Percival Graves reconnects with some allies. Albus gets on his brother's bad side.

Never sure how Aberforth and Credence/ Aurelius got in touch with each other with Aurelius stuck with Grindelwald's Alliance at Nurmengard and Aberforth in Hog's Head Inn. Albus might have made the connection by 1932 or earlier. Definitely some action happening behind the scenes in 1927-1932.

A Shelter in the Storm

Queenie stifled a gasp as she recognized who was sitting across the room from her. How could she have missed the eyepatch, empty right sleeve, and the three fingers on his left hand? He had looked like so many of those unfortunate war veterans, seeking solace in a flask of cheap gin, she never thought to give him a second look when she passed him at the store. She hoped her Uncle Percy had not fallen so far into the gutter. She had had so little news of him aside from a hint from Abernathy that Mister Graves and Tina Goldstein were seen in Capri where they had kidnapped Miss Prince. She had so little access to news from outside since she joined the Alliance. In Nurmengard, they were shut off from the rest of the world as if in a gilded cage.

Percival had not used any legilimency since he recovered his magic. He was not sure if he could pull it off. Instead, he let his mental shields down. Queenie blinked and kept her features stoic as he asked her silently. Tina misses you. Can we trust you? He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. A simple spell returned the capped flask back into his greatcoat pocket. There were so many more questions he wanted to ask.

A slight nod of the head. There was a crackle of a spell and the Queenie's companion slumped on her bench, fast asleep. A quick Mufflato on the room.

"We can speak. No one else could be spared to accompany us to the sanatorium at Lake Constance." There was a storm brewing over the valley. That should buy them some time. He plodded over to sit on the far end of Queenie's bench, so they need not speak across the room.

How good are your occulumency shields?

"I have been working on my shields. Grindelwald doesn't keep that much an eye on me now. I think he is starting to trust me…"

There was at least another hour and a half before the next train was due. Percival could see that the sleeping witch was both pregnant and very ill. He was startled to recognize her as the kidnapped student. Eva Prince. She looked decades older. Her hair was streaked with grey.

"What happened to her?"

"I don't know exactly, but it might be the potion they were concocting for Grindelwald. It sickened them. A necromantic potion to bring back the dead, like in that Welsh myth about Bran's cauldron. Professor Sweeney Millard died last week. They just finished it, at least enough for Grindelwald to let her go." That tied in with what Tina had reported from her visit to the Tombs.

"The baby's father?"

"Not sure, I don't think she knows for sure too. I can only rule out some candidates. Oh, I wish I knew more of what they are up to. The Alliance keep most of their plans away from me. Grindelwald only asks me to use my legilimency to report the loyalties of any new recruits arriving at Nurmengard. The place is warded up to the spires," Queenie paused. "And I am to keep watch on Aurelius, or Credence." The Obscurial.

"Who is Aurelius exactly?"

"Grindelwald claims he is a Dumbledore. He's got the poor boy so messed up inside. I'm not sure his folks even know about him. They most likely think he died when his ship sank those years back. Grindelwald mentioned an uncle, Albus… Can you please try to get hold of Eva's folks too? They expect me back… I cannot stay with her until the baby… She'd need someone…"

"Come back with me, Queenie."

"I'm sorry, I can't. I cannot leave him with Grindelwald…"

Queenie was almost in tears. He wanted to go hug her as if she were still a child, but they must be careful. Even with a storm outside and the shutters of the room barred…

"Be careful, Queenie," he slid one of the two-way mirrors to her across the bench. He hoped the local charms were good enough. His eye met hers. Jacob is still waiting for you. Tina is waiting. Please be careful.

Someone else was coming towards the waiting room. Their conversation was at an end. A family of seven, parents and children, dragging along a goat and a cockerel, all seeking shelter from the storm and exclaiming aloud about their visit to one Tante Hilda. Their voices roused Eva from her sleep. Graves retreated to the far corner of the room, surrendering the bench nearest the stove to the soaking wet newcomers. The matriarch distributed homemade anise biscuits to their fellow travellers and fussed over how poorly Eva was looking. Graves asked the father if there was an owlery in town so he might owl his old Mutti he was on his way back.


The beleaguered owl smacked loudly into his window, rousing Theseus from his slumber. The poor bird likely had flown through a North Sea storm. Grumbling, Theseus spelled a lumos and opened the window. He had to peel the bedraggled owl off the pane thanks to the squalling wind. He had let go of the apartment he had planned to share with Leta in favour of this tiny bachelor flat within walking distance of the Ministry. The bird perched on the mantelpiece, drying off and partaking of the bowl of owl treats the Auror had rustled up.

The handwriting on the waterproof-charmed letter was unmistakable. It was the crabbed scrawl of a quill held in fingers still stiff from past injury. Theseus was pleased to learn that his old comrade had regained his magic, at least part of it. There would always be limitations given the damage done to his person.

"Oh Pug, what have you gotten into now?" The idea of Graves gallivanting about the European countryside alone, with whatever uncertain scraps of magic he managed to coax out…

It would be best to leave the Ministry out of this considering Graves was no longer with MACUSA. Theseus threw on his dressing robe and started a letter to his old Professor. Hopefully, they would have an answer soon.


Abel Fisher had long washed his hands off his illegitimate offspring. With luck, they would find a member of the Prince family willing to take in the poor witch and her child. Queenie stared at the mirror. She did not know how it should be used. There was no time before the little Swiss family and their livestock descended on them. She had taken the mirror out numerous times during the cart ride from the station, hoping to get a hint of how it should be used. Her fellow passengers must think her exceedingly vain.

"Uncle Percy?" This time, the mirror shimmered. Queenie was surprised to see words appear.

Write. The words quickly faded away. Don't use my name.

Reached Lake Constance. Eva admitted. Queenie added the name of the sanatorium where they had admitted Eva.

Will try to send help. Be careful.

They say she is in a bad way. Please hurry. Any news on Aurelius' family?

Owl just sent. No word from them yet.

Percival put away his mirror. It had taken multiple tries before he got a reply from Queenie. He had a long way to go before meeting up with Theseus in London. It would take him a week to get into France and three to five days to cross the Channel. He did not trust his fluency in the local language to use the Floo. The alternative would be purchasing an international portkey in Zurich central station and being sick on arrival in London. He wondered how much time they would need to track down any members of the Prince family and confirm where Aurelius sat on the Dumbledore family tree. Taking a leaf from Newt's suitcase, he had extension charms added to his knapsack and tent. He still preferred an inn if any were available, No-Maj or not. The nightmares still came, but not as frequently now he had a goal to work towards – bringing Grindelwald down.


Hog's Head Inn

"When were you intending to tell me?"

"You never asked."

"Would you have answered if I asked?"

"Not likely." The two brothers stared awkwardly at their soup.

Albus had suspected for quite a while, but he dared not confirm it with his brother, not with their relationship already so fraught. The whispers of Gellert's protégé, a young man who had been spotted in Grindelwald's company at some of his recent rallies. He was an Obscurial just like Ariana. It was only with Theseus' owl that he had resolved to confront his brother. Writing to Dame Prince was the easier part of his response to Theseus' request.

"You were so wrapped up with that German berk, you would not even notice what was happening under your pointy nose."

"Who was she?"

"None of your bloody biz." A pause. "Her folks sent her away. She had a son. They sent him to America. Blasted ship sank, end of story."

"What if Aurelius did not die when the ship sank?"

"Get the bloody hell out of my inn!" Albus dodged the jinx flung his way just barely. He Disapparated back to his office. Aberforth would need time to calm down.


Aslan Shafiq had an apartment in a chateau in the outskirts of Paris which he shared with like-minded bohemians. He had extended an invite to an artists' house party to Percival and gave him a key if he was available to drop by. Normally Graves would turn his nose up at such parties where there would be too much wine and where all decorum and sometimes even spouses were lost. However, he needed a place to rest after days living rough out of barns, station waiting rooms, or railcars. His stamina was no longer what it had been.

"Graves, I thought you might turn up here. Shafiq is indisposed. Snake bite."

He did not expect to find Yusuf Kama lounging in the hall, next to Newt Scamander and a huge snake. The serpent was trapped in a magical orb and was hissing angrily. Graves hung up his coat and hat. He sat on the settee and accio-ed a glass of mint tea over.

"I am sure Nagini didn't mean it. Whenever the curse kicks in, she loses more of that human part of herself," Newt was mixing some vials of unknown potions at his makeshift worktable. "With a bit more work, I'd have an antidote…"

"Aslan is in St Denis where they are trying to stop him from bleeding out," Yusuf observed grimly. "Blood curses are tricky things. Nagini was taken too young to remember her family. I have contacted wixen in Africa, but they do not know of any family thus afflicted."

"My sources in Sumatra confirmed there was a wizarding family with a similar hereditary curse, but they apparently died out some years back. If we can find someone able to help her adjust, even if we cannot slow the process…" Newt mixed two potions in a flask. "There is a witch in Albania who had a sister who was transfigured into a snake by a curse. They could not break it. She took care of her sister until she passed… She is already in her 70s…"

"I thought you were off to India, Newt."

"I was, until I received an urgent message from Kama. She has been a snake for a week now…" Newt explained.

"What are you doing here, Kama?" Graves asked. The Senegalese wizard looked out of place amidst the glided baroque-style furnishings and jungle-themed wallpaper in his sombre clothes.

"I own the place. Shafiq's renting rooms from me," Kama shrugged. "The last wizard who rented it left five dead Aurors on the lawn and ran off without notice. After five weeks being questioned by the Ministry, I can put up with wild parties from Aslan's set and his remodelling. It's the least he could do after his friends wreck the house." He waved away a parrot that had peeled off the wallpaper and was flapping about the room. "Can anyone explain how we got hoofprints on the ceiling, huh?"

There was a soft sigh, and the snake transformed into a confused young woman.

"I'm sorry…" she whimpered. Newt waved his wand and the orb around her vanished. Kama offered her a glass of mint tea and a throw from the couch. Both of which were gratefully accepted.

"What did this Albanian witch say?" Kama asked.

"Her sister was hexed into a boa, smaller than Nagini's snake form and non-venomous. She lived in the chicken coop and later a den in the forest. The witch was also the local midwife, so she could not keep the snake in her hut when she had new babies in her care. She's also a parseltongue, so she was able to communicate with her sister to some degree," Newt managed to reply despite levitating a selection of small vials and adding their contents to a flask which he was stirring with his wand.

"Nagini, you should have a say in this. Would you be interested in meeting this witch? Perhaps we can find a way…" Kama asked. Newt was swirling his flask, watching its contents change colour from black to sliver and back.

"No one can break the curse on me, can they?" Nagini murmured. "Just like Credence's obscurus…" Percival Graves shifted in his chair at the mention of that name. Credence Barebones – the boy Tina had risked her career to protect. The same obscurial recruited by Grindelwald for purposes unknown. He had never met the young man. He was uncertain if he would ever with how close by Grindelwald kept him. That he had survived to adulthood was remarkable. Graves held his tongue and took a sip of his mint tea. He was unsure of the depth of Nagini's relationship with Credence, but the poor girl had enough troubles of her own without knowing her friend was in thrall to a dangerous dark wizard.

"Can I get from here to St Denis by Floo? I think this antidote should work on Shafiq," Newt declared and decanted the contents of his flask into a bottle.

Author's Notes:

Yeah, Kama rented out his place to a certain wizard who turned out to be a tenant from hell. Then he rents it out to the bohemian party crowd. His folks appear to be quite well-off when he was a boy, and he might have inherited property. Not sure what species of snake Nagini gets transformed into. The movies show a python, which are non-venomous even if they got a vicious bite.

Not sure there will be any possibility of Nagini and Credence reconnecting at all given their situation. By 1932, Credence is dying of his Obscurus while Nagini is fully vicious snake and in cahoots with Voldemort by the 1990's. She does not appear in the third Fantastic Beasts movie, so she was likely out of the picture by then.