Yanaha fingered the turquoise beads of her necklace as she stood in the center of the hogan. Around her sat representatives of the various groups of warriors. They looked up to her, the woman who was to lead them into battle. A woman who was suddenly sick to her stomach. Shilah entered quietly and nodded to her. As many civilians as they could had been evacuated, Shilah leading them to warded dwellings. Here on the weakest front all that were left were warriors, both men and women (except the stubborn few who refused to leave. She couldn't blame them. A home was dear to the heart, especially to a people who had watched their sacred land be stolen bit by bit, first by non magical soldiers then after resistance by Congress wizards who claimed their resistance was a threat to the Statue of Secrecy. They had been unprepared then, chipped away piece by piece, stolen child by child. Yanaha was determined that this would never happen again.) In the corner Queenie sat with Jacob's arm around her. She looked at Yanaha and smiled.
"Brothers. Sisters," Yanaha said, raising her hand. She felt the mountains' power course through her and with a soft glow light began to emanate from the air above their heads, lighting up the interior as the sun set. "We all know why we're gathered here." She took a deep breath and looked around. "We've spent generations running and hiding. Letting them take us inch by inch. Letting them take our children to grow up without learning of our culture, their heritage. I say no more."
The light turned to bathe her in an ethereal glow and suddenly her sick stomach righted itself. She could feel the harmony that the Hogan had been blessed with streaming through her. She was righteous. She was balanced.
"They've let the non magical soldiers strip us to pieces because they are scared. They've stabbed us in the back like cowards because they are scared. Scared of what power we have that they don't understand. Scared because they are crippled by their reliance on a wand." She turned to look at Queenie and Jacob. "They will say they are coming because we have stolen something from them. They've stolen a generation from us." She turned to look at the warriors. Shilah looked at her with a proud beam in his eyes. The warriors nodded as they took in her words. "It's time we restored balance to our land. It's time we restored harmony." The people around her clapped and shouted as she ended her speech. Next to her, the Hataałii stepped up and began a chant. As he sang, she could feel magic weaving in and out of her, growing with every word, bursting through the seams. She nodded, and stepped outside.
Outside the air felt cool and dry against her skin. She ran her hand down her long braid, twisted the turquoise beads on her necklace. In the distance she heard a boom.
"What was that?" Shilah said, moving to stand next to her. Light flashed in the distance.
"That's the sacred border magic," she said. "It's started." Shilah ducked back into the Hogan to call everyone to order. Within moments warriors were streaming out, finding their groups, readying to march to the conflict.
"Where do you want me?" Queenie asked, pulling Jacob behind her. Yanaha looked down at their interlocked hands. Queenie blushed and dropped Jacob's hand.
"Come with me," she said. "We're going to take the fight to the enemy."
"Good Merlin," Newt whispered as he took in the scene of devastation before him. The entire building had crumbled to the ground. As he watched, witches and wizards in Auror robes renewed the wards hiding the building. As far as Muggles (or whatever the Americans called them- was it No-Majs?) were concerned this building had never existed.
"The Senator for New York was killed in the destruction," Tina said, close to his ear. He could feel the warming charm she'd cast on herself. It was somewhat… comforting. That was strange. "It took quite a lot of effort to cover it up. Do you see why we asked you now?"
"Yes I do," Newt said, gazing at the imprint of a body in the dust. It wasn't hard to imagine a bloodless body there, the black scarring that was the mark of an Obscurial crisscrossing the Senator's face. It must have been terrifying to be there, especially if you were a powerless Muggle.
"Tina!" an imperious voice demanded behind them. They turned to see a tall woman with braided grey hair and a angry expression marching towards them. "How dare you bring a civilian onto a crime scene!" The woman marched up, attempting to use her height to make Tina cower. Instead, Newt detected the faintest hint of a smile on Tina's face. It changed her whole demeanor. She looked pretty. Newt mentally shook his head. This wasn't the time to be thinking of things like that.
"That's Auror Goldstein to you, Auror Smith," Tina said, back straight. "And I authorized him to enter this scene. Or have you forgotten that I can do that now?"
Auror Smith sputtered, her hand tightening around her wand.
"How dare you-"
"If you have nothing else to object to, Mr. Scamander and I wish to continue our observations. Director Graves expects a full report. I would hate to tell him we were unable to provide him with one."
Auror Smith sputtered for another moment, then abruptly turned around and walked off in a huff. Tina's hint of a smile grew to a full one.
"Sorry about that," she said to Newt, though she didn't sound particularly apologetic. "Auror Smith was rather upset about my recent promotion. She thinks it should have gone to someone more senior."
"Someone like her?" Newt guessed.
"Exactly," Tina said, then gestured at the scene. "I'm going to have to ask you to keep anything we discover today confidential. If word got out that we suspected an Obscurial-"
"I understand," Newt said, and he did. He remembered what happened in Somalia.
"Thank you," Tina said, smiling up at him, her whole face lighting up. Newt felt himself smiling involuntarily in response. He tried to remind himself that he was an unwilling participant in this investigation, but she really was charming when she wasn't interrogating him. "Only the Director and I are aware of this possibility at the moment. And now you as well. We want to confirm our suspicions before making this public."
Newt and Tina walked around the devastation, Newt trailing a hand over the remains of the stone and metal. He stopped to kneel down at a particularly interesting pile of what had been a tall pillar.
"See these burn marks?" he said, tracing a finger over the patterns. Tina knelt down next to him, elbow brushing against his. "These look like the patterns caused by the dark magic of an Obscurus." He stood up, brushing his hands off. "I'll need to see the body to be sure."
"That'll be difficult," Tina said. Newt raised an eyebrow. "How do you feel about grave-robbing, Mr. Scamander?"
"Leta my dear," Gellert Grindlewald said, pouring Leta a cup of tea in a chipped mug. "How was your trip?"
"As good as can be expected with Muggles," Leta said, wrinkling her nose. Gellert laughed, a beautiful deep throated laugh, and Leta gazed at him for a moment as she was reminded just why wizards and witches everywhere would die for this man. She wouldn't, of course, but it was always good to remember.
"And our friend in the Magical Congress?" he asked. He idly turned his wand in his fingers and the teapot poured him a new cup of tea. Another flick and milk and sugar dispensed themselves into his cup. "One sugar or two?"
"One please," Leta said. An engraved silver spoon served a single helping of sugar into her cup. "As loyal as ever. Which isn't much." Gellert raised an eyebrow and sipped his tea. "He agrees with the common cause of course, which isn't the hard part in America. They're more terrified of Muggles than any country I've ever visited."
"They did have a rather enthusiastic witch hunt not too far back in history," Gellert pointed out. Leta shrugged. As far as she was concerned history could keep itself in the past where it belonged.
"They believe in total seclusion. To the extent that when Muggleborns are identified they rescue them and bring them into wizarding society." She remembered who she was talking and added a hasty addendum. "As I'm sure you know already." Gellert shrugged. "And you won't have trouble finding someone who understands the natural higher position of wizards or witches. But they're not willing to take that final step for the greater good."
"Our friend cannot help with that?"
"Percival is more concerned with a war brewing under his own nose."
Gellert made a noise of interest. Leta took a sip of tea and continued.
"You know relations with the natives have always been…troubled."
"Yes, the inevitable conflict between the magic of wands and the magic of spirit." Gellert took a long look at his own long wand, holding it tightly between two fingers. "I was under the impression that Magical America had the natives under control."
"Well the natives don't quite agree. Some incident must have occurred- I'm not quite sure what, but the Magical Congress is gearing up for a war." She looked at Gellert. "If you wish us to make a move in America, this could be our chance."
Gellert stood up from the table and walked over to the window, turning his back to Leta.
"This cottage used to belong to an old wizard. He lived here for decades." Gellert's voice was calm, solemn. "Yesterday I came to him. I wanted to discuss some spells he'd been hoarding from far back in his family line." Gellert's grip around his wand tightened. "When I got here, I found the wizard- and the young witch he was keeping captive. Almost a child. He said it was alright because she was born of muggles." His voice lowered to a hiss. "She had magic running through her veins and he treated her like an animal. Like a muggle toy to throw away." He turned back to face to Leta and she shrunk from the anger on his face. "I made his death slow and painful."
"That is horrible," Leta said, "but I fail to see-"
"This is what the prejudice in Europe has reduced us to. If you think America is any better, forget that thought. They may be better in some, but they will balance it out in other ways." Gellert took Leta's hand in hers. She stared into his eyes. The fury in them scared her. The fury in them sparked her own. She'd been lying to herself. She would die for him. "This is what we battle for. To end our infighting, to forge our magical world into one that can create something incredible. Something that will lead our kind into a new age."
"For the Greater Good," Leta said, her voice echoing through the cottage.
"For the Greater Good," Gellert whispered. He squeezed her hand. "Go my dear. Go and forge something incredible in the New World. And when you're ready, I will come and help it rise."
Next chapter: Queenie is more than she appears and Newt meets a strange young man named Credence. If you enjoyed this, please review! I treasure all comments.
