Leta found Theseus briefing the other Aurors in the corridor. The rally was already going on inside - the others were already part of the crowd. Credence and Queenie went out of curiosity. Nagini and Jacob followed, with Newt and Tina close behind. Yusuf tagged along because he had nothing better to do.

'Theseus!' She ran up to him just as he finished briefing. He turned, surprised, and despite being annoyed at her sudden appearance at a potentially dangerous scene, he couldn't help the smile touching the corners of his mouth. Even in the dimness of the cemetery she had a certain glow about her. So beautiful.

'Leta, darling, you shouldn't be here!' Theseus admonished her, but drew her into his arms all the same. There was something off about her embrace. She was shaking a little, somewhat unsteady. 'Leta, what's happened?"

His voice was so gentle, laced with so much concern, that she almost burst into tears then are there. She swallowed resolutely. 'I'll tell you later.' She reached up and kissed him gently. 'I couldn't let you come here alone. It's surely a trap.'

Theseus sighed. 'Dumbledore said as much. I've given strict orders not to attack the civilians.' He reached up with one hand and tucked Leta's hair behind her ear, making the motion slow and deliberate so as to admire the way she relaxed at his touch. Then a thought occurred to him. 'What happened to the Goldstein girl?'

'Queenie! Oh, she went into the rally with Credence. Tina and Jacob - that's Queenie's...gentleman friend - they went after her. Newt's there too.'

'Bugger,' said Theseus. Why was his younger brother always where the trouble was? He came to decision.

'Okay, I'll get them out. But now, you need to get yourself out of here. You're a Lestrange - he'll be after you.'

Something flared up inside Leta, angry and despairing at the same time. But it was more a reflex than anything, a habitual reaction to any mention of her last name. It died down quickly, and Leta felt ashamed it had even arisen. Theseus didn't mean anything by it. He had never judged her for her family, and even now only cared for her safety.

'I can't leave you.' Her voice came out surprisingly brittle, as if it would shatter at the slightest touch.

'You have to,' Theseus said firmly. He decided he'd better play his trump card, 'I can't keep myself or anyone safe if I'm worrying about you.'

'I can take care of myself!'

'I know, darling, but I'll still worry, and you know it.'

Leta sighed. 'Okay, but I'm going to find Newt first.'

She was trying to compromise. Theseus never won an argument when Leta compromised.

'Fine,' he said. 'But be careful, and as soon as you find him, get out.'

He kissed her again, briefly, desperately, then took off to join his team.

Leta watched him go, feeling a peculiar sense of deja vu. Then she disappeared into the shadow to find a way into the crowds.

'Queenie...'

Jacob didn't need to finish the sentence for Queenie to know what he was thinking. It's getting awfully crowded in here...a little scary...what if they found out what I am?

Queenie squeezed his arm gently, trying to reassure him. She was awfully confused herself. Grindelwald had been so convincing, his words so sweet. They're build a new world, where wizards and witches could be free to live in the light. No more skulking in the shadows, free to perform magic and live and love. Being free to love, that's all she ever wanted.

But Jacob seemed to think Grindelwald was a dangerous madman. Why, Jacob was afraid of him. Afraid for his life. And that made Queenie uncomfortable.

As for Tina, who was currently trying to find a path through the crowd to get to Credence, Grindelwald had said that Aurors were often close-minded and shackled by the status quo. After all, it was their job to protect the current laws. And at the time, Queenie had thought he'd had a point - Tina had been so focused on her mission that she'd couldn't even be found by her own sister. But now, knowing that Tina hadn't meant to leave her alone and vulnerable, knowing she'd support her happiness no matter what, even if it meant moving to England with Jacob...well, Tina was her sister. Queenie knew Tina better than anyone, knew her mind like her very own, whereas Grindelwald had put up a brick wall of Occlumency and instead enticed her with honeyed words. No, Queenie would be the judge on what sort of Auror Tina was ('middle-head' was the term in Newt's mind - Queenie made a mental note to ask him what it meant).

No, Grindelwald had almost fooled her. Almost, but not quite. When she was all alone and stranded in Paris, he might well have succeeded. But having found Tina and Jacob again, feeling their love for her emanate through their thoughts, Queenie was stronger than she'd been a long time. She could see things clearly now.

She grasped Jacob's hand a little tighter, wanting to apparate him away. He was right - this place was dangerous for a No-Maj. But the crowd pressed around them and Grindelwald was doing some sort of display with a skull. She couldn't suddenly apparate away, not without drawing unwanted attention that might bring danger to Tina and Newt and Credence and Nagini and the British Aurors that she knew were in the room too.

Oh Jacob, I want to get out of here too. I'm sorry for bringing you. I wish you could read my mind.

But Jacob looked into her eyes, and seemed to understand her anyway. Let's get away the first chance we get, he thought.

Queenie nodded at him, and he knew she'd heard.

The Aurors had barely reached the bottom of the steps before chaos broke out.

'No!' Theseus cried, but it was too late. At any rate, no one could hear him over the uproar that broke out. That idiot had fired at an innocent girl. Against orders. Exactly what Dumbledore warned against.

Grindelwald bent over the girl, the perfect image of a kind leader grieving over his faithful follower. He had a way of moving the crowds - their eyes followed him, watching his every move.

No one was watching the Niffler's every move. Nifflers were sneaky, quiet and light-fingered. They had evolved to become the perfect thief. Leta only noticed this one because she'd had practice - Newt had once lost track of a whole bunch of them during their fourth year at Hogwarts, and had enlisted her help to retrieve them. Clever little thing, she thought, as the tiny creature crept away into the shadows, the tail end of a gold chain disappearing into its pouch.

Leta turned her attention back to the rally. Grindelwald had called for his people to go forth and spread the word. The Aurors were the enemies here. Just as Dumbledore had warned, Grindelwald had played the crowds expertly and turned them against the authority figures. And they'd walked straight into the trap.

Blue flames appeared in a circle around Grindelwald's stage and his closest followers were crossing the flames to join him. Leta saw Tina across the amphitheatre, trying to see a path to Credence. Credence himself was engaged in a conversation with Nagini. Leta couldn't hear them, but Nagini seemed to be pleading with Credence not to go.

Newt had found his way to his brother's side. The two of them surveyed the situation, wands raised, trying to see a way out that did not involve the destruction of Paris.

Queenie and Jacob had gone - Queenie must have taken Jacob side-along as soon as the mass exodus began. Good, at least they'll be safe.

The blue flames were beginning to reach out towards those still remaining in the amphitheatre. Credence crossed the flames, even though Nagini was still crying his name. Grindelwald embraced him, surrounded by flames, and he vanished.

The flames were attacking more fiercely now. Newt and Theseus were fighting furiously, side-by-side. Tina, some distance away, was holding her own. She's quite remarkable, Leta found herself thinking, okay, time to get out there.

Leta emerged from behind her hiding place behind the pillar.

'Grindelwald'

Her voice rang clear and loud. The acoustics of this amphitheatre weren't too bad.

'NO! Leta!' Theseus cried, as he doubled his efforts against the flames.

The smile on Grindelwald's face was cold but genuine, if such a thing could be said of someone's smile. Lestrange. What. A. Prize. He reached his hand out, and she took it. Her mind was calm now - the turmoil of her past had come to the light. And now it was time to save the two people in the world who had loved her despite her inner darkness.

Her hand slipped. Grindelwald's smile faltered a little, confused.

Leta turned towards the Scamander brothers, slowly, deliberately. 'I love you.'

If she had spoken in French, she would have said 'Je vous aime.' Using the plural version of the pronoun 'you'. For she loved them both - Newt as her first and closest friend, Theseus as the man she had trusted with all her heart. He'd never broken that trust, and now he would never have the chance.

But the Scamander brothers spoke terrible French, so she stuck with English.

And with that, ignoring Theseus' agonising screams and Newt's grunts of effort as he held his brother back, Leta whipped out her wand and began to fight the most powerful wizard in France.