As suggested by Gaby (thanks for the review!), we ought to see what happens when Tina and Theseus face off in a duel.

'Okay, let's call it a day!'

Newt clambered to his feet for the twentieth time. He'd gotten better at defending himself over the last half hour or so, but he still wouldn't duel his Head Auror brother by choice.

Meanwhile, Tina and Queenie lowered their wands gratefully, both breathless but still standing. Tina had managed to Disarm her sister once, but with Queenie's Legilimency on her side, they were fairly evenly matched.

'Wait a minute, Theseus,' Leta piped up from her perch on the umpire's chair she'd conjured in the corner. 'Haven't seen you and Tina face it off yet.'

Newt's eyes lit up. This could be a good show.

Theseus and Tina exchanged a look - one of mixed exasperation and conspiracy. But it was Queenie whose face lit up into a broad smile and said slyly, 'You will, don't you worry.'

Confused, Leta looked to Newt, who evidently had even less of an idea what was going on.

'I think it's about time, actually,' Theseus said, looking at his watch. He flicked his wand at the doors and the opened with a long creak.

Suddenly, the crowds began to flood in. Led by Travers, they consisted mostly of the Auror Department but several other Ministry employees had come along too. Jordan Bagman, from the Department of Magical Games and Sports, had a tray hung in front of him and a Quick Quotes Quill floating behind him, taking bets from all the spectators.

Newt and Leta stared, completely aghast.

'Apparently you're not the only ones who want to see the amazing American Auror who duelled Grindelwald in New York face it off with Head Auror of the department,' Theseus explained with a somewhat resigned smile. 'So a match was arranged.'

Travers strode up to Theseus with his chin lifted high. 'How did the training go, Theseus?'

'Quite excellent, if I say so myself. There had been much improvement, especially Queenie.'

Queenie was positively glowing, both from the praise and the excited atmosphere in the room.

'Good, good,' Travers said with an approving nod. 'Right, then, better get to it. Oh, excellent idea, Leta.'

Leta had sprung down from her umpire's chair and landed elegantly on the ground. She was gesturing for Travers to use it for the upcoming event.

'Sonorus.' Travers pointed his wand at his throat. 'Settle down, everyone, and find somewhere to sit along the sides of the room.'

The excited clamour gradually faded out and the crowds found their seats. Wizards and witches who couldn't find chairs were conjuring themselves seats of all descriptions, from tiny wooden stools to four-person hammocks. Once they made themselves comfortable, Travers had Tina and Theseus take their positions.

'All right, everyone. So today is the duel we've all been waiting for. On one hand, we have our very own Head Auror Theseus Scamander. Many of you have been on the receiving end of his repertoire of hexes and curses and you know his abilities.' Several Auror were nodding in avid agreement. 'And on the other hand, Porpentina Goldstein, recently joining us all the way from across the Pond. Do not be fooled by a pretty face - she duelled and assisted in the capture of Gellert Grindelwald in New York 1926. She is not a witch you want to cross.'

Travers paused for dramatic effect, then raised his voice. 'On the count of three - one, two, THREE!'

Neither Tina nor Theseus struck immediately. They stood twenty feet apart, wands raised and ready, eyes carefully assessing the other for any giveaway hint of what was to come.

Tina struck first. The suddenness of her attack was testament to her skills, for she gave not the slightest indication that might have warned Theseus. There was no tiny movement of the head, or flexing of the wrist - none of the miniscule, instinctive habits that most witches and wizards made just before they launched into a spell.

But Theseus was quick. His Shield Charm emerged so quickly from the tip of his wand that it seemed to have suddenly appeared. Tina's spell was deflected off to the side, narrowly missing one a secretary from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. The young witch leapt out of her seat in alarm as it crumbled to pieces from the force of Tina's spell.

'My apologies, Anastasia,' Travers said hastily as he waved his wand around the room, conjuring a protective barrier to keep the spectators unharmed. Anastasia vanished the remnants of her chair and conjured a new one in its place.

During this brief exchange, the duel had changed pace, and Theseus was now attacking, throwing a rapid battery of curses at Tina, who fended them off with ease.

The crowd gasped as Tina suddenly performed a trick manouevre. She pivoted on one foot and pulled out of her last Shield Charm even before it had fully expanded, keeping it in place just long enough to deflect Theseus' Bat-Bogey Hex. In the same movement, she flicked her wand backwards, to shoot a Stunning Spell at Theseus over her shoulder. As she completed a full rotation, she saw that the spell had hit home. Her surprise tactic had caught Theseus off-guard and his Shield was just a split-second too late. The Ministry's Head Auror and most accomplished law enforcer went flying backwards, bounced off the spectators' invisible barrier and landed painfully on the floor.

The crowd was silent for a moment, not having yet processed what had just happened. They had expected a long and arduous fight, most likely a victory for Theseus, who had never lost a duel against any of the current Aurors in the department. But when the shock wore off, they erupted in cheers. Bagman immediately stood up and weaved his way through the crowd, collecting on the bets that had mostly been placed in Theseus' favour.

In the middle of the room, Tina made her way to Theseus and helped him up. He stood, groaning a little, but smiling. 'Where on earth did you learn that move? You haven't used it all day!'

Tina, to her credit, merely shrugged. 'I didn't need to. No reason to show off all my secrets just for the fun of it.'

Theseus was speechless. He clapped her shoulder in congratulations and went off to find Leta to see if she could do anything about the bruises that were rapidly forming across his body.

'Well, I never.' Travers was striding towards Tina, his face twisted into a rare genuine smile. 'Good to have you on our side, Goldstein.'

'Thank you, sir.'

The Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement made to open his mouth again, but he was pushed aside by a mass of blue and brown. 'Oh, sorry, Mr Travers, sir,' Newt apologised hurriedly. He turned to Tina, 'Congratulations! I knew you had it in you! Ever since you tied Theseus up in the French Ministry. My hearty congratulations!'

Newt's enthusiastic praise meant the world to Tina. She smiled so brilliantly that Newt was sure the dim room was noticeably brighter.

'Sorry, what's this about tying up my Head Auror in France?' Travers asked, but no one paid him any attention.

Queenie was there, and jostling to hug her sister.

'Don't act surprised, Queenie. You knew what I had in mind,' Tina said, but Queenie shook her head.

'I didn't know it was going to work though!' she said brightly.

Off to the side of the room, Leta ran her wand up and down, a few inches from Theseus' body. Theseus didn't watch her wand though - he was watching Leta, the way her eyes followed her wand, the way her lips moved as she murmured the incantation. A warm glow was emanating all over him, but he wasn't sure whether that was the anti-bruising charm or simply being in Leta's presence.

'Thank you,' he said when she'd finished.

Leta grinned and punched him playfully on the shoulder. 'You're not invincible, Theseus. This'll teach you to be careful in the field.'

Theseus nodded solemnly. 'Of course. I promise.'

'Still,' she said with a conciliatory smile. 'You did put up a good fight.'