"Everyone gather around for a show, watch as this man disappears as we know… He thinks that faith might be dead, nothing kills a man faster than his own head." – 'Trapdoor', Twenty-one Pilots
The French Ministry of Magic had been decidedly unhelpful. Despite the fact that Theseus spoke fairly fluent French thanks to his stationing in the Great War, the officials and Aurors had refused to even entertain the idea that Grindelwald was in Paris. That was of course, until Grindelwald's signal to his followers had spread across the city like a bloody homing beacon. They had only gone to the Ministry first as it was one of the Auror flu-networks best links to Paris - less liable to…cross-connections. The French Auror department had demanded that they explain their presence and that had resulted in a series of multilingual arguments that left Theseus feeling ready to hex anyone who looked at him wrong.
He and Tina had only managed to leave because of the resulting chaos after Grindelwald's signal presented itself across the city; the Aurors had dispersed to settle the panic and fighting that had broken out. Having not been to the Circus Arcanus before, they had to make their way on foot through the crowded city streets, dodging duelling Grindelwald supporters and Aurors as they did so. It was bloody mayhem. There was next to no chance that the Muggles would not get caught in the crossfire or witness magic – this was going to require an awful lot of obliviating and paperwork. Better leave that to the French Ministry.
The fighting seemed to get thicker as they approached the hidden entrance to the Circus street; it unnerved Theseus to think that there was such a hive of activity around the place where Credence was known to be. From what he had gathered from hearing snippets of angry conversations in the Ministry and on the streets, it seemed that Grindelwald was holding a rally in Paris. Just fantastic.
They dodged through the statue's drape and into a crowd of revelling circus goers; it was difficult to tell who was actually a follower of Grindelwald, a circus worker or just an innocent bystander. The veritable cavalcade of witches, wizards, children and magical creatures was enough to make Theseus' already fraying nerves go into overdrive, he barrelled forward through the crowd, sending mostly harmless spells at anyone who got in their way. He could feel Tina behind him, picking off any stragglers with quick jinxes of her own, they made their way towards where the crowd was thickest – surrounding and spilling out of a larger red and gold striped tent. It was a fairly safe bet to assume that the gathered ones were probably here for Grindelwald.
Just as they reached the entrance of the tent, Theseus heard Tina let out a shriek of surprise and he turned around just in time to see her being pulled off to the side. Instantly raising his wand in defence and diving out of the crowd after her, he found himself gaping in shock as he saw just who it was who had grabbed his companion. Percival Graves nodded grimly at him, releasing Tina's arm and gesturing for the two Aurors to follow him. Both hesitated, glancing at each other for a moment before following Graves back to where he stood with a small group of Aurors at the side of the main tent, off behind the animal cages.
Graves turned back to them with an uncharacteristically haggard expression on his grim face, he looked dishevelled and weary, but resolute. "I am not going to make the mistake of asking what you think you are doing here, as I already know the answer. But for now, we all have the same goal, Grindelwald is inside that tent right now and this is likely one of the best chances we will have to take him down while he is… erstwhile distracted." There was a flash of guilt in Percival's eyes as he glanced towards Theseus and the elder Scamander sensed instantly that something was wrong – Graves knew something about Newt that he wasn't letting on.
"What do you mean erstwhile distracted?" Theseus asked, his tone icy and strained as he stared down the other wizard. Graves sighed but seemed to relent.
"Your brother is inside, Mr Scamander and Grindelwald seems to be using him as… some sort of example." Graves' eyes darkened in anger and apparent sorrow as Theseus' jaw tightened painfully. "I'm going to allow you to assist with this situation Scamander, but only because I believe that you are a competent enough Auror to be of use in taking Grindelwald down. Do not make me regret placing my trust in you."
With that said, he turned to the group of around ten Aurors and spoke in a more even, commanding tone. "We will enter the tent, disperse and observe until I signal to do otherwise. Do not let these people make the mistake of thinking that we are the enemy by attacking unprovoked." Theseus nodded, agreeing with the plan, seeing that it made sense from a strategic point of view – even if every bone in his body was screaming at him to just get in there and get to Newt.
He slowly filed in with his fellow Aurors, feeling Tina clench her hand in his as they went to stand across the tent, towards the back, watching as the other Aurors spread out across the space, mingling with the crowd. Grindelwald's beckoningly hypotonic voice was filtering throughout the marquee, capturing the attention of every eye in the place, that was of course, except for that of Theseus and Tina.
The words filtered through his ears without really registering them. "-for the love of our world and for fear of what the Muggles will be allowed to do to it…. Muggles mean no less than any witch or wizard – they are merely of different value. Not worthless, though worth less than the Ministry's power in the eyes of those who serve it."
The only thing that Theseus could seem to focus upon was the glimpse he could see of a battered figure hunched in the cage behind the dark wizard. He found himself moving forward unconsciously through the sea of people, stepping at a slow pace that continued until he could properly see the figure in the cage. He thought of it as a figure, simply because the emaciated, tattered and bruised man could simply not be his innocent little brother.
He was not cognizant of his actions as he stopped in a place off to the side of the crowd, towards the front, but still shielded from casual notice by a group of supporters standing nearby. He felt as if he were in an odd surreal state, his eyes glued to his little brother as Grindelwald continued his rant. It wasn't until Theseus heard his surname that he snapped his captivated attention to focus upon the dark wizard instead. "Mr Scamander is yet further evidence of how flawed the current world order really is. Abandoned by his friends in positions of power across the globe… instead they pursue an innocent, abused boy with the intent of destroying him for the power he holds."
Those cruel, taunting, manipulative words…It made Theseus clench his fist so tight around his wand that his whitened knuckles protested. He saw how Newt reacted to it, saw the pain present in his blue eyes and the desperation that flooded them when they focussed upon something in the back of the crowd that Theseus couldn't see. He witnessed how his sibling jerked his head in a clear signal for someone to leave and heard the ripples of laughter that it resulted in from the crowd.
For a moment Theseus found himself glancing worriedly around for Tina, concerned that she had been the one spotted by Newt and in turn Grindelwald. Fortunately, he found her standing directly behind him, eyes alit with unshed tears, she evidently sensed his confusion and leaned close to whisper in his ear. "Credence is here."
Both of the Aurors' attentions were torn away back to Newt as they heard a rattle of chains and several muffled moans of pain. Grindelwald was orchestrating the chains surrounding Newt like a conductor with overly elaborate movements of his wand – clearly putting on a show for the gathered followers. It was a cruel game that Grindelwald was playing, and Newt seemed to be well used to it, judging by the lack of fight he put up as he was manhandled by magic to crumple at Grindelwald's feet. Not like there was anything he could have done about it in his condition.
Some of Newt's limbs seemed to be completely unresponsive and Theseus cringed as he witnessed how his younger brother's leg seemed to be wrenched bonelessly beneath him at all the wrong angles. As the Magizoologist was forced to kneel, Theseus felt horror at the glimpses of burnt streaks of flesh he caught through the shredded material of Newt's shirt and waistcoat.
He could practically taste the pretence in the air. There seemed to be a hunger for suffering, a need a for violence emanating from the assembled witches and wizards that rose like a heatwave around them. It was sickening. The only thing keeping him pinned to the spot was the tight grip that Tina had on his hand, it was almost as if she was using him as an anchor to keep herself from rushing forward. The grip reminded him not to do the same, he was anchored by her as much as she was by him. The mutual support was unexpectedly bolstering.
That resolve was tested to its extremes however, when the horrible metal muzzle dropped from Newt's face and Theseus began to shake with barely repressed rage. Newt's pale face was marred by long, blistered, bloody lines that ran along where the device had been – the skin was clearly very painful, and Newt's eyes held high levels of relief to be rid of it. The very idea that Grindelwald had muzzled Newt like he was some sort of vicious dog sickened Theseus more than he could express, and he had to let go of Tina's hand for fear of crushing it in his clenched fist. His breath was now coming out in short harsh pants through his nose as his gritted teeth would not seem to part enough to allow for normal breathing.
He tuned himself back into Grindelwald's words just as the man leant down and continued to address Newt in a clearly provocative manner. "Now, now Newt, you're amongst friends here. Go ahead and speak your mind. Tell everyone how wrong I am."
Theseus could see how hard Newt was trying to keep strong, it was heart-breaking to witness a sweet, undeserving man such as Newt, suffer like this – to be so abused and close to breaking. But the resolute set of his face as he looked up at Grindelwald made Theseus feel a thrill of pride shoot through him at his little brother's perseverance. If nothing else, the naïve idiot was certainly stubborn. Unfortunately, that double-edged trait may well have been what drew Grindelwald's attention to him in the first place.
"You want a better world Newt, I know you do. One where you would no longer be an outcast, an expelled student, a disappointment to your family – underappreciated by those who simply do not understand your true potential." The words were clearly laced with enticement, and Newt felt a wave of shame flood through him at them – was he really so blatant with his disapproval of Newt? So much so that even Grindelwald was aware of it? He knew he could be hard on him sometimes, but Newt knew that he did it because he cared about him… didn't he?
Theseus was shocked when Newt finally raised his head and opened his mouth to speak; clearly struggling to find the strength to do so. "Manipulating those around you and having to justify every step of your existence to yourself and others is not the way to be. The ends do not always justify the means if it means the deaths or subjugation of countless others. No one is ever really as alone as they feel... there will always be someone willing to lend a hand in friendship."
Warmth filled Theseus chest as his brother spoke so honestly and there was that surge of pride again; it even abated a little of his building rage. That pride almost doubled as he saw the crowd part as Credence went to leave – his ridiculous little brother had convinced the Obscurial to abstain from joining Grindelwald. That should at least make Graves satisfied if nothing else, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw several Aurors flit out of the tent after Credence.
That was when there was a loud crack that filled the previously quiet tent. Theseus' horrified gaze was drawn back solely to his brother as Grindelwald lost the last semblance of sanity he seemed to have been maintaining and began to use his wand to effectively flay Newt alive. The cracks and screams became the only things Theseus could hear, the jeering and laughing tuned out around him, fading into insignificance in the face of his baby brother's suffering.
He felt frozen in place in utter horror. Each invisible lash of the Elder Wand that struck Newt seemed to slow down in perfect clarity in Theseus' head – the magic flaying layers of skin from the muscle beneath in vicious, bloody precision.
One, two, three, four- across the back.
Gasps of agony that rose in volume with each strike.
One, two- across the left side.
Gasps turning into tortured moans.
One, two, three, four, five- across the chest.
The third strike resulted in the first scream which tore through Theseus worse than the magic tore through Newt.
One across the other side.
A gasping scream
Two more across the back.
The first sob left his trembling lips accompanied by another scream.
One across the back of his already mangled leg.
Newt seemed senseless as Theseus spotted the white of exposed bone through the blood coating Newt's legs.
He wasn't sure exactly what snapped him out of his horror induced reverie, but whatever it was did so with a powerful vengeance. Theseus let out a roar of rage and barrelled straight through the sadistic bastards surrounding him; uncaring for the presences of Percival and Tina, or for the power of the dark wizard in front of him. All he cared about right now was getting to his baby brother and killing the monster that was brutalising him.
Growing up with Newt had introduced him to a large variety of dangerous magical creatures over his lifetime, but the word monster now seemed an inadequate description for what he was now facing. Gellert Grindelwald was far worse than that.
He barely registered calling Newt's name, though he could feel his lips moving to shape the familiar word over and over. What he was aware however, was his wand coming up to blast Grindelwald off his feet and into one of the nearby cages. There was a satisfying clunking sound as the man struck the metal, but Theseus did not take any time to savour it. Instead he sent a quick flurry of hexes towards the man, which were deflected with astounding dexterity as Grindelwald rose back up onto his leather clad feet.
Theseus' face was red with rage as he sent every nasty spell, hex, jinx and curse he could of at the man who had hurt Newt. Behind him, he was dimly aware of people apparating, fighting and running left, right and centre. He heard Graves calling orders to his Aurors as they engaged the followers who had decided to stay to defend their misplaced hero.
Theseus' attention was soon solely focussed on the duel however as Grindelwald began to retaliate, all the while deflecting or diffusing Theseus' spells as if it were nothing. The smirk of the other wizard's face only stoked Theseus' rage further as he increased the intensity of his attacks with a snarl of fury. The duel was only brought to a halt when a deflected jinx of Theseus' found a new target with an appalling finality.
Both wizards looked over to where Newt was now lying prone on his back, still trapped by the chains securing him to the ground, but the restraints were now stretched to their taut limits as Newt had been blasted backwards. Theseus was running forwards before he even registered the action, skidding to crouch down beside his injured brother.
Up close, Theseus could smell the acrid stench of burnt flesh and could see the combination of stinging, bloody and branded marks all over his body through his ripped clothing. He felt tears burn the backs of his eyes as he witnessed the crumpled, broken state of Newt's arm and leg, the wounds on his leg exposing the broken bone underneath with nauseating clarity.
Newt's head was slumped back, his eyes closed, and his breathing laboured, but the position of his neck pulled up his shirt, in turn exposing the upper part of his chest and neck. The symbol of the Deathly Hallows was burnt viciously, deeply into his brother's flesh, the skin around the wound was red, veined with black and angry looking.
"Mr Scamander the elder I presume." Grindelwald's amused tone sounded behind him and Theseus turned his blistering glare up to meet the other wizard's unfathomable one. Grindelwald did not have his wand raised, only holding it lightly in his grip at his side, but the threat it represented was still clear. Theseus knew he had put himself into a foolishly vulnerable position, but the fear that had clenched his heart when his own spell had hurt Newt had overridden all his sense.
"Why do this to Newt?! He doesn't deserve this!" Theseus snarled, flinching when he heard a soft whimper come from Newt. He placed a hand on his brother's feverish feeling forehead - careful of the burnt skin - and ran his hand gently through his gingery-blonde hair in a familiar soothing gesture. Newt's confused, hazy blue eyes flickered open at the motion and flitted around for a few moments before landing on Grindelwald and he flinched back slightly into Theseus.
"Now I don't believe that I was the one to hurt him this time. You really should be more careful with your spells Auror Scamander." Theseus gritted his teeth at the low blow, feeling shame flicker through him at the truth in the man's words, but rage quickly overcame it once more.
"It's a-almo-st f-funny h-how of-ften you seem-m to j-justify yours-self using t-that t-technicality." Theseus' sharp gaze snapped down to Newt, who seemed to be somewhat more aware of his surroundings as he eyed Grindelwald with exhausted, bloodshot eyes. He heard a snarl rise from Grindelwald's throat and he raised his wand in anger, Theseus diving for his own wand at the same moment, before a cold voice cut through the tension.
"I wouldn't advice it, Mr Grindelwald." Graves was now standing across from where Theseus crouched with the huddled Newt; leaving him and his brother in the middle of the crossfire. The senior Auror began to mentally question Graves' choice of tactical positioning, before he saw Tina and two other Aurors flanking Grindelwald on the other side. The tent was now empty apart from the assembled Aurors, Newt and Grindelwald.
"Percival, a pleasure as always." Grindelwald spoke with a nauseating smile on his pale lips. Graves' own lips pursed, and his façade of stern professionalism cracked slightly, revealing the anger and repressed emotion beneath.
"That would be Director Graves to you." He corrected, a muscle jumping in his clenched jaw.
"Even after we got to know one another so well?" Grindelwald asked with a raised eyebrow and a gesture of both arms being thrown slightly out to the side. "Though I will admit it may have been a tad one sided, it was difficult for you to ask any personal questions with the state you were in I suppose."
Grindelwald was clearly trying to goad Graves into breaking, he was attempting to use the clearly traumatic history between them to his advantage. The only way the assembled Aurors would stand a chance was if Graves kept a straight head.
"In fact, I believe you may recognise this little beauty from out time together." Grindelwald flicked his wand and the metal muzzle flew from where it had dropped earlier and hovered in front of Graves' now chalk-white face. Uncharacteristic tremors ran through the man's hands as he cast the muzzle to the side with a flick of his own wand and he fixed a stricken, furious gaze upon Grindelwald.
"I must say that I much prefer it on you however, Newt." Theseus felt his younger brother tremble slightly as the dark wizard's taunting gaze turned to fall upon him instead. Theseus stood and placed himself firmly in front of his sibling, blocking him as much as he could from any further harm that Grindelwald could inflict upon him. Newt had suffered more than he ever deserved to.
"If you surrender now, I might just consider skipping the very satisfying stage where I inflict upon you just a little of what I did to Abernathy." Theseus kept his tone as steady as he could, but he knew his eyes told Grindelwald the true extent of his wrath. Graves, Tina and the other two Aurors had been slowly moving closer throughout the confrontation and were now directly in front of and behind the dark wizard. Grindelwald glanced around and seemed even more amused by this.
"Now, now boys and girls, I do encourage you to play by the rules." With those words he sent a column of blue fire running in a spiral around himself, Theseus, Graves and Newt. Tina and the two Aurors were forced to leap back as the fire formed a protective ring, all three attempted to perform the Aguamenti spell, but to no avail. All attempts at hexes or charms seemed to evaporate in the blue flames like they were nothing.
Theseus and Graves both advanced on Grindelwald with elevated wands - steel and hatred of matching intensity in both of their eyes. Newt was still wilting on the ground between them, trapped in his hunched position by his injuries and bonds, but a flick of Grindelwald's wand released the younger wizard from the chains. Newt straightened as much as he was able, tears leaking from his pain filled blue eyes as his multiple wounds bled, strained and burned in protest.
Theseus was about to lean forward to pull Newt behind him when a paralysis spell struck him from behind, throwing him to the ground beside his brother. He heard a corresponding thud as Graves too joined him on the ground – just as paralysed as he was. He could not move an inch of his body but could still see what was going on above him, as Abernathy stepped into the circle of fire - seemingly unaffected by the flames. The battered man looked very satisfied to have gotten some form of payback for his earlier assault. If Abernathy was here, then what had happened to Queenie? How had he gotten free?
Those ponderings were expelled from Theseus' mind however as he saw Grindelwald deliberately move into his and Graves' limited lines of sight. He offered the paralyzed men a grim smile. "As much as I would love to stay and continue to reminisce, I need you two rather influential gentlemen to relay a message to Albus Dumbledore."
He reached back, and Theseus's heart clenched in his mostly immobile chest, as he heard Newt cry out in pain as he was grabbed by the hair and dragged over to Grindelwald's side. Newt's one good arm came up to try to relieve the tight grip in his hair by clutching at the older wizard's waistcoat, his fingers fumbling blindly above him as he sought release, his face scrunched in agony.
"Please make it exceedingly clear to Albus, that if he does not meet me at Nurmengard Castle in two days' time, then Newt will continue to live and suffer as long as he does. I trust you need no further proof of my honesty in this matter." Grindelwald's mouth was set in an ugly line as he met Theseus' wide eyes with dark conviction. "Make him believe or I assure you that you will all live to regret it."
Newt was hauled up onto his one good leg with another cry of agony, his hand dropping away from the other wizard, releasing something silvery and shiny to drop to the ground by Theseus' head, though it went unnoticed by anyone else and Theseus couldn't find it in himself to care.
There was a crack of apparation as Grindelwald, Newt and then Abernathy disappeared. The circle of sapphire flame disappeared, and Graves and Theseus suddenly found themselves mobile once more.
The elder Scamander brother pushed himself into a sitting position and began to slam his fist repeatedly into the blood-stained dirt floor. Stained with Newt's blood. He had failed.
A/N – I am a terrible human being and I'm very sorry, but the pen-name should have told you guys what you were getting into. Thanks for the reviews guys! APU feedback is craved and appreciated greatly.
