A/N: Here is the promised epilogue to this fic. I hope that I kept all the POVs in character.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Fantastic Beasts.
Enjoy
Queenie stared at the arches of Nurmengard Castle, totally aware that her mouth was dangling open and her blue eyes wide.
"I ain't never seen anything like this before," she breathed with a giggle. She still couldn't believe she had been picked to come here with Grindelwald—after all, only Vinda Rosier and Credence accompanied them.
Vinda took Queenie on a tour, showing her where she would be staying, while Grindelwald ushered Credence away. The blonde let out a mental sigh of relief as the younger man was led in the opposite direction, his tumultuous mind was difficult to ignore. He was hurtin' a whole bunch, but it had been giving her the beginnings of a headache. It was easier without him since Vinda's thoughts mostly revolved around the tour or Grindelwald, and Queenie didn't want to snoop too much. On the other hand, Grindelwald himself must be a really powerful Occulmens, since she couldn't hear anything he was thinking, even when she was right next to him.
Her heart stuttered a bit as she remembered how Jacob never was very good at concealing his thoughts from her…it had been one of the things that made her fall for him in the first place. She shook herself, brushing the tears from her eyes before they could fall. If he can't see that this is the only way we are gonna' be able to be together…well, that's on him.
"I'm not crazy," she muttered to herself. The insult had hurt even more coming from Jacob—he was supposed to love her, but he had hurt her when he called her…that. She had been called "crazy" and "freak" and every variation in between at Ilvemorny, until Teens had hexed Addy Brightbridge so badly her sister was in detention for a month.
"Ms. Goldstein," Vinda said quietly, placing a hand on her shoulder, her French accent sounding surprisingly sympathetic. "He requires your…special abilities."
Queenie didn't know how Grindelwald knew she was a Legilimens, but she didn't feel like questioning it—here, she could be useful, instead of just a burden to Teens or Jacob.
The wizard was standing outside a double doorway, leaning nonchalantly against the wall. He nudged open one of the doors, indicating that Queenie should look inside, where she saw Credence staring forlornly at the mountains. At this distance, it wasn't difficult to hear or feel his thoughts, especially since they were so much stronger than anyone else's in the castle.
She saw glimpses of the circus—a cart filled with all kinds of beasts; a cage with a beautiful Asian woman inside; that same woman screaming as she was hit by a spell, her body twisting painfully. She even managed to decipher a few stray thoughts that passed through his mind: left her…make the right choice…should have protected her…can I trust him…need to know who I am…
"Is he frightened of me still?" Grindelwald asked lowly.
Even as he was speaking, Queenie got the strongest thought from Credence yet, and that was saying something. Nagini… And the image of the Asian woman seemed to appear as clear as day in front of her eyes. The memory played out seemingly in slow motion: the woman, Nagini, looking up from where she was laying on his shoulder, her eyes fluttering open and she smiled lazily up at him, her hair turning a burnished onyx in the early morning light.
The entire memory was tinged with so much love and passion and affection, Queenie realized he must have been figuring out his feelings for the first time. Her heart sank in sympathy, she didn't know this Nagini woman, but no one deserved to be apart from the one they love, especially if he had never told her how he felt—if her and Jacob had done one thing right, it was that they had told each other they loved one another a bunch of times. She couldn't imagine what it would have been like if she had to leave him standing there, never having told him.
"You have to be careful with him," she finally replied, unable to stop the flood of regret and heartbreak that came from the young man. "He's not sure he's made the right choice. You have to be very gentle with him."
Grindelwald nodded, finally opening the door and walking into the room to stand next to Credence.
It's not nice to snoop Queenie, Teens' voice rang in her head, but she was curious. Even though she couldn't get a good read off of the German wizard, she did get an immense feeling of determination whenever someone brought up Credence. He wanted him for something, and she wanted to know what it was, what she had gotten herself into.
"I have a gift for you, my boy," she heard Grindelwald say quietly, a mix of apprehension and hope coming from Credence, the image of a wand in his hands quickly appearing. "You have suffered, the most heinous of betrayals, purposely bestowed upon you by your own blood. Your own flesh and blood, and just as he celebrates your torment, your brother seeks to destroy you."
A rare clear thought came from Grindelwald, but she only heard one word before his mind closed to her once again: Albus.
The rushing of air and the screech of a bird pierced the air clearly, as he continued. "There is a legend in your family, that a Phoenix will come to any member who is in dire need. It is your birthright, my boy, as is the name I now restore to you…"
A wave of anxiety and despondency crashed over her, nearly sending Queenie to her knees. She knew, without even trying to read his mind, what he was thinking, and that he was finally getting everything he wanted—a name, a history, a family—and that he felt Grindelwald had held up his end of the bargain.
"…Aurelius, Aurelius Dumbledore." The words echoed, and Queenie desperately wanted to gasp in shock, even in America, Albus Dumbledore was well-known as one of the most powerful wizards alive.
Queenie reached out a little, hearing things like, is that who I am?...a Dumbledore…I finally have somewhere I belong…belonged with her though, from Credence, and the strongest feeling of victory and triumph from Grindelwald.
Curious, she focused in on the older wizard, wondering what he was thinking, especially as she heard windows shatter and a quiet explosion that shook the castle. Finally, came the thought from Grindelwald, an entity strong enough to defeat Albus.
The blonde shivered slightly, as she pulled away from Grindelwald's mind, the feelings of malice and excitement and pride becoming too much for her. If he was confident that they could create a better world without much bloodshed, once Dumbledore and the rest of his followers were made to see the right path, she could be too.
For the greater good.
Letting out a deep breath, the air rattling as it passed through her lungs and throat, the tears there prevented her from breathing normally. Tina looked up at the sky, the last sparks from where the two fires had just died down, magical flakes of ash settling on her coat.
She looked over at Newt, her heart feeling incredibly heavy as he embraced his grieving older brother. She didn't know all of the history between the Scamander brothers, but she had a feeling that they had not always had the best relationship, remembering the gleeful look on Newt's face as she tied up Theseus in the French Ministry only hours earlier.
Tina smiled at him sadly over his brother's shoulder, their eyes meeting for a brief moment, but that was enough to send a blush racing through her cheeks. Oh stop being silly, she thought, looking down and running a hand through her short hair. You're not still in school, you can admit that you like him. Besides, Queenie is…
Her stomach sank, and her entire body started to ache as she remembered her baby sister walking through that fire to join Grindelwald and his genocidal maniacs, completely ignoring her and Jacob's pleas for her to stay. Speaking of, she scanned the rest of the area, Flamel and Yusuf Kama talking to one another, just past where Jacob was sitting on the ground, his head in his hands.
She went over to her friend, feeling incredibly ashamed that she had been the one telling Queenie not to date him—in fairness, she was trying too keep her sister out of jail, but she could now admit that she might have been a little harsh—the two were clearly devoted to each other. Tina sat down, rubbing Jacob's back in what she hoped was a comforting way, letting her own tears start to roll down her cheeks. Their soft sobs mingled together, both of them grieving the amazing Legilimens they had let down.
The shuffling of feet alerted her, and she quickly shot upright, wiping at her eyes and trying to pull herself together for Newt. He reached out a hand, taking hers and giving it a squeeze, using the other to brush some dirt from her cheek.
"I'm so sorry, Tina," he muttered, looking from her to Jacob sadly.
The Auror nodded, not trusting herself to speak, afraid that if she looked in his expressive green eyes she would turn into a blubbering mess. A brief flash of blue and gold caught her eye and she saw the Maledictus from the circus, the one who was with Credence, lingering on the fringes of their little group.
"I'll be right back, Mr. Scamander," she promised, reluctantly taking her hand out of his and walking over to the girl. "Excuse me, I'm Tina Goldstein. You were the Maledictus with Credence, right? Do you know why he would have gone with Grindelwald?"
The girl nodded, turning to look at Tina, her own pretty features streaked with tear tracks. "My name is Nagini, and he…he was looking for where he came from, I just wanted to be free from that awful place. You came to the circus one night, the night we finally escaped. Were you there for him?"
Tina nodded, "I knew him back in New York. I once promised to take him away from his horrible mother, but I'm afraid it didn't quite work out that way. He was so alone when I knew him, and with his sister dead, I can't imagine…well, he really seemed to care about you."
She was going for reassuring, but from the way the girl's face crumpled and she looked up, blinking a fresh round of tears out of her eyes, Tina wasn't sure if she came off that way. Maybe bringing up Chastity Barebone's accidental death wasn't a great idea.
"I…I lov…" Nagini stuttered, and Tina sucked in a breath as she realized what she was trying to say.
"Do you love him?" She asked gently, almost afraid of the answer.
The younger woman nodded, tears turning her dark eyes into mirrors when she turned to look at Tina. "It seems silly thinking about it now, such a little thing compared to everything that just happened," she said, her voice thick as she gestured an arm towards the destroyed crypt. "But…I never got to tell him," she paused, biting her lip and her voice dropping to a whisper. "I wanted someone to know."
Without much thought, she reached her arms out, pulling Nagini into a hug, muttering into her hair, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I think…I think we're all feeling something similar right now."
"That blonde woman?" She inquired, pulling back slightly, her face full of concern. "Who was she?"
"Queenie," Tina grinned a watery grin, "she was my sister, and Jacob's—that man over there—girlfriend."
"I'm sorry she went with him," Nagini apologized, wrapping her arms around herself. "But are we ever going to get them back? I can't…I don't want to have lost him forever."
"Grindelwald is a dangerous wizard, but he's not invincible, we'll find a way to bring him down," she promised, glancing over her shoulder to where, Newt, Theseus, Flamel, and Kama were having an intense discussion. "Mr. Scamander, Newt, he's a good man and a great wizard, he'll know someone or some beast that can help in the fight to come. If you want, we can help you get back to your family."
Nagini shrugged sadly, "I don't have anyone anymore. And, if it's alright with you, I wish to help. If Credence is in danger…I want to sav…we still need to live."
Tina was incredibly surprised by the strength and kindness of the young woman in front of her—she was willing to face down the most powerful dark wizard in the world, with no powers of her own, all for the boy she was in love with.
"We're going to go see Dumbledore," Newt interrupted awkwardly, his eyes glancing at Nagini before turning his attention to Tina. "He's at Hogwarts, and I don't know if you've been there, if you want to go by Side-Along…"
"That would be nice," Tina gently interrupted his babbling. "Thank you, and do you think, someone could assist Nagini here? She wants to help us, Mr. Scamander."
"Oh, hello, I'm Newt," he introduced, sticking his hand out, his eyes flitting between the ground and the younger woman. Nagini looked at the outstretched hand for a second, surprise crossing her face briefly before she shook his hand gingerly. "If you don't mind me asking, why do you want to help?"
"Credence is my friend," she stumbled over the last word, but her gaze was strong, the tears nearly gone from her eyes. "I hope to see him again before…before it's too late."
Newt nodded solemnly, the hurt from Leta Lestrange's death still written on his face—it appeared as if she wasn't the only one who had picked up on the younger woman's feelings for the Barebone boy. Tina was impressed how he interacted with her, almost as if he was working with one of his more skittish beasts. Nagini's apprehension slowly gave way to trust as he waved Theseus over and making quick introductions.
"You'll be alright," she reassured her, as Kama and Jacob and Travers joined the foursome. Nagini was looking incredibly nervous as more and more people joined, and likely about Apparating for the first time as well. "Apparation's uncomfortable at first, but keep your eyes open and don't let go of Theseus."
She nodded, accepting Kama's overcoat to put around her shoulders. "I just hope it's not more uncomfortable than transforming."
Tina didn't quite know how to respond to that statement—she didn't know what her transformation was like, but she sincerely hoped that process was not weird and trying as Apparation. But she had a sinking feeling that such a hope was simply a wishful thought. She smiled reassuringly as Nagini took Theseus's arm, the two disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Taking a deep breath, she grabbed Newt's arm, smiling up at him and saw the magizoologist staring at him intently. Eyes like fire on water, she thought giddily. The compliment was so incredibly Newt, she felt her stomach fill with butterflies as she remembered the way he had stumbled his way to the inevitable conclusion: like a salamander.
She heard the familiar 'pop' that accompanied Apparation, and when the world came back into focus again, she found herself on a high, marble bridge, gazing up at a magnificent castle. Tina looked around, seeing Jacob and Nagini staring at the castle with looks that probably mirrored her own awe.
At Hogwarts, they now might have a chance at saving their loved ones.
A/N: And that's it for my little slice of the Fantastic Beasts world (at least for now)! Please don't be shy about leaving comments or leaving favorites/following.
Thanks again to everyone who took the time to read this!
