry of Magic, had attacked and unsuccessfully tried to annihilate a young boy for the simple reason of being unable to control his power and, having suppressed it for so many years, had allowed it to manifest into an Obscurial. Grindelwald had told you about how they cared more about the Muggles, or No-Majs, than one of their own kind and were more concerned for the protection of the Muggles.

This had made the blood in your veins run cold with horror and anger.

So now here you sat, waiting anxiously for your divergent leader to arrive, to give the word so you could all Apparate to the rally spot.

As if your thoughts had been heard, the door opened again, this time with no knock or introduction, not that it was needed. The atmosphere of the room seemed to change instantaneously as you and the other people sat down, arose to greet the man himself.

He sauntered in like a man who had nothing to fear, observing each person intensely with his heavy-set, yet enchantingly unique eyes. His gaze finally met yours and a shot of ice ran down your spine, the brief interaction you had made you feel like you just stared into the future itself and had seen horrors what could not be true, all captured in those eyes of his.

He stood at one end of the room and Rosier, having slunk in after him, positioned herself by his side, like a Matagot awaiting her master’s order to pounce.

Raising his arms in a fashion that made him look like he was almost inviting you for a hug, he opened his mouth,

“Friends, the time has come. You know your positions and understand that this will surely not be any simple task. Not at all. This is it my beautiful, little warriors. Here you stand, poised to fight for your lives and what you believe in. Willing to follow me into the future, no questions asked, just pure…loyalty.”

At that last word, Grindelwald locked eyes with Krall, a glint of something not quite sincere shining for a brief second in the smile he flashed. You could hear Krall audibly gulp beside you and knew that he had felt the same sensation you had when Grindelwald had first looked at you upon entering.

“This evening is what will spark the fire of our desires, our one, true goal,” He preached, “All of your wishes, your wants…your needs, are to be ignited.”

The room’s atmosphere felt heavy on your chest, and you could taste the thirsty ambition that was tangible from every person in the room.

“Let us go.” Grindelwald finished, sensing his comrades itching desire to set off for the rally.

“There are Aurors among us.” Grindelwald announced.

You couldn’t help the gasp that escaped from your lips as you stood high above the gathered audience at the top of the stone bleachers, leant against one of the many statues encircling the small arena-esque room. Your eyes shifted frantically across the grand space below you, searching for anyone suspicious, anyone who didn’t look like they were bewitched in Grindelwald’s entrancing speech. Your eyes came to rest on one man in particular and you held your breath as you prayed to God it wasn’t who you thought it was.

Theseus Scamander.

You removed yourself from your original spot and moved into the shadows, keeping a watchful eye on the man and his entourage. Another male came and stood next to him, their resemblance very uncanny, a sinking feeling in your stomach growing by the second.

This was Newt Scamander. Magizoologist, who recently went away on private business in America, and was also Theseus’ younger brother. He was around seven years younger than you, so you had never had the chance to encounter him in school, however Theseus had only been two years above you at Hogwarts. You couldn’t deny that you remembered him all too well.

Just looking at him brought back a lot of memories, some you didn’t even know you still had. Those seven years of your life had been kept locked away in your mind for a while now. Since the war had begun. All the happier memories had grown dusty, replaced by those injected with fear and anxiety.

You knew Theseus had been there, just like Mallory, fighting for and against muggles and wizards alike. He looked older, but not old. All grown up, yet still he hadn’t lost those boyish, charming looks.

Your mind was now whirring at a million paces, all those old memories creeping out of their locked boxes, flooding your head. But it wasn’t bad memories that came forward, it wasn’t the nightmares, these were happy times, playing like a film reel in your head.

“Look it’s Theseus, he’s going to practice his charms again! Come on, don’t you want to go and watch?” Your best friend gushed, seeming infatuated with the fourth-year Hufflepuff.

You looked up from your copy of yesterday’s Daily Prophet, as delivered by your father. It obviously contained something of interest to you or else he wouldn’t have bothered. The two of you were sat outside, in the Clock Tower Courtyard, by the little fountain feature. You were resting against one of the stone pillars whilst your friend sat on the edge of the little pond, running her fingertips through the cool water absent-mindedly.

You watched the mouse brown curls on top of Theseus’ head flutter softly as he strode through the courtyard with confidence and purpose. He had an apple in hand and a spell book in the other, his wand poking out the pocket of his school trousers. He was frightfully tall for a fifteen-year-old, already a good head above the majority of the boys in school, even the older ones.

His brow was furrowed as he walked, obviously something occupying his mind, until he felt the pairs of eyes on him and turned his head to look over at the two of you. Your best friend couldn’t control the giggle that erupted from her mouth, hiding her face behind her hair. You simply tilted your head slightly, as though pondering on something, and continued to keep eye contact with Theseus.  Because of this, it caused him to stumble slightly on the uneven cobbles as his attention was now focused on you rather than watching where he was going. This little slip-up caused you to smile as his face turned a visible shade of tomato-red, even from this distance. He cast you another glance, a lopsided, half-embarrassed grin on his face, before leaving the courtyard.

You’d thought about that smile a lot after that day.

It was the sound of a body hitting the floor that snapped you back to reality, where it was then you realised Theseus and his brother had vanished from their spot. You searched frantically in the crowds for a familiar face among the people that had begun to shift and move, a fearful murmur rising in the room. You spotted Newt, the youngest of the two, his eyes wide in horror and shock as he, and everyone else it seemed, stared at the body of a young woman and a man with his wand drawn and pointing at her.

An Auror.

You gasped, momentarily forgetting your search for the eldest Scamander, stepping forward out of your shadowed hiding spot and heading down the stairs steadily, careful not to startle anyone else, should they be as easily spooked and decide to attack you. You’re mindful to not show as much of your face as possible, should any of these people recognise who you were. As you close in, heading towards Grindelwald, he senses your presence and casts you a glance, one that freezes you in your tracks. It’s a warning look. One that tells you to stay out of it. You hesitate but ultimately obey his silent order as he makes his way towards the unfortunate witch, her auburn hair slightly tousled from the fall.

You keep your eyes on Newt and his friend, a dark-haired female who looked every bit the part of an Auror. You tried counting the number of Aurors who stood around, most too shocked or hesitant to move from their current spots, understanding that the situation had changed entirely. They definitely did not have the upper hand here anymore.

There’s a shuffle of movement from behind and you whip round swiftly, directing your gaze to the head of the stairs that you had descended from, to see none other than Theseus with his wand drawn and an expression on his face that you could only describe as horror.

It feels like all the air in your lungs has been knocked out of you in one swift go, leaving you short for breath. As he stands there, seemingly frozen to the spot like you currently are, Theseus continues to silently absorb the information that is no doubt reeling through his brain. His achingly handsome face is set so sombre, it’s like it’s been carved from the finest marble.

Once again, unable to stop this sudden memory vomit inside your mind, a newly painted picture appeared in your mind, taking you back to another memory of Hogwarts.

You watched as the last first-year hopped off the stool, the Sorting Hat being placed back down to sit rather diligently on the seat. The young boy practically skipped towards the Hufflepuff table. Not very many Ravenclaws this year you noticed, but still, the new students were by far some of the sharpest little whippersnappers you’d seen. You were now a fifth-year, so the chance of you having time to get to know them was unlikely, with this year being all about focusing on your O.W.L.s.

You smiled at the sight of the child plonking himself down at the end of the Hufflepuff table, shaking hands with some of the second-years who were sat closest. Your best friend took this opportunity to nudge your arm, before jabbing you with her fork when you didn’t respond straight away. You whipped your head around to face her, scowling as you rubbed the now sore spot on your bicep.

“Ow?!” You hissed, only she wasn’t listening to your protesting. Instead, she was inclining her head for you to look over somewhere else, trying to make it subtle about where she was gesturing. You followed her gaze and noticed a pair of familiar eyes gazing across the room at you. Raising an eyebrow, you watched Theseus Scamander snap out of his little daydream and come to realise he was blatantly staring at you. Just like that time in the courtyard, his face turned a deep red shade. You had to clamp your teeth down on your bottom lip to stop from bursting out with laughter and interrupting the Headmaster’s speech. Theseus simply picked up his carefully folded napkin and buried his face in it masking his embarrassment, whilst also earning a few funny looks from the surrounding seventh-year Hufflepuffs.

This was different, there was no blushing, nothing kind about the look in his eyes, only sadness and…regret.

Suddenly, there are people Disapparating left, right and centre, the listeners of Grindelwald’s speech now taking off by his command. You turn to watch as all present Aurors begin to move into position and you notice them starting to converge on the man stood in the middle. There’s a sound behind you and you know that Theseus has Disapparated out of sight once more. The idea of losing him made your skin itch with irritation, you wanted to go up to him and tell him that it wasn’t what it looked like.

You were here for Mallory’s sake.

You watch as, with very little difficulty, a jet of harsh blue fire is produced from the tip of Grindelwald’s wand, creating a ring around himself. It jumps and lashes out, as though it were alive, trying to attack anyone who got too close. The room was quickly clearing out, and you watched Carrow step forward boldly to join her leader, no hesitation as she stepped through the flames as though they were nothing but a mere brush of warm wind grazing her skin. She stopped in front of him with a smile of wicked intent, before disapparating. Rosier, who was inside the circle already, found you easily in the cleared-out room, flashing you a corrupted smile, one that told you she knew something.

One by one, his most loyal followers stepped through, proving their allegiance, before they vanished. You realised the fire’s intention soon enough when you watched as Krall tried to make it through the fire, but perished with a gut-wrenching scream, burning away to nothing.

You realised that eventually you would be the only one left, the only one who would need to walk through the fire. You just weren’t sure if you would survive.

Across the room you heard a scream and your attention was drawn to a fair-haired woman facing a man who looked like his heart was shattering right before him. Although you couldn’t hear what the man was saying, the slight shake of his head gave you an idea of what was happening.

The woman turned, her shoulders dropping in defeat, the tears threatening to fall glistened from the light of the blue flames as she stepped into their enveloping tendrils. Her face contorted with pain, you thought for one horrible moment that she was about to perish the same fate as Krall. But she persevered, and with one last emotional push she cleared the wall of fire, emerging unscathed inside the circle. Then she was gone.

That was when Grindelwald unleashed hell.

As though he were orchestrating a piece of music, he moved to the fire’s movements, letting it wreak havoc on the Aurors. Killing, lashing out, burning them to nothing. You watched as it spared no one, even those that tried to escape it were caught. A tendril of fire came a bit too close for your liking and, not wanting to be caught in the crossfire, you apparated to the top of the small theatre, praying that it wasn’t about to come after you. Who knew if it would hurt you or not?

An Auror, who had managed to escape up the stairs, spotted you taking cover behind a statue and drew his wand. But you were quicker, shouting a quick “Immobulus!”, in order to stop him from performing whatever hex or curse he would have cast on you.

You’d only intended to hold him there for a few seconds, so you could get away, but at that moment the blue flames lunged forward and engulfed the space in front of you, taking the Auror with it.

You gasped, falling onto your back as the flames spread above you like a hot, blue blanket, reaching out for another unfortunate soul to claim. When it had passed over, you got to your feet and reassessed the situation below.

The number of Aurors had nearly halved now, although to your relief Newt was still running about, deflecting rouge tendrils of fire that sought out to attack him. No sign of Theseus.

You had to do something, whether it was to attempt to enter the circle or to fend off the remaining Aurors.

Mind made up, you ran down the steps, ready to deflect more of the Aurors who were doing their best to penetrate the thick flames with any kind of spell or charm they could think of. Nothing was working.

As you neared the blue circle, the heat of the flames touching your cheeks, a small explosion to your right, a few feet away, knocked you off your feet, throwing you back against the stone steps. For a moment, the impact of your head lashing against the stone filled you with nausea, and you had to swallow down the urge to heave under the intense pain. Your vision is spinning like crazy, the disorientation preventing you from standing back up. Scanning the chaos around you shakily, you look for the caster of the Bombarda charm, recognising that style of controlled explosion.

There’re footsteps from behind you that are growing louder, the sound of someone heading straight for you.

Crawling forward on your stomach, you reach for your wand which is just a few feet away from you, having flew out of your hand when you were hit by the explosion. The footsteps are almost by your head when you roll onto your back and shout the first offensive spell that comes to mind.

“Everte Statum!” You screamed, partially due to the pain rippling through your wrist as you flicked your wand at the person stood over you.

You send Theseus flying with the simple spell, much to your horror, until his body hits the ground. He crumples to the floor, severely winded and stunned, allowing you a few seconds to stand to your feet. You take the time to check your wrist, which you know is definitely sprained after testing it warily.

It’s not long before he’s upright and standing once more, clutching his ribs and gritting his teeth in pain as he looks across the room at you, at the fierce glint in your eyes, a look of determination and resistance but behind them, remorse. Its then he realises that you don’t want to hurt him, that you won’t kill him.

You can’t let him get close to the fire, to put his life at risk. You may be currently siding with Grindelwald, but that doesn’t change the fact that the man in front of you, is someone you care about.

Raising your wand with your injured hand, you ready yourself for a duel.

Theseus clenches his jaw as he lifts his wand in retaliation, praying to God that when all of this is over, he’d still be alive to talk to you.

The grip on your wand is so tight the wood groans under the pressure as you decide to make the first move, starting off on the offense.

“Stupefy!” You cry, despite already knowing that Theseus will block it and sure enough he does with very little effort. But you’re quick to retaliate, throwing the Knockback Jinx at him, which he yet again deflects, slowly closing the distance between you.

You keep throwing stunning charms, disarming charms and even the odd minor jinx. You don’t want to cause any real damage, you only want to keep him away. But his defence is relentless, and the gap continues to decrease between you both.

By the time he’s only a metre away from you, close enough to see the hot blue fire reflecting in his eyes, you know that it’s time to switch to defence. Just as you’re about to cast Aguamenti in hopes of a brief distraction, you see a very deathly ball of blue fire shooting out of the circle, Grindelwald’s control seeming to guide it to find a home in the chest of the nearest enemy.

That enemy being Theseus.

Lunging forward, you grab his shirt and Disapparate you both.

Theseus covered his face as he collided sharply with a wall, his shoulder making a sickening crunch. He had fought and struggled to have you let go of him mid-escape and when his shirt fabric finally slipped out your grasp, he went flying into the concrete.

You had Apparated beside him instantly, mortified at having flung him across the room when you had been trying to save him. You were going to check on him, however he didn’t allow himself any time to recover, flinging a quick stunning charm at you, which threw you back onto the hard, cold floor. For a few moments, everything went dark, before you were snapped back into reality, brought back to consciousness quickly by a Reviving spell.

Opening your eyes, you saw Theseus crouched over you, his carefully styled curls having become dishevelled in the fight. A few stray ringlets had fallen forward and now tickled his forehead. His eyebrow had a nasty gash across it, and his bottom lip was bust up pretty bad too. For a moment you just examined his face, taking in all the little things that had changed about him. The blue glow that shone on his face highlighted the smattering of freckles that had remained from when he was a child, those unfairly beautiful eyes that burnt brighter than any fire ever could, glimmering with the same sadness that you could feel deep down.

For the first time in years, since you’d last seen him in Hogwarts, Theseus opened his mouth and finally spoke.

“Why did it have to be you?” He agonised, his husky voice laced with pain. Whether physical or emotional, you could not tell. You were taken aback momentarily at just how different he sounded.

His question however, snapped you back into reality, your heart shattering as you answered him.

“They killed him.” You wept.

[kenneth-omega]

The Mistakes of Grief (part 2) Theseus Scamander x Reader

A/N: The second instalment of my Theseus story, which I had only planned to be made up of three parts. However, I’m thinking of extending it as I don’t think I could fit everything I have planned, into just one more section! There’s too much I want to write about my boy Theseus. 

If you’d like to be tagged in upcoming parts just drop me a message/ask!

I love you guys for reblogging, liking and messaging me about my writing! It means the world to me so thank you!

Remember my requests are open for any Fantastic Beasts character!

Disclaimer: This only loosely follows the plot of FB:CoG so please don’t come after me because of inaccuracies. This is my own AU version.

Word count: 3615

Synopsis: You’ve allowed yourself to be roped into Grindelwald’s inner circle, fighting for your own cause whilst trying to also cope with the recent, muggle-related death of your brother. Having fled Paris and taken refuge in Nurmengard castle, Grindelwald begins planning his next move, in hopes of cracking through Dumbledore’s little group of fighters.

Warnings: More angst (I promise to give ya’ll hearts a break soon), some hints of angsty fluff (I really am sorry, forgive me)

Part 1        Part 3

Theseus watched the woman lying in front of him sob softly, such a heart wrenching sound that escaped from your lips, it pained him to not be able to comfort you.

You’d lost someone special, a boyfriend perhaps?

Theseus couldn’t help the sharp pang of jealousy that struck a chord in his heart. He brushed it away though, knowing that it was neither appropriate, nor the time to be mulling over things. The fight was getting more vicious, he knew he had to act fast and make some sort of decision, or else you’d both wind up dead.

His eyes fluttered shut as he inhaled slowly, praying for a moment that none of this was real and if he opened his eyes he’d find himself sat in his office.

Grabbing your wand that lay beside you, Theseus rose to his feet.

“I’m sorry, but I have to stop you from making a terrible decision. You have to come back with us, to the Ministry.” He lifted his own wand and pointed it at you. Having recovered from your brief moment of upset, you pushed yourself up to a sitting position, a slight grimace on your face when your wrist twinged in protest.

“Theseus…” You began, but he shook his head softly, not prepared to listen to what you had to say.

Your eyes widened as he inhaled to cast whatever spell he had chosen for you.

You braced yourself, holding your injured wrist and awaiting your fate.

His eyes flickered from your pained expression to your tear-stained cheeks and then the damaged wrist, noticing the way you held it carefully and the small cuts and dried blood. His arm faltered, and he lowered his wand ever so slightly, before whispering,

“Episkey.”

You bit your lip as the healing spell got to work on your hand, rapidly closing the cuts and quickening the regeneration rate of the cells so that they fade away in a matter of seconds, the throbbing pain in your wrist ebbs away until it only feels slightly stiff to move. There’s also a niggling feeling at the back of your head and you realise you must have sustained an injury from where your head hit concrete.

Theseus stepped forward and extended his arm out to you, willing for you to take it.

As you looked up at the sorrowful face in front of you, you couldn’t help but see that young boy with unruly curls, neat uniform and a yellow tie, instead of this man you weren’t sure you truly recognised.

Theseus wore no smile as you took his outstretched hand, but he did tense under your grip for a fraction of a second when you held onto his jacket sleeve with your other hand to support yourself.

You hadn’t seen him so close up before until now and doing so had made your heart rate increase slightly. His ever-handsome face so close that you could reach up and brush the stray curls back and by God, you wanted to.

As you were about to speak, to offer some form of gratitude, Theseus heard a man’s strained yell and his head whipped around to locate the source, his instinct being to grab your arm and pull you a little bit closer, so as to shield you with his own body.

There was a woman, beautifully dressed and exquisitely pretty, her dark hair half-pinned back from her forlorn-looking face. She was walking down the steps towards Grindelwald and Rosier. Close by, Newt was being bombarded by fire and the physical strain it took for him to deflect them all was starting to take its toll.

You watched as Theseus’ face paled and, with one last yearning look at you, he ran. You watched him as he sprinted towards where his brother stood, helplessly defending attack after attack from Grindelwald. You realised all too late that Theseus had also taken your wand with him, leaving you defenceless.

All you could do was watch as Grindelwald addressed Newt, taunting the young male. Theseus stepped down beside his brother, a look of determination on his face as they stood together in arms. Grindelwald continued his temporarily halted attack on them, the power and pace of his strikes becoming more ruthless.

It was during this, that Rosier turned to look up to you, as if she had known you were there all along, extending her hand in invitation for you to join her. Like there were some sort of magnetic pull to her, you found yourself stepping forward, taking the nearest set of steps towards the female. Part of you wanted to flee, that fight or flight instinct inside you kicking in, but that would surely mean instantaneous death, so you continued on your path.

She came ever closer, even going so far as to step out of Grindelwald’s protective circle, unsurprisingly without any problem. When you were a few metres away from the beautifully alluring witch, you heard an alarmed yell of rage.

Looking past Vinda, you could see Theseus battling the flames even harder than before, the attacks getting quicker and more powerful with the intent of destroying him and Newt. He had noticed you at the edge of the fire and couldn’t contain his frustration at his inability to stop you. Just at that same moment, Newt spotted the woman from earlier, who had now also reached the opposite side of the fire and was looking at the two of them.

The assault on the Scamanders ceased once more, but the men remained stationary and cautious. Newt’s attention was focused on the woman who was now slowly being approached by Grindelwald and Theseus was fighting to keep his attention equally on the two of you.

Taking this opportunity, Rosier reached and grabbed your newly-repaired hand, pulling you to her side.

Theseus made to move towards the two of you, but Newt grabbed his jacket sleeve, his anguished face warning him not to do anything silly. All Theseus could do was watch with barely contained anger and disappointment, as you allowed yourself to be guided with a firm grip towards the wall of scorching fire.

“Don’t go.” Theseus called for you one last time, his voice cracking as his throat tightened, helpless as he watched.

Vinda passed through once more, holding your hand just beyond the barrier. She turned to face you, a serious tone in her voice as she addressed you, her English laced with her French accent.

“Think about Mallory. What those Muggles did to him. Think about what you’re doing so you can finally put your brother’s torment to rest. You’re going to change the world!” She baited, playing on your grief and evoking the fresh pain in your heart. You knew it was a cheap shot at riling up your emotions, but it still worked.

Gently pulling, she coaxed you to step forward, your legs feeling leaden and sluggish, into the fire.

Theseus physically stumbled at the sound of your agonising scream, the searing pain of the fire tearing through your very being, your suffering obvious as you continued to walk. You didn’t think you would make it, that you were destined to perish in the flames and never be able to see Theseus again, never be able to avenge Mallory’s murder. With a sharp tug, Rosier yanked you through and you collapsed on the stone floor shuddering with terror, as all the pain suddenly leeched out of your body as though it were never there.

Rosier pulled you up quickly, checking you over before smiling at you with satisfaction. Her slender fingers straightened your shirt collar and smoothed the hair on top your head. She didn’t bother to wipe the tears that had once more begun to fall.

You turned at the sound of a pained groan.

There Theseus stood, running his fingers through his gelled hair, effectively messing it up, his face in utter disbelief as he watched you.

You hated seeing him look at you like that and so, with a weak smile, you mouthed to him,

“I’ll come back.”

Theseus’ shoulders drooped, understanding that you had to leave with the witch that currently clung to your arm and he could only nod at you. But you knew that he wasn’t happy, that it was killing him to have to just let you go, and you could see it in his eyes that he begged for you to stay.

Then you vanished, just as you watched Grindelwald attack the woman in front of him.

Two days had passed since the night of the rally.

You hadn’t slept much and when you did it was only filled with dreams and nightmares, nearly all of them including Theseus.

The nightmares were the worse ones you’d had in a while, filled with screams, gunshots and bombs. You’d watched Theseus die numerous times on some unnamed battlefield, sometimes Mallory was there with him, although you had no idea whether he actually fought with him or not.

In the day you would sit around, unsure of what to do with yourself and keeping your distance from most of the people here.

You were in Austria. Or that’s where Grindelwald had said you were anyway, although you had no clue if it were the truth. This was where Rosier had Apparated the two of you to on the evening of the fight, after you had fled Paris and left Theseus behind. Guilt wrapped around you like a familiar blanket every time you thought about him. If he wasn’t dying in your dreams whilst you slept, then he was invading your mind during the day. Memories bombarded you every day, catching you unaware whilst you pottered around the huge castle in which you were staying.

Nurmengard.

On this particular day you had decided to wake up and take yourself on a tour of the castle, hoping to familiarise yourself better with where you were staying.

You’d been given a fairly spacious room to stay in, with its own bathroom. New clothes had also been given to you, a gift from Grindelwald, Rosier had told you. You’d taken a powder-blue silk blouse that you tucked into some brown corduroys with a simple belt.

When you’d changed, you exited the bedroom, taking a right down the long hallway. The first thing you came across was a door that had been left slightly ajar, and so you decided to find out what was inside.

A huge room, with a high ceiling and furnished with a dozen or more bookshelves, all of them filled to the brim with books, stories and tomes. In the centre of the room, a large ornate light fixture hung low. One side of the room was completely made up of windows that overlooked a beautiful mountain view.

Wherever you were, it was breath-taking.

However, you noticed you weren’t alone here. A man stood gazing out at the view, seemingly admiring it too.

You decided that he looked lonely and had made no effort to speak to you like everyone else had and this made you want to go and talk to him, wondering if he were the man who Grindelwald had so avidly spoke of and longed to recruit in Paris.

Credence, he had called him.

As you made your way across the room, you heard movement from behind you and swivelled your head to see none other than Gellert Grindelwald stood there, beckoning for you with a hand. You looked at Credence once more, who hadn’t even bothered to turn around, before obediently heading back to the door. Grindelwald took your hand, his skin felt unusually cold in contrast to your warm hand, and with a wry smile he handed you over to a blonde woman who you recognised from the rally but hadn’t seen since.

She grabbed your blouse sleeve and guided the two of you away from the library, understanding that Grindelwald wanted to be left alone.

Deciding that you were obviously not going to get a chance to explore anymore for today, you let the woman guide you into a small drawing room.

“Sit down, honey. You want tea?” She offered, shutting the door behind her and walking over to a little tea pot and crockery set. The woman was American, you realised from her thick yet dainty accent. You opened your mouth to reply but she waved her hand, directing two cups and saucers with her wand. “Don’t worry honey, I know how you like it!”

You frowned, sitting in a plush, leather seat.

“You…do?” You asked, the scepticism obvious in your tone.

The woman giggled. “Of course I do, I also know about that man you’ve been thinking about. The one from the rally who you ain’t stopped dreaming about since you got here?” She gave you a knowing wink, a mysterious smile on her lips. You sat up straighter in your chair, suddenly very intrigued by the woman.

“Oh yeah?” You replied, wishing she’d give you a bit more than all this cryptic talk.

“Ever heard of a Legilimens?” She laughed, commanding the teapot to pour the hot tea she had conjured, into the cups, before she whisked one over to you, which you took gratefully despite still reeling from her recent question.

“A Legilimens? You read minds?”

She nodded as she sat in the chair beside you. “Uh huh, I was born with it. I’m Queenie by the way.” She extended her hand. You shook it and introduced yourself, feeling very foolish when she nodded as though she already knew, which you were sure she did.

You couldn’t help but feel a little bit embarrassed and defensive at having your mind read. “Does it just happen? Or have you purposefully been reading my mind?” You asked her rather pointedly. Queenie grimaced slightly, taking a sip of her tea.

“I can’t help it a lot of the time, it’s difficult especially if people are hurting.” She cast you a look that suggested she was talking about you and your recent problems. “You’re very easy to pick up on, especially at night. I can read you from the other end of the castle when you’re having one of your dreams.”

The hot flush you felt in your face suggested that you were blushing uncontrollably hard.

“I used to know him from school, sort of.” You added the last part after a pause, knowing that you’d never really had a friendship with Theseus, but he had always been kind to you in passing and even helped you out once or twice when you were in a jam.

Queenie gripped your hand and gave it an apologetic squeeze.

“He’s Newt’s brother ain’t he? I’ve known Newt for about seven months now, since he came over to America.” Queenie got lost in reminiscing and part of you wished you could see what she was thinking about in her head. Queenie shot you a sad smile. “You don’t want to be looking in this head, honey. Trust me.”

Hoping to change tack, feeling yourself becoming slowly more dejected the longer you stayed on this topic, you decided to ask about her being here.

“If you’re friends with Newt, why are you here? On the opposing side?” You asked, curious as to what Queenie’s reason was for joining this cause. She seemed a nice enough person to you, someone who seemed to not have suffered a great loss or have been mistreated. But then again you wouldn’t know, you were not the Legilimens in the room.

“Jacob, my…partner,” Queenie paused, unsure of how to go on, “He’s a No-Maj you see. I met him when one of Newt’s beasts attacked him and Teenie brought them to our apartment.” She divulged into a little bit of her past, pausing when she heard the doubt in your mind. “He ain’t like those Muggles you’re thinking about, honey. He was kind, charming and different.”

You couldn’t help but feel guilty for thinking bad of her significant other, but the word Muggle no longer was just a name to you. It was something that struck fear in your heart, had caused you pain and grief like nothing you’d ever experienced before.

“I’m sorry.” You whispered, unable to conceal your emotions from the woman sat beside you, a single crystal teardrop tumbling into your cup of tea. Queenie took the teacup and saucer from your grasp and set it on the little table in front of you, leaving her free to envelop you in a hug.

Grateful for the sentiment, you hugged back, trying to hold back any further tears so you didn’t spoil her beautifully tailored dress. You hadn’t had anyone to talk to about the emotions you felt daily, the pressure you put on yourself to maintain a day-to-day composure in public and at work.

Your father had passed away peacefully nearly seven years ago. In his older age he had become more susceptible to the disease Dragon Pox and, despite it being cured the first time round, it wasn’t long before he inevitably caught it again and eventually passed during his stay in St. Mungo’s. The loss had hurt both Mallory and you, but you had grieved together and eventually managed to get through that dark period of time.

Together, the two of you looked after his shop, a dainty little writing supplies store, with a fireplace in the back for witches and wizards to arrive or leave as they pleased. You often found that parents brought their children for school supplies, some preferring to shop with you than in the ever-busy Diagon Alley.

But now, with no one to console in, you had to battle this new chapter of your life alone.

“You’ve got me, honey. You have someone to talk to, so don’t think you have to be alone anymore.” Queenie reassured you, rubbing your back soothingly.

You pulled away, your heart now lifting a little as the weight of your misery was taken off.

“That’s why I’m here. Fighting for this, for my brother,” You confessed, earning a respectful nod from Queenie, “I want the world to be different for us. Mallory died alone and in fear. I’ll not have it happen again.”

You made to get up from your chair, but Queenie grabbed your wrist before you could leave.

“Just remember, not all No-Majs are like the ones your brother encountered. There are a lot out there like Jacob, who ain’t done nothing. Don’t let the darkness consume your heart and warp your vision.”

You shook your head, making the promise silently in your mind, knowing she would catch it. Queenie smiled and released your hand, letting you exit the drawing room.

In the highest room of the castle, a large study chamber held two people in conversation, who sat on either side of an ebony-stained wood desk.

Vinda Rosier couldn’t help the smile on her face as she sat straight as a pole in the ornate chair, her manicured nails tapping against the wooden arm rest as she listened to the man she considered the only one worthy enough to be a leader.

“He knows?” She asked, one eyebrow arched in surprise.

Gellert Grindelwald sat in a less formal way than that of his beautiful assistant, reclining back into his high-backed, antique chair. His legs were spread rather than crossed and his hands rested comfortably on either arm of the chair, appearing more like he was on holiday than planning the means of the destruction of his old friend and his little band of fighters.

“Yes, Aurelius knows. It’s going to take time, but with my guidance he will be the one to finish Dumbledore.”

Vinda opened her mouth in protest about how much time they actually had, but he silenced her with a finger drawn to his lips, suggesting she remain quiet.

She obeyed.

“What I want you to do, my dear, is get rid of the…excess.” Grindelwald looked down at the files in front of him. Stolen, of course. He’d had Abernathy retrieve them from the Ministry archives under the impersonation of the British Minister Hector Fawley.

Four files spread across the desk, each containing the information of four very irksome people that he needed out of the picture. Grindelwald leaned forward and flicked open the first one, the image of a woman with cropped brown hair staring back at him.

The second, although not as thick as the previous one, portrayed a man with gelled black hair and a huge smile. There was only one sheet of information for him, a Muggle no doubt.

The next two were thick files, both of the men very similar in resemblance but not identical. Grindelwald could hardly contain the scheming smirk that threatened to crack his nonchalant façade.

The Scamanders.

The two young men, both deemed heroes in their own ways, hadn’t failed in catching Grindelwald’s attention at the rally, especially the taller one, the eldest sibling. Theseus Scamander had been very attentive towards the newest member of his circle and he wouldn’t allow it to continue anymore. A trivial distraction to her loyalty, yet if he left it unattended, he had no doubt it would become more of a nuisance.

His mind made up, Grindelwald chucked Rosier the files and dismissed her with a wave of his hand. She snatched up the files and left without another word.

Just before she shut the door behind her, Grindelwald gave her one last order. He was now absent-mindedly stroking a finger along the feather of an Eagle quill whilst in deep thought, his interest in her now waning.

“Start with the brother.” He mused, a wicked glint shining in his eyes.

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[kenneth-omega]

The Mistakes of Grief (part 3) Theseus Scamander x Reader

(Sorry for the unusually long A/N!)

A/N: Here is the third instalment of this on-going series! Don’t worry, this story is nowhere near done, with part 4 currently in the works! I couldn’t restrict this to only a three-part story and expect it to not feel rushed or crammed. So, I hope you enjoy this section and don’t get too tired of the few little POV jumps I have, I promise part 4 won’t have as many as these, I just find it makes the story work better and gives more depth for all the characters places in the plot. Also, I’m unsure whether the breakers I’ve put in before a POV hop will show up on mobile, so I apologise if it doesn’t work! x

If you’d like to be tagged in upcoming parts then just send me a message, or comment on any of the three instalments, that way I’ll definitely see it! x

Requests are open for any of the Fantastic Beasts characters!

Disclaimer: This only loosely follows the plot of FB:CoG so please don’t come after me because of inaccuracies. This is my own AU version.

Word count: 3894

Synopsis: You’ve allowed yourself to be roped into Grindelwald’s inner circle, fighting for your own cause whilst trying to also cope with the recent, muggle-related death of your brother. With Theseus and the others in London and you in Austria, Vinda Rosier’s plot to eliminate the people who stop you from wholly joining their cause is being put into place. Starting with a special announcement from Grindelwald and an open invitation.

Warnings: NONE, just some cute Newtina mentions

Part 1       Part 2       Part 4

Theseus couldn’t sleep.

For the sixth night in a row, everyone had fallen asleep before him and left him with his thoughts.

They were now staying at Newt’s house, with the group of remaining fighters having decided that they could no longer keep crowding up Nicholas Flamel’s house, despite his avid protests that he really didn’t mind.

Yusuf Kama, a wizard who Newt and Tina had encountered in Paris, had decided to stay a while longer with Flamel along with a young woman by the name of Nagini. She had revealed that she was a Maledictus and had nowhere to stay after fleeing the circus she’d been forced to perform in. She had been heartbroken after the rally, revealing that she’d been with Credence the past few months and had helped him through every problem he’d had, every ache and pain and the longing he’d had to find his lost family.

Newt of course, had shown an intense fascination in her ability to change into a gigantic snake, despite the sadness of her curse, and had asked if he could speak to her more about it at a later date, to which she had agreed.

The four people that had chosen to leave were himself, Newt, Porpentina Goldstein, or Tina as Newt referred to her as. The American Auror, and the Muggle Jacob Kowalski who Newt had managed to get caught up in his antics on his trip to America. Theseus had bitten his tongue about the numerous laws being broken about a Muggle having knowledge of their world, knowing that it would only fall on deaf ears.

Besides, Jacob himself wasn’t a bad man, Theseus had to admit, seeming genuinely interested and excited to learn anything wizard-related. Theseus had found himself on the receiving end of Jacob’s questions quite frequently the past few days.

Sitting up slowly from the sofa which Newt had offered him as a bed, Theseus ran his fingers through his curls which flopped down in front of his eyes. After the fight, Theseus had struggled to keep himself clean and well-groomed, all his usual quirks relating to his appearance had slowly deteriorated over the course of the week. He’d had to use a few spells recently to try keep himself looking presentable.

His usually pristine appearance was now dishevelled and crumpled.

Right now he was wearing a white cotton shirt with the sleeves rolled up and the buttons undone. The absence of a tie and having untucked his shirt from his black slacks made him look like a dishevelled misfit student who refused to adhere to the dress code.

Much like Newt at school, he thought. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the number of letters sent from home, berating Newt for his detentions regarding his inability, or stubbornness, to dress himself to the code.

Theseus looked over at Jacob, who was currently sleep in an armchair, his head lolling back against the seat as he snored, a deep rumble that unfortunately didn’t help with Theseus’ current sleeping problem.

Tina was staying in Newt’s room, after initially refusing to take up that much space. This had resulted in quite possibly the politest argument Theseus had witnessed and the two of them butting heads for a good five minutes over whether she would sleep in there or not. Eventually Theseus had grown tired and made the decision for them.

His little brother was in the most obvious of places. Tending to his numerous beasts in his basement before eventually going to sleep in the early hours of the morning.

Picking up his pocket watch that lay on a small table beside the sofa, Theseus studied the watch face that informed him it was 4:32am. Newt would also be fast asleep by now.

Lying back down, Theseus stretched his arms experimentally, feeling how the ache in his shoulder protested at the movement. It still wasn’t truly healed; his shoulder having suffered from an injury from the albeit brief fight between you and him.

Ignoring the dull ache, Theseus hooked his hands behind his head and gazed up at the off-white ceiling for what felt like the hundredth time that night. The apartment was beyond warm and had there not been a woman staying in the house, Theseus wouldn’t have bothered wearing his shirt, but he found it extremely ungentlemanly to just parade around half dressed.

Giving into his exhaustion, Theseus settled finally, allowing his mind to wander back to the night when things went horribly wrong. When both he and Newt lost one of their closest friends. When a dozen Aurors died at Grindelwald’s hands and Theseus had watched helplessly as you slipped through his fingers.

Never again, he vowed. Never again would he let you go.

When the time came to rally up against Grindelwald once more, he was bringing you home.

“Queenie!” You exclaimed, upon entering the large gathering hall, glad to have found a friendly and familiar face. The exuberant blonde waved at you, standing up on the balls of her feet to find you over the heads of the dozens of people stood around, all talking amongst each other in hushed tones.

Merely a week after the rally, Grindelwald had called for his followers to come together and congregate at the castle.

He had an announcement.

Whatever it was, it was going to be big. Something considerably colossal in comparison to his stunt in Paris, and that idea terrified you greatly.

Upon your arrival, Queenie latched onto your arm with barely contained anticipation, looking towards the raised platform at the front of the room. You hazarded a guess that it was something originally used for entertainers who would come to perform for the residents of the castle.

Grindelwald hadn’t been seen much around the castle since the day you happened upon the man named Credence in that library. After you had left Queenie that morning, there had been a loud explosion and a minor panic amongst the occupants of the castle. Apparently it was just a rock slide, and surely enough when you looked out the window a large chunk of the mountain had disappeared, the rubble and dust settling into the valley below. But that didn’t explain the fact that you saw Rosier casting a fixing charm on one of the windows in the library.

The sound of cheers pulled you from your thoughts and you looked up to see the man who was feared by all but adored by many.

Neither you or Queenie cheered, instead waiting patiently for him to speak. You two were more than just his fanatics, more than this rabble of purebloods who thought themselves different and of some higher authority.

The man stood proudly in front of his audience, giving the slightest of bows as though he was preparing to deliver his own performance. He had the ambience of a bizarre conductor of sorts, about to lead you, his orchestra, into its next piece. His eyes scanned the crowd and found you, a smile on his face that oozed of something not wholly sincere. You couldn’t help but feel as though this speech wasn’t for anyone else in the room but you.

A direct message to you.

“Welcome, my children.” He began, sweeping an arm out across the room in a smooth, controlled motion, a greeting for all those before him.

Every single movement of his was calculated, planned and executed on key. He didn’t speak on improvisation, he didn’t act on instinct. He was tactical and shrewd.

“I’ve waited for this day for many years, when I could address a room full of the trustworthy and the loyal. To preach about why we are doing this. WhyIdo this.” He smiled, part of him relishing in all the eyes that were watching him, following his every move and drinking in every word.

“So…what do you believe I do this for?” Grindelwald paused, waiting for anyone to speak up who wished to do so. Nothing. Completely captivated.

It was almost too easy to manipulate their little, malleable minds, he thought to himself.

“Love.” A woman announced.

His eyes fell on Queenie, the origin of the voice that piped up and boldly was the first to do so. Everyone spun around to look at her, at the woman who had dared be the one to answer Grindelwald.

He nodded thoughtfully, remembering her sacrifice in Paris.

“Power!” A man shouted, which earnt some hollers of agreement. It took a few seconds for the noise to die down.

“Good suggestions, my passionate successors. However, not quite correct.”

Grindelwald walked across the platform towards the right edge, extending his hand to someone who had been hiding in the crowd up until now. Onto the stage stepped Credence, seemingly more confident than he had been a few days ago. He held his head high, his back no longer hunched in timidity. Queenie gasped. The crowd became rife with mutters. They were no strangers to the rumours.

When the two men had returned to Grindelwald’s original point, the ever-ominous man held the young boy’s hand aloft, fingers intertwined as if in a sense of solidarity.

“Equality.” He declared.

The room was deathly silent.

“Love and power are all aspects that I believe are needed to make the world equal,” He continued, “Muggles who seek to hate and destroy one another, they have to be eradicated.”

The threatening word hung in the air like poison.

Grindelwald continued his tirade. “For they do not know how to balance power with love. They greedily take one and spread that around as their slogan, something they believe justifies for their actions.” Grindelwald shook his head, seemingly disgusted at the thought.

You had to admit, everything he spoke of echoed with truth. You didn’t want Muggles gone, in fact you never saw them as anything less. But the ones who had taken what was not theirs to take? You couldn’t be so forgiving with them.

“Those wizards? The cowards, who hide behind their protective charms and push out anyone who speaks different?” Grindelwald released Credence’s hand, stepping to the front of the platform, the tips of his boots just hanging over the edge.

“Those who want to see us cowering in the shadows for centuries to come? We eradicate them too.”

Grindelwald turned to Credence, beckoning him forward before pulling him into an embrace. Credence lifted an arm and gently held him back, his face displaying that of someone impassioned by this small act of affection.

“You are equal, my boy.” Grindelwald whispered, still loud enough for the room to hear in the hushed room.

Grindelwald gestured for him to return to his original spot, his role in this sermon now fulfilled. Then he turned back to the crowd, arms raised up as though he were issuing a blessing on the room.

“We are going to demonstrate why we as wizards, as people, shall not be shunned into the dark. We will show the world…what we are!”

The cheers that began to rise slowly became deafening, as more and more the crowd became riled, their hatred, their adrenaline and bloodlust all tangible. You stood there, holding Queenie’s hand in the middle of the storm that was Grindelwald’s army.

Queenie was horrified, her gift allowing the voices of the minds around her to scream and fill her head with their personal turmoil. She couldn’t switch it off or block them out no matter what she did. You could only squeeze her hand in consolation adrift the raging waves of loathing.

“In three days’ time, I expect to see every single one of your faces.” Grindelwald’s accusing finger swept the room, lingering on you for a fraction of a second much to your discomfort. “Dress accordingly, my dears. For it is to be the funeral of discrimination!”

With those final words, he exited, the chorus of cheers and applause ringing in his ears.

He left, knowing that his work was done.

It was the eve of the demonstration and everything was in place.

Vinda Rosier stood back and admired her work from beneath her black cloche hat. The little trim of lace that came down across her eyes she had thought was a nice, if not slightly satiric, touch to her all black ensemble.

It was fitting for the occasion however.

After all, she thought, this was an execution.

With a small chuckle, she stalked out of the theatre and Disapparated. She only had one more job to fulfil for the night to be a success.

Theseus could hardly believe his ears when Newt announced that they had received a letter.

Not even ten seconds ago, there had been the sound of the letterbox rattling, an unusual noise for your average wizard, let alone his extreme introvert of a brother. So when Newt had summoned it from the living room where they were all occupying, the four people sat around were on tenterhooks.

“To the four occupiers currently inhabiting Mr Scamander’s residency,

Please note that you are cordially invited to the showing of Grindelwald’s Hinrichtung.

A once in a lifetime display and an opportunity not to be missed.

Simply tear up this letter and you will be transported to the host venue.

Dress code is compulsory.

Yours sincerely,

Vinda Rosier”

Newt read the small, daintily written letter out loud to the room, before passing it around for each person to read personally.

After Theseus had finished reading it, being the last to receive the letter from Jacob, Tina spoke up.

“It’s a trap.” She stated, no room for debate.

Theseus growled with frustration, standing up from his seat and stalking round the room, the letter still clutched firmly in his grasp.

Newt hummed in agreement with the woman sat next to him, picking at a new loose thread on his trousers, obviously something that had been done whilst he had been downstairs tending to his creatures.

Jacob spoke up, not wanting to dismiss the letter instantaneously. “Now hold on a second, Queenie could be there, at that hinrick…whatever.”

Tina sighed, knowing full well that her younger sister would definitely be there, but also being able to see that it was exactly for that reason they wouldn’t be going.

“That’s why we’re invited. Because the alluring possibility of our friends and partners being there is what they are counting on.” Tina argued, hoping to make it painfully clear that none of them would be attending.

Newt once again was in agreement, much to Theseus’ exasperation. Having had enough, he decided to speak up.

“Newt, you don’t get it, you have everyone you need right here.”

Que the incontrollable blushing from both Tina and Newt as they shifted awkwardly in their seats.

Theseus gestured to Jacob and himself, “Who have we got? Queenie left, Leta is-”

Newt stood up and was across the room in a flash, stood in front of his brother with such a fierce look of hurt and grief in his eyes that Theseus faltered in his rant.

“You and I both know that what happened that night was difficult to deal with, Theseus.” Newt not failing in noticing the guilt and hurt flash across his older brother’s face. “But don’t use her death as a reason for getting yourself killed. Don’t let her sacrifice be in vain, please.” He begged.

Theseus couldn’t stop the tear that fell down his face, the torment of such a loss still fresh in his heart. Without warning, Newt once again reached out and pulled him in for a hug. Theseus knew it was difficult and overwhelming for his little brother to be so forwardly affectionate, even towards family, and so he had quickly learnt to cherish the small moments like this.

“She’s out there, Newt. I have the opportunity to find her again. Don’t you remember the conversations we had as kids? How I used to get so delighted over something as little as her smile?”

Newt pulled away, a hint of a smile on his face as he recalled his older brother’s hopeless infatuation. He’d even spoke to Leta about it, the two of them having to listen to his paranoid rambling about unreciprocated feelings countless times growing up.

“I know this must be hard for you.” Newt didn’t fail to notice the way Theseus swiped the singular tear away quickly.

Theseus nodded, looking down at the scrunched-up letter in his hand, knowing that you were just a quick trip away made it so difficult for him to not just tear up the letter and be gone in a flash before they could stop him. But that was selfish of him to think of, and so he kept it firmly in his grasp.

Tina was the one to interrupt, still hoping to offer some reasonable advice.

“This doesn’t change the fact that it’s still incredibly risky, we can’t go and possibly risk our lives or theirs.”

There was a moment of silence as everyone weighed up the possible ramifications in their heads, until Newt spoke up.

“Tina, you stay here with Jacob, Theseus and I will go get the girls.” Newt suggested.

Tina and Jacob stood up in a flash, their expressions both mirroring the same expression.

Not a chance, Scamander.

Despite how humorous the moment was, Theseus knew it wasn’t the time to joke and instead shook his head firmly, siding with the other two’s obvious objections. He wasn’t willing to put his baby brother in harm’s way. He wouldn’t lose anyone else this week.

“You’re needed here, to look after your creatures and protect Tina and Jacob.” Theseus stated bluntly.

Newt began to argue, “Bunty can lo-“

“No!” Theseus snapped, silencing the younger man instantly. “Newt, if you’ve ever respected me as a someone who works in the Ministry, or listened to me as your brother, you have stay here.”

Theseus gently but firmly held his brother by his shoulders, forcing him to meet his eyes. “Promise me you’ll stay, or in the name of Merlin, not even Dumbledore will be able to stop me from reprimanding your stubborn ass.”

Jacob couldn’t supress the loud laugh that erupted at Theseus’ final remark. Even Tina hid her mouth with her hand so that Newt wouldn’t see the small smile that she was wearing. Newt’s face went a deep red as he flushed with embarrassment and horror at Theseus’ light threat.

A bit of light relief in such dark times was something that they were all grateful for.

Newt begrudgingly made his promise, allowing Theseus to finally let go of him and begin running around, grabbing his wand and anything else he thought he needed. He noticed your wand sat on the table, having retrieved it from his coat pocket after the fight, and picked it up to take with him.

“Multicorfors.” He muttered, pointing his wand at himself.

His crumpled shirt changed to a tight-fitting, jet-black dress shirt, with a light grey tie sliding around his neck and fashioning a traditional Windsor knot. His trousers pressed themselves to be clean and crisp once more, and with a final flick of his wand, his unruly waves styled themselves into his usual slicked back do.

Jacob gave him the thumbs up, an idiotically cheesy grin that Theseus couldn’t help but find contagious, making him involuntarily mirror the amusing Muggle.

“Why the all black ensemble?” Tina questioned, her expression perplexed.

Theseus couldn’t stop himself from laughing, albeit sounding slightly harsher than normal, as this really was no laughing matter.

“Hinrichtung is German for execution.”

“I don’t like this Queenie, I haven’t even got a wand to protect myself.” You hissed, stood by the steps of the stage with the ever-beautiful blonde, facing out towards the room. She too was dressed in black as was requested, but with a dark pink accents on her dress and the fascinator that dipped to cover her right eye. She held her wand between her fingers and was unconsciously twirling it, her nerves betraying her cool expression.

You couldn’t help but fiddle with the hem of your outfit as you watched more wizards file into the room.

Your clothes had been presented to you by Rosier earlier this evening, in a posh, designer box with paper wrapped around them for protection. It was an unusual ensemble, despite its obvious elegance.

Long and flowing black trousers that skimmed the floor, a black cotton shirt with a scooped neck and last of all a cloak.

Made of the softest velvet and lined with silk inside, it was rather heavy on your shoulders and felt like more of a restraint than a fashion piece. It had a hood, but you had opted to keep it down.

The theatre you were stood in was breath-taking, the ceiling having been hand-painted with a mural on the domed roof, angels and deities carved into the walls and supports around the room. There was gilding everywhere, on the railings of the higher tiers, around the stage and even on the seats. It truly was a thing of beauty.

You had arrived merely ten minutes ago, but already the spacious theatre was almost bursting at the seams with onlookers and fanatics, purebloods alike all under one roof and dressed in varying states of fashion and wealth, but all were clothed in primarily black.

Turning your head, you spotted the familiar faces of Carrow and Abernathy, the latter being up on stage observing out from where he was hiding in the wings, whilst the former stood at the opposite end of the room to you and Queenie, guarding the other set of stairs.

No sign of Rosier or Grindelwald.

Credence was not in attendance tonight, Queenie had told you, for what reason you didn’t know. But it had put you at unease.

As the doors at the back of the main room shut with a loud bang, the lights were cut, a few of the audience members’ cries of shock echoing out as the chatter died down instantaneously.

You could hear the sound of boots clicking against varnished wood resonating behind your head, and you knew someone was walking onstage under cover of the darkness.

Then, there was light.

A bright, white orb that flew outwards from the stage, levitating high above the crowds with a brilliant shine that illuminated the room, casting numerous eerie shadows amongst them.

You gasped, your amazement of the iridescent glow catching you by surprise. You were not the only one to gasp however, as hundreds of wizards looked on at the scene before them. Turning yourself to look upon the stage, your heart stopped in horror, it’s rhythm faltering inside you as every sliver of air was sucked out of you instantly.

There stood Grindelwald, in all his unorthodox glory, his wand raised as he had been the one to conjure the light that now illuminated him and the guest he had dramatically revealed onstage.

Their arms were bound behind their back and ankles restrained by rope. The chair they were strapped to didn’t budge no matter how much they fought against it, obviously enchanted with a fixing charm to keep it securely on its legs.

But it wasn’t the pinioned limbs, or the sheer look of terror in their eyes that caught your attention, it was the fact that you knew him.

You knew that face…

And it filled you with fear.

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