"Arnica Syrup isn't poisonous." Anna just smiled, as they touched back down outside Macy's "Oh, I know, and I never put anything in his drink, I just used a simple color changing charm while he was signing off on his tab." All four of her companions stared at her.
"that is truly..."
"Ingenious. you know, you'd make a wonderful addition to the investigations department."
"I had a professor tell me I should take up teaching, back in my school days." her eyes trailed to the window, watching with intrigue as something invisible lifted the purse off the mannequin before sauntering off.
"Dougal?" Newt just gave her a nod as the group entered the shop.
"Dougal." Ducking behind the Christmas display, the five watched as the bag continued on it's way.
"Demiguise' are fundamentally peaceful, but they can give a nasty nip of provoked." Anna stared at the long, white-haired creature climbing one of the displays.
"He's sort of cute."
"You two, head that way. And try very hard not to be predictable."
"was that the Demiguise?"
"No, I think it might be the reason the Demiguise is here." The three stepped out from behind the plastic Christmas trees as Dougal turned to look at them, quickly climbing the stairs to the store room. They hurried after the orangutan like creature.
"It's sight operates on probability, so it can foresee the most likely immediate future."
"I see you still remember Care of magical creature's lesson's" Anna smiled briefly, her eyes suddenly trailing upwards
"What's it doing?"
"He's babysitting."
"What did you just say?" Tina stepped further into he attic, but still kept a fair distance.
"Um…Newt?" he followed her gaze, catching the multi-colored feathers of the occamy above.
"This is my fault. I thought I had them all but I must've miscounted." Quietly laying the case down, Newt crouched beside Dougal.
"It's babysitting that?"
"Occamies. They are choranaptyxic, meaning they grow to fill the available space." Tina moved to stand next to Anna, her eyes never leaving the creatures face, the blonde witch noticed the smile growing on the American witches features.
"Mummy's here." A bell chimed behind them, setting the Occamy reeling, Dougal made for Jacob and queenie, getting them out of harms way.
"Whoa!"
"We need an insect!" Anna watched at the serpent like body squirmed about the room, sweeping them all in different directions. "Any kind of insect! And a teapot! FIND A TEAPOT!" Frantic eyes searched for the items requested.
"TEAPOT!" Anna stared in terror from her place on the floor, the serpents body had pinned her down in all the chaos.
"Roach in teapot…" Jacob looked over at Tina, ready to throw the cockroach. As soon as the insect was air born, Tina leapt from her hiding place, sprinting for the unsuspecting bug, the occamy followed after it's snack, shrinking down to dive into the Teapot after it. Newt quickly slammed the lid over the top.
"Choranaptyxic. They also shrink to fill the available space."
"Tell me the truth, was that everything that came out of the case?"
"That's everything. And that's the truth."
Newt and Jacob put Dougal and the Occamy back in their respectful habitats as Anna wandered about, taking in all of the other rooms she hadn't seen on her last visit, stopping at one that was familiar.
"Newt?" He made quick work of seeing what she'd found, stopping at the room he'd made for her. He'd transferred it over from his old school trunk when he'd bought the suitcase.
"Yes, what is—Oh…"
"You kept this, Even after all these years?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I couldn't—Well, that is to say…" He struggled to find the right words.
"He never gave up hope you might still be alive." Anna turned, looking at him eye to eye for the first time since a few days ago.
"Hey Newt, who is she?" The sandy-haired wizard turned his attention to Queenie, "Oh, it's no one."
"Leta Lestrange. I've heard of that family, aren't they kind of…you know?"
"Please don't read my mind." There was an awkward silence, Anna's mind wandered back to the day of Newts expulsion from Hogwarts, how angry she'd been with Leta, all those years ago.
"Sorry, I asked you not too."
"I know, I'm sorry. I can't help it, people are easiest to read when they're hurting."
"All you had to do was wait! But no, you always think you know what you're doing, and it gets you and everyone around you into trouble, every time!" Newt was stunned, Anna had been known to be harsh at times, but never to this extent.
"But now, Now you've gone and gotten Newt expelled!"
"Anna I'm…I'm sorry." Snapping out of her thoughts she stared down at the ground.
"Anyway, it was a long time ago."
"That was a real close friendship you all had at school."
"Well, none of us quite fit in at school, so we all became quite—"
"You became real close, for years."
"We did everything together, from 3rd year until Newt had to leave at the start of our 5th year. I never told her I was sorry…for screaming at her that day. I was still so mad about the Jarvey's and your imminent expulsion. I said terrible things…"
"She was a taker, you need a giver, like—"
"What are you three talking about?" Tina reconvened with the rest of them outside of Anna's little garden.
"Oh, um, school."
"School."
"Did…did you say school? Is there a school, a wizardry school here in, uh, America?" Queenie smiled, a huge grin spreading over her face, "Of course! Ilvermorny. It's only the best wizard school in the whole world."
"I think you'll find that the best wizarding school in the world is Hogwarts."
"Hogwash."
" In our school days I met a witch from your school who was rather adept at unforgivable curses."
"Sarah Hale, I remember seeing her file. You're the muggle born she attacked?" Anna gave a curt nod, "I still have the scar from where it initially hit."
"Sarah actually stood trial again for illegally obtaining a wand while still on probation, and torture allegations. she's in Stoneward prison now." The sound of thunder ended their conversation, all eyes trailed to the hovering thunderbird.
"Danger. He senses danger."
"Graves…"
"What?"
"Percival Graves! Think about it, he wanted you dead."
"He had you locked in that cupboard." Anna flashed Jacob a look, he quickly closed his mouth, looking away while whistling.
"He what?" Wide blue-green eyes turned to look at her, he never got over how she always put other people before herself, it still upset him, even after all these years apart.
"Not important right now, Newt. Focus."
They now stood in front of the large, neon 'Squires' sign, overlooking the city." All eyes watched the destruction it caused, bouncing from building to building with no rhyme or reason.
"Is that it, is that the obscurial thing?"
"That's more powerful than any obscurial I've ever heard of. If I don't come back, look after my creatures." He handed the case to Anna and an instruction book to Tina. "Everything that you need to know is in there."
"Newt, no!" She grabbed the sleeve of his jacket, effectively stopping him from apparating.
"They're not killing it."
"And you're not going this alone. I've spent 13 years in absolute darkness, Newt…I can't go through that again." Her eyes were pleading, "Please…don't make me go through that again…" there was a brief moment where their eyes met once more, a sense of longing reflected in his, without her noticing he pried her hand from his jacket before apparating.
"No!" Tina looked at her with worry, Taking the case and handing it to Jacob and the book to Queenie, "You heard him, look after them."
"Let's go." Anna looked at Tina, uncertain if she knew what they were getting into before they both apparated.
The two witches reappeared right in the center of all the chaos.
"Find him!" Tina and Anna searched the crowd for the blue clad wizard, ducking behind an overturned vehicle.
"Newt!"
"It's the Second Salem boy, he's the obscurial!" Anna peered up at the large black mass that was terrorizing New York.
"He's not a child."
"His power must be he's—he's somehow managed to survive." Anna darted out from behind their shield, running full speed at Percival Graves and the Obscurial.
"Anna!" Newt watched in horror as Tina's voice caught his attention
"Newt. I'll get her. Save him." Tina hurried after the blonde witch, her own wand drawn.
"Mr. Graves!" Anna threw spell after spell at the older man, "Alaris, stay out of this!"
"My name—" another spell, "Is not—" he deflected as she backed him into a corner, "ALARIS!" Tina quickly joined the fray as Credence escaped. He quickly recuperated and went on the offensive, getting closer and closer to the two witches.
"Tina, you always turn up where you're least wanted. And Alaris, I'll deal with you later." Anna tackled Tina to the ground as Graves pulled a car at them before apparating.
"Thanks."
"No problem. We need to go, now."
"Right!"
Sneaking under the barrier Tina and Anna snuck down into the subways tunnels.
"Which way?" Anna held her wand at arms-length.
"Point me." She watched as the wand floated in front of them. "Last time I had to use this spell, newt and I were in a densely populated forest terrain as part of the Tri-wizard tournament." The two chased after the floating wand.
"Glad to see you haven't lost your touch, all things considered." Anna laughed, "Guess it's muscle memory."
"I guess so." She made a shar turn, sprinting down the staircase marked 'City hall' just in time to see a spell shoot off in the darkness of the tunnel.
"I'd say we found them." Another blast of light filled the dim railway as she snatched her wand up.
"I think not. Mind watching my back?" Tina looked at her new-found friend in confusion. "What are you going to do?"
"Something crazy."
"Great, but we're already here."
"Then, something entirely stupid." Tina watched the blonde dart off the platform and onto the tracks.
Newt watched from his hiding place behind one of the pillars, confused at what was now charging up behind the man, he bit back a laugh as Anna barreled into Graves from behind, knocking the wizard to the ground with an undignified 'Oof!' before she apparated away. Reappearing next to Tina.
"Always remember, never piss off a badger." Tina gave her an odd look as Graves shot electricity through the train rails, Anna disapparated once more as Newt fell onto the track.
"Enough!" She reappeared in front of her friend, deflecting the spells. She could feel the ground rumbling beneath her feet.
"Credence…" she dropped her guard, getting blasted by one of Graves spells, sending her spiraling to the ground.
"Credence!" the poor boy was returning to his obscurial form, filling the subway tunnel in his anger and despair. All three disapparated to avoid a full-on blast from the anger filled boy as he destroyed the structure.
"Credence, no." Tina slowed to a job on the tracks, the dark mass stopped, hearing her voice. "Don't do this, please." Anna looked up at the black cloud, pressed to the ceiling.
"Keep talking, Tina. Keep talking to him, he'll listen to you. He's listening."
"Credence." Anna pulled herself up off the tracks, using the platform as support, "Credence, do you remember me?" she'd frequently seen the Second Salemer's gather in high traffic places, but credence always kept his head bowed low, his expression blank. She always made it a habit to smile as she walked past, he'd always tried to smile back.
"We know what that woman did to you." The black mass shifted, revealing credence's crying face. "We know that you've suffered. You need to stop this now."
"Newt, Tina and I will protect you, Credence." Their calmed voices seemed to be working
"This man, he's using you."
"Don't listen to them, Credence. I want you to be free." Graves inched closer to Credence, "It's all right."
"That's it." Credence was slowly regaining a corporeal form as a sudden onslaught of wizards stormed the destroyed tunnel.
"Shh, don't, you'll frighten him!" Anna's eyes fell to the crowd of Aurors and President Piquery. The former stepped in front of Credence, her arms spread out on either side of her, creating a poor wall between Credence and the mass of wizards. Newt and Tina looked both scared and confused at her action.
"Wands down! Anyone harms them, they answer to me." Graves turned to face Anna and Credence, "Alaris, Credence."
"Credence."
"Anna." Her eyes landed on Newt, taking in the fear, written so plainly on his face. She felt her body meet the ground as spells flew from the auror's wands.
"NO!" pained screams filled her ears as they blasted Credence apart, she fought against who had tackled her, trying in vain to help the obscurial boy.
"STOP! YOU'RE HURTING HIM, PLEASE STOP!" a hand covered her eyes as the tunnel filled with bright light. Credence was gone.
When everything was clear she looked at who had tackled her, disgusted to see it was Percival graves.
"Are you all right, Alaris?" she attempted to shoved him off of her but his grip tightened, holding her to his chest as he walked towards the president. She was currently a hostage.
"Credence…you fools. Do you realize what you've done?"
'The obscurial was killed on my orders, Mr. Graves." Anna struggled, trying to pry his arm off of her, Newt and Tina watched the exchange on bated-breath.
"Yes, and history will surely note that, madame president. What was done here tonight was not right."
"He was responsible for the death of a No-Maj. He risked the exposure of our community. He has broken one of our most sacred laws…"
"A law that…has us scuttling like rats in the gutter. A law the demands that we conceal our true nature. A law that directs those under its dominion to cower in fear, lest we risk discovery. I ask you, Madame President, I ask all of you. Who does this law protect? Us, or them?" his finger drifted upwards, towards the surface.
He turned, dragging Anna along with him, "I refuse to bow down any longer."
"Aurors, I'd like you to relieve Mr. Graves of his wand, and escort him back." Graves drug anna along with him once again until a forcefield stopped him in his tracks. She felt the tip of his wand press into her neck. Turning on his heel he shot quick fire curses at the crowd of Auror's, Annas eyes trailed to Newt and Tina.
Newt must have caught her hint because all the saw next was the swooping evil headed right for her before shrinking down and binding Graves' arms behind his back. Anna darted off to the side, well out of his or the creatures reach.
"Accio!" Newt and Tina climbed back onto the platform, Newts wand held out before him as they cautiously approached the bound wizard.
"Revelio." Graves' hair turned snowy white, and Anna watched in horror as his eyes shifted to two entirely different colors, not unlike her own, only instead of green and brown, one was a very light blue. His face twisted in a smile and she stopped int her steps.
"Do you think they can hold me…Little sister." Newt and Tina's eyes flicked quickly to the blonde witch as Madame Piquery stood in front of the now revealed Grindelwald.
"We'll do our best, Mr. Grindelwald." Two Auror's grasped him firmly, escorting him out of the subway.
"I figured…somebody ought to keep an eye on this." Newt took his case back from Jacob, Anna had distanced herself form the crowd, sitting at the top of the stairs as everyone reconvened, the news that she was in someway related to the lunatic they'd just help capture, sinking in deep. She watched as the President of MACUSA approached her long-time friend.
"Thank you."
"We owe you an apology, Mr. Scamander. But the magical community is exposed. We cannot obliviate an entire city."
"Actually…I think we can." Placing the case down and stepping a safe distance away as Frank launched himself upwards.
"I was intending to wait until we got to Arizona, but it seems right now you're our only hope, Frank." Anna watched from a distance as Newt said his goodbye's to the large bird.
"I'll miss you too." Newt pulled the swooping evil venom from his jacket pocket, tossing it into the air for Frank to catch. "You know what you've got to do…" The Thunderbird flew up and into the sky, fulfilling his job of obliviating the city.
As the rain began to fall, Aurors stationed around the city set to repairing the damages.
"They won't remember anything. See, that venom has incredibly powerful obliviative properties."
"We owe you a great debt, Mr. Scamander. Now, get that case out of New York."
"Yes, Madame President."
"And Ms. Lisle." Anna perked up at the mention of her former No-Maj last name. still perched on the stairs. "Sorry, Ms. Carrio, " She quickly corrected herself, "I apologize for my behavior. I should have listened to you in my office that day." Anna lowered her eyes.
"No, I was the one out of line. Newt told me I was a witch not long before we'd set foot in MACUSA's base of operations. I never should have behaved the way I had." As she turned to walk away once more, she stopped.
"Is that No-Maj still here?" Jacob peeked out from behind Queenie. "Obliviate him, there can be no exceptions. I'm sorry, but even one witness, you know the law." Anna stood quietly, climbing up and out of the subways station, leaving her friends behind.