Finding Mr. Graves (PART 1)

Percival's office was painted completely white and lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves stacked high with all sorts of curious objects and instruments- not to mention innumerable tomes on Wizarding Law, all of which Iris was certain he'd read and memorized cover to cover.

Iris sat hunched and miserable in Percival's black leather chair that was far too large for her and anxiously fiddled with her new wand as she waited for Mr. Scamander. She'd requested him to stop by before being escorted to the docks by Goldstien, whom Iris had reinstated as an Auror.

Having been appointed the Director of Magical Law Enforcement in Percival's absence, Iris felt uncomfortable taking over his office. However, the President insisted upon it. Since moving in, Iris had touched nothing- changed nothing- determined he'd be back working before long. She wouldn't allow herself to consider the alternative.

Her officers had searched MACUSA and Percival's home up and down to no avail, which meant Grindelwald could have stashed him anywhere in the city. Iris felt their window of opportunity closing with every passing day and they were nowhere nearer to getting Grindelwald to talk. It seemed the dark wizard was a highly skilled Occlumens rendering any dose of Veritaserum useless. Whatever secrets Grindelwald was keeping were unreachable. Not even their greatest Legillimens could penetrate his mind.

Iris's troubled thoughts were cut short by a light knock on the door. At least this meeting was going to allow her a brief reprieve from her worrying. One good thing about being the Director meant there was no shortage of work to keep her mind occupied.

Approaching the door, she waved her hand over the enchanted mirror hanging on the back of it. Her reflection melted away as it revealed Newt Scamander patiently standing in the hall. He had his case of creatures with him that had been fixed with new locks as per Picquery's request. She opened the door and offered him a polite smile.

"Come in, Mr. Scamander," said Iris, stepping aside to let him through. "Please, have a seat."

He quietly thanked her and picked out one of the two chairs in front of Percival's desk. She could tell he was looking around at the decor, probably finding it quite masculine for someone like herself.

"I've been moved to Mr. Graves's office for the time being," Iris explained casually, trying to keep her solemnness at bay. "How have you been?"

"Well, thank you," said Newt, shifting slightly. His first trip to America had certainly been eventful and, with how things turned out, rather sad.

"I'm sorry about your No-Maj friend, Mr. Kowalski," said Iris, as if reading his mind. "Unfortunately, our laws regarding the Statute of Secrecy are absolute. There was nothing we could have done."

Newt wished to say something on the matter of American Wizarding Law but simply nodded instead. The fault wasn't hers anyway and it seemed to him that her apology was sincere.

"Though you've done us a great service," she continued. "Madam President wishes you stay away from America for a while. Until things settle down at least."

"Yes, she um, told me that," replied Newt. "I'm going back to London, actually."

Iris nodded, the faintest of smiles tugging at her lips. "I hear it's a lovely city. Hopefully you find what you are looking for."

"Yes, thank you," he nodded.

"I know you have a boat to catch, but I had a few questions that might help us in our case." said Iris, eager to move on to more important matters.

Newt nodded, still holding the case protectively in his lap. Iris knew he was probably a bit untrusting of MACUSA after what had happened. She hoped that wouldn't affect his answers.

"I was wondering if you knew what this symbol means?" She dug into her jacket pocket then and held out Grindelwald's Deathly Hallows necklace for him to see. "We found it on Gellert Grindelwald at the time of his arrest. It has an enchantment placed on it that summons the owner to the bearer. We believe he had given it to the boy, Credence, whom he had tracking the Obscurial. Does it mean anything to you?"

Iris knew all too well what that symbol meant and its appearance was distressing to her to say the least. Not many wizards had knowledge of the Deathly Hallows or its connection to The Three Brothers. However, it was a legend that Iris grew up on that was practically treated like religion in her house... a religion that ended up destroying her family.

It was curious to see Grindelwald wearing such a symbol. However, his experiments in the Dark Arts certainly proved him to be, if anything, open-minded about certain methods of magic. She couldn't help but wonder if perhaps he also believed in the Hallows Quest. There were some, like her father, who made finding the Hallows their life's mission. In Grindelwald's case, this prospect could be highly dangerous if such objects of power existed.

Newt's brow furrowed in confusion when she'd shown him the necklace. "I'm sorry, I don't know what it means. I've never seen a symbol like that before."

Iris believed him. It was a long shot anyway. Not even President Picquery, one of the most powerful witches in the world, had known what it was before Iris had told her.

"One last thing," she said. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but I saw Grindelwald whisper something to you before he was taken away. What did he say?"

Newt had to consider her for a moment before concluding she seemed like someone who wouldn't abuse the information. "He told me, 'must we die just a little?'."

Iris looked at him with a mixture of surprise and confusion. "Cryptic. What do you think he meant by it?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure," said Newt. He hadn't been able to make any sense of Grindelwald's ominous words either. He'd turned them over in his head again and again and couldn't come up with anything.

"Thank you for your time, Mr. Scamander," said Iris, knowing if she kept him any longer, he would be late. "May I call on you again if I need to? I would like to talk to you more about your knowledge of the Obscurial."

"Of course," answered Newt, his voice somewhat pitchy. His thoughts had immediately turned to the creature he could only assume was Credence that he saw crawling out of the hole in the City Hall subway tunnel.

"Thank you," said Iris before standing up and kindly offering him her hand. To his relief, nothing in her expression indicated she knew about Credence's possible survival. That was one thing he most certainly didn't want MACUSA getting wind of. "Have a safe trip."

Once Newt left, Iris slumped down in Percival's large leather chair. She didn't know what she hoped to hear from him when she showed him the necklace, but his answer was disappointing all the same. And Grindelwald's parting words 'must we die just a little' meant absolutely nothing to her. They were frustratingly laughable. She desperately needed new leads since Grindelwald was keeping silent. Sadly, no one had been able to point her in any sort of direction thus far.

Iris balled up the necklace and opened the top desk drawer to drop it in. What she saw inside surprised her. Sitting on top of several string-tied envelopes was an old photo in a simple metal frame. It was of their graduating class from the MACUSA Magical Law Enforcement Training Academy. Iris immediately spotted herself standing in the front row to the left, 15 years younger and smiling proudly. Percival was a row up from her, his hands clasped in front of him, looking devilishly handsome, even in his threadbare robes. They barely knew each other then. She supposed they considered each other competition more than anything. They were both vying for top positioning in the class. Friendship came later, when they became partners.

All the times she'd been in Percival's office, she had never seen this picture before. Iris wondered why he'd keep it in a desk drawer of all places. Then she realized, looking around, it might be the only picture he had in the entire office. Though it wasn't often, sometimes Percival could be sentimental. She wondered if that wasn't his reason for keeping the photo.

Closing the drawer, Iris's attention was then drawn by the distant screeching of an owl. The cries grew louder and louder until it was right outside the office window.

Getting up from Percival's chair to have a look, she was shocked to see her father's owl perched on the sill.

"Belvedere?"

The giant eagle owl stared tersely at her through the glass as if to say, how dare you make me wait? Unhooking the lock, Iris ratcheted the window open by its crank knob to let the bird in. However, instead of entering, the old bird stepped off the package and waited until she took hold of it before it flew off without a sound.

Gripping the package tightly with both hands, she brought it inside and set it on the desk. She hesitated a moment before taking the plunge and snatching the letter off the top and tearing open the envelope.

My Daughter,

I know I promised never to write, but in light of recent events I am compelled to interfere in your life once more. Whatever my past transgressions, however unfair I treated you, I have come to realize one thing- no father should ever have to outlive their own child. This is why I'm sending you the object enclosed in this package.

You remember the story, don't you?

My hope is that, when the time comes, you will know what to do. For now, it will keep you safe and it will put me at ease knowing you have it to rely on.

Your Father,

Darius

Iris stared at the letter for a moment blinking away angry, unshed tears, and trying to sort out the many emotions it had begrudgingly stirred in her. There was of course the usual flood of anger she felt towards anything regarding her father, but also the shameful stab of hurt. Nothing ever made her crack quite like Darius could.

Dropping the letter and wiping away a tear, Iris stared down at the package. It was strange, she thought, that he had broken 17 years of silence to send her this- whatever it was. Her fury at his breech of their agreement was definitely undeniable. In fact, her first instinct was to burn the letter and toss the package in the garbage. However, curiosity and a gnawing sense of duty kept her from following through with her plan.

Before she could change her mind, she tackled the package much like she had done the letter. Tugging off the fraying butcher's string and ripping into the brown paper, she revealed a midnight blue box. Removing the lid, she found a large lump of fabric nestled inside a plain tissue paper wrap. It appeared to be a very old, but sturdy, cloak.

Pulling the garment from the box, she stood up from her seat and shook out the wrinkles and folds. Why on earth did her father think this dusty old cloak would keep her safe?

Heading to the mirror hanging on the back of the office door, she slipped the cloak on over her shoulders. As soon as she did, her body instantly disappeared from the neck down, causing her to throw it off with a clipped shriek.

"Merlin…" She gasped, slowly bending down and picking up the garment from the floor. Invisibility Cloaks were incredibly rare. The fact she was holding one in her hands was, in itself, amazing much less the fact that her father had it. The thought suddenly gave her pause. She couldn't imagine where he would have acquired such a priceless, not-to-mention illegal, item. Her first, and not unfounded, thought was that he had stolen it.

"Father, what have you done now?" She muttered, once again feeling the familiar flare of anger rising within her.

She then remembered the letter had said something about her remembering the story. There was only ever one story Darius was concerned about, the only one he'd tell her nearly every night before bed when she was a girl. The Three Brothers.

Iris looked at the Cloak in her hands before slowly slipping it on and pulling the hood over her head. She watched in the mirror once more as her entire body disappeared without a trace. The illusion was flawless, no shapely glimmer or cast of a shadow to give her away. It bore all the telltale signs of the Cloak of Invisibility in the legend. Iris's heart beat fast in her chest as she stared, transfixed, at her non-existent reflection, wondering at the possibilities.

She was so captivated by the Cloak she practically jumped out of her skin when there was a sudden knock on the door. Rounding Percival's desk, Iris stuffed the mysterious garment back into the box it came from, miniaturized it and shoved it in her coat pocket.

"Come in!" Iris called, straightening out her clothes and taking a seat in the large leather chair.

Manny Aldrich entered the room, his urgency barely veiled behind his usual cantankerous scowl. Iris held her breath, fearing that all he had for her was bad news.

"Ma'am," he addressed her, having been using the more formal term since her recent appointment to Director. "There's been a development. Grindelwald wishes to cut a deal regarding his extradition to Russia in exchange for information about Mr. Graves."

Iris drew her eyes down to her desk thoughtfully, trying not to become over excited by the news. Since interrogation had done nothing to force Grindelwald to reveal the whereabouts of Percival, this could be their only chance to get him back.

"Thank you, Manny," she nodded.

"Ma'am," Manny added with hesitation as his fingers worried on his gray five 'o'clock shadow. "Grindelwald requested to speak only to you."

Iris's eyes flicked back up to the older Auror in surprise. She wondered if Grindelwald had asked for the Director of Magical Law Enforcement or specifically for her. One of the two possibilities was significantly less threatening than the other.

"Okay. I'll be down in a minute." Said Iris, concealing her trepidation.

"Um, Ma'am," said Manny, looking down at her neck in concern. "You might want to heal those bruises before you go."

"They're nothing," Iris insisted, before gathering her things.

"But..."

"They're not important," she all but snapped, cutting Manny off. Iris immediately regretted this sudden flair of anger. "I'm sorry, Manny. I don't mean to snap. We just don't have the time..."

"... Mr. Graves," Manny finished for her, seeming oddly compassionate.

"Yes," Iris nodded, her eyes downcast. "We have to find him."

"We will, Ma'am," he promised, never having sounded more reassuring in his life.

8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8

The long elevator ride to the interrogation chambers was spent in relative silence. Iris's focused gaze was fixed on the golden bars in front of her, her expression hardened. Floors zipped by in a blur of color as the car descended into the bowels of the basement. Once Red pulled the doors open to let Iris off, Ella immediately met her with a roster filled out and all ready to sign. Iris jotted down her named and Ella promptly gave her the room number and password for where they had Grindelwald waiting for her.

Despite her resolve, Iris felt a chill roll down her back as she headed through the snaking corridor where she and Grindelwald had their duel. The pressure began to build inside her with every step as she came upon the steel door with the number 13 painted on it. She could not afford to be unsuccessful in this negotiation. Percival's life depended on it.

Iris took a deep, calming, breath before saying the password and opening the door to the interrogation chamber. Grindelwald sat before her in a chair behind a rusted table, his hands chained behind his back. The wizard's sinister two-toned gaze met hers as she entered. They reminded her of a snake, his milky blue eye giving him the appearance of a cobra half shed of its' skin.

"It's good to finally see you as you truly are, Gellert Grindelwald," said Iris as she closed the door of the interrogation room behind her. Grindelwald cracked a dark smile, knowing she would deliver the first jab. She had been the only one in MACUSA to see through him, after all. His smile grew even wider as his gaze fell to collar of bruises on her throat that he'd given her.

"Shouldn't you get those looked at, Miss Faeborn?" asked Grindelwald, his eyes lingering on his work.

"I'm not concerned with them," said Iris, taking a seat in the chair across from him. She wouldn't rise to the obvious bait. "I believe we have a few things to discuss regarding the whereabouts of Mr. Graves and the possibility of a hold on your extradition to Russia."

"This is the first time we've talked since my arrest," observed Grindelwald.

"Believe me, if my duties allowed me to have a larger hand in your interrogation, I would have," Iris assured him with blunt honesty.

Grindelwald smiled, those dead eyes stirring to life. "There's the witch I remember, Miss. Faeborn. Bold and honest."

"As it would seem," said Iris, ruefully noting the quickening rhythm of her heart. Even though he was restrained, he was still the man who'd almost killed her. Being in the same room alone with him was unsettling, even for someone as experienced as herself.

"Why did you refuse to speak to anyone but me?" Questioned Iris. "Why open up when you've expertly evaded all of our attempts at extracting information?"

With a rustle of his chains, Grindelwald leaned forwards into the harsh light shining down from overhead. "I was curious about something."

"Mr. Grindelwald, I did not ride an elevator 777 floors to indulge your curiosities. We will discuss one thing and one thing only and that is the location you are holding Percival Graves," Iris coldly informed him, annoyed by his obvious taunting.

"Desperate to find dear Percy, aren't you? You Americans are so transparent," laughed Grindelwald. His two-toned eyes narrowed on her, relishing his next words. "He said your name, you know? Only once- only when the pain was at its worst. That was the day I broke his wand hand for attempting an escape."

Iris had to use every inch of her self-control not to reach across the table and smack him. Still, thoughts of Percival's hand being viciously crushed flashed in her mind's eye leaving her visibly shaken.

"Let me remind you, Mr. Grindelwald, that we're here to discuss a deal," she told him firmly, her composure returning to her with every word. "I'm sure you realize the Russian government will find you guilty of far more serious crimes than MACUSA will and I'm sure they'll be less inclined to treat you humanely. If you would like to avoid extradition, I suggest you cooperate."

"Now who's playing the hardline, Ms. Faeborn?" Came his cheeky reply, echoing the words she'd used towards him before their duel.

"You're the one who called me down here," she reminded him coldly. "You should have known what you were going to get."

"Indeed, I did," nodded Grindelwald, seeming more than pleased with their conversation thus far. "So let's make that deal. I will give you the location of Percival Graves on two conditions; the first being you and Picquery halt my extradition to Russia."

"Done," came her immediate reply. Picquery didn't trust the Russian minister's ability to hold Grindelwald anyway. Giving him this was practically nothing.

"The second being you have to answer my questions," Grindelwald continued.

Iris paused, her stomach suddenly doing a flip. "Why?"

"Like I said before, Miss Faeborn, I'm curious about something."

Finally, the reason for this private meeting became clear to Iris. She had information he wanted. If she played his game, she had a chance at getting Percival back. If she didn't, he may never breech the subject again and Percival would be lost.

"Alright. What are your questions then?" said Iris, feeling as though she was taking a dive into shark-infested waters.

"Tell me," he began, seeming to lean in even closer than before. His chains scraped against the chair back and those eyes of his lit up brighter than ever. "How did you come to know about the Deathly Hallows?"

In light of recent events, mainly the Invisibility Cloak that was stored in her pocket, Iris proceeded with great caution.

"My father used to read The Three Brothers to me when I was little. Practically every witch and wizard knows that story," Iris explained, trying to stray from specifics. Still, judging by Grindelwald's unfaltering interest, she sensed danger on the rise.

"Curious that he told you about the Hallows connection as well," Grindelwald pressed.

"Not really," she shrugged, crossing her arms in front of her. "He's a classicist with an expertise in Ancient Runes. He'd always explain the historical connections behind legends and fairytales. It made for a pretty boring childhood."

Grindelwald sniffed dryly in what Iris supposed was a laugh. "Your father seems like a clever man. Is he American like you?"

"Yes," she said, withholding the fact that he had immigrated from Scotland with her mother before she was born. The turn of this conversation made her highly uncomfortable. She wondered what he could possibly be fishing for. "He's well celebrated in the academic community in Salem."

"I'm not familiar with American scholarship," he admitted.

Grindelwald knew she wasn't going to tell him anything compromising. Still, Iris and her father seemed to know more about the Deathly Hallows than anyone he'd met in years and that was all he really needed to learn. Having exhausted all his leads in Europe, the trail had long since gone cold and his Hallows Quest had ground to a halt. His meeting her seemed fortunate. However, his silver tongue would get him nowhere in this case. She'd seen through his intentions long ago. However, it seemed that her father was the key to more information in this instance. He would have to save that bit of information for a later date.

"I just have one more question," he said, seeming to stare into her very soul. "Do you believe in the Deathly Hallows?"

A dark shadow passed over Iris's face then. She could not help but think of her father and of everything his obsession had done to ruin their family.

"Do I believe the theories that they actually exist? Lost to history?" asked Iris, looking into the incredibly attentive eyes of Grindelwald. "No. It's just a story."

He regarded her for a moment, taking in the sharp edge of bitterness that laced her words. She may not have believed in the Hallows but they certainly played a role in her life nevertheless, of that he had no doubt.

"Sometimes it's safer not to believe in fairytales," said Grindelwald, darkly. "Thank you for being honest with me, Miss Faeborn."

"It's time to hold up your end of the deal now," said Iris, having had enough of these questions. "Where is Mr. Graves?"

"You'll find him at 223 Stockard Way," said Grindelwald, without pause.

"How do I know you're not lying?" Asked Iris, skeptically. She was hardly prepared to believe him.

Grindelwald sat up straight in his chair then, appearing effortlessly powerful, just like he had in the subway station. "I detest the idea of spilling magical blood, however, sometimes an example needs to be made. As the new Director of Magical Law Enforcement, you need to see what happens to those who stand against the inevitability of progress," explained Grindelwald. Iris's blood boiled beneath her skin with every word that left his mouth. "I think Mr. Graves will serve that purpose well. You can either be crushed by my revolution or be a part of it, Miss Faeborn. Hopefully, for the sake of the American Wizarding Community, you and President Picquery will realize that."

"I don't respond well to threats, Mr. Grindelwald," she told him, her voice low and trembling with hate. "Make no mistake. You have already made an enemy of me."

"That is a shame to hear," replied Grindelwald. "You seemed like you'd be a strong leader."

"Probably a bit too strong for your liking," replied Iris, as she stood from her chair.

Grindelwald couldn't help but crack a grin, thinking she was probably right. Even though, it was clear where they stood with one another, he knew he was not yet through with the formidable Miss Faeborn. She still had a part to play in his game.

"If your information is correct," said Iris. "We will begin negotiations with Russia."

Having said that, Iris promptly left the interrogation room. She knew Grindelwald was incredibly satisfied with himself at the moment. His words about making an example of Percival echoed over and over again in her mind as she headed for the elevators.

AN: Okay, I'm a super jerk. I know I promised Graves in this chapter but I decided to split it up into two parts because it was getting too long. Mr. Graves makes an appearance in Part 2, this I promise 100%. I just didn't want to rush his introduction or the setup of the main story. I have a very in-depth character arc planned for him as well as Iris and where he starts out in the story (both physically and emotionally) is incredibly important to get right.

On a side note I may post a deleted scene between Iris and Newt very soon. It was a cute scene full of heart (and beasties) but it just did not fit the tone of the story thus far AND would have made this chapter even longer. So, hopefully you all will look forwards to that. If not, the Percival Graves will show up in the next chapter and we can continue on with the Quest.

Side note: In my story owning Invisibility Cloaks and using Magical Extension charms are illegal in the US (unless given special permission by MACUSA by way of obtaining a permit). Not sure if this is true of the time or the world but, as plot devices, they suit me well. Also the MACUSA Magical Law Enforcement Training Academy is much like the US police academy and Iris and Percival's time there will be expanded upon (clearly the picture in the desk drawer mean something ;)).

Please let me know what you think!