A/N: For the purpose of this fic there is a big assumption that the dollhouse featured in Charmed was not made by Grams as the sisters believe, and The Second Salemers have been tracked by MACUSA for at least two years prior to Fantastic Beasts. Originally written with the Hobby Month Challenge in mind but not completed on time.
2017 Resolutions: Write a Crossover, Write a minimum of 50 one-shots this year, Write at least one oneshot (1,000-5,000 words) in every genre listed on the site, Write at least one drabble/one-shot for all the characters listed in 'Harry Potter Characters' on . (Tina. Queenie. Graves.)
Zodiac Challenge: Autumn - Write about someone watching a person/something from a high window.
Writing Club: Wear Red Day - Write about someone wearing something red.
Word Count: 4122
The Mystery Of Prescott Street Manor
Tina briskly walked down the corridor towards her boss' office at MACUSA. Graves had summoned her there only moments ago in a memo, and she was curious as to why he would want to see her.
Had 'The Second Salemers' group, who had recently emerged, stopped their preaching and progressed to action?
She knocked on the door and waited, fiddling with a strand of hair as she tapped her foot.
"Enter," the voice of Percival Graves called, followed by the door swinging open on its own and revealing the interior of the sparse, but classily decorated office. "Ahh, Tina, I'm glad you could make it at such short notice. Have a seat."
Tina nodded her head and sat in one of the two comfy chairs across from her boss.
"Mr Graves, may I inquire as to why I am here?" she asked, crossing her leg over the other. "Have The Second Sa—"
"No, they have not done anything," Percival said, cutting her off. "However, your relationship with the young boy, Credence, is why I have asked you here. The President and I have been talking and we feel you have become too close to this boy. We fear you may be losing perspective on your assignment."
"I can assure you, Sir, that I haven't," Tina said hastily.
"Be that as it may," Graves said slowly, "I have another assignment I wish to give you. One which will take you away from the city for a while, and provide you with a chance to... reflect."
"But, Sir—" Tina started.
"No buts, Goldstein," Percival said, cutting her off once again. "Here is the file on all you need to know about the strange goings on in San Francisco. Your Portkey will be leaving tomorrow morning at eight o'clock sharp. I suggest you go home and pack, then read up on what we know so far."
Realising there was no point fighting her boss on this, Tina nodded her head and took the file off Graves' desk, before leaving the office.
~o~o~o~
Upon her return home, Tina immediately set about making herself a cup of tea before settling down and pulling out the file Graves had given to her. She rested her head on her hand as she began to immerse herself in the information she had been provided with.
Location: 7571 Prescott Street
Subjects of Interest: P. Baxter, P. Bowen, P. Russell, Unidentified Male Stranger
Case Notes of: MARY ABBOTT
11/02/1924: P. Russell interacted with the same man again. He worries me greatly. As I watched from my car, his appearance changed in the blink of eye and he took the form of Miss Baxter's male friend. Are they the same person? And how is this man changing his appearance without a wand or a potion? He must be very powerful and dangerous. I will investigate more.
12/02/1924: I have been unable to find any record of this shape-shifter. Try as I might, he is completely off the grid. The only thing I can think is that he is not human, but so far as I can tell he does not possess any traits of the dangerous beasts. This worries me greatly. Is he a beast we don't know of? Or is he something else? I intend to follow this man and see where he leads me. My instincts tell me he is the key to what is going on at the Prescott Street Manor. I will owl a report to MACUSA in tomorrow with my findings.
13/02/1924: I have just sent a report to MACUSA. I cannot believe what I have just witnessed. The man, if he can even be called that, shot fire from his hands and murdered an innocent No-Maj. And then, in the blink of an eye, he was gone. He disappeared before my very eyes. I fear I need back up but I do not know if I can wait longer than a day… this man is a danger and he must be stopped. If I have to do it alone then I will.
14/02/1924: The strange man who has been coming and going regularly from the manor has back again today. His main interactions appear to be with Miss Russell, however I cannot be certain about the interactions inside… I am aiming to find out more tomorrow night. The cousins are running a speakeasy and I have managed to make contact with and gain an invitation from one of their regulars. Hopefully, this visit will provide me with some much needed information on this man. My intuition tells me that whatever he has planned is not good.
Tina turned the page and frowned when she found there were no more case notes. It appeared to her that her young colleague had not come out of the manor to report what they had found inside. The mystery of the Prescott Street Manor had Tina captivated… so much so that she had forgotten all about The Second Salemers.
She found herself wondering why she had been chosen for this assignment. Surely someone more experienced would be more qualified to take on such a task.
"Oh honey, don't worry, you'll be great."
Tina looked up from the report in front of her and saw her sister, Queenie, standing in front of her with a brilliant, captivating smile on her face.
"Tiny, don't think like that," she said, frowning. "Mr Graves wouldn't ask you to take on something you aren't ready for."
"I hate when you do that," Tina replied, closing the file in front of her. "And, be honest, neither of us knows what goes on in Mr Graves' mind—not even you, Queenie."
"And isn't that a shame," Queenie grumbled. "But that's what makes me so certain. It's written on his face that he has faith in you, Tina."
"Well, I just hope that faith is well placed," Tina sighed, her eyes flickering towards the file. "I mean, if Mary Abbott hasn't had much success, what hope do I have?"
"Tina, look as me!" Queenie demanded. "You are talented. You are strong. You are intelligent. Plus, you are going in with something Mary didn't have."
"Oh yeah, and what's that?" Tina said, rolling her eyes.
"Knowledge. You have the intel Mary gathered," Queenie told her. "You are going in with your eyes wide open, and you will do great."
Tina nodded her head, yawning as she stood up. "I'm going to get an early night, Queenie."
"Good night, honey," Queenie said, strolling towards her sister and embracing her tightly.
"Good night, Queenie," Tina said, pulling away from her sister and making her way to her bedroom.
~o~o~o~
Tina stood with her suitcase by her side as the Portkey was placed in front of her. She was due to depart in less than five minutes, and Mr Graves was giving her a few last minute pieces of information with regards to her stay in San Francisco.
"And, Tina, whatever you do, under no circumstances are you to act without backup," Mr Graves told her, giving her a stern look. "I don't want to have another missing Auror on my hands."
"Absolutely, Mr Graves," Tina said as the Portkey began to glow.
"Good luck, Miss Goldstein," Mr Graves said. "Be sure to keep me updated."
Tina offered her boss as a smile as he disappeared from her view and her surroundings were quickly replaced by the interior of the San Francisco base for MACUSA.
After a quick briefing with the head of the San Francisco base, which included recent photographs of all the people of interest, Tina left the building and headed in the direction of the Prescott Street Manor, making sure to follow the directions she had been give to a tee.
~o~o~o~
Tina flicked through all the moving photographs her colleague had taken, committing each and every face to memory as she sat in a car across the road from the manor. She paused a beat longer on the photograph of Baxter's 'former' lover. She couldn't help but think that her sister would consider this No-Maj to be very attractive.
Seeing movement out of the corner or her eye, Tina placed the photographs down on the car seat next to her and grabbed her No-Maj binoculars and pressed them to her eyes. The man Mary Abbott had written about on many occasions had approached the manor and was standing on the porch. She saw him turn on the spot, observing his surroundings, and she was quite thankful for the disillusionment charm she had cast earlier. He smiled slyly and then he raised his hand and moved it across his face. Instantaneously, his appearance completely changed and she was now looking at the man she had just been looking at a photograph of.
Tina frowned. How had the man done that without a wand? She had heard about powerful witches and wizards being able to perform wandless magic—even managing to do it herself every so often—but she had never heard of anyone performing such a glamour without Polyjuice Potion? Plus, there had been no mention of the stranger's glamouring abilities.
Did that mean the two men were the same person? Or, more likely, did that mean that something serious was about to happen?
Tina wasn't quite sure what she had just witnessed, but she was sure about one thing… that man was dangerous and she had to do something now. If she waited for backup something terrible could happen before they arrived. Tina knew she would never be able to live with herself if her lack of action meant that something she could have prevented happened. It would be worth any punishment MACUSA gave her to know that she had done that right thing. She only hoped that Mr Graves would see it that way.
She placed the binoculars down and reached into the inside of her coat and drew her wand. With her knowledge about the cousins' business, Tina knew that she couldn't make an appearance there, let alone gain access, without wearing the proper attire. She would draw too much attention to herself if she didn't look like she belonged which was the last thing she would need.
~o~o~o~
Pearl glanced out of the attic window, and smiled at the sight of her love, Anton, standing on the porch as he glamoured himself to look like her cousin's former lover. Priscilla had always a sucker for that man, and married life had not changed that fact, no matter how much the mortal, Gordon, hoped otherwise.
Her eyes flickered across the street and noticed that someone was watching the house, and Anton, from a car. She sighed heavily, knowing that someone else was getting too nosy for their own good.
She turned around and glanced at the dollhouse in the corner of the attic.
"Looks like someone else will be joining you in there soon," she whispered before she set to work making a basic potion to shrink a person.
Her hands moved quickly as she threw the different ingredients together, keeping as far away from The Book of Shadows as she could. It irked her that the book seemed wary of her nowadays, even to the extent of jumping away from her at times. The only times she had ever been able to consult it recently was when she had unfounded doubts about her love for Anton… even going as far as to find a way to vanquish him, something she had come to deeply regret.
There was a small explosion and a puff of smoke as she added the last ingredient which pulled her from her thoughts. She grabbed a few vials off the shelf and filled each one before returning to the window.
She looked down at the car and saw a slight brunette climbing out of it, wearing a knee length silver dress paired with an assortment of classy jewellery and a pair of low silver heels. Pearl watched as the woman confidently crossed the street and approached the manor.
Pearl turned on her heel and made her way towards the door, and hurried down the stairs. After all, it would impolite of her not to greet their guest.
~o~o~o~
Tina stood on the doorstep and knocked on the door of the manor, and tapped her foot as she waited for someone to answer.
The door opened and a little girl, no older than five opened it. Tina crouched down in front of the young girl who looked at her with uncertain eyes. In her hands, she was grasping a doll tightly to her chest.
"Hello, my name is Tina," she said, holding her hand out to the little girl. "What's your name?"
"Christina," she answered.
"Hi, Christina," Tina said, smiling brightly. "Is your mummy or daddy around?"
"Christina Larson!" a shrill voice yelled. "What have we told you about answering the door?"
The little girl gave Tina a fearful look before running away from the door, revealing a woman in a red dress that Tina instantly recognised as P. Russell.
"I am so sorry about Christina," the woman said to her kindly. "I hope she didn't bother you. She's only here because her dad can't afford childcare."
"Oh, not at all," Tina said, feeling uncertain about this woman she only knew on paper. "She seems like a very kind girl."
"Well, that's one way to put it," the woman answer. "So what are you doing here? Because if you're a fed there's nothing to see here."
"Oh no, a friend of mine told me that this was the place to be if you wanted some hooch?"
"Well why didn't you say so sooner?" the woman laughed. "Come on in and I'll get you a drink and give you a tour of the manor. Did you know that it was built in 1898 by my aunt and uncle? Quite remarkable wouldn't you say?"
Tina nodded her head and followed the young woman inside. Everything she had read about this woman in Mary's notes was so far being contradicted. Miss Russell, though a little snappy, didn't seem all that bad. Perhaps she had no knowledge of what her male friend was like.
"So would you like the tour?" Miss Russell asked, handing Tina a glass of golden liquid.
Tina raised the glass to her lips and took a sip as she thought about it. It would certainly provide her with a great opportunity to look around this grand manor without arousing suspicion.
"That would be lovely," Tina answered, smiling.
"Great, shall we start with the top and work our way down?" she suggested, making her way towards the grand staircase.
"Whatever you think is best," Tina replied, following the woman up the many stairs towards the attic.
As they crossed the landing towards a door, Tina noticed a man, who looked very much like the glamour the stranger had taken, slipping through a door and into what she assumed must be one of the many bedrooms. It took every ounce of restraint she had to not slip away from Miss Russell and follow him in there. She knew that if she did she would blow her cover and scupper any chances she had of figuring out what was going on here.
"Don't mind him," Miss Russell said, turning to face Tina. "My cousin thinks we're oblivious to it, but she's been having an affair with him on and off, ever since she got married."
"Sorry, I didn't mean to pry," Tina apologised as Miss Russell unlocked the door and pushed it open.
Tina followed the woman through it and made her way up the stairs towards the attic. The stairs creaked quietly below her, and Tina found herself growing more curious about where she was heading. Her instincts were telling her that there was something about the attic which meant she needed to be on high alert.
They reached the top of the stairs and Tina followed Miss Russell into the attic. As Tina took in her new surroundings, she suddenly found herself being thrown across the room.
"Who are you?" Miss Russell questioned in a demanding tone. "And why have you been watching the manor? Are you a fed? Or worse, one of those do-gooders from up there?"
Tina frowned as she placed her hand to her head.
"I don't know what you mean," Tina answered. "I told you, my friend told me about this place. I was only watching the manor because I didn't want to look like a fool by going to the wrong place."
"HA!" Miss Russell barked. "That is a very good story. Now the truth."
"I'm an Auror from MACUSA," Tina admitted, seeing no other way but to admit the truth. "I'm investigating the disappearance of a colleague of mine. The last we heard from her, she was coming to your speakeasy."
"What's MACUSA?" Miss Russell asked.
"Magical Congress of the United States of America," Tina told her, standing to her feet and reaching into her coat. "And I'm afraid since you cannot help me find my friend, you know too much. Stand still, Miss Russell, this will be over with momentarily."
As Tina pointed her wand at the woman, ready to obliviate her, a potion was thrown at her and she found herself shrinking. Miss Russell walked over towards her and picked her up by the scruff of her neck, and held her in front of her face.
"You shouldn't have come here," she sneered. "And as for your sneaky friend, why don't you go and join her?"
Miss Russell walked over to the corner of the attic and cracked open the dollhouse, and dropped Tina inside before closing it again.
"Think of it this way," she said. "If Anton had found you, your fate would have been so much worse."
Tina rushed towards the hinge of the dollhouse, and attempted to pry it open, only to fail. She raised her wand and cleared her voice as she prepared to use a blasting charm.
"I wouldn't if I were you," a voice said from behind her. "When I tried it, I knocked myself out. The dollhouse is protected and there's no way out."
Tina turned around and saw the figure of Mary Abbott stood in the archway.
"So what do you propose we do?" Tina asked. "Sit around and wait for someone to come and rescue us like a couple of damsels in distress?"
"No, we use our combined power to gain the attention of one of the other two cousins when they come up here," Mary stated. "When I attempted that last time, I am sure one of them noticed my flare at the window. If we do one together, I am positive they will come to our aid when they see it."
"And what if they are in league with Russell?" Tina asked.
"They're not," Mary informed her. "I have been trapped in this house for a few days now, and last night they were in here. They were talking about how they would have to kill Russell if she got out of control. They will help us."
Tina nodded her head. "Okay, if you're sure, it's worth a try," she said.
~o~o~o~
Priscilla and Phoebe walked into the attic, their mood was sullen as they made their way towards The Book of Shadows.
"You know we had no other choice, don't you?" Priscilla asked her cousin as she flipped open the book.
"I do, but that doesn't stop me wondering if we could have done something different," Phoebe answered. "I know there was still some good in her… or at least there was until Anton corrupted her with that potion he gave her. I still think it was a step too far to curse her future lives though."
"Phoebe, we agreed," Priscilla snapped. "The risk was too great. Could you imagine what would happen if her future self and Anton got together? If we hadn't acted as we had, he would have gotten our powers and together they would have been unstoppable. It wasn't worth the risk to let that happen in the future when the powers he could get will be stronger."
"You don't need to tell me that, Priscilla," Phoebe answered. "We went over it. I was there and I agreed. I'm just having second thoughts."
"Well it's too late now," Priscilla pointed out. "And besides, we're writing this down in the book for our descendants so they know what they will face when he reappears. If he gets too close—"
"I know, we went—did you just see that?" Phoebe asked, her eyes resting on the dollhouse.
"See what?" Priscilla asked, following her cousin's line of sight.
"There was a flash of red coming from the dollhouse," Phoebe said, frowning. "You know, I could have sworn I saw something similar last week but I just put it down to the lighting in the room. Now, I'm not so sure."
Phoebe walked over towards the dollhouse, cracked it open and was greeted by the sight of two doll sized people.
"Priscilla, we have a potion to make," Phoebe said, holding her palm out for the two people to walk on to. "It would seem our dear cousin has been shrinking people."
~o~o~o~
Tina stretched and shook her limbs as she got used to being her natural size again whilst the cousins threw the second potion in front of Mary. Tina marvelled as Mary shot back to size again, especially since she had taken note of the many different ingredients Priscilla and Phoebe had used. It was nothing like she had learnt at Ilvermorny.
"Thank you, Mrs Baxter," Mary said. "Thank you, Miss Bowen. We are extremely grateful for your assistance."
"It was our pleasure," Miss Bowen answered, smiling at the two of them. "However, I must ask that you keep our secret. We cannot allow the knowledge of magic to get out into the world. If you'd like, I could always call my whitelighter and he can take away any bad memories you have."
"Miss Bowen, I completely agree. Magic, in all its forms, must be kept a secret from the No-Maj," Tina told her. "You can rest assured that we will not tell anyone."
"What's a No-Maj?" Mrs Baxter asked, frowning at the unusual term.
"It's what we call people who don't have magic," Mary supplied.
"Huh, we call them mortals," Mrs Baxter laughed. "Do you have a way to get home? As my cousin said, we can call our whitelighter and he can orb you to wherever you need to go. The Elders may not like it but under the circumstances, I'm sure they won't complain."
"Not at all, Mrs Baxter," Tina said. "We can use a Portkey. I doubt MACUSA would react very well to the idea of whitelighters. It'll be difficult enough for them to get their heads around a different type of witch as it is."
"Very well," Miss Bowen said. "At least allow us to make you something to eat before you leave. Both of you must be starving."
Tina glanced at Mary who smiled and nodded her head.
"That would be lovely, thank you."
~o~o~o~
"Miss Goldstein, I thought I told you not to go in without back-up," Mr Graves said. "Was I not clear about that?"
"Yes you were, Mr Graves," Tina answered apologetically. "But, if you look at my report, you will see that I felt I had no other choice."
"Yes, and where did that get you?" Mr Graves asked. "Stuck in a dollhouse. If it hadn't been for those two cousins you would still be there now."
"But—"
"No buts, Miss Goldstein," Mr Graves snapped. "I have no choice but to keep you on desk duty until you learn how to follow orders."
"Yes, Sir," Tina replied. "Is there anything else?"
"No, you can leave now," Mr Graves said, dismissing her. "Oh, and Miss Goldstein, you have the makings of a great Auror. You just need to—"
"Learn how to follow orders," Tina finished. "I know. Thank you, Sir."
Tina pulled open Mr Graves office door and walked out, allowing the relief she felt to flood through her body. Her meeting with her boss could have gone a lot worse, and whilst she was remanded on desk duty, she hadn't had her Auror status revoked as she had feared.
And, if that hadn't been good enough, Mr Graves had given her a compliment. Something he rarely handed out freely.
As she entered the vast office of desk officials, Tina had a feeling that she wouldn't be there for long and it was only a matter of time before she got back out into the field.