Our Next Move

Tom had finally managed to get some sleep. His creatures curled up beside him made him feel safe. He suddenly felt a hand over his mouth. He tried to scream but was muffled. He flash-opened his eyes and he saw Dumbledore standing above him with a finger over his lips.

"Dumbledore. What…" he tried to speak.

"I need you to come with me," he whispered.

"What's going on?" he asked quietly.

"There's no time to explain. We need to go now. Grab your wand, robe, and shoes quickly now,"

Tom groggily sat up, waking up his creatures, who rumbled in annoyance. "Sorry guys. Come on," he whispered. He grabbed his wand, robe from a coat rack and his shoes and followed his teacher and close friend with his creatures out of the common room. They went through the secret door, Dumbledore saying 'thank you' to the head of the house.

Tom pulled on his robe and shoes as he followed him down the corridor. Gilly was getting sleepier every second that he picked him up despite his drowsiness. They managed to make their way into the defence against the Dark Arts classroom right inside Dumbledore's office where they saw Minerva waiting for them.

"Professor, will you please tell me what's going on?" Tom begged, placing Gilly down in a lazy manner.

"I need you to come with me to Berlin," he said.

"What? But my dad said…"

"Newt doesn't know I'm here," said Dumbledore.

Tom wanted to ask questions but he remembered Grindelwald's potential for visions of the future. "What about Cheelo?"

"Minerva will ask Ron and Lucille to look after her. But right now, all I'm asking you to do is to trust me," he implored.

Tom felt the urge to ask questions but the generosity in his eyes reminded him how much faith Newt, Lorna and everyone had in him. They trusted him. And they were going along with him because they knew he no longer wanted to stand on the sidelines and watch the world being destroyed by a man he once loved. "I do trust you, Professor,". Dumbledore smiled in appreciation. Tom knelt before Cheelo and Gilly. "I have to go now, guys. My friends will take care of you. I'll see you all soon okay,"

Cheelo chirped, nuzzling her head against his hands. "Don't worry girl. I'll be back. Okay?" she chirped again and he gave her a warm hug before inviting Gilly to join in, not wanting to leave him out. Bobo purred on his shoulder. He held up his hand for him to stand on so he could face him. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave you here buddy. You need to help Gilly take care of Cheelo?"

Bobo shook his head and hugged his thumb.

"I'm sorry little guy, but you need to be with them. I'll be all right. Have I ever broken a promise?"

The Bowtruckle shook his head.

"I'll see you soon okay,"

Bobo leapt up and hugged his cheek and he give him a little cuddle before placing him on Gilly's head. He stood up and clasping his wand, took Dumbledore with his free hand.

"Take care you two," bid Minerva.

Tom watched as Dumbledore waved his wand and the fireplace in front of them burst into green flames. "I take it you know what this is?" the professor asked.

"Yep. But I've never used one of these before,"

"Well, you have nothing to worry about. Just step right through. I'll be holding your hand all the time,"

Tom took a deep breath. "Okay," he stepped into the flames and all he felt was his entire body whooshing from side to side through eternal darkness.

Newt and his party chased a Ministry man through the corridor. "The man I'm inquiring about is the Head of the British Auror Office!" he defined. "How can you have misplaced the Head of the British Auror Office?!"

"We contend that since he was never in our custody, we never misplaced him," the official said, sounding calm and relaxed as if nothing was wrong.

"Explain to us why Grindelwald has been pardoned!" demanded Lorna.

But the official turned away.

"Hey! Stop right there!" shouted Jacob. They tried to chase him but Helmut appeared.

Newt fumed and pursued him. "Where is Theseus?" Helmut didn't answer him.

"Hey!" shouted Tina. "He's talking to you!" Helmut turned around. "you mind telling him why you just imprisoned his brother? Your acquaintance,"

"For his offences,"

"'Offences'?" spat Lorna. "Theseus Scamander is your friend and a highly-valued member of the Ministry. How is he a criminal compared to the real threat that Vogel has absolved?"

Helmut stared at her intriguingly. "You'd better come with me," he grabbed her arm.

"Get your hands off her!" Newt tried to save her but wands from officials were pointed at all of them. Lorna's wand was disarmed. Her friends tried to reach her but she was pulled out of sight.

"Lorna is not a threat! What crime has she committed?!" Lally defied.

"I suggest you all leave," the official from before ordered.

Newt pursed his lips; there was no choice. Tina gently pulled him away and everyone walked off. Jacob stared coldly back at them. "You're gonna regret imprisoning innocent people, I'll tell you that,"

Dumbledore and Tom were on a train. The teacher kindly allowed his student to lie against him so he could still sleep. He wrapped a comforting arm around the boy.

As Tom slept, images flashed in the mind of his eyes again.

A green spell is about to be shot at Lorna.

A creature flew to save her.

A man and woman in capes staring out together into the distance.

Several suitcases in a room.

His father crying out his name.

"Dad!" Tom woke up, hyperventilating.

"It's all right. It's all right," Dumbledore soothed his shoulders. "You're okay. We're safe,"

The teenager saw they were still on the train; all was well. He calmed down but his heartrate remained debauched. "It felt so real," he breathed out, hoarsely. "I'm scared Professor,"

"You saw things. Didn't you," his kind teacher (more friend) said correctly. Tom stared at him in wonder. "It's no coincidence that you can see things because of your bond with our important friend," the boy was flabbergasted; had Cheelo granted him this gift because of his kindness and care towards her? "Don't tell me what you saw. Trust your instincts and what she has shown you,"

Tom tried to speak but no words came out. He had to tell him he saw Lorna in danger. He had to tell her that a stranger was about to appear out of nowhere and save her. His heart quelled at remembering that whatever he could see, Grindelwald could see too. What if that made him a target too? Should he tell his dad? Should he heed what their close friend had just requested? He took a moment to think and remembered exactly what kind of man Albus Dumbledore truly was. He had to go along with him, with and without knowing what was happening and what would happen.

The party had managed to make it out of the Ministry unharmed but their minds remained shaking from all that had happened.

"What's gonna happen to Lorna?" asked Jacob worriedly. "And what about poor Theseus?"

"There's nothing we can do," said Tina regrettably. "They won't kill them for sure,"

"I hate to say this but we need to get away from these premises for a while," Lally's shoulders were crushed with every word she spoke. "That's what they would have wanted for us. To get somewhere safe so we can figure out what to do next,"

Newt didn't want to but deep down he knew they were right. "Just as long as we can get them out alive. I pray that this isn't the wrong thing to do,"

"So that's it we're just gonna those bad people do whatever they want to them?" blabbered Jacob.

"We can't go marching around the Ministry and threatening Grindelwald's followers. There are too many of them and we'll find ourselves in an even worse position than we already are," pointed out Tina. "That's not what they would have wanted,"

"She's right," Newt alleged regrettably, feeling his insides twisting into a tight knot. "I just hope they can hold on for a while,"

Lorna was escorted privately to Vogel's office. She hoped her friends were all right and they weren't recklessly risking their lives to rescue her and Theseus. They needed to be safe so they could figure something out.

The doors were magically locked behind her and her wand was confiscated. Vogel marched into the room holding both it and his in his hands. He sat in front of his desk. "Sit," he invited.

She slowly sat down, not taking her cold eyes off of him for one minute. "Can I interest you in anything, Miss Dumbledore?"

"I'm good thank you," she simply answered.

Atop a building, a small dragon growled softly as it eyed the important room at the far top, Vogel's office. It narrowed its glowing eyes, seeing him and a certain woman through the glass.

"I know why you've discharged Grindelwald of his crimes. You're a disciple for him," Lorna proclaimed intelligently. "What did that wizard bribe you with to turn you from good and honest to foul and deceitful?"

"Grindelwald you see has a way of making wizards see the right courses of action,"

"Like exposing the magical world to the muggle world? Taking over it?"

"Don't pretend you're not interested," he smirked. "He told me how you resent the wizarding laws and how you crave us to be open to the muggle world alike,"

"Did he tell you I refused to stand by him when he offered?" she challenged.

Vogel stood up and circled slowly. "He did. He also told me how special you are," Lorna twisted her head, wide-eyed but containing her anxiety. He saw your fire powers against his blue fire in Paris, how you could transform into a phoenix," It was exactly as Lorna feared. Her secret had been discovered by dark wizards and it seemed like they wanted to draw her to their course to be a weapon. "Have you ever wondered? Why you're different from other wizards? How there never seems to be any more Animagi than you?" His prisoner tight-lipped herself and remained stubborn. He sat on his desk again. "It's because of our kind. They persecuted them just because they were different because they feared their existence would endanger them,"

Lorna felt a tightness in her chest spreading like a plague. "You're lying,"

"Don't begin to believe you don't believe me," he challenged. "Grindelwald above all resents the wizarding world for what they did. You are as much on his side more than your father's,"

"You know nothing about it," Lorna denied. "I'm gonna tell you what I told him back in Paris. I will never turn my back on my father. Not after all he has done for me. I will never put my wants before him. Like Grindelwald did,"

Vogel stood up slowly, his face relaxed but hiding a cold-hearted layer behind it. Lorna sat still; unafraid of what he would do. He turned his back. "He told me you would say that. Which leaves me no other choice," In a flash, he shot a flash of green. Lorna fell off the table to dodge it. She stood up and tried to make fire appear in her palms but nothing happened. She tried again. Still nothing.

Vogel cackled. "Did you think I wouldn't put a spell in this room to keep your powers in check?"

Lorna dropped her palms but refused to accept defeat. "Go ahead then. I'm not afraid to die for the ones I love,"

Suddenly a huge creature flew through the window, sending shards of glass flying at them. Vogel felt some scrap his skin. He dropped his wand. Lorna grabbed hers from the floor and stood back. She saw a small dragon land on the German Minister pinning him to the floor. It roared and it slashed its face. Suddenly they heard loud clicking. The door burst open and Ministry officials bombarded in.

The dragon shot fire at them and all of a sudden grabbed Lorna's arm and carried her through the window high into the sky.

"Stop them!" ordered Vogel.

The dragon, despite its small size, carried Lorna high into the clouds, further and further from the Ministry. She suddenly turned into a phoenix releasing herself from its grip. She descended towards a rooftop and it followed her. She transformed back into a human and watched with wonder as the dragon descended in front of her, turning back into the man she saw in the Ministry. With his hair in a man-bun and blue eyes, he stared at her, a mixture of gruffness and intrigue. "Who are you?"

"Stephen," the man introduced himself.

"You're an animagi like me. You transformed into a Peruvian Vipertooth,"

"Very rare indeed," he commented.

"You saved my friend,"

"He was lucky to have some time left before I healed him," he commented.

"Why have you been stalking us?"

"I needed to know,"

"Know what?"

"That he and your friends are not like the others. When I saw him and his son care for that Qilin, I wondered if perhaps they were not like the other wizards who persecuted us for our powers. Everything that Vogel told you is true. We are hunted because of our abilities. I've had to hide and move constantly nearly all my life,"

"I heard rumours about a strange wizard who moves all that. I reckon that's you,"

"I hide and do whatever it takes to survive,"

Lorna noticed something about him. "You need no wand for your magic,"

"Another reason why we're hunted like animals," he said bitterly. "My parents were killed by Aurors when I was a boy. I had to watch them die in front of my eyes," In his blue glowing, Lorna sensed pain and heartbreak. She saw a pendant around his neck, probably his mother's or his father's. "I need you to come with me,"

"I am not going to follow some random guy who I just met and leave my friends," she bluntly refused. "They need me,"

"Their kind wiped out many of our people,"

"They're different. Newt Scamander is my best friend; he's the closest I have to a brother and when he learnt of my secret, he could have turned me in, but he didn't. And my father Albus Dumbledore took me in and loved me as his very own when he found me. He kept me safe for years even though he knew he might be apprehended and placed in prison. How could I ever turn my back on them?"

"You'd seriously risk your life with them fighting for a world of selfish arrogant wizards? You know Grindelwald rose to power because they thought they knew better than them. Our kind was placed in greater danger because of their inconsiderate beliefs. That's led to more conflict. Recall the German Minister who just joined his side and was about to kill you,"

"It doesn't matter what influenced Grindelwald to pursue his goals. What matters is who decides to do something about it. My father is making a stand now. And he knows he cannot do it alone without me and my friends. I would never abandon him the same way his lover did. You can hide if you want, run away from your problems…but for me, I choose to help my friends and face problems,"

Stephen stared at her, affected by her words and most importantly her devotion to others. "You sound like you had a much warmer upbringing than I did. In all my years, I have never encountered an animagi as big-minded as you,"

"Why did you save me?" she wondered. "When you didn't even know me,"

Her rescuer was silent for a moment. "Because…you remind me of my mother," his voice was gentle but broken. "And it didn't feel right to watch another one of my kind and do nothing,"

Lorna felt herself prickling, hearing him speak like that. "I always thought I was the only one who was different in the world," she confessed. "But seeing you now has given me a sense of hope. If you join our cause to stop this wizard, we can show the world that wizards like us do matter and that we can do just as much good as everyone else does. We just have to take the first step. You don't have to be alone, Stephen," she comforted. "Come with me and my friends. We can help you. We take in anyone who needs our help. Whether wizard, creature, or both. That is the debt I promise I will give you for how you rescued Newt and now me,"

The shape-shifter considered her words for a moment. "It seems like helping you and your father is the only way any of us will truly be free. I will join you and your friend's cause against Grindelwald if he is truly as determined for too much power as he is. But if any wizard tries to attack me or experiment on me, they die,"

Lorna considered for a moment. "That…seems fair. But only if they attack you,"

"Good. Tell me where we will find your friends,"

"There is one thing you can do," she requested. "Look for wizards moving an Auror called Theseus Scamander,"

"I remember that guy," he said. "You have my word Lorna Dumbledore," In the blink of an eye, Stephen transformed into a tiny Vipertooth and flew away into the night.

By the next morning, Newt and the rest of the party had gathered up near the Ministry again. They had spent the night at a nearby hotel and were now outside the secret entrance planning for a way to try and break in to rescue Theseus and Lorna.

"So how exactly how we going to rescue the others?" wondered Jacob.

"Newt," Lally pointed. "Look," Looking ahead, they saw a glove pointing behind a column. They followed it and to their surprise, they saw Dumbledore and Tom dressed up in clothing.

"Dad," Tom went into his arms.

"Tom. What are you doing here?" Newt was happy but frightened.

"He came here with me for an important mission," Dumbledore said. "Which brings me to talk about what we're going to do now,"

"Uncle Jacob!" Tom sprinted into the overjoyed Muggle Baker's arms and he spun him around, squeezing him tight. "Okay. Really can't breathe,"

"I've missed you so much, kid. I'm so sorry I've been so distant,"

"Don't be," Tom assured. "It's so wonderful to see you again,"

"How's school?"

"School is so fun. It's good to see you too Tina," he hugged the surprised witch.

"It's good to see you too Tom. Like Jacob, I always want to apologise,"

"Don't be. I'm just really glad we're all together. It just wasn't the same without you two,"

"They took Theseus Dumbledore. And Lorna too," alerted Tina.

"Don't be so sure of that," approached a sudden voice. The party turned around and saw Lorna approaching them, unharmed.

Newt instantly hugged her. "Oh, thank goodness,"

"How in the world did you get yourself out of that pickle?" asked Lally, delighted to see her again as Tom gave her a tight squeezy hug.

"Let's say I've made a new ally who's agreed to join our party in exchange for protection," she answered. "And I've got some good news. Theseus is being held at the Erkstag,"

"Just what I was going to say," approved Dumbledore.

"But it shut down years out," he pointed out.

"Yeah well, it's the Ministry's secret little bed-and-breakfast now. You, Tina and Lorna, will need these…" he handed his daughter some papers, much to the Magizoologist's confusion. "Now, are you enjoying that wand, Mr Kowalski?"

"Me? Oh, year. Thank you, Mr Dumbledore. It's a real pipe," he answered.

"I'd advise you to keep it close. Now Professor Hicks, assuming you're not otherwise engaged – and frankly, even if you are – I'd encourage you to attend tonight's Candidates' Dinner. I'm quite certain there'll be an assassination attempt. Anything you could do to scotch that would be greatly appreciated,"

"It'll be my pleasure. I'll have Jacob with me," Lally approved.

Jacob was alarmed; he felt terrified.

"Not to worry Jacob," Lorna gently clasped his shoulder. "Lally's defensive magic is superb. And you have a friendly familiar face with you,"

"Tom, you're with me," Dumbledore instructed.

Newt was struck with worry. "What?"

"Newt, please trust me on this," Dumbledore implored. "We have roles to play in this mission and Tom's role is with me. This has to work,"

"What is his role?"

"I can't tell you," Dumbledore said regrettably.

"Remember what he said dad," Tom reminded. "We have to trust him even if our instincts tell us not to,"

Newt remained sceptical. He trusted Dumbledore profoundly but he hated for Tom to get hurt. To him his son would always be the young boy he rescued from New York. But over the last five years, he had grown into quite a strong wizard. He couldn't hold him back.

"Promise me you'll stay close to Dumbledore at all times," Newt implore his son.

Tom nodded. Newt smiled and he embraced him tightly.

"I'll look after him I promise," Dumbledore vowed to his close friend. "Now we'd best be off Tom. Time to go for a nice walk,"

"Where's your case dad?" Tom suddenly asked.

Newt was about to answer when Dumbledore gently answered. "It's perfectly fine. Now let's go. Time to do our parts. Ready Tom?"

He slowly nodded and gave his dad a final hug.

"You take care of that kid," Jacob implored.

"I will," Dumbledore promised. "We'll see you all soon," He gently took Tom's hand and they disappeared into the streets, Newt staring out worriedly.

"He'll be all right Newt," Tina assured. "He'll be safe. You mustn't worry for him,"

"That's the problem, Tina. I never stop worrying. To me, he'll always be the same little boy I adopted from New York. When he was scared and all alone,"

"He's not a little boy anymore," she reminded. "He's growing up. And sometimes you have to let him make his own choices. Being a dad means holding on and then letting go," Newt couldn't help but agree with what she was saying. "Come on. We need to get going,"

"Good luck Lally," Lorna gave her a warm side hug. "Good luck Jacob,"

She, Tina, and Newt turned and walked one way whilst Lally and Jacob walked the other way.

"Care to delight us with who this new ally of yours is like?" Tina asked.

"You'll see," was all Lorna simply said.

That's another chapter done. I hope you all enjoyed it. Please send review and let me know what you all thought. I hope it made sense and you all liked the look of the new OC Character Stephen. Please send your opinions and let me know what you all thought of the conversation between him and Lorna. See you all soon. Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.