Intrigues afoot. More deaths. More angst. Someone's heart gets shattered.
Broken Hearts
Summer rolled into Hogsmeade with the chaos of students departing for their vacation, then quiet as the Hogwarts Express headed for London. In the Hog's Head, Aberforth watched as the breeze kicked up fallen leaves and dust on his doorstep. A late-born kid was nibbling at the tough grasses that grew between the stones. Her dam had died birthing her.
Aberforth whistled for the kid, which hopped over and quickly accepted her bottle of milk. Her sire, the gruff old billy goat, was no doubt chasing the village's nanny goats out on the green, and butting heads with other billies. Careless of his offspring. It was always the she-goats who cared for their young.
"Polly…" He fought to remember her laughter, her smiling eyes… It had been so many years, the memory of that summer tarnished by what had followed. He touched the faint scar that remained on his neck.
Alex was right. He was weak, weak when measured against the likes of strong wix like his mother and brother. Polly and his little sister Ariana, whose fragility belied unexpected strength. An owl flapped listlessly through the open door. Aberforth did not even need to read to know who it was from.
Do you wish to speak with him? It took forever for his brain to piece together the gist of the letter. He did not know. His son, Polly's son, their son.
"Winslow Duckworth," Pellinore Graves spat. "We get a bumbling goof for MACUSA president…"
They were at Central Park. This time, Lally Hicks was with Tina when they ran into the black wizard. Pelly was with a companion. Tina froze when the man tipped his hat and stood up from where he had been crouched feeding the ducks. Yusuf Kama.
"Mademoiselle Goldstein," the Senegalese wizard greeted her. "I had the honour of sharing a cabin on the steamer Justina with Monsieur Scamander on the way to Havana. I can reassure you he is well."
"Where is he haring off to now?" Lally asked with a twinkle in her eye. "Tina's Scamander?"
"West Africa or further perhaps. He did ask about the customs of my homeland. Alas, I was brought to France when a child of six and have not returned there since," Yusuf replied.
"Will you return someday?" Lally asked.
"Perhaps as a guest. I now consider myself a citizen of the world," Yusuf replied.
The four made their way to a No-Maj café where Tina ordered some coffee. Tina could not imagine that she would be sitting down with her one-time captor as if he were a friend. She had written to Newt, but his travels made it hard for regular correspondence. Writing to Theseus proved no better as the disgraced Auror was not inclined to respond. The British Head Auror had taken a spectacular fall from grace which was bandied about the Auror community not only in Britain but across the pond. He had been a war hero, a shining beacon of all that it meant to be an Auror, then he was delegated to a desk job in Centaur Relations after that incident with Nagini. They never found her. The Ministry claimed the transfer was for health reasons. Most knew better.
"I also bring news of your sister…" Tina's heart leapt at Kama's words until she saw he was speaking to Pellinore Graves. "Madame Nimue is well in Bueno Aires. She runs a taverna with her man since it might be impossible for her to dance while enceinte."
"My, what a regular reunion this is…" Lally smiled as she waved over a waiter for a refill.
"I also bring a warning for the Keeper of the Keys. Guard well the other keys entrusted. Grindelwald the Seer is making his move. The bones of your grandfather might be at risk." A shadow passed over Lally's face, but it was quickly gone.
"What was that about?" Tina asked. Lally laid a hand on her arm and shook her head. Not now. Yusuf was continuing with his conversation with Pellinore. The pair had lapsed into a French Creole dialect.
"Order your brother in Germany to back off."
"My brother Kay is stubborn and will not listen. What other news have your friends in Europe?"
"Our dark wizard has won over the heir-apparent of the Zabini clan and the Supreme Mugwump. He is stronger than before. I will not share any more news. If your brothers and sisters were to be caught…"
"Moggy's posh fiancé proved himself an inbred cretin. Perhaps you would share were Galahad or Bedivere here."
"If they were here, we will not be having this conversation but playing bridge over bourbon and cigars in the bayou," Yusuf shrugged before switching to English. "Has anyone been to see the Blackbirds on Broadway?"
They whiled away the remainder of the afternoon in idle chitchat. All the while, Tina fought not to shout at Pellinore and Kama for keeping secrets. Secrets which could put lives in danger. Lally was also acting strange. Kama's warning had unsettled her. However, she staunchly refused to share her concerns with Tina.
Lally Apparated to the nondescript churchyard on the shores of the Great Lake. The church had seen better days. The graveyard was sprawling, new additions from the Great War and the dreaded Spanish Flu had expanded it a decade ago. The community it served had long dwindled and died. She strolled nonchalantly towards the older graves.
Peregrine Graves. The words and dates below were long weathered to be almost illegible. She could feel the comforting thrum of magic beneath the sod. Reassured, she placed the posy in her hand on the sod and murmured a spell to strengthen the existing protections against grave robbers. Her great-grandfather had first taken on that duty and passed it on to his son, who in turn passed it on to his son. Her only brother was born squib. Thus, the burden fell to her and her sisters. They had grown lax of late, grave robbing no longer a serious threat. Who would come out to this deserted village to steal crumbling bones?
To any casual onlooker, it would appear she was another visitor expressing her gratitude to a local abolitionist legend. Captain Graves was a hero to a little black witch growing up in the No-Maj world. There had been many who made the pilgrimage to this churchyard. Descendants of those helped to freedom on the swift schooner the Falcon. Her grandfather had woven his tales by the stove, weaving images from the flames and sparks. Shadow and light.
What was it her colleague Silverfoot had said? Wizards like us cannot stand in the light. Lally shivered. She looked around.
Nothing but paranoia. She Disapparated back to Ilvermorny. Had she cast a Homenum Revelio, she would have found a fellow professor hidden under an invisibility cloak.
Munich, Fall 1928
He had been allowed to accompany Lord Grindelwald on his business trip for the first time. Aurelius tugged at his tie only for Queenie to stop him. They were riding with Vinda and Grindelwald in a carriage, ready to attend a dinner invite from Minister Vogel. They had spent a week in Prague first, having new robes made. Grindelwald had gotten rid of his moustache and trimmed his hair to give a more genteel appearance. He reminded Aurelius of the kindly father he so often had dreamed of when he was a little boy.
MacDuff and Abernathy had been left back in Nurmengard to watch their prisoners. Bedivere and Galahad were to be confined to their quarters until further instructions. Krafft and Nagel rode on the coachman's box.
"Greetings, Helmut," Vinda greeted the man who opened the door of the townhouse to them. She greeted him with a very French hug and peck on the cheek, much to his discomfort and Grindelwald's amusement. She did the same with Zabini, who was more at ease with the greeting. They were shown into the sitting room where another wizard was introduced as Cousin Karl. Their host joined them shortly after.
Queenie allowed herself to meet the eyes of the men in turn as they made their polite compliments to her and Vinda. Cousin Karl was picturing both witches sans clothes. How typical. Helmut, Krafft, and Nagel were dismissed from the sitting room. House elves brought pre-dinner cocktails. The conversation fluctuated between German, Italian, and French. It made Queenie's head swim trying to follow them with her rudimentary command of the French language. It would be worse for Aurelius.
The young man was looking at the opulent furnishings and the portraits of Vogel's ancestors. He was staring at a family portrait of a young boy with his parents. Without even looking into his eyes, Queenie could feel the sense of longing coming from him. Before she could approach him, Helmut returned to the room. He walked over to and whispered to Grindelwald. The dark wizard frowned. He made an excuse to their host and left with Helmut.
"Found him snooping, my lord…" Nagel reported.
Kay Graves spat at his captors from where he lay bleeding on the floor. His wand was snapped. He was tightly bound. He had been overconfident. He had been convinced Gal and Bee were held there in the Minister's townhouse. He had been careless, tired, and frustrated with nothing to show for his weeks of searching. The twins were in Cologne and likely on their way to the rendezvous if they had heeded the warning he managed to send before he was forced to discard his coin down a grate. Hector would be in Rotterdam with instructions to sail if they did not return as planned. They even brought young Lohengrin along – all starry-eyed and eager for adventure. Hector had the good sense to insist the young wizard stay on board their vessel.
Jenny had warned them to back off, but he had not heeded her advice. Pelly had said the same. Luca's presence on the premises was a surprise, but Zabini was a fool. Whatever Moggy had seen in him, it was not his wit.
A Bone-breaker to his leg. That bloody hurt.
"Who sent you?"
"Go to hell!" To hell if they expect him to surrender information so easily. A calloused hand on his chin. Odd-coloured eyes peering into his. He could not look away.
Grindelwald probed his mind. A simple wizard with no mental shields so to speak of. One of the Graves. There were others in Cologne and a vessel in the port of Rotterdam. They would need to be neutralized if they proved a threat. Their prisoner was fiercely loyal, he would not be dissuaded from his pathetic attempts at rescuing his brothers. A pity… Perhaps he would have other uses.
Rotterdam, on the Tigerfish
"You two are early," Hector spat a wad of chewed tobacco into the sea as the twins tumbled onto the yacht's deck. The pair had insisted on an emergency portkey, confident that it would not fall into the wrong hands. Other members of their crew caught out would need to find their own way to safety.
"Kay sent us warning," Tristan lifted the coin from his coat. "We are to leave immediately." It had stopped glowing, the connection to its twin snapped.
"But Kay…" Hector hesitated.
"No time. He might be already dead for all we know," Iseult added. They did not even have time to transfigure their Muggle clothes into more suitable wear for sailing. Tristan was dressed in lederhosen while she was dressed in a dirndl. Tristan was still holding a frothing beer stein. They had been waiting tables in a beer hall when they were alerted.
"Uncle Hector, whassup?" Lohengrin murmured sleepily as he stumbled up the stairs from his cabin. The sight of the unaware youth, barely of age, steeled Hector's determination. He took the beer from Tristan and took a swig, wiping the foam off his moustache with the back of his hand.
"I do hope at least one of you can help with the sailing…" the captain made to weigh anchor. The pair transfigured their clothes into sailors' uniforms by way of reply.
"Where's Uncle Kay?" No one answered the young wizard's plaintive query.
"Have you cast a Killing Curse before?" Grindelwald asked conversationally over dessert. Queenie dropped her dessert fork.
"N-no, sir…" Aurelius stammered. The poor boy had barely touched his food, overwhelmed by the company he was in.
"We have a rare treat for you afterwards, don't we…" Grindelwald smiled coldly as he waved the house elf over to refill his wineglass.
Three hours later, Aurelius staggered out into the alley and was thoroughly sick into the gutter. He had killed someone… Mother had preached to them on the Ten Commandments - Thou shalt not kill. Credence had killed before in New York. Why was this so different?
In the end, he had still failed Lord Grindelwald.
"You have to mean it, boy."
He got the incantation right, didn't he? Yet there was no green flash from his wand.
Another bone shattered. How many bones does a human have to break?
He had tried so hard to mean it, but it would not work. Each time, Nagel broke one of the captive's bones. Aurelius finally exploded into his Obscurial form. That did the job – snuffing whatever semblance of life reminded in the mass of pulverized bone and flesh.
"Credence?"
A feminine voice from his past. It could have been a lifetime ago. Aurelius looked up from where he had been leaning over the gutter. Nagini. She was dressed in plain Muggle wear, as if she were one of the many local women who fought to keep their families fed in the aftermath of the Great War and crippling economic woes.
"Credence, I have news of your father… will you come with me?"
He did not care for his long absent father. He wanted to go to her, embrace her, promise never to leave… to what end? Grindelwald would never let him go, and he could not bring Nagini into their fold. What could he do?
"Credence!" Aurelius hastened up the steps to the back door of Vogel's townhouse instead.
"Aurelius? Are you alright, sweetie?" Miss Queenie. Golden curls and lily-of-the-valley perfume. She was in the doorway. Queenie had gone out after overhearing Krafft and Nagel jesting about the lily-livered youth tossing his cookies in in the back alley.
Aurelius tripped on the last step, straight into Queenie's arms.
"Careful, hon…" the blonde steadied the shaky young wizard. She fancied she heard a gasp, followed by the crack of Apparition. She glanced up to see a deserted alleyway. Whoever that was had long gone.
On the other side of town, Nagini wept. She was alone again. She could not possibly return to Britain after all the trouble she had caused the Scamanders. There was nothing for her but to continue her wanderings until as and when the beast took over.
Author's Notes:
Yeah, Credence-Nagini romance tanked. Readers might have noticed characters and references to earlier parts of this series.