Thank you to those who reviewed! The basic premise behind this story was to properly integrate American history into the magical conflicts presented by the movie. One shadow over American history is the treatment of Native Americans, and that's why a major part of this story will be about ongoing conflicts between the Navajo Magical Nation and the Magical Congress. Don't worry, however, Grindelwald and his schemes will still appear.
Tina marched down the halls of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, dragging Newt Scamander along with her. He still looked shocked. His hair was a mess of riotous brown curls. In any other situation she might have thought it was charming. Instead all she could think of was her worries. To think she'd idolized Graves for a while. She should have known. They eventually reached her office and she waved her wand, floating a chair over for Newt. He stood awkwardly by it and she raised an eyebrow, gesturing at it until he sat down. She sat down on the other side of her desk. At least her new desk was nice. Oak, solid too. A perk of her promotion.
"What's going on?" he asked. "I haven't done anything." His case shook for a second. Tina looked at it and raised an eyebrow. "Residual spell work, sorry."
"I'm sure," she said dryly. "Tell me Mr. Scamander, do you have a wand permit?"
Newt's eyes widened for a second and he coughed into his hand.
"I applied for one," he said. "It seems to have been misplaced."
"Wand permits are mandatory for all witches and wizards in American territory, even foreigners. That's a deportable offense."
She took a long look at Newt. Years of being an Auror had fine-tuned her senses and she could see the cracks forming.
"Look," he said. "I just need to get to Kentucky. I have to visit a friend. I'll get a wand permit, whatever you need."
Tina took a deep breath. There it was. The crack, the one to exploit.
"Well, Mr. Scamander, it may just be your lucky day after all. What we need is for you to tell us everything you know about a creature known as an Obscurus."
Newt's head snapped up so fast she was surprised he didn't get whiplash.
"I don't know anything about an Obscurus."
Tina raised an eyebrow delicately, trying to mimic the haughty manners of President Piquery. She had a feeling it wasn't quite working.
"Really? And here I was told you were an expert on all sorts of magical creatures."
Newt looked at her for a long minute. His mouth pressed into a firm line.
"You knew who I was before you brought me here," he said. "This isn't a coincidence, is it?" He leaned forwards in his chair. "What sort of thing is brewing in the Magical Congress?"
"I'm afraid the affairs of Magical Law Enforcement are none of your business," Tina snapped. Newt looked at her with hooded eyes. Earlier she'd gotten the impression they were often full of laughter and light. Now she couldn't tell where that impression had come from.
"They are when they're wrong."
"It's not for you to judge."
"I'm afraid I already have. Your refusal to allow mixing with Muggles, your abduction of Muggleborns-"
Tina realized she was gripping the desk so hard with her non-wand hand that she'd lodged a splinter in it. With physical effort she relaxed and leaned back in her seat.
"You really don't know much about America, do you Mr. Scamander?" she asked. He had the audacity to look confusedly at her. "The Magical Congress isn't the only force at play here." She lifted a blank permit from the stack on her left and filled it out. "Here is your wand permit." Newt stretched out a hand for it and she pulled it just out of reach. "You can have it after you tell me everything you know about Obscuri."
"And then I can go to Kentucky?"
"And then you can dance your way across the sea for all I care. Obscuri, Mr. Scamander."
Newt looked at her for a long minute, then nodded.
"We have a deal Auror Goldstein," he said. Tina nodded back and wondered if enough water would get the taste of bile out of her mouth.
Yanaha watched the sun set on the porch of the little brown house. The yard outside had died long ago. No need to maintain it. These days they only came here when the war council met. Streaks of red and yellow lit up the sky. If she had been taught, she could have painted it in the sand. There hadn't been someone to teach her where she'd grown up. She'd been lucky to escape.
"Are you alright?" Queenie asked quietly from behind her. Yanaha closed her eyes for a moment, then slowly opened them.
"I was watching the sunset," she said. "Yellow represents the west, you know. The yellow sun setting into a yellow sky." Queenie came up to stand next to her on the porch.
"I didn't know that," Queenie said. Yanaha laughed dryly.
"No, I suppose you wouldn't. They don't teach our ways in that school of yours."
"No, they don't," Queenie said, then looked down at Yanaha's hand. "But you know them. You know them both." Yanaha turned to look at her in shock. How did she- "I saw the wand tucked in your satchel. There's only one place you would have gotten it."
"A wand is a crutch," Yanaha said, rolling the words off her tongue, trying to make them sound forceful. Queenie looked at her with a sad smile. "It took me years to realize it."
"I never saw you at Ilvermorny."
Yanaha shook her head.
"I escaped before I was sent there. They place us in homes of proper American wizarding families if we're too young when they find us. Kill all the Indian inside of us, let the real witch emerge is how they put it. Mine certainly tried."
Queenie reached out and took her hand. Yanaha tried to restrain her instinctive flinch. Her hand was warm and soft. No calluses there. A woman who hadn't ever done hard labor. For a long moment they stood there in the dimming sunlight, hand in hand. It felt almost nice.
"Shilah doesn't trust me," Queenie said.
"Shilah still thinks if we kicked you out of our territory we'd avoid a war."
"You might for a while," Queenie said. "But they'll find an excuse."
"They always do," Yanaha said. They stood there as the sun finished setting, still hand in hand. She could feel the four sacred mountains thrumming through her. She could always feel them, ever since she made her way into the land of the Diné as a tired hungry child. She'd stepped onto the land, tossed her wand to the ground, and felt the mountains welcome her.
In front of her, a shimmering apparition of a hogan slowly appeared. As Queenie laughed in delight it grew, black, white, blue, and yellow streaming around it. Yanaha reached out a hand and felt the welcome course through her. Another stream of colors and it vanished.
"We should eat," Yanaha said, letting go of Queenie's hand with reluctance.
"Let me guess, mutton and corn again?"
For the first time in days Yanaha smiled.
"You guessed it." They looked at each other for a long moment. "Eat your fill. We start the fight tomorrow."
Leta truly disliked crossing the ocean. Steamships were so dull, even when she Imperiused the crew into treating her like a queen. Walking back onto dry land truly was a treat after the last few days at sea. She looked forward to the day when she wouldn't have to disguise herself as a Muggle in order to travel. As she left her adoring crew behind she could see the telltale flicker of a Disillusionment charm from the corner of her eye. Leta made her way down the docks until she'd cleared the crowd then palmed her wand, black robes unfurling as her illusion of a Muggle dress disappeared.
"Don't be a stranger," Leta said, her voice almost a coo. "Come and talk to me."
Against the wall the Disillusionment charm disappeared to reveal Karl, dressed in long black robes. Unlike Leta's, his were made of rough wool. His short blond hair he kept cropped close to his head.
"Gellert wishes to speak to you," he said. Leta smiled.
"First name basis are we?" she said. "How wonderful. I'll see our lord right after I freshen up." She moved to take a step and Karl lifted his wand idly. Leta tilted her head.
"He wishes to speak to you now."
Leta let out a sigh, spinning her wand around her fingertips. Karl tracked the movement, eyes darting back and forth.
"His wish is my command," she said. "Lead the way."
Karl reached out his hand and pulled her towards him. A quick burst of magic and they Apparated into a pristine forest. Birds chirped around them cheerfully. As they walked through the forest they trampled small white flowers underfoot. Eventually they reached a small cottage nestled under a large oak tree. The trees branches hung over it, shading the cottage from the sun. The cottage looked old, but well maintained. Someone had invested a lot of time and care into it. As Karl and Leta walked towards the cottage she could feel the wards scanning them. It felt like an itch sliding up and down her back. Apparently she passed because she didn't ignite on the spot.
Karl led her up to the cottage door and gestured at her. With a firm hand she knocked three times. The door swung open and she walked inside, Karl turning to guard the doorway. Inside was a small kitchen with cheerful floral curtains hung over the window. In the center at the wooden table sat the most dangerous man in Europe. He was drinking tea out of a bone china cup.
"Come sit," Gellert Grindelwald said, raising his wand. A chair slid out next to him. "We have much to discuss."
Next chapter: Yanaha makes an inspiring speech, Tina and Newt learn more about each other and Leta has an interesting discussion. If you enjoyed this, please review! I treasure all comments.