Jacob stumbled over the carpet as he backed into the sitting room, his eyes flickering to Newt's white face. This man couldn't be Theseus Scamander; not with the homage Newt paid his older brother.
"You're Grindelwald," he guessed.
The dark wizard's eyebrows shot into the air. "You're clever... for a muggle," he condescended. "Then you know why I'm here."
"Let the boy go," Jacob pleaded, glancing back at Mary Lou. The fiery woman, who had publicly condemned witches and wizards, now stood complacently as the worst of their kind strolled into the room. There was a glazed film over her eyes, as though only part of herself was aware of her surroundings.
"I don't think so," Grindelwald said idly. His hand slid up from Newt's collar to snag a fistful of the fair curls. Yipping, Newt twisted against the pull on his scalp, frightened tears sprinting down his cheeks.
"Hey, leave him!" Jacob hollered.
"You see, Mister Kowalski," Grindelwald continued serenely, "I came to America looking for an Obscurus - a powerful Obscurus. Something that could shake the wizarding world. But when I learned that Theseus was dragging along his precious orphan brother…." The wizard shrugged. "Well, how could I resist?"
"What's the kid to you?" Jacob implored. "Come on, he's only five!"
Bemused, Grindelwald raised one dark eyebrow. "I know you're not that daft, Mister Kowalski. Why would anyone kidnap a child?"
"You tell me!" Jacob spat. His shoe crunched on a spinning top. Out of the corner of his eye he saw torn coloring pages, broken pencils, scattered pebbles, and a slashed, one-eyed stuffed niffler. "What kind of monster does this to a kid?"
"Oh, Kowalski. You have no idea," Grindelwald said ponderously. "Do you know what I'm holding here?" He smiled, tilting Newt's head back with the tip of his wand. "Britain. America. Africa. Asia. All of the wizarding world, right here at my fingertips. You think there's anyone who won't listen to their famous war hero? I put Theseus Scamander under my thumb and they will flock to me from every corner of the wizarding world. Now that - that's power, Mister Kowalski. Every wizard - every child - answering to my command."
"They won't do it," Jacob bluffed, focused on the wand jabbing into Newt's throat. "Look, I know a couple witches. They already went through M.A.C.U.S.A., and their security department didn't have time for lost kiddos."
"Ah, yes. Miss Porpentina Goldstein," Grindelwald said. He chuckled as Jacob lost all color. "As far as M.A.C.U.S.A. is concerned, I am the head of the security department."
"No," Jacob croaked. "They would never let you in there."
"Mm, I wouldn't count on their good senses," Grindelwald tutted. "They couldn't find England's prized child when he was ten feet away from their own headquarters; small wonder they couldn't recognize a concealment charm hiding their worst enemy."
"So what happens now?" Jacob growled. "You gonna kill him, once he's fulfilled your ultimate plan?"
He saw Credence flinch violently in the corner, as the boy's attention riveted on Grindelwald. He drew himself up slightly, tucking his palms under his arms.
"Don't hurt him."
Mary Lou's dazed interaction was diverted into keen irritability. "What was that, Credence?"
Mildly Grindelwald graced the young man with his attention. "Is there something you want to say, boy?"
Wetting his lips, Credence repeated shakily, "Please don't hurt him."
"You dare!" Mary Lou hissed. She shook herself as though waking from a dream, rounding on not only Newt, but the wizard behind him. "You would defend these heretics? I knew you were sneaking around at night, but associating with this harbinger of evil and - "
Grindelwald sighed pensively, tilting his wand leisurely in the woman's direction. "Avada Kedavera."
Mary Lou's expression froze in a garish flash of light. The light smote her chest and hurled her over the sitting chair and against the wall, where she fell in a boneless heap. Newt screamed.
"That will be quite enough," Grindelwald said, lowering his wand towards Credence.
"You…! You… You promised you'd help me!" Credence stammered in horror.
"So I did. Your mother is dead; you're free to go as you wish."
"You said you wouldn't hurt Newton," Credence said, stumbling forward as Newt sobbed piteously. "You said we could all be together!"
"Oh, Credence," Grindelwald said, shaking his head. "You really believed there was a place in the wizarding world for you? You're a squib: born to magical parents without any ability of your own. You - your sisters - you're worth nothing in the magical realm. And I'm done with you."
He hauled Newt up in one arm and Jacob staggered as the wand jabbed the bridge of his nose. Grindelwald smiled benignly. "Say goodbye to the child, Mister Kowalski."
"No!" Newt screeched, as loud as any howler monkey. "No! No! Noooo!"
"Avadah Keda-aaaaah!" Bellowing in pain, Grindelwald flapped his arm as small, pearly teeth clamped onto his wrist. Newt snarled and wound his hands around the wizard's arm, ducking as a fist cuffed his head. Another stunning blow and he dropped, rolling and gripping his right eyebrow. Jacob lunged forward, grabbing the dark wizard's wand hand at the wrist, and chanced to glimpse the wailing child.
Several things happened at once. Newt curled up in a ball, both hands pressed against his right ear, blood dripping from between his fingers. Jacob whalloped Grindelwald with a right hook, and Credence roared.
The walls exploded.
Jacob had a new revelation of "seeing red" as black threads laced with livid flames burst around him, tearing him away from Grindelwald. The dark wizard hit the chimney, slammed into the opposing wall, and rebounded off the ceiling. He fell in a shower of plaster and glass slivers - eyes wide, dark hair melting into silver strands.
The roar of darkness furled around Newt, obscuring the child's terrified screams. It ripped through the outside wall and echoed a concussive blast that hurled Jacob into the open parlor. Wind gusted around him as he clawed for breath. As abruptly as the storm began, it fell silent. A distant, mournful howl was the only testament that magic had torn the night asunder.
Rolling off the splintered table, Jacob heaved for air. Splinters gouged his hands and his legs tingled. "Newt!" he hacked, frantically scanning the room. "Kid, you there?"
No one answered. Not even a scrap of blue coat could be seen amidst the rubble.
"Newt!"
Lurching, Jacob crawled to the brick shards that half-buried Grindelwald's corpse. He pawed through the pieces, digging until his hands were bloody and his nails torn, and finally sat back with a sob of mingled relief and fear. There was no sign of Newt. He wasn't buried, but he wasn't safe.
Staring at the gaping wall, Jacob forced himself to breathe deeply and shambled to his feet. He waded through splintered wood and plaster, wincing as a long shard of glass jabbed through his shoe. Shaking it free, he looked down and saw Newt's poor, battered Pudsey sticking out of the wreckage. Gently he tugged the toy free and brushed it off.
A different kind of red mist shadowed his vision as he tucked the mistreated niffler under his arm. Stamping to the gaping opening, he searched the streets. To the right, automobiles careened around crumbled asphalt and downed telephone poles. In the light of crunched headlights, wheels spun midair. There was a clear path of destruction leading away from Jacob's apartment. Setting his jaw, he spun to the door and wrenched it open, skittering down the creaking staircase.
Outside, peaceful traffic had dissolved into mayhem. Moans and sobs filtered the air. A few officers had only now run onto the scene, haplessly trying to prioritize the chaos. Jacob calmly slipped around them, passing a woman who wept beside a crumpled vehicle.
His heart wrung with pity, but he couldn't help them now. The smallest wizard was out there in the dark; lost, hurting, afraid. Jacob couldn't believe he was gone. He wouldn't believe it.
Shouldering past another police officer, he started walking.
