Chapter 13

1 Day Post-Abduction

Tina floated through the air, immobilized and levitated as they moved her. Her eyelids had been closed, blinding her. Yet, after spending several hours with a cloth bag over her head in the back of a motor car, she welcomed the fresh air. It amazed her that Grindelwald's followers employed Muggle motor cars as means of transport so as not to be detected. She wondered if knowing that fact would get her killed eventually.

Farm smells of hay, animals and cut grass touched her nose. She sensed herself entering a structure, heard some unhappy snorting and stamping from horses. Her body lowered into a pile of coarse straw. Without seeing it, she felt an expandable rope latch itself around her ankle. It would allow her to go anywhere in the building, but not to leave out of any exit, even a self-created one.

The immobility spell lifted. She blinked and opened her eyes, not surprised she was in a large barn. A row of stalls lined the wall on the left, three of them occupied. The hay loft loomed above her and the right wall housed large containers of equipment. Several Grindelwald followers carried these outside, presumably to stop her from using any of it to escape.

Grindelwald stood before her, smiling. It unnerved her.

"Sorry for the rough accommodations, but we've got some difficult work to do." He pressed his hands together, as if in prayer. "But I solemnly promise you that I will provide you with far nicer accommodations as soon as you tell me what I want to know."

"I'm not telling you anything." Tina stated defiantly. She glanced around at the followers moving equipment. "Where's Queenie?"

Grindelwald pouted. "The poor dear very much wanted to stay with you, but she wasn't quite right for this job. I left her in London, catering to Credence. They've struck up a friendship, those two. Anyway, she told me how she has trouble reading you except for very strong emotions. Apparently, you became annoyed with your sister through childhood when she read your thoughts, and schooled yourself to keep her out. I applaud the discipline of such a mind."

It disgusted Tina to know her sister spoke to this malevolent man about her.

"Now, Tina, answer my question and you'll be allowed out of this barn unscathed. Where is the Philosopher's Stone? You might also know it as the Sorcerer's Stone."

Tina blinked, then burst out laughing. "The Philosopher's Stone?" She giggled. "It's a myth, a legend. Alchemists have been searching for it for millennium to change their lead into gold and let them live forever. Even if it were real, why would you think I know where it is?"

"Newt Scamander. You've gotten very close with him. And he is close to Albus Dumbledore, despite all that nonsense of Newt getting kicked out of Hogwarts. I'm sure Dumbledore knows its location. Newt would have been my first choice for interrogation, but he wasn't available and you presented yourself so nicely."

"Newt's never said anything about the Philosopher's Stone. You may as well just kill me."

He gasped sarcastically. "Such a thought! No, I won't kill you. Even if you don't know the location of the Philosopher's Stone, which I will determine by all means at my disposal, you still have value to me alive. Let's get started."

Not once did he touch her. No lacerations, burn marks, bruises or welts marred her skin. It all happened in her mind. Yet, the torture was excruciating. At times, she burned in fire or drown in the water, her lungs screaming for air. Other times he whipped her, cut her, bit her. Her Auror training allowed her to resist for a long time, and he seemed impressed with her tolerance. But after several hours, she just broke down sobbing, lying on the floor in her own vomit.

"I don't know where it is," she choked.

He pressed his lips together and nodded. "I believe you." He strolled out of the barn, whistling a happy ditty. The horses he passed cringed away from him.

As dusk descended, she fell into unconsciousness. She didn't awaken until the next morning, when an ugly man with bright red hair threw a tray of eggs and toast at her. He glowered down at her then left her alone. She debated a hunger strike, especially since the eggs were cold, but she was hungry.

Even though she sustained no real damage from the torture, her muscles ached from being tense for so long. She stretched and observed her surroundings with a trained eye. First, she attempted to remove the expandable rope, but knew that was fruitless. The magical item would lengthen and shorten as she moved about, but only until she reached the end of the building.

Instead, she kicked with all her might at the iron pole they'd attached it to. No use, it had been lodged deep into the ground. She wandered around the barn. The rope pulled tight when she tried to push through the doors or windows. The horses nibbled at hay that had been put in their stalls, probably while still slept. One, whose name on the stall said "Lady", nudged Tina with her nose for petting. Tina indulged her for a few minutes.

Next, she scoured every corner of the barn on her hands and knees to find anything she could use, especially as a weapon. The place had been emptied fairly thoroughly, but she couldn't just give up.

Finally, her eye caught sight of something shiny behind the big rusted, metal desk at the back of the barn. Maybe a knife or hoof trimmer? She strained her arm underneath, desperately stretching her fingers to reach it, but it was too far.

In frustration, she jumped up and yanked the desk away from the wall. As her left hand slid against the rusted metal, she cried out as a jagged piece cut into her flesh. Blood welled out of the injury, dripping on the dirty stone floor. She tore a strip of cloth from her sleeve to staunch the bleeding.

When she looked behind the desk, she almost cried in defeat. The shiny object was nothing but a broken piece of a horse halter, the metal ring shining at her mockingly. She hurled it across the barn. It struck the wall and fell down.

Tina realized the wall was uneven, a piece of the wood cut, most likely by accident, and now stuck out. She managed to rip off a piece the size of her palm. An idea popped in her head.

Once she finished doctoring the wood piece, she saddled up Lady the horse and led her out of the stall. Tina shoved the wood under her saddle, which Lady whipped her head around at. But Tina assured the horse with gentle petting. The rope wouldn't allow her far enough to open the barn door, but as she guided Lady over, the horse nudged it open herself. Then Tina smacked the horse's behind, causing the animal to bolt forward and run from the barn.

Tina laid back in the straw and waited.