Happy New Year everyone!

2023 was one of the hardest years of my life but I made it. I heard views were slowly coming back so thought I'd update. With all the issues with fanfiction and emails I missed a tonne of reviews last year. Please DM me if you have an account and you wish to ask/tell me something about my stories. I feel awful about missing all the reviews, so please reach out to me if you can.

Hope 2024 is amazing for you.

Lots of love,
LSH xxx

Sisters Divided – Part 15:

Tina and Queenie watched as their sister vanished from sight and, although she was unharmed, the mark on her hand was causing Tina a lot of inward concerns that she was not going to share with Queenie at that time. The two soon made their way to the Walk of the Qilin and were hoping to be able to gage more about Flora's situation.

Flora stood with Vinda at the front of the gathered crowd as they listened to the candidates' speeches. She could feel Grindelwald's eyes on her and that was making her nervous for some reason. She couldn't understand why she was suddenly so aware of every little sound that people were making around her as Grindelwald's voice faded from her mind. All she could think about was Grindelwald and everything that had happened between them. She just longed to be back in his arms and Vinda grabbed her arm to stop her from moving.

"You're alright," Vinda whispered as she could feel Flora wanting to move towards Grindelwald but needing to prevent her from doing so.

The Qilin walked past Santos and Liu before looking at Grindelwald and bowed in front of him. It was as if the world had stopped in that moment.

"The Qilin has seen. Seen goodness, strength, essential qualities to lead and guide us," came Vogel's voice, "Who do you see? Gellert Grindelwald is the new leader of the magical world by acclamation."

At that moment the world became a sea of green and Flora's eyes widened before she felt the grip on her arm loosening. She realized that she was alone and then her eyes widened in horror as she saw Jacob and Queenie being brought forwards.

She watched as Jacob was brought up to Grindelwald and something was placed in his hand. Flora watched as he gestured to Jacob.

"This is the man who tried to take my life. This man who has no magic, who would marry a witch to pollute our blood. This forbidden union will make us less, make us weak, like his kind," Grindelwald said, "He is not alone my friends. There are thousands who seek to do the same. There can only be one response to such vermin."

Flora wondered for a second what Grindelwald was going to do before watching as Jacob turned to face her wizard and then, before she realized what she was doing, she threw herself between Jacob and Grindelwald, receiving a hit that sent her backwards and the sensation that her who body was on fire. She couldn't fight it. She knew it was the Cruciatus Curse.

Grindelwald was frozen as he realized the spell had hit his flower and Tina and Queenie, along with Lally had rushed forwards to Flora and could see the tears of pain in her eyes, silent ones, snaking down her cheek.

Santos lifted her wand and Flora laid still. Vinda and Carrow quickly pulled her away from everyone and Vinda began to work on Flora to make sure she was as fine as she could be.

The next thing that happened was Grindelwald himself was down by Flora and moved her to his arms, whispering something as his lips rested on her head.

"That was foolish of you my flower," he whispered and everyone watched on in shock as the Dark Wizard was healing Flora in front of their eyes.

"I couldn't let you hurt him…" Flora whispered, "please forgive me…"

"You know I can never stay mad at you Flora my girl," he said as he helped her to her feet, "why did you do that?" He kissed her head softly, holding her close, not even caring who was watching them.

The turmoil he was feeling was evident to the two of them and Vinda as she stood within arms reach of Flora to grab her when a signal came.

"Because you are not evil Gellert. There is some good inside you and I couldn't let you hurt him. I know what he did but he's still a person. Everyone believes you to be bad but you are not evil Gellert," she said before resting a hand on his cheek.

Grindelwald knew they should not have been as close as they were in public but he couldn't resist Flora no matter where they were. His arms snaked around her waist and he rested his forehead on hers.

"Are you sure that you're fine?" he asked again, needing to check and make sure.

"I'm sore but I will be fine after some rest," Flora whispered as she melted into his touch once more. Her lips moved to his cheek before there was a cry… a phoenix cry.

Grindelwald gently pushed Flora back into Rosier's arms as a feather fell from the phoenix and landed on Grindelwald's face. Flora moved to brush it away before noticing the troubled look on the wizard's face. Her eyes followed Grindelwald's gaze before they landed on a figure… Credence.

Flora wondered if Credence was going to say anything. She had her suspicions that he knew about her and Grindelwald but she couldn't be sure. They'd been careful that nobody knew but the look on Rosier's face was worrying her.

Credence smeared the ash feather on Grindelwald's face before he turned to face the crowds.

"He's lying to you. That creature is dead," the wizard said before falling to his knees and Newt freed himself from his captors.

"He did it to trick you. He killed it and bewitched so you might think him worthy to lead. But he doesn't want to lead you, he just wants you to follow him."

Grindelwald glanced at Flora frozen in place as Rosier had an arm around her. He turned back to the gathered crowd.

"Words. Words designed to deceive… to make you doubt what you have seen with your own two eyes," he said, his eyes falling on Newt as the Magizooligist spoke again.

"There were two Qilins born that night. A twin. And I know that because…"

"Because…? Because you have no proof. Because there was no other Qilin. Am I right?"

"It's mother had been killed…" Flora spoke suddenly as she began to join the dots together.

"Then where is this second Qilin, Mr. Scamander?" Grindelwald asked, cutting Flora off from her thought.

Then, in a twist of events that only one present would have known about, a woman in green with a case appeared and stretched out her hand to give Newt the case.

"No one can know everything Newt. Remember?" came Bunty's voice.

Newt placed the case down and opened the lid before a small head popped out and both Vogel and Grindelwald looked unsettled.

Flora had taken a few steps forwards as she saw the Qilin coming out of the case, looking at its twin. The witch watched as Newt couched down and spoke to the Qilin.

Words failed Flora as she watched as Vogel tried to claim that his Qilin was the real one before it fell limp in his hands.

"Anton… you have to do something. That cannot be allowed to stand," a British witch said before Grindelwald pulled Flora back into his arms as they witnessed the Qilin bowing to Dumbledore.

"I'm honored," he said, "just as two of you were born that night there is anther here. Equally worth it. I'm certain of it. Thank you."

The Qilin looked at Dumbledore before turning and walking towards Santos. After that everything was lost on Flora as she saw that Credence had stepped in front of the defenseless animal as Grindelwald had cast a Killing Charm at it and her heart stopped as she watched what unfolded next.

Two spells shot out of nowhere. Dumbledore and Aberforth had cast protection spells to protect Credence and then there was silence. Her eyes widened as she saw Dumbledore and Grindelwald looking at each other as their spells knotted together. She glanced around and appeared to be the only one aware of that fact.

The two wizards were shackled to each other, and it was almost like someone had stabbed her in the heart as she fell to the floor, hand on chest. The Dark Wizard could feel Flora's pain, but he was rooted to the spot as the blood troth's chain shattered and the crystal, as if in slow motion, began to tumble to the floor.

There was a flash and everything was silent… almost like the rotation of the earth had stopped. The crystal shattered as it hit the ground; both had been emancipated. The two began to duel drawing closer to each other is a display of power that nobody, except Flora herself, appeared to be aware of. The two only stopped when their hands had moved to rest on the other one's heart. The two wizards locked eyes and then…

Yellow lights began shooting up into the sky, one after another after another as Santos was declared the new leader of the Magical World.

"Who will love you now Dumbledore?" Grindelwald called as the blood troth finally broke in two.

After he didn't get an answer the wizard rushed to Flora's side and lifted her into his arms.

"You're OK Flora," he said as he looked at her barely able to move from the pain she'd endured over the past few minutes.

Grindelwald looked at Rosier and nodded as his followers Apparated away, all eyes on Grindelwald with Flora in his arms.

"Let her go," Santos spoke as she looked at Grindelwald, "Flora Goldstein is an innocent in all this. She deserves to be with her sisters."

"I…I… can't let her go. She is neither good nor evil and has to decide for herself where she lies," Grindelwald spoke as he looked down at the witch in his arms, "she is unharmed and I could never harm her."

He Apparated to the edge, he held Flora close to him and looked at everyone before his eyes caught sight of Tina and Queenie watching on in terror.

"She will be at the wedding and she has more freedom than most do," he said, trying to reassure them that Flora was safe. He stumbled as he had to get a shield up as spells were shot at him. He held Flora in his free arm and close to him. He had to keep her safe.

"I was never your enemy. Then or now," he spoke, eyes on Dumbledore before he fell backwards holding Flora close to him.

"FLORA!" Tina, Queenie and Lally all shouted at once as they rushed to the edge only to realise that Grindelwald had Apparated away and taken Flora with him…