Spells for beginners. Graves is working on his magical rehab and recovery over 1928. Oh, and he is finished with MACUSA.

Moving On

Theseus was to ring in the New Year with the Graves. There was no summons from the British for rest of December. The wizards agreed to keep their stop at St Kitts quiet from Mrs Graves. Dr Fontaine dropped by weekly and was pleased with his patient's recovery. Like the healer in St Kitts, he encouraged Percival to try using his magic. There were other things Percival worked at – writing with his left hand, trying to drive his motorcar when the weather allowed without crashing into anything. Eddie introduced a half-elf mechanic to his master after he parked the car in the empty fountain. There was no follow up from MACUSA over the long overdue debrief. Perhaps it did not matter anymore. Grindelwald's plans might have changed drastically since last year's events.

They started with the basic spells taught to first years. When he tried his old wand again, it remained a dead rod of ebony wood in his hand. Theseus was not familiar with how wands were obtained in the States, other than issued to students at Ilvermorny or applied for with a special wand replacement permit to replace broken wands. Emilia Graves offered her own wand for her son to try, but that did not cause so much as a spark. The same for Theseus'. There was no point applying for a replacement wand yet without definite proof of Percival's magic recovery, so they worked on wandless magic instead.

At his mother's invitation, Tina visited over the Christmas holidays with a delicious selection of festive pastries from Kowalski's. She confessed she was never any good in cooking magic and worse at No-Maj cooking. The rest of the Aurors had their own families to spend the holidays with, and Tina's sister was across an entire ocean, as was Theseus' only brother.

Newt managed to send a letter to Tina via some exotic African bird with a face only its mother, or Newt Scamander, could love. He was in the Congo on the trail of runespoor smugglers. He sent a Christmas gift for Tina – a necklace made from colourful beads and shells. Theseus shuddered to think what his brother might deem a suitable gift for him. He hoped it was not a live creature like the Cornish pixies he received in his fifth year from his baby brother. A grownup Newt would have more sense knowing his busy schedule as an Auror to saddle him with something totally dependent on him for survival. There might be some native knick-knack lying in his letterbox. He should really consider renting out or selling his new London apartment. It was too big for a bachelor. Newt already had his own little place there, which he allowed his assistant Bunty to live in gratis in exchange for housekeeping and caring for the resident menagerie in his absence.

All too quickly, it was time for Theseus to return to Britain. Travers learnt the hard way how badly gutted the Ministry's Auror core were and how few recruits there were. The fallout from the rally reflected badly on the profession, as did his shoddy treatment of a respected professor in Hogwarts. They needed Theseus back to train any new Aurors. Graves realized how much he had come to enjoy the man's company. It was unreasonable to expect Tina to travel up every weekend. His mother tried to manage his social life, inviting his various cousins over to visit and help keep his spirits up. It was horridly awkward finding his mother had invited the MacDuffs and knowing one of their sons had defected over to Grindelwald's. The Easter weekend was a pain with Sheridan's children gambolling through the house and using their wandless magic with ease. They had to stop two of the boys from getting into a full-blown duel in the ballroom using their parents' wands.

Theseus and Percival wrote to each other constantly. On occasion, Theseus would update Graves and Tina on events in Europe. Queenie had been sighted in several other European cities, often accompanied by one or more other acolyte. Credence had not been sighted since his shopping trip with Queenie, but there were whispers that Dark Wizard had found himself a protégé whom he kept close. Percival practised his spells even though they appeared not to work. There was one day when he swore that Theseus' letter had fluttered when he accio-ed it, but he later convinced himself it was just a draught from the window.

He enjoyed Tina's visits when she came. Things were moving on in the MACUSA Auror Office without him. Tina spoke of the cases she worked on, at least those she was allowed to share and office gossip. Alfie Lopez stayed on in New York after he got engaged to a witch downstairs in the Records room. Millie Constable landed a teaching post in Beauxbatons as Charms Mistress. Tolliver was happily married to Lucy Wilkinson in spring. There were rumours that the pair would be expecting a child by fall.

There was an election that summer and a new President was elected. Seraphina Picquery stepped down and retired for a more private life that allowed her to visit him over the weekends. Graves was surprised to learn that his mother and Madame Picquery had somehow negotiated a truce. The new President Able Fisher had expressed little interest in meddling in European matters as he referred to Grindelwald's reign across the Atlantic. Bobby Chang's career with MACUSA ended with a literal bang. A badly-cast Bombardo backfired and set fire to the new Presidential limo. He was fired by an irate Fisher and took himself out west in search of fresh pastures.

"Doctor, will I ever be able to use my magic again?" Graves asked after a consultation with Fontaine during his many home visits. "I just cannot seem to get a hold of it at all, if it is even there."

"Don't give up, Percival. Try holding your wand or using a simple spell to open a door or move an object," the doctor advised. "The last scan shows your core is stabilizing… it might return to its former strength or part of it. Do you experience any discomfort? Aches, tingling?"

"I feel throbbing in my left eye or where my fingers and arm used to be at times."

"When you try using magic? Any odd sensations? Warmth, a buzzing feeling?"

"Nothing. Accio, book."

Both doctor and patient stared at the book sitting on the side table Percival was trying to fetch. Nothing happened. No one noticed a second copy of the same book on the bookcase behind them just slip slightly out of alignment with its fellows.

It was almost Halloween before Percival made another trip to New York City, chauffeured by the loyal Eddie. Side-along Apparition and portkeys still left him casting up his accounts on arrival. His mother detested the city for all its noise and filth. Eddie allowed him to take the wheel on the quieter stretches of road. After a few close shaves with trees, fences and a haycart, Graves resigned himself to being unable to drive his own motorcar outside his family estate.

On a whim, he dropped by the bakery owned by Jacob Kowalski. The baker was in – a smiling plump fellow. Not exactly handsome but Queenie always saw beyond the exterior. As Percival paid for his occamy-shaped cinnamon rolls and niffler apple buns, he sensed that the baker's smile and jolliness was only superficial, a front for the sake of greeting the customers. A year had passed since Queenie left her No-Maj beau and the man still missed her.

He passed Woolworths without a second glance. His life at MACUSA was over. He had made an appointment to meet Tina in the diner across the street for dinner. Tina had recently been promoted to senior Auror, having risen through the ranks in the months following debacle in Paris by dint of her own efforts. Director Abbot was as fair as they came, and his soon-to-be successor Joel Pickles was unlikely to find fault with his protégé. Tina suffered from losing her sister. Graves found her too thin and pale at times when she did visit him. Even his mother had expressed concern that Miss Goldstein might be pushing herself too hard. As far as he knew, Tina hardly ever took any vacation time.

Graves was surprised to find that Tina was not alone at the diner. With her was her beau, Newt Scamander. The Scamander brothers were as alike as chalk and cheese. Newt was shorter than his brother, and had reddish-brown hair, freckles, and blue-green eyes. He had heard so much about the younger man and was pleased to meet him. Newt was understandably awkward about him at first. The last time he was in the city, he had faced 'Graves' as an enemy. They enjoyed a cordial dinner and Graves found he approved of the young man courting Tina. He had that sense of honesty about him that rang true. Eddie the elf declined to join them and had gone off to visit some relative in the city, agreeing to pick Graves up later at nine.

Newt was not staying long. He would be catching a train west to meet up with another magizoologist regarding a population of possibly unknown horned serpents in the Northwestern States. His travels took him all over the world and into the most inhospitable places.

The sisters had decidedly good sense in choosing their beaus, if both unconventional by wizarding standards. He only hoped Queenie would come to her senses and be able to leave Grindelwald's alliance safely.

No one was sure whose idea Capri was. Perhaps it was his mother's. She secretly loathed winters in the Northeast States and preferred a more Mediterranean climate. If possible, she would have spent all year at her villa on Capri. A Mediterranean holiday beckoned. The dowager must have cajoled Tina into joining them. Some enterprising wizard started a line of flying ships inspired by Muggle airships and his mother booked first-class tickets for three. House-elves travelled free. Eddie came along as Graves' personal valet. Mrs Graves left her house-elves at the villa to maintain it.

The last time he was in Europe, it was in the middle of a bloody war. Now he had a chance to see the continent at peace. The airship drifted across the ocean, over plains, rivers and towns in the Southern France before making a stop in Nice. The crossing was smooth for the most part, as they were blessed by a lull in the normally blustery November weather. Tina was fascinated by the travel guide book his mother had recommended to them. It was likely the furthest Tina had been from home. Due to his lack of magical prowess, many of the passengers looked at him askew, probably believing him a squib. Or they might be staring at his many scars. Percival quickly learnt to ignore that as he went about doing things No-Maj style.

A ferry took them from the Italian mainland to Capri. He had not been to his mother's villa since he was a young child and the villa still the property of his great-grandmother. He remembered it as a place of huge open atriums and terraces decorated with mosaics and too many urns and vases just waiting to be broken. It had forced him and his cousins to learn Repario quickly. He had long lost touch with the pack. He recalled several Zabinis and perhaps a pair of Rosiers. Most were European purebloods who would not give him a second glance once they knew he had any No-Maj ancestry. The villa and its gardens were lovingly maintained by a family of house elves.

"Aslan!" Emilia called out a greeting to a turbaned, olive-skinned man who was perched on a tall ladder working on a large mural.

"Emilia! Darling, what do you think?" the wizard Apparated down from the ladder and waved his arm at the mural. Percival could not make head or tail of it. The riot of colours and shapes failed to make any logical sense. Perhaps it was meant to be a dragon or some exotic bird.

"So this is your brave son," Alsan greeted Graves warmly before turning to Tina. There was a look of surprise that quickly faded away.

"Enchantez, I will not compare thee to Aphrodite. You are undoubtedly an Athena," he lifted Tina's hand to his lips and dropped a kiss on her fingers. Aslan Shafiq was Emilia Graves' friend, or perhaps more than friend. He gently herded Emilia over to an alcove for more privacy. There was a heated argument in Italian before Emilia stepped away. Shafiq followed, more composed. Tina guessed he was the same age as Percival Graves or perhaps even younger. Unless that glossy raven hair and unwrinkled skin came from some potions. He acted as steward for the villa in its mistress' absence.

The resident elves spoke Italian or some rustic dialect that even Eddie did not understand. The old elf was quickly ushered to the kitchens to be fed by an elderly she-elf. Canapes and cocktails were set up on the terrace before dinner.

"I think it is a Thunderbird," Tina studied Shafiq's mural from her seat on the terrace.

"It is a dragon," Percival added

"It is a phoenix, look at all the orange hues…" the lady of the house added.

"It is all and nothing," the artist replied with a secretive smile. The pigments shimmered in the rays of the setting sun. "It is a pity Madame Picquery would not join us. A little bird told me she is in Paris this season."

"Seraphina made her own decision not to join us," Mrs Graves replied too quickly. Percival was not sure if his mother had extended any invitation in the first place. She might tolerate Seraphina visiting Percival in his family home, but an invitation to her villa might be too much to ask.

"Accio, wine…" Percival murmured a spell. He was now allowed to drink alcohol in moderation but nothing stronger than watered-down wine. Nothing. He turned to look for the pepper shaker. He felt the wine glass press against his fingers as he looked away. When he looked back, he spotted Eddie clearing the plates beside him. Perhaps it was the house-elf after all.

Author's Notes:

Percival Graves is still on that long hard road to recovery. Wandless magic is said to be more difficult to master in the Potter-verse. However, in the States, the indigenous populations did not have a wand tradition and the students do not get to take their wands home until after graduation. So there is possibility wandless magic might come more naturally to them. He has met his girls' two beaus and approves of them in a way. Am I going too slow and is it too blah?

Tina Goldstein gets a bit of a social life outside her work. Right now, with Queenie missing from her life, Uncle Percy is the closest she has for a family. This chapter probably covers most of 1928. Not sure when Tina and Newt got married, but my guess from the movies is not until after 1932. Any ideas on this? The pair had to have gotten married at some point for Luna Lovegood to marry their grandson.