Thaumaturgy
Bluebox345
A/N: Hey guys! I have also written other stories for Avengers, Doctor Who, Guardians of the Galaxy and Torchwood, if any are interested. I picture Lila Cromwell to look a bit like Ashley Johnson from Blindspot. Her 'theme song', for fun, is Event Horizon in the album Hits, Vol. 1 by Hi-Finesse.
Disclaimer: I do not own Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, JK Rowling does. This disclaimer extends throughout the entire story (which is a given). I only own my OC's and plot twists that aren't in the movie. I also don't own the cover image, I found it on Google.
Important Inf: The solid line is a scene change. Italics is magic. Bold is writing. 'Single apostrophe' is character thoughts. "Double apostrophe" is speaking.
Summary: Lila Cromwell is Jacob Kowalski's neighbor who is beginning her work as a secretary at the New York County National Bank. Checking upon Mr. Kowalski after his rejected loan for his bakery Lila, is thrown into a world that she never imagined existed… a world of fairytale and magic.
Updates: This story will update on the first Saturday of each month. This 'book' will consist of 11 chapters.
Prologue
1926, New York
A black car pulled up to an apartment building and a woman in her mid twenties got out of the passenger seat. She buttoned the top button of her long dark blue trench coat and went around to the trunk of the car. The driver, an elderly man of seventy got out and went to help. They carried three suitcases from the car to the apartment and disappeared inside.
After climbing up the stairs, she took out the keys and unlocked the apartment number eleven. The two carried the suitcases into the small apartment. "I wish your mother was alive to see you on this day." The man expressed, looking down on the woman.
"Papa, I'm only getting a job."
"Yes sweetheart, but you're in the big city now. No more country gal for you Lila. You're doing so well for yourself, gettin' a job at that bank." Papa stated.
The women, now identified as Lila, stuttered, "I-it's only a secretarial position Papa."
Papa smiled and stepped closer to his daughter, "But you're gettin' along by yourself… without me."
"Papa-" Interrupted Lila who was interrupted again by her father.
"Sweetheart. I think it's time you stepped into the world. You don't need a daft old man to take care of anymore holding you back. You're good at what you do. Make sure they see that."
Lila bit her lip, "Oh Papa." She rushed forward and gave her father a big tight hug. After all, they wouldn't be seeing each other every day now. More like twice or three times per year. The father and daughter hugged for some time before they broke away from each other. Papa rubbed away tears that started trickling down her cheeks.
"Be strong and don't forget who you are."
"I won't Papa."
The father and daughter duo hugged again before the father looked around the apartment one last time and walked out of the apartment. Lila ran to the window that was facing the street and opened it to look down on the street below. She saw her father walk out of the building and stop at the car. He looked up at her and waved. She waved back and he circled around the car to the drivers door, got in and drove away.
Lila stayed by the window watching her father drive out of sight. She took a deep breath. Everything would be fine. Nothing bad would happen.
Wizarding World Newspaper Titles:
GELLERT GRINDELWALD: DARK WIZARD STRIKES AGAIN IN EUROPE
HOGWARTS SCHOOL INCREASES SECURITY
GIGGLE WATER: AMERICA'S FAVORITE MERRY MAKING MELANGE
DARK WIZARD TERROR THREAT
WIZARDS BAFFLED: IS SOCCER THE NO-MAJS QUIDDITCH?
GRINDELWALD ATTACKS IMMINENT: RISKING WAR WITH NO-MAJS
I.C.W. CONVENED FOR EMERGENCY TALKS
BEAST OWNERSHIP- BAN CONTINUED IN THE U.S.
ANTI-WIZARD SENTIMENT ON THE RISE
PICQUERY CALLS FOR CALM
WITCH CAUGHT ISSUING FAKE WAND PERMITS
WHERE IS GRINDELWALD?
WO IST GRINDELWALD?
À LA RECHERCHE DE GRINDELWALD?
IS ANYONE SAFE?
GRINDELWALD SPREADS FEAR WORLD WIDE
A steamship sailed into the New York city harbor passing the Statue of Liberty on the way in. Excited passengers stood on the deck of the ship to see the first views of the city. A man, who looked to be around twenty sat on a bench taking in the sites with a small suitcase off to the side.
The man grabbed the handle of the bag to pick it up when suddenly the left latch flipped open. He sighed, closed it and pulled up the suitcase to rest it on his lap. He leaned over it protectively and whispered, "Dougal, settle down now, please." In response the man heard deep grumbling, "It won't be long." He breathed out and crossed his arms over the brown suitcase and rested his chin on his hands. It had been a long journey.
Eventually the steamship docked and the man waited his turn to disembark the ship and walked down the plank to solid land.
"Next." A board custom's official called. The man internally sighed. Another line.
Finally it was his turn. He handed his passport and travel documents to the customs official that was in charge of the line he was in. The official flipped to the photo page and looked down at the photo then back up at the man. "British huh?"
"Yes."
"First trip to New York?"
"Yes."
"Anything edible in there?" The customs officer motioned to the bag he was carrying.
The man shook his head, "No."
"Livestock?"
At that moment the right latch flipped open and the man seemed to deflate just a bit, "I must get that fixed. Um, no."
"Let me take a look." The officer set down the passport to look at the brown suitcase that the man was carrying. The man swung his arm up to put the suitcase on the desk facing himself. In a sleight of hand move he brought a piece of metal out of the locking mechanism which moved a sigh up that said muggle and worthy. He stopped at the one on top.
The customs officer turned the suitcase around to face him and opened it up to find folded clothes, undergarments, binoculars, a small clock that was ticking, a magnifying glass, a New York City green tourist book and a folded map with circles around spots in the city. The officer closed the suitcase and stated, "Welcome to New York."
"Thank you."
"Next." The officer stated in a board tone.
In a different part of the city an elderly man was describing the events that occurred to have one side of the building to a detective which seemingly collapse while onlookers watched. "And it was like a…. Like a wind. Or like a… like a ghost. But dark. And I saw it's eyes. Shining white eyes."
The reporter and the witness now stood in the ruined building. The reporter sighed, defeated. This man was crazy. He couldn't write this down, "A dark wind, with eyes?" He asked in a skeptic tone.
The elderly man, who now stood taller than him, having climbed up a bit on the rubble, held out both arms, "It's like a dark mass. And it dove down there." He pointed with his right hand at the ground, "Down underground. Someone ought to do something about it. It's everywhere this thing. It's out of control."
The photographer walked up and asked, "Hey, did you get anything?"
"Dark wind, blah, blah."
The photographer huffed, "Some sorta atmospheric hooey. Or electrical."
"Hey, you thirsty?" Asked a reporter to his photographer, holding out his flask.
"Nah. I'm on the wagon. Promised Martha I'd lay off."
While this was going on a fourth man had walked up the staircases to the landing, which had no floor or second floor to go to when there was a loud hissing sound.
"It's atmospheric." Concluded the photographer.
The wall suddenly cracked and while the men stared at the cracking wall, the bricks next to the building sprayed up. The road ripped up and dug down the road pushing cars and people out of the way and even forcing a car onto its side. The top side of a building had some of the bricks collapse from it and the glass walls of the subway train station shattered, causing the people surrounding it to scream and cover their heads.
The man ran down the stairs to stare at the huge trench that was now in the road in disbelief… and a twinge of a smile.
Lila Cromwell collected some of the papers on her boss, Mr. Bingley's, desk before taking them to another room where she learned that the records were kept. This was her first day at work at her new job. So far it only consisted of her running miscellaneous errands that no one else wanted to do. She knew that this was hazing and that the other secretaries wanted to make sure she could do the job before she was thrust into bigger projects. She didn't let herself get down by it. It was her first day after all.
As she exited the records room, she heard a commotion from a window in the hallway that faced the street. It was ajar slightly and could see a crowd growing which encircled a women dressed in blue while a flag stood behind her being held by a man in black clothes while a little girl held what looked to be pamphlets. Lila listened as the women gave her speech.
"This city sparkles with the jewels of man's inventions. Movie theaters, automobiles, the wireless, electric lights, all dazzle and bewitch us. But where there is light, there is shadow, friend. Something is stalking our city, wreaking destruction, and then disappearing without a trace. Listen to me! We have to fight. Join us, the Second Salemers, in our fight. You hear me? We have to fight together for the sake of our-" The woman's speech was cut off when a man tripped and fell to the ground over another man's suitcase.
"Hey, watch it." Another man exclaimed.
"So sorry. My case."
The man stood up and exhaled, "No harm done. Excuse me." And he raced up the steps to the bank.
As the man who tripped him turned around, the stern-looking woman called out, "You!" The man turned back around, "Friend," She stepped a couple steps down, "What drew you to our meeting today?"
"Oh, I was just passing."
"Are you a seeker? A seeker after truth?"
"I'm more of a chaser, really."
"Hear my words, and heed my warning. And laugh if you dare. Witches live among us. We have to fight together for the sake of our children. For the sake of tomorrow. What do you say to that, friend?"
The man seemed to look off to the distance before stared straight ahead, seemingly at something past the women and stated quickly, "Excuse me." Before rushing towards the bank.
Lila sighed. It was just mumbo jumbo anyway. She turned around to go back to her work.
The man walked into the bank with a suitcase looking for the creature that had just escaped from his suitcase. While he was looking around, totally lost, a bank greeter, "Can I help you, sir?"
"No, I was just… just waiting." He walked over to sit on the bench. The guy he un-meaningfully tripped outside was sitting at the other end, waiting for an appointment.
"Hi." He sighed, "What brings you here?"
"Same as you."
"You're here to get a loan to open up a bakery?" The man asked in shock.
"Yes."
"What are the odds of that? Well, may the best man win." He held out his hand to shake when the other man looked over his shoulder, grabbed his suitcase and abruptly left.
"Excuse me."
The bakery man stared down at the bench at the egg the other man had left behind. "Hey! Hey mister! Hey mister! Hey fella!"
"Mr. Kowalski, Mr. Bingley will see you now." A young blond secretary, around twenty years of age called.
Mr. Kowalski breathed out, "Okay." He put the egg in his pocket and straightened his suit as he walked to the room. "Okay." he exhaled again and chuckled nervously.
Meanwhile, the man who lost the creature chased after it as it stacked any type of money of jewelry off of unsuspecting victims, hoping from purse to purse.
Inside the office, Mr. Bingley looked through the drawings that Mr. Kowalski did of the bakery that he wanted to run. The egg rattled and pecking sounded from the inside. Mr. Kowalski nervously looked down in his pocket before returning his gaze at Mr. Bingley.
"You're currently working... in a canning factory." That seemed like a question and a statement to Kowalski.
"That's the best I can do. I only got back in, uh, twenty-four."
"Got back?" Mr. Bingley shook his head in confusion.
"From Europe, Sir. Yeah. I was part of the expeditionary forces there." He made a shoveling motion with his hands to explain what they did.
The man finally spotted his creature under a table facing off with a pug for a piece of jewelry it wore around its neck. He chased after it but it was too quick and made it's way over to the top of the gold banisters which separated the public from the money.
Back in the office, Mr. Kowalski took out his brown suitcase- the same suitcase that the strange man was carrying- to show baked goods, "Alright-"
Mr. Bingley cut his display off, "Mr. Kowalski,"
Mr. Kowalski put his hand out to signal him to stop and continued, "Mr. Bingley, you've gotta try the paczkies, okay? It's my grandmother's recipe. The orange zest just-"
"Mr. Kowalski, what do you propose to offer the bank as collateral."
"Collateral?"
"Collateral." Mr. Bingley whispered back. Mr. Kowalski ran his hand above the suitcase as a display but that apparently wasn't enough to satisfy Mr. Bingley, "There are machines now that can produce a hundred donutnuts an hour."
Mr. Kowalski was deflating by the second, "I know. But they're nothing what I can do. You-"
"The bank must be protected." Mr. Bingley stated rather rudely interrupting him. "Mr. Kowalski. Good day to you." He ran a bell on the desk to signify that the meeting had drawn to a close.
The man finally spotted his creature underneath the bottom cart of a trolley of money headed deeper into the bank. The man stared after it in disbelief, trying to find a way to get back his creature without being arrested for stealing.
Mr. Kowalski walked out of the office while the young secretary apologized to him. "Sorry 'bout him. Looks like he's had a rough morning. Try not to take it too personally."
"Yeah." Mr. Kowalski sighed in return then the egg in his pocket started to break apart. He took it out in front of the secretary.
"You brought an egg in with you?" The secretary asked, confused. Well, this was an interesting first day to be sure.
"Hey, mister English Guy." Mr. Kowalski nodded to indicate the egg in his hand, "I think you're eggs hatching."
An elevator dinged in the distance and the man pulled out a stick, pointed it at Mr, Kowalski and the secretary and pulled the patron and the secretary to him and all three of them disappeared.