The Purpose, Rewritten, Chapter 33 MACUSA
November 23, 1961
Seth wandered the streets of New York with a charm of discretion and a hood on his head. He followed Gellert's directions to the wizarding bar, The Blind Pig, the only one he knew of, but also the only one that existed in the city. He wasted no time and went to see Gnarlak the day after their arrival. Not wanting to be recognized by aurors or anyone from the Ministry of Magic, he had changed his eye and hair color to brown and modified his ears. He had not taken off his crown, but he had put a charm of disillusionment on it. He wore a long cape that covered him completely and he wore nothing elegant underneath.
When he arrived at the tavern door, a small trapdoor where a character's eyes were, slid aside to reveal real eyes. He felt a wind of magic pass through him. Probably a detect magic charm of some sort because the trap door closed, and the door opened to let him in.
The tavern was crowded. The music was loud, and the hubbub was deafening. Nevertheless, Seth made his way among the wizards and goblins. They only cast a brief glance at him. He couldn't have been more suspicious than anyone else in the tavern. He walked towards the bar counter since he didn't know Gnarlak and couldn't spot his distinctive aura.
Before he even spoke, he placed five galleons on the counter. The goblin bartender climbed onto a stool, moving closer to Seth.
"What can I serve you?" asked the goblin.
''Your best wine, and I would like to see Gnarlak.'' Seth said among the din around him.
''I don't know about Gnarlak... you'll have to be patient. What's your name?'' asked the goblin, taking the galleons.
Seth took out a piece of paper from inside his cloak and handed it to the goblin. The goblin looked at the paper, then at Seth with a frown. He nodded and turned around before snapping his fingers. A bottle of wine began to float and poured into a wine cup and floated towards Seth. Seth took the piece of paper and burned it between his fingers before tasting the wine. He saw the goblin go backwards and through a door.
Seth took the opportunity to look at the guests, then at the singer, who sang really well. A wizard was playing the piano and he began to think that he would like to have time to play again.
"It's almost December. We have to go to the theater soon. We can't miss this, you know that.'' Corban said in thought.
"I would never miss a nutcracker play with you, even if the planet was on fire." Seth replied.
The goblin returned with a wizard behind him. The goblin returned behind the bar as the wizard gestured for him to follow. Seth downed the rest of his wine and followed the wizard. As soon as the door closed behind him, spells flew in his direction, but he expected that. No goblin would be fooled by a few galleons and a name on a piece of paper. Seth had used his vampiric speed, disarming and stunning two wizards and now grabbing the wizard who had come for him from behind, pulling his hair and driving his head to the side.
Seth stared at Gnarlak with his black eyes as his hair changed to silvery white and his ears became pointed again. His hood had fallen, revealing his crown as well. The wizard tried as best he could to remove Seth's hand from his mouth.
''I dare believe that you must often receive impostors, Leadzurm?'' asked Seth.
Gnarlak laughed and continued to smoke his cigar.
"King Vulken. HA! Here in my tavern... release Alexander, yes?'' Said Gnarlak.
Seth ran his tongue over Alexander's neck, and he moaned and struggled. Seth chuckled and dropped him to the ground.
''GAH! Damn vampire!'' Alexander yelled, stepping back towards the couch where Gnarlak was sitting.
Seth waved his hand at a chair that floated towards him, and he sat down.
''It will always be my pleasure to serve vampires, and what's more, you are the king. What better? What can I do for you?'' asked Gnarlak.
Seth looked at the goblin. His hands no longer had a curse, since Gellert had healed them, following a favor obtained from Gnarlak. However, Seth could see that he was getting old: goblins didn't live more than a hundred years, at most.
''You have no descendants, Gnarlak?'' asked Seth.
''Hm. Do you care about this tavern? I'm far from leaving!'' Gnarlak assured with a hoarse laugh.
''Good. I'll get straight to the point. Do you know if there are any MACUSA people in this tavern tonight?'' Seth said.
Alexander got up and returned to the door, muttering insults.
''Oh, there always is, of course. I've been under surveillance for some time.'' Gnarlak explained.
He didn't want to elaborate, but Seth didn't care about the reasons. He was quite pleased that he wouldn't have to look far to apprehend aurors.
"So, I trust you can tell me who they are?" Seth said.
Gnarlak took a deep drag from his cigar and tapped the ashes in the ashtray beside him. Alexander remained silent, his wand in his hand.
''What does this information give you?'' Gnarlak asked.
Seth smiled. It was obvious that any information was worth its weight in gold, especially with goblins.
"What else can I tell you... other than not having them in your way anymore?" Seth said.
"Kill them?" said Gnarlak.
''No. Far from it.'' Seth said, without giving any further explanation.
''So what?''
''I won't tell you, Gnarlak. It's for your own good not to know what I plan to do. Know that Grindelwald is behind all this.'' Said Seth.
"Grindelwald? Has he come back?'' asked Alexander.
Seth turned his gaze to the wizard.
''A fan of his?'' Seth asked.
''Who would not be? He had promised a war against the no-majs. Let us not have this stupid wand license law... or the death penalty. They allowed marriage with the no-majs, but very little, with lots of conditions and follow-ups and it's a real mess!'' Said Alexander.
Seth played with his tongue. He would never understand why wizards fell in love with muggles. He understood the importance of muggleborns, and their origins, but not of falling in love with someone so different and not from the same world. There were enough wizards in the world, as well as magical creatures, for their world to proliferate.
''Hmph. Usually, I don't exchange information for nothing. In any case, I understand well that we see the same...'' Said Gnarlak before coughing. ''The two you just stunned are two wizard policemen... not really aurors, but those who are busy harming me and preventing my orders. If you can do something with them already... they thought my contact had arrived, but I didn't think he would show up and I was surprised that the name used would have been a name my contact would use, but... it 'was you'.''
Seth got up and went towards the two motionless wizards.
"That will be enough for now. This is a great start.'' Seth said as he crouched down between the two and placed a hand on their backs. "They will return in a few hours, Gnarlak, and you can continue your activities without them reacting."
''What? These wizards are trained against the Imperius. Is this a joke or what?'' said Alexandre.
Seth gave a sly smile.
''No, it's not a joke.'' Seth said.
"It's not just them." Gnarlak informed. "There are six or seven of them in rotation coming… very bad for business."
''It's perfect.'' Seth said before concentrating on apparating to Beaudelaire's mansion.
He felt the magical barriers of the tavern.
''You can't apparate here...'' Alexander muttered.
Seth opened his eyes and stared at Alexander.
"I can." Seth laughed before apparating away with the two wizards.
OoOoO
December 23, 1961
Bringing the hit wizards to Gellert was very easy. This was also a test of whether the Triune worked the same on wizards as it did on muggles, which it did. For some reason, it was never Gellert who inserted the Triunes, but rather Abernathy or Vinda, who took great pleasure in it. Rookwood made the Triunes in the department of mysteries. Which was better, actually, because no one was supposed to know what the unspeakables were doing. Seth was content to take information from Gnarlak and seize the aurors and other members of the ministry, such as the international representative of American magical cooperation, Jackson Sloan.
But the latter, as well as his family, had been supporters of Grindelwald during the World War, and it only took seeing him for them to realize that they did not have to control everyone and that their the task would only be easier.
After a long month, Seth returned to England to see the Nutcracker show for the seventeenth time. He had used a portkey and arrived at 1:00 a.m. in his living room. He looked around and saw Corban waiting for him, resplendent in his outfit. He realized he hadn't seen him since the last time they went to see the show, the year before.
A moment later, their lips did not leave each other, no longer hearing anything, no longer seeing anything other than one or the other. Their thoughts were burning with emotion, putting aside everything they had been through over the past year. Their kissing session continued on the couch.
"Dada."
Seth stopped the kiss and turned his head towards the little voice he had just heard. A tiny girl in pajamas pink onesie looked at them with a big smile.
"Dada!"
Seth and Corban sat down on the couch, then Corban giggled before taking Ruma in his arms.
Ruma… his daughter… their daughter. He was away so he could offer her a safe world, a world where she will have everything for herself. He hadn't seen her in a long time either.
''She escaped from her bed, it seems.'' Corban said. "Merebelle must be tired."
Corban saw her almost every day, since he worked at the ministry and came home almost every evening.
Colpy appeared and exclaimed when he saw Ruma in Corban's arms.
''Oh! Colpy is sorry! Colpy fell asleep when Colpy should have been watching her. Colpy will take her back to her bed, your majesty!'' Colpy squealed.
Ruma clapped her hands and particles of white magic glowed as they floated in the air before fading and disappearing. Seth was impressed to see this phenomenon, but apparently not Corban, who laughed.
"She loves doing that. I've already talked to you about it, but you're often distracted.'' Corban said. "It's okay Colpy, I'll take her to bed."
"Oh?" Seth said, trying to remember when it happened.
Colpy curtsied and disappeared.
"It's no big deal… stop worrying about it. At least you got to see it for yourself.'" Corban said.
Ruma turned, staring at Seth with her big green eyes.
"Dada." Ruma hissed in Parseltongue.
''Well...she can't come from somewhere else, hm?'' Corban said.
Seth chuckled when Ruma decided to push Corban away and cross the gap to her father and sat on him. Seth was a little surprised, but she placed her little hands on his cheeks and stared at him with her green eyes. He did not remember such behavior with Igor. It's like she knows who he is. After all, Monica had written in her letter that she often dreamed of her daughter who seemed to already know things about him. The moment was brief, but intense. She removed her hands and rested her head on his chest, since his shirt was now on the floor. He wrapped his arms around her as she seemed to lose energy.
''She... fell asleep?'' Seth asked.
''Would you like me to go carry her?'' asked Corban. "You arrived eighteen hours early for the show, after all."
Seth shook his head and leaned back on the couch before lying down with Ruma on top of her.
''No. This is the first time…" Seth muttered.
Corban followed Seth's thoughts, taking him back to his childhood and he saw Kathleen rocking him and humming a song.
'When I hear the birds.'
'Sing their chorus.'
'Announcing that soon.'
'The day will end.'
'I unite with their voices.'
'I leave my sorrows there.'
'But like them, I don't think so.'
'May there be sovereign peace.'
'Along the woods.'
'Who falls asleep in the shadows.'
'I dream of you.'
'Creator of darkness.'
'Beyond the fir trees.'
'The sky goes to sleep.'
'To leave the humans.'
'To hope for of a new sun.'
OoOoO
June 9, 1962
New York
Seth stopped in front of a library. His notice-me-not charm worked as intended when he entered the building. He looked around him curiously at the different types of books created by Muggles. He recognized several that Kathleen had read to him when he was a child. They were apparently known all over the world. His heart sank at the brief memory of Kathleen. He shook his head, then headed towards the supernatural section. He quickly looked through the books and stopped his finger on the vampire stories. He started reading and never stopped, even after the store closed and the lights went out, he stayed up, turning page after page. Small balls of light, the Vulkanis, illuminated the books. The stories were about Dracula, stakes, coffins, garlic, holy water, how they couldn't walk in the sun or how they had to first be invited into a house before entering it and that their hearts did not beat and that they all lived forever without growing old.
Seth shook his head. Dracula.
In the historical vampire book he had at home, it mentioned Dracula, the one who had made Emrick during his trip to England. Emrick would have inherited the cruelty of Vlad the Impaler and he had such an impact on the population that the muggles still talked about him in their stories. Three-quarters of what the muggles said was false.
However, Gnarlak had told him that the vampires they knew avoided churches, even though they were very religious in their past.
The light of cars passing in the night caught his attention as he finished reading. The cars seemed more and more refined as the years went by. The wizards were barely aware of what the muggles were doing. Magic made them lazy, doing everything with one wave of their wand, forgetting and despising muggles while they grew in number and power. He closed the last book he had read and placed it back on the shelf. His lights faded into the darkness, and he went out after unlocking the door with a wave of his hand.
He walked the streets, listening for anything suspicious. He inhaled deeply through his nose, searching for any scent of blood. The asphalt was wet from the rain that had fallen an hour earlier. Distant sirens could be heard. Screams, gunshots, and loud music.
He couldn't follow his senses properly, as the smell of blood was everywhere, as were the intermittent screams. He passed through an alley where he heard a woman moaning and a man growling. The man was obviously raping the woman against a wall. He waved his wand at the man who was thrown back a few meters. He then grabbed him by the neck before sinking his teeth into him while the woman screamed even louder. Blood splattered on his overcoat and chin as he drank in large gulps, quickly ending the man's life. He dropped him on the ground and looked at the woman curled up and trembling, her panties down to her knees.
He had no pity. She was not a Vulken muggle. She didn't deserve more than what he had just done for her. He turned around and left her there, next to the corpse of her rapist and without even erasing her memory. He cleaned the blood from his chin and clothes with another swipe of his wand, then continued walking down the street he was on. An hour later, a fight began outside a bar, ending in gunfire. He heard the injured man's heartbeat speed up, then slow and stop as his blood flowed into the wet street, where cars didn't stop, passing by the scene as if nothing had happened.
More sirens. More screams. More blood.
He passed a church and stopped. He felt a strange pull in his magic, pulling him towards the large building. He walked over to the giant double doors and placed a hand on the handle, but quickly pulled it away.
The handle had burned his hand.
With raised eyebrows, he healed his hand, then muttered various detection spells. There were runes imbued into the church structure and some weak shields. What impressed him was that the shields, even weak, covered the entire building. He waved his wand, opening the doors. He couldn't enter because the shield prevented him. He knew he could break it easily, but he wondered if the theory was that if the host let him in by saying so out loud, the shield would break.
"Go away, monster. You cannot enter here.'' Said the priest who had walked in front of him.
"Let me in." Seth hissed, casting a persuasion spell on his words.
"You… can… enter." The priest said in a sort of trance.
Just as he thought, the shield collapsed. What a great use of runes. Were these runes inscribed in all churches? Seth walked in, his feet sliding silently across the floor. The church was truly magnificent. He admired the windows and the artwork covering the walls and ceiling. The priest shook his head, then turned pale as he saw the vampire move quickly and touch the various objects of art, such as crosses.
''You are not welcome in the house of God and Jesus.'' Said the muggle.
''Why wouldn't I be welcome in a building you built? You called me a monster…have you ever walked around your own town at night?'" Seth asked as he now stood in front of a statue of a man on a cross with a crown of thorns.
"You drink blood! You are killing people! You have no soul!' said the priest. The priest's lips trembled. Seth walked slowly towards him. ''You're not supposed to exist.'' The man muttered.
"Not exist…" Seth whispered.
He didn't know why he was born. Even after all these years… he was never told why. This priest had said this simple sentence, but which seemed to have so much meaning for him.
Exist.
Seth looked at the ceiling which was immensely high. Paintings adorned the walls. Angels, naked men and women, clouds…
And if humans really knew who was superior to them, would they then draw wizards, or even vampires? He decided that the churches were profane. He raised his wand, and the priest took a step back. Seth gave an evil laugh before uttering one of the most terrifying words in the wizarding world.
"Fiendfyre."
A roaring fire dragon came out of his wand, a constant stream of fire where small animals made of fire also appeared one after the other, burning everything in their path. The Dragon fire attacked the priest, who screamed in pain as the flames burned him in seconds.
He left the church and crossed the street further, wanting to admire the beauty of church's fate, but also to see if everything he had done with Gellert over the last year would finally bear fruit. A minute later, sounds of Apparation were heard.
The Aurors were all coordinated. They controlled the fire by muttering the counter-spell for several minutes. When they were finished, one of the aurors turned to Seth, his eyes blank.
The other Aurors looked at each other, their eyes just as blank, and under a command from one, they apparated away. Only one thing was missing, and everything was ready.
OoOoO
MACUSA, New York
"Damn Fiendfyre… that wasn't natural! I tell you, he wasn't a simple wizard.'' Said Auror Lopez.
''If it wasn't a wizard, then the perpetrator must have been present. Who cast the detection spells?'' Porpentina asked.
Auror Carneirus raised a finger before sipping his coffee.
"I did...but it told me that a magical creature was there for not even half a second before disappearing, and I don't think any of them could cast Fiendfyre." Said Carneirus.
Auror Tolliver groaned.
''It could have just been a witness. Why would this guy stick around to control a fire in a fucking church?'' Tolliver said.
"Watch your language, Toll. This brings me to the next question: why this church? What was so special? Fontaine, what did you find?' asked Porpentina.
Auror Fontaine looked through his papers in front of him.
"Oui, uh, it seems dat a certain Mr. Caleb 'arris was the prie't dere. 'e 'elped many 'omeless people and was very well liked.'' Said the French Auror with a thick accent.
Tina huffed and started pacing before looking at Maximilian Picquery who was frowning at his own papers.
''What's wrong, Max?'' Tina asked.
"Hm, there were hidden compartments in the basement that weren't burned... there were several no-maj weapons, daggers, bottles filled with water with a cross on the vials, and the smell was horrible... garlic residue or something.'' Max said, wrinkling his nose as if the smell was still there.
The Aurors looked at each other blankly and Tina rubbed her face, then ran a hand through her short white hair.
''It's about vampires... Why would no-majs have things to kill vampires like they were real?'' Porpentina asked.
''Because they are?'' Tolliver said.
Tina rolled her eyes.
"I meant real for no-majs." Tina said.
Tolliver's ears turned red with embarrassment, then he cleared his throat.
"That doesn't explain anything." Tolliver added.
"Killing no-majs to sympathize with vampires?" Max asked with a raised eyebrow, then frowned before looking at Tina. "Do we have a problem with vampires?" Max added.
"Not… that I know of." Tina hesitated, her thoughts turning to Angel, then to Grindelwald.
She placed her palms on the table and frowned.
''You want me to go see Gnarlak?'' Lopez said as he was about to light a cigarette.
Tina sighed then shook her head.
''No... I'm going to go, he won't tell you anything, you know that... and don't start that shit here, Lopez.'' Tina said.
"Oy, language, Tina." Tolliver said with a wink.
A young auror specializing in the no-maj police department came running towards them.
''What's wrong, Timmy?'' Tina asked.
Timmy was dressed in a no-maj lieutenant outfit. He placed an arm against a wall to stabilize himself and maintain his breathing. He looked alarmed, raising a finger in the air.
''You know...I haven't been to the morgue in...a long time and I haven't seen what the medical examiner did since then.'' Timmy said, stopping for a second. ''But hey, the same evening of this event at the church, the blood of a no-maj had been drained with teeth marks on his neck. I thought it might have been a coincidence with this church, you know. But no, it seems that no-majs are dying quite often in recent years with bite wounds and blood draining from their bodies. I had to magically force them to talk to me... the forensic scientists... they're vampires. They're hiding in plain sight! They have been writing false reports for years! ''Said Timmy, visibly shaken.
The Aurors all looked at each other again with that same blank look and Tina pursed her lips. She was supposed to see Gnarlak, then a certain vampire named Angel.
OoOoO
The blind pig
''So, this church. Did you find anything interesting?'' Gnarlak asked.
Seth raised an eyebrow.
"What church?" Seth asked with a smile.
The goblin chuckled and lit his cigar. After taking a drag from his cigar, he glanced at the hit wizard who had been obeying him since Seth had... taken them away.
''I have reached the end of my resources, Mr. Vulken. I think the last one is Miss Scamander.'' Said the goblin.
''Yes... And I think my plan worked and we'll find out soon.'' Said Seth.
Gally, the bar elf, approached them quickly.
''Gally is sorry to interrupt you gentlemen, Miss Scamander is entering the bar at the moment.'' Gally said before placing a Firewhiskey in front of the goblin, then he trotted away.
Seth wore a hood, and you couldn't tell who he was at first glance. Gnarlak made an irritated face, like someone who never liked seeing the head Auror, who had quickly made his way to their table after spotting the goblin. She glanced briefly at Seth but couldn't make out his features in the shadows.
''Gnarlak, I need to speak to you in private.'' Tina said with an urgent look.
Gnarlak groaned and shared a look with Seth who drank from his glass again.
''Perhaps you would prefer to talk to me, Miss Scamander.'' Seth said.
Tina sat up to try and get a better look at him, now noticing who it was.
"Seth Vulken! You here?'' Tina asked, placing her clasped hands on the table after casting a privacy spell around them, replacing the ones Seth had placed for Gnarlak and himself.
"The New York Department already has my immigration papers." Seth said before she accused him of anything.
''What? You are a high-ranking person, Mr. Vulken, you should not be without... protection. What are you doing here? Sorry...I...an incident happened, and I think you would be the right person for me to talk to actually. Someone used Fiendfyre on a church and my colleagues found items in the basement intended to kill vampires the no-maj way. They also detected the presence of a creature but were unable to identify it on site...''Said Tina.
So, his plan had worked. The Aurors had encouraged her to come see Gnarlak and question the suspicious origins of the fire.
"Do you have any leads?" asked Seth.
Tina looked at Gnarlak who remained impassive, then looked at Seth again.
''What if it was Grindelwald?'' asked Tina.
It was time.
''Miss Scamander, can we go somewhere else to talk, if you would like?'' Seth asked.
"Of course." Tina said.
"You know where Angel is staying, yes?" Seth said.
''Yes.''
''Perfect. Do you want me to assist you in apparating?'' Seth asked.
"No, I… prefer to come with colleagues." Tina replied.
"No problem, let's meet him at his house in an hour then." Seth said.
Author's Note: Phew, it's been a while. I write a lot in my notebooks and the other chapters will have to arrive more quickly. I want to put Grindelwald in the grave and end it as quickly as possible. I had to come up with ideas to finish it! The Marauders' time with Ruma will be more interesting 😉 Don't forget to leave me a little comment... I haven't had one yet. Thanks for reading xxx