#I trusted you: Credence Barebone

[dragoneyes618]

their words had forked no lightning

Based on the very end of this fanfiction by @alwaysahiccupandastrid​ (I think? Let me know if this is the wrong Tumblr)

"I'm a witch," Tina said to the little girl quietly, but she knew even as the words left her mouth that it was a mistake.

She'd only wanted to convince her that magic wasn't evil, that having magic did not make you wicked, that poor Credence hadn't been evil, hadn't been able to help himself having magic, that everything the Barebone woman had said about witchcraft wasn't true. Modesty knew Tina, and trusted her at least a little; Tina wanted to show her that magic could be used for good, that you could have magic and be a perfectly all right person as well. That Credence had only become what he had become because he'd been forced to suppress it for nearly all his life, subconsciously hiding his magic deep within him for fear of his very life and soul.

She was breaking multiple laws, telling a Muggle girl with no affiliation to the wizarding world what she was. But Modesty needed help - eight years old and homeless on the streets of New York - and she wouldn't believe whatever Tina said about magic otherwise. Modesty, unlike many No-Majs nowadays, certainly believed that magic and witches existed; after the disastrous events of that dark winter night, Modesty had been the only one that the Aurors had been unable to Obliviate. One little girl was impossible to find in all of New York; and besides, after how that woman had raised her and her siblings, she would believe in magic regardless, whether or not those memories were Obliviated.

But it had been a mistake. Tina should have waited to tell Modesty, or perhaps should never have said anything at all.

The girl's eyes widened as her face filled with terror. She scrambled backward immediately, almost instinctively, hands already half-raised in protection before her starkly pale face. She was already running as her feet hit the ground below the bench, not even turning fully before she ran as fast as an eight-year-old girl could run, fleeing as though in fear for her life.

Which she probably was.

"Wait!" Tina called after the small retreating figure, already knowing it was futile. "Modesty, wait! I'm not going - I only-"

But Modesty was already gone.

[vehuhia-rp]

“Run away”, they say. “No one'll love you as you are”.

Credence knew leaving was the best choice he’d made. Nothing good could have come between Mr. Graves and him as things were. As long as he kept thinking about him as “Mr. Graves”, as long as Mr. Graves kept seeing him as a fragile thing needing protection, they couldn’t move forward.

They needed to be equal to be a couple. And they needed to forgive. To heal. Too much had been said, too much had been done. They’d hurt each other too badly.

It was actually Queenie who’d suggested the idea first. “Distance would do you both some good, Credence”, she’d said around a cup of tea, one evening.

Credence had refused it at first. He didn’t want to leave, didn’t want to give Mr. Graves the impression that he was running away. He wanted to stay at his side, to be nearby when Mr. Graves wanted to return.

In the end, though, Queenie had been right. He’d been too badly hurt. He needed to leave, to take some distance with it all.

So he’d packed his meagre belongings along with his broken heart, and he’d left with Mr. Newt, on the morning tide.

Without seeing Mr. Graves. Without saying goodbye.

It was better this way, he knew. If he’d talked to him, he wouldn’t have left. If he’d talked to him, he would’ve collapsed at his feet, for him to play with again.

No, it was better this way. That way, maybe he could start healing.

With time, he’d even started to hope to forget him. They’d offered each other nothing but pain. They weren’t good for each other.

At first, it had been hell. He’d spent his nights thinking of Mr. Graves and crying in his pillow, and his days running after some strange creature or another with Mr. Newt.

In the end, he’d grown too tired to do much else than to sleep, at night.

In the end, his days had been too busy for him to think about much else than Mr. Newt’s creatures.

In the end, he’d started to heal. Started to make friends with some of the inhabitants of the small italian village they’d stayed at. Started to grow extremely close to one of them, Elia. Started to date him.

It had been nearly six months later that Mr. Newt came to see him to tell him that they were going back to New York.

Credence hadn’t slept at all that night.

And now, while he was drinking tea in Queenie’s and Tina’s living room, listening to Mr. Newt tell them all about their adventure, he couldn’t help the way his thoughts kept going back to the house he knew nearby, to the man he’d promised himself to forget.

And despite it all, despite the months away and Elia’s arms, he couldn’t help the way his heart bled from being so close, and yet so far away from the man who’d once healed his heart, only to better break it.

@loveisforchildren-percivalgraves

[arealtrashact]

I think your patronus likes me...

[peachyaone]

Who are you? (Pt 1)

"Hi, can I ask a credence barebone x reader where the reader is from the future? They are one of the house heirs, either Gryffindor or Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw. As we all know who's Slytherin's so your choice. And the reader is a great witch or wizard but feels a constant pressure to be so, reader could've been sent back in time when newt and Tina went to the future to get them by Dumbledore's orders to help them defeat Grindelwald. So when Reader meets Credence it's like a magical moment?" requested by: @aura-nightingale

pairings: platonic! newt scamander x reader / credence barebone x reader

warnings: none

A/N: Sorry this took so long! first things first, I haven't watched the third movie and it's been a while I saw the first two, so I'm very rusty, hehe, please bear with me :') Also, I decided to make this a two-part bcs I thought it was getting quite lengthy, lol.

You were in the Astronomy Tower, looking over the school. The warm night breeze was pleasant, you were humming a random tune as you heard a faint "whoosh" behind you.

As you turned, you saw two wizards. They looked a little light-headed, so you conjured up two seats with a flick of your wand. You smiled and gestured for them to sit.

"Tina Goldstein and Newt Scamander, right?" You asked.

The pair looked at you, surprised.

"I've expected your arrival, although, you two were a tad early than I expected." You huffed. "I'm Y/N L/N. Ravenclaw's Heir! I specialize in all the spells in the books and beyond that." You said. "You see, I have the gift of clairvoyance, that is how I knew you two were coming." You point to your suitcase by your feet. "I'm ready to go! So you don't have to wait!" You smiled.

"Before you say anything, Dumbledore has already told me everything, well, past Dumbledore and I'm willing to help." You explained.

"Well, Y/N. Take your suitcase and we can be on our way." Tina said, with a small smile. You took your suitcase and walked towards them.

"Hold on tight now, it's gonna be a bumpy ride," Newt warned, be before reciting the spell.

*timeskip*

"Woah, you weren't kidding when you said it was gonna be bumpy," You said, half leaning on the wall. Your head feels like it was gonna be split apart. "Here, sit." Newt said, settling you down on a chair he found. "Where are we anyway?" you asked, your head slowly getting clearer. "We're at a cottage on the outskirts of Hogwarts. Albus should be on his way to see you." You nodded.

A few minutes passed, and you heard knocking on the door. A few voices were talking and were getting closer. You shifted and made yourself look presentable. The door opened and there was Dumbledore.

"Mr. Dumbledore, I-" You started. "I know, Miss Y/N. I did call you here after all." You smiled. You were shifting from one foot to the other, slightly intimidated by the man you knew as your headmaster. "Don't be nervous, we're just going to talk and discuss our plan against Grindlewald. I trust that you know the situation?" He asked you. You nodded. "Very well, we'll meet here in two days time." He looked at Newt. "Do you mind accompanying Miss Y/N till then, Newt? " He asked. Newt nodded.

"Then it's settled. I'll see you two then." He said, before walking away.

You unconsciously let out a sigh, before looking over to Newt. "I've read your books, I'm an avid fan." You shyly mumbled. You have been busy dealing with your headache and travel here to have time to start a conversation with him. "Ah...thank you," Newt said, his cheeks slightly pink. "I was wondering if I could see them first hand? Like, I've always wanted to be like you since I was younger, but then I've never had a chance to." You asked "O-Only if you want to! My apologies for asking such things, I tend to get carried away sometimes.." You trailed off.

How dumb am I! You thought to yourself. How could you ask him for something like that-

"You may if you like," He said. "I'm so sorry Mr- wait, what?" You asked. "I said, that you could see them if you want to." Your eyes sparkled. "Thank you so much, Mr. Scamander! I promise to not touch anything!" You said, excitedly. He put down his case and opened it. He went in and he gestured for you to follow.

You carefully climbed down.

Once your feet touched the floor, you brush some dust off your clothes before turning around. Newt was standing by the doorway with a bucket of pellets. "Uhm, I have to feed the mooncalves." He said. "May I come with? I heard that they confused Muggles with their dancing patterns?" You asked. Newt slightly smiled and nodded. "They do, It was believed that this is part of the Mooncalf's mating ritual, but it also had the side effect of creating geometric patterns of wheat fleids." He explained.

The two of you walked by the habitats in Newt's suitcase. There was a pack of Nifflers playing around and a tree with a family of Bowtruckles. You were filled with wonder and amazement. There were so many beasts and creatures alike that you heard of but never seen in your time. You and Newt reached the Moonclaf's habitat. They were a pack of them trotting down towards the both of you. You quietly gasped as you felt them surround you and Newt. You froze still, you could've mistaken for a statue.

"You can relax, they're not hostile," Newt said, who was pulling his sleeves up. The mooncalves were very friendly with you, nudging your hands, thinking that you had food for them. You patted one of them, their fur felt soft and fluffy to the touch.

"Now then, would you like to try and feed them?" He offered. Your head shot up and nodded excitingly. "Can I really?" you said, sounding like a kid in a candy store. Newt noticed your excitement and gave you a lopsided smile. "Yeah, but please don't overfeed them, a handful of pellets should suffice." He advised. He handed the bucket to you, and you grabbed a handful of pellets and threw them at the mooncalves. The pellets floated above their head, and they were eating away happily.

After that, you thanked Newt for the "tour" of his magical suitcase and the two of you went off and walked around the streets of New York, as you had never been there in your time. As you walked, suddenly, a sea of people rushed in for lunch hour and proceeded to separate you and Newt.

Now, slightly lost, you decided to explore more, within the nooks and crannies of alleyways and going into shops. You weren't really in a rush to get back, because you knew you could find Newt easily if you wanted to.

Ah, Having clairvoyance is such a blessing.

But you weren't expected to bump into a man, who seem an little out of it.

"Sorry for bumping into you sir I-" you paused as the man turned to look at you. Your eyes widened. He was beautiful, just like someone out of your wildest dream. You have never seen a man quite like him. Dark ebony hair, defined jawline, and slightly pale skin. You wondered if he was even human in the first place.

He was staring at you too, not in a rude way, but as if he was seeing someone unbelievable. The two of you hesitantly took a step toward each other. "You-" You started.

"Who are you?"

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

If Harry took the route of becoming an obscurial, would dumbledore have clued in before it was to late? How would he deal with this scenario? What’s the fallout if he doesn’t and Harry tornadoes through privet drive?

A Few Thoughts

I mean, you don't take the route of becoming an obscurial, it's not exactly something you want to do with your life.

Also, obscurials...

Fantastic Beasts is such a retcon beautiful franchise that isn't even sure what an obscurial is either. Film one it's implied that this is a fate that will ultimately destroy Credence Barebones. This will kill him shortly, violently, and he essentially has cancer that turns him into an evil rage filled storm cloud.

Then film two happens, it's been several years, and he's alive and well and seemingly able to control his evil cloud powers much like an MCU superhero. Grindelwald interacts with him again and the idea that Credence is dying doesn't seem to come up, instead he's a protege and champion to be used to fight with Dumbledore who is now a badass.

My point is that obscurials haven't even been consistent between the Fantastic Beasts movies let alone their non-existence in the original canon. What's an obscurial? I have no idea, an evil cloud I guess. What does it even do? Uh, destroy buildings... maybe... and be an evil cloud.

Of doom.

Harry Becomes an Obscurial, Does Dumbledore Notice?

Depends.

If Mrs. Figg can recognize the signs or even just describe them then Dumbledore (having had some familiarity with this Credence fiasco given the man's his secret brother) he could very well have realized what was coming about and gone "OH SHIT" and dumped Harry on Snape.

(And it would be Snape, Dumbledore would trust no one else with this, and both Snape and Harry would have a miserable time.)

On the other hand, he was pushing it to the limit. Now, I think obscurials are a silly silly retcon, because the world would look so different if they existed.

I imagine muggleborns would become wards of the state. The disaster they can cause if abused and their magic suppressed is simply not worth it and would put the statue at so much risk. Tom Riddle would have been taken out of his orphanage, Hermione likely removed from her parents, and Harry probably never left with the Dursleys.

But if they did exist and Dumbledore put Harry with the Dursleys who he knows resented Lily and her magical abilities--then he's willing to take that risk. Dumbledore was very likely aware that not all was well with Harry Potter and did not remove him. I'm sure he wouldn't like for Harry to become an obscurial but, on the other hand, perhaps this is the power the dark lord knows not.

Credence, after all, became an instrument of destruction.

And Harry is doomed to die regardless so--perhaps it's for the best.

What's the Fallout?

I imagine Harry destroys Privet Drive and murders not only his relatives but the entire block. Albus has to cover up what happened, and Harry is dumped on Snape who immediately sets about getting Harry under control and trying to get him to control his new abilities much the way Credence could.

This may or may not fail in which case Snape will also be gruesomely murdered.

Dumbledore puts Harry in Hogwarts regardless (as he once did Lupin), and Harry probably ends up murdering several classmates. This keeps getting covered up somehow.

I imagine Harry ends up dying before Voldemort resurrects himself as being an obscurial catches up to him sooner rather than later.

Then Dumbledore realizes that he's in trouble.

[cutefoxybubble]

Hii, Can I request some headcanons of being in a relationship with Credence from Fantastic Beasts, pleasee? 🥰🥰

Hey, thanks for the request!

Headcanons | Credence Barebone

Being in a relationship with Credence will include-

He loves you more than anything in this world because you are everything he's got.

He will always make sure to remind you about it.

He is affectionate. At first, he gets nervous with you, but as time goes on, he loves spending a lot more time with you.

His obscure is most in control when he is with you.

You both fight one time when he choses to join Grindelwald. You chose to help Dumbledore. He's angry at himself and regrets his choices.

Dumbledore has his trust on you. He thinks you can save him, you want to save him.

He wants to protect you from everything. Including himself. He never wants to leave you alone but has to be distant to keep you safe even if hurts him so much.

He loves to kiss you on the forehead. You both lie together with your head on his chest and he likes to play with your hair.

He gets really protective of you even if you are capable of taking care for yourself perfectly well.

You will always remind him he's not alone while kissing him.

He holds your hand when you are in public and tend to keep you closer to him.

When he grows his hair longer you love braiding it just to annoy him :D

"I think you look much better with long hair," you say, while brushing a strand of hair out of his face.

He will chuckle and blush a bit at your compliment.

"I crave the side of you that you don't show to anyone else"

It's not much but I hope you enjoy it! 😭 and credits for my bsf cz she gave me half the ideas

Ps: pls request more 🥺

[themosleyreview]

The Mosley Review: Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

There seems to be a tug of war going on with this film franchise. It wants to be an origins piece that showcases the beginning of how the Muggle and Wizarding World came to know of each other's existence, but also the story of a charismatic magical zoologists. I'm all for expanding the Wizarding World, but the last film nearly ended this franchise for its lack explanation and cramming of alot of information. This new entry actual tried to bring back that magic and fun we love with the right amount of darkness. It was a course correction that was sorely needed and felt as if it truly belonged. I thought that it was an interesting choice to make this one a political drama which gave the reason for the pacing, but at times I felt it wasn't always smooth. Many of the things that I felt were wrong with the previous entry were fixed and the characters this time were given way more depth. My major issue is that the film's tone was just so dull and I feel that new leadership is needed.

Eddie Redmayne returns as Newt Scamander and I actually loved him the most in this film. We all know the characters' love for all fantastic beasts, but here you truly see his heart on display as he saves one of the most beautiful creatures of all. He is even more confident around people this time around and I loved his growth. Callum Turner returns as his brother Theseus Scamander and I liked him more this time around. Their relationship was more natural this time and you see the contrast between the two even though their bond is strong. Jude Law returns as the middle aged Albus Dumbledore and he was outstanding. If you're a fan of the character and some of his history, then this film does dive into it further and I loved Jude's commitment to it all. You see Albus' pain and struggle with the guilt of his family history and former lover. Mads Mikkelsen takes over for Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald and he did an excellent job carrying over the same tone of the character while giving him more of an edge. You see his motivations, but in the end it becomes a bit of a stereotypical villain arc of upsetting the balance by political means. Ezra Miller returns as Credence Barebone / Aurelius Dumbledore and he was good and brooding. His story was kind of moved to the side and rightfully so because of its predictability and straight forward nature. Victoria Yeates was absolutely delightful again as Bunty Broadacre and she turned out to be one of the most important characters. Her friendship with Newt was even better this time as you see Newt trust her completely. Jessica Williams as Professor Eulalie "Lally" Hicks was a very welcomed newcomer to the franchise and makes a strong and lasting impression as one of the most well rounded characters. She had a commanding presence and I loved her creativity. Dan Fogler returns as Jacob Kowalski and he hasn't skipped a beat in quality. He consistently carries over the earnesty of the character and you love him even more as he still struggles with the betrayal of his loved one. Alison Sudol was once again great as Queenie Goldstein and you see the torment and shame of the things she’s done to Jacob in the previous film. Their chemistry and love is the heart of the franchise and you feel the heartbreak and you desperately want them back together.

The score by James Newton Howard was excellent as always and very warm. It drives home the emotion in the most softest scenes and you feel the darker tone emerge in a particular scene. I don't mind a slower pace in films, but this entry you really felt it drag. The tone is almost completely devoid of any happiness and sometimes it lacks focus. Like I said before, the main character of the franchise is Newt Scamander, but it feels like he is becoming secondary now. Instead of Newt and friends, its starting to look like everyone else and then Newt. I loved that we got more about Dumbledore, but I think this franchise needs to refocus. The magic is still there and Director David Yates is a wonderful filmmaker, but I think its time for him to step away and let a new voice take a shot at the next entry. In the end I enjoyed this definite improvement over Crimes of Grindelwald. I know that there is still much more to tell, but these films need that magical charm for this franchise to go any further. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

[myriadimagines]

Preference: Fantastic Beasts

— showing them your magic for the first time

Characters: Credence Barebone, Jacob Kowalski, Leta Lestrange, Newt Scamander, Percival Graces, Queenie Goldstein, Tina Goldstein

Warnings: —

Requester: anonymous

Request: “Could I please request a preference for Fantastic Beasts: When You Show Them Your Magic For The First Time (Newt, Tina, Queenie, Jacob, Credence, Leta, Percival)”

A/N: hope it’s okay! i’m gonna assume that the characters don’t know the reader is a witch/wizard so yea

— CREDENCE BAREBONE

Credence would immediately feel closer to you, almost feeling some sort of solidarity. He’s had to hide his magic for most of his life, and to find out that you’re similar to him in more ways than he realises is almost comforting for him. He’d feel like he can confide in you, asking you questions he’s never been able to ask anyone else, and he feels like you understand him better than anyone.

— JACOB KOWALSKI

Jacob would be absolutely bewildered. Even after already having some experience in the wizarding world, he still gets surprised learning about magic, and he certainly didn’t expect for you to be a wizard. After getting over his initial shock, he’d be excited, wanting to learn about what you can do and trying to talk to you with the limited knowledge that he has.

— LETA LESTRANGE

Leta would be fascinated by you and your magic, finding it rather unexpected. She’d be pretty composed when seeing your magic for the first time, despite her initial surprise. Afterwards she’d want to know more about what you’re capable of, and overall just want to get to know you more, and she’d listen intently to the details of your story.

— NEWT SCAMANDER

Newt would be touched that you trust him enough to show him your magic, and he’d really value that trust you have in him. He’d be super supportive of your magic, and would want to offer any help that he can, even though Newt doesn’t feel like a particularly good mentor. Nonetheless, he’d want to be there for you,  and help you in your magical journey.

— PERCIVAL GRAVES

Percival would almost feel a responsibility for you, and would want to take you under his wing. He’d want to help train you, help you hone your magic more, and to see what you’re fully capable of. He’d ask you lots of questions, trying to get a feel for your abilities and how he can help, and he’d put himself in a sort of mentor position for you.

— QUEENIE GOLDSTEIN

Queenie would be super excited when you show her your magic for the first time. She’d be super supportive too, encouraging you to show off your magic, even if you feel insecure about your abilities, and she’d reassure you that everyone has to start somewhere. She’d even offer to teach you a few of her favorite spells and practice with you so you can feel more confident. 

— TINA GOLDSTEIN

Tina, like Percival, will find herself becoming like a mentor for you. She’d initially be concerned, especially if you’ve been hiding your magic for a long time, and she’d want to help you practice responsibly. She knows how exciting magic can be, but she wants to make sure you do it properly and safely, and she wants to help teach you in any way she can.

tag list: @myfriendmagislit​​ / @real-fbi​​ / @beautifulbows924​​ / @musicallisto​​ / @natalia-helena-alianova-romanov / @hauntedpocdreamer / @ten-tenya-iida​​ / @fangirlsarah16​​ / @cnco-babes​​ / @doot-doot-danvers​​ / @batfam16​​ / @marvelismylifffe​​ / @locke-writes​​ / @ruvaakke​​ / @911buttercup​​ / @cryinqxlouds​​ / @lovinghufflepuffgirl​​ / @lxncelot​​ / @ofthedewthesunlight​​ / @bravelittlesunflower​​ / @captainshazamerica​​

[erismerald]

𝑴𝒚 𝒐𝒃𝒔𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒖𝒔(Credence Barebone x reader)

Hey my angels! Well this is the second part of "i will protect you" I really enjoyed writing the other story and I think it deserves a second part!

And thx for all the love u are given me these last days!!! love u and i hope u enjoy it, and if u want a part 3 plese tell me :3

Good reading <33

𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒕 1

________________________________________________________________

Some months passed and you and the credence began to get along very well, but still did not admit the love you two felt for each other, but deep down you two were lovers. 

You did everything to protect him, but you felt that this wasn't enough, even though he said that you did a lot for him and he felt grateful, you were the only person in the world that he really trusted, and he felt safe and happy on your side. 

But a few weeks ago when you went to see your nanny, Credence was alone with Mary Lou and she did what she used to do again, Credence obeyed his mother but when she finished that torture, he ran away to clear his head and cry, he miss you, he needed you, he felt warm, he felt something in him was going to explode and that was the first time he realized it... He wasn't normal, in his head Credence had some kind of curse inside him that would come loose when he was scared and angry.

And it was one of those times that he met Mr. Graves a detitive that belonged to MACUSA,he was walking om street crying and Mr. Graves try to help him in the condition if Credence help him too, he was looking for someone and asked Credence for help and in return he would teach him magic, and would turn him into a renowned wizard.

After that first night you and Credence hadn't kissed anymore, perhaps for lack of courage... of course there were moments when the two of them were completely attracted to each other, Credence began to realize that he felt attracted to your body, he knew it was wrong but he wanted to touch you again to feel your touch on him, but he was too shy to ask, so he just kept quiet and did not admit his feelings for you, but when he had a nightmare, Credence would ask to sleep with you, because he felt safer in your arms and you could not deny that you want him, you wanted to feel his body again stroking yours, but you didn't want to force him into anything.

 But from a month to here Credence’s attacks began to become more often, he was afraid of himself, and there were nights when he would go to Graves to tell him some news or seek comfort, and day by day you began start to happen mysterious events in the city and you were sure it had to do with magic, and for some reason lately Credence began to get more distant from you perhaps with a huge fear of hurting you and the magical aura you felt in it began to become more intense.

Credene had stopped being with you and avoided touching you as much as possible, he felt unstable. You started to feel sad because you didn't know what was going on, so you spent whole nights sitting up in bed reading and looking for something that could help you or that could tell you what Credence was, and that would make you extremely tired and exhausted. Sometimes you'd try to talk to Credence trying to get close to him again but he'd walk away. You could see the sadness in his eyes, but you didn't want to give up, you promised to protect him.

Credence, on the other hand, was afraid someone would discover, especially his mother. So he avoided disrespecting her rules to the maximum, even if it meant that he ended up getting hurt, but he knew that after all the suffering he was no longer alone and that you would take care of him.

That afternoon was quiet. You spent the day in your room reading some books of magic you found at a bookstore nearby. It was raining a lot, and you could feel the cold coming through the bedroom window.You were alone in the house that day, Mary Lou and the two sisters had gone to an anti-witch convention in a nearby town and were going to visit a distant family so she left you and Crede alone, but you got scared when you heard footsteps coming from the stairs, and in a few seconds Credence enters the room completely wet from the rain, his hair was dripping with water drops, and his body was more defined in the wet clothes, you blushed when you saw Credence in that state.

You got up from the desk and went to the bathroom quickly to get a dry towel to help him, he just looked at you, and when your body got closer he faced the floor with embarrassment maybe.

"Where have you been? You should have been two hours late. Crede" you laughed softly but with worry... you didn't want him to get sick, so you put the towel in his hair and massaged him. Credence couldn't tell you who he was with that afternoon, so he lied about it.

"I was handing out flyers...and I ended up being distracted by the time" he said shy, he didn't want to look at you knowing he was lying to you, but you realized he was lying right from the start so you just kept going and smiling.

"You need to get out of those wet clothes, do it while I prepare you something hot to drink, it wouldn't be good for you to get sick now my love" you said and smiled at him and left the room.

As simple as that name was, to be called " my love " to him, it made his heart shoot, he could see in your face the tiredness and the dedication to help him, that nickname made Credence much calmer now that he was with you.

You went downstairs to the kitchen and prepared a hot chocolate for the two of you, you were happy to take care of him again, you liked to spoil him. As fast as you went down you went up again, and when you opened the door you saw credence with some more scars on his back and those looked fresh...you put the cups on the nightstand and walked to him putting your hands on the new scars, Credence got scared and turned quickly, your eyes were sad...you felt guilty for not having protected him.

"Y/n...I can explain" he said in a shaking voice.

You didn't just say anything, you held him tight, you caressed his back, he needed you and you weren't there... you wouldn't let that happen again.

"You don't have to explain my love, I understand" you look at him you see some tears flowing from his face "Come let me help you" you take his hand if you sit him on the bed and eat towel you dry his hair with affection.

He took your hand and kissed you in return, and caressed you, he felt so safe with you that he almost forgot what was making him angry and nervous and to feel your hands caressing his hair, giving him the feeling of peace, he had to tell you what was going on with him and about Mr. Graves ... just didn't know how or when.

You woke up with another nightmare this time with the death of your parents, you looked at the other side of the room you saw Credence asleep, he was calm and you could feel that the magic aura that was around him was calm too, you smiled when you saw that, but you were feeling very dizzy so you tried to get up, and when you removed your blankets you could see a huge stain of blood on your clothes and sheets, you felt some tears involuntarily running down your face.

You were always in a lot of pain at that time of the month, but this time it took you by surprise, I was two weeks early, maybe you should start paying more attention to the level of stress, and controlling.

You got up from bed and went straight to the bathroom to change as quickly as possible, in an attempt to get back into bed as quickly as possible so as not to wake Credence.

 You were in so much pain that you couldn't stand on your feet for more than 5 minutes and you were very emotional so you simply dragged your body to a wall and sat on the cold ground hugging your legs and letting the tears that your eyes caught fall and wet the fabric surrounding your body, At that moment all you could think about was your nightmare...the longing you missed your parents for the fear you felt about not knowing how to tell Credence about what he really was, it was killing you.

“please stop, I can't anymore..." you sigh and cry

Credence wakes up with a noise coming from the bathroom, then he sits on his bed looking around him, and when he looks at your bed he sees a huge stain of blood and he is worried, he knows what the period was obviously but he feels very concerned about you, he hears your crying and gets up towards the bathroom, he opens the door and I find you inside sitting crying, he runs up to you and kneels down in front of you and slowly hug your body

""Hey, calm down, what's going on?"" his voice was calm and rough, and he made your body stick to his, you hid your face in his chest and let the tears come out.

He kissed your forehead shyly, he wanted to show you affection and try to calm you down, his arms wrapped your body and pulled you into his lap swaying lightly, he used to do this with his younger sister when she got scared, and tried it on you, and it seemed to work. He was nervous, he did this with his sister, and now that he did it with you and felt your body hiding in his, his heart squeezed.

When he felt your breath calming, he sat you down again on the ground and stood up in front of you to help you up

"Come on, let's go back to bed," he said, still clinging to your body, but you cut off his speech.

"I can't..." you said with the shaking voice of crying " I'm in a lot of pain, I'm dirty with blood, and the rest of my pajamas are in the laundry room, Credence, I can't get up..." you say shyly hiding your face in the middle of your knees.

Credence was surprised, he had never seen you cry, you always took care of him and you helped him, he wanted to help you so he took you in his lap gently and took you to his bed.

"Wait here a while" he said in a calm voice trying not to make you nervous anymore, and went to the closet taking an old sweater off him and raising it again to you.

You watched every move he made, you blushed to see how dedicated he was to helping you, it has been some time since you felt this heat inside your chest.

Credence comes to your side and kneels down again if I look at you a little shy, but the words came out of his mouth.

"Take off your clothes... and put this on please..." he handed you his shirt and stood up turning around, his heart was beating very fast and your cheeks were flushed, you nodded and stood up a little and turned around with some difficulty taking off your evening dress, and dropping it on the ground.

Credence could see your reflection on the window glass and couldn't remove his gaze from your body, he felt something he had never felt before, he wanted to touch you, he wanted to take care of you to make you feel loved but he couldn't...he was afraid of himself, he was afraid of hurting you, he didn't know what to do.

You noticed that he was lost in his thoughts and you quietly approached him, he was much bigger than you, he was older than you and you sometimes forgot that, his body could cover you whole, you just held him from behind, stuck your forehead to his back and kissed him softly, you grabbed his body tightly, you missed him a lot.

Credence was torn from his thoughts when he felt your warm body stick to his, his repiration speeded up, he always grew away from affection, for him all these sensations were new, he became even more shy and nervous when he felt your body stuck to his.

He imagined over and over again the moment you had on the first night you met, having someone to protect him was comforting.

 He turned slowly back and glued his forehead to yours, he noticed how small you were and that was really cute for him, your heart beat was fast, you just leaned your body against his own feeling an immense pain coming from your belly.

He noticed the pain in your eyes and got worried, grabbed your body, relieving your weight from the ground, relieving the pain even a little, helped to ease your pain a little.

“C-credence..."You sighed, and that sigh made his body warm, he wanted to touch you, he wanted to love you, and he wanted to make you feel love, because you always helped him and he wanted to give back all the love.

He grabbed your body with strength you didn't know he had this strength, you blushed at the thought of it, his hands traveled through your body gently exploring every inch of you, you felt your body burning, in his eyes you saw lust, at that moment he was no longer the frightened boy you met months ago, now he was your lover. He grew in courage and gave up trying to repress his feelings for you.

"C-crede" he just took your body and took you to his bed, and gently laid you down, he looked at your defenseless body from him and saw how you blushed when his gaze looked at your body, It was the first time you saw this side of him, so protective so needy of you, he was really making that moment magical, your body was feeling more relaxed under his.

 He pulled away the hair that covered your bare shoulder and your neck and lowered himself and glued his lips to your neck rising up to your face making you laugh and blush, grabbing your waist with his legs, your body was warm and at that moment credence was being controlled by his pleasure and happiness.

You were sweating, you felt your body warm and restless, credence was loving feeling your breath unregulated, and tried to play a little more with you, and his hand landed on your cheek with cuddles forcing you to remain with your look in his.

"thank you for helping me, you really saved me and I can never tell you how important you've become to me." he said your cheek and kiss you softly.

he comes down and lies down beside you pulling you into his lap, he strokes your hair, 

For the first time in months you felt safe next to someone, well you always felt good next to credence but seeing this protective side of him was new and captivating, lying on his chest and feeling his love, even though he wouldn't admit it in words that he loved you you knew he did it.

You still felt the pain a little, and your body manifested itself, but you felt his hand under your belly caressing slowly.

"I-if I do it like this, will it help?" he says timidly again, looking into your eyes with affection.

"Yes, thank you for helping me my love..." you paused and put your hand on his face caressing him with your thumb "you are truly special" he closed his eyes repressing his tears, he wanted to tell you what was happening he knew that if he told you, you would help him.

"That name...I like it when you call me that" he murmured and looked at your hand

"I know, you are my love, I only say it out loud, only to you" you turned your gaze away also staring at his hand that rubbed on your belly soothing the colic.

"Y/n...I need to tell you something" his voice comes out a little shaky as if he was afraid.

"Creed? what did you want to tell me?" you asked by touching his face.

“The destruction in the city that has been happening recentlyit was me, I'm a monster, Y/n and I can't control it, I'm afraid of hurting you,i'm afraid of loosing myself" he says and feels his voice fail, he starts to cry.

"You're an obscurial... I studied about it..." you said quietly looking at his messy black hair, he kept looking at your hand.

"H-how do you know?" he asked you could hear his shaking voice trying to contain the fear and tears of came out.

"I... I didn't tell you before because I was afraid of your reaction... I'm a witch..." you said nervously afraid of his reaction.

Credence felt nervous, he was afraid of what he might become, he looked up and saw your low posture, and then he hugged your body once again, pulling your head around his neck, you just grabbed him tightly. It was a relief to tell him what you really were and to know that he trusted you enough to tell you what was wrong with him.

"I don't know how to control it, I'm afraid of it, of hurting you" he with his eyes in tears again, he was hoping that you could help him and you were sure that you could help him to control it, he was a miracle, you would have to protect him with your whole being and that's what you were going to do.

"You won't hurt me... I'll help you control... i promise Creden-" You were interrupted with a kiss, credence glued your lips, you felt the salty taste of his tears, but this kiss was different... he kissed you gently but with need at the same time.

"Thank you" he whispered softly and kissed you again this time more slowly.

You looked at him blushing, you didn't know what was going on for sure but you wanted to stay in that moment forever.

You both looked at each other, credence protected and warmed your body under the sheet, and caressed your arm as you spoke:

"How long have you been a witch?" he asked curiously, he knew Graves had an important role and promised to teach him, but he was more attracted to the idea of you teaching him.

"Since I was born, my parents are pure blood, so I've been dealing with magic since I was a kid, and I went to school for seven years to learn all kinds of magic" you answered by looking into his eyes, and you saw him blush.

"and...what am I?" he asked in fear, he had to try to understand what he really was.

"an obscurial... basically you're a wizard, but you reneged on your magic and because of some trauma, your magic got trapped inside your body and whenever you get angry or scared, it explodes... "You explained as briefly as possible "But you are a miracle, usually children with an obscurus inside them live until they're 10 years old at the most, you've reached adulthood and you can still control it, you're really very special and powerful, and if you learn to use your powers I'm sure you'll be a very powerful wizard Credence" you explained by looking at him with a gentle smile.

he seemed surprised he didn't know what to say he just looked at the thoughtful ceiling, in his mind he was nervous about what he had just heard, he was a wizard but his magic was trapped inside him... and he was a miracle for living so long.

Your body manifested itself with some pain, and you moaned softly captivating the gaze of credence over you again. His attitude was immediate he looked at you and got up from bed quickly and entered the bathroom with a pill in his hand and a glass of water.

"Take this I'm sure it will help you" he handed it to you gently and lay down again at your side.

After doing what he asked you to do, you lay down on your side...you had a certain desire to kiss him again, you wanted to feel his lips on yours again.

Credence looked at you confused and you approached him slowly putting your hands one on his shoulder and one on his face, and you sealed your lips, the kiss started slowly, but in time the kiss became more fierce, credence grabbed your body and pulled you closer to his body.

The kiss became hotter when credence unbuttoned your shirt a little and glued his lips to your neck and went down to your shoulder, he bit lightly and heard what was music to his ears, the first moan of pleasure caused by him, you covered your mouth when you realized what you had done.

Credence just took your lips again and kissed you with affection he was feeling warm but preferred to stop because of your condition...

"We'd better stop here..." he said his cheeks were flushed and his breathing accelerated

"yes... but it was wonderful" you agreed without bellows

"Is this the first time you've done something like this?" he asked with embarrassment, looking maliciously at you

"Y-yes... I've never had moments like this with anyone... except with you" his look rejoiced he snuggled into bed and pulled you to his chest

"I..." he wanted to say the words but he was afraid

"You don't have to say it... I know, but now let's go to sleep I'm getting tired... i-i love you Credence" you lay on his chest and almost instantly fell asleep.

"I love you Y/n" Credence said softly "good dreams" and snuggled up to you instantly falling asleep in your lap.

A week passed and you would meet a childhood friend, Newt Scamender, the two of you had met in your 4th year in hogwarts, he was called by Dumbledore to teach you a little about animals and magical creatures.

Since then Newt and you became friends almost instantly, at the beginning of the week you received a letter from him saying that he was going to New York in passing, so he decided to visit you, you were really missing him, and you obviously wanted to help him in what he needed.

You were a few hours away from going out to meet him when you heard Mary Lou talking to Credence.

"You can't hide behind her forever... you're getting too attached to her, and when you really need her support she'll deny it to you." She spat the words arrogantly in a way that seduced Credence into thinking you'd abandon him, his posture continued upside down as if he was agreeing with her,

There were tears in your eyes... you couldn't believe he was believing her, after all she did to him, he still believed the words of that liar.

You took your coat and passed them both, Credence got scared at first and when she saw your look she realized the mistake she had made, Mary Lou just looked at you with a signic smile on her face, she disgusted you, but you couldn't deny that what she saw Credence concocting with her made your heart break into a thousand little pieces.

You left home quickly and walked quickly to the place where you would meet Newt, your head was heavy, you couldn't believe what would happen.

Credence looked at Mary Lou in anger, Mary Lou had never seen that look coming from Credence.

"Don't look at me like that, she's the one to blame for all this, if I'd never taken her in, none of this would have happened, not even that disgusting little romance between you, or do you think I didn't realize she's a witch?" Mary Lou threw the words in his face, he just nodded and stared at the ground.

"I only want your good..." she put her hand on the credence shoulder "now go help your sisters it's almost time for us to go out and hand out our word" she said seducing Credence's head once again that he was confused, he didn't want to hurt you, maybe it was for the best.

Soon you'd be at the cafe where you'd meet Newt.  You walked in and saw Newt sitting next to two people.

You approached and when Newt saw you, he got up quickly to hug you.

"Hey, how you've grown!!" Newt said sitting down again.

"Hey! You hardly changed a bit, and these are?" You look at him referring to the two people who were with him, sitting in the chair next to their feet.

"Tina Goldstein, ex-Auror pleasure" you look at him with expanto, what did Newt do to walk with an ex-Auror by his side? "And this is Mr. Jacob Kowalski a No-Mag." Tina introduced them with a smile

"Nice to meet you, my name is Y/n" you smiled softly it was strange to be near wizards again. "So what are you doing here Newt?" you asked funny looking at Newt again.

"Well I've come to present my work on magical creatures, to sensitize our fellow wizards, but I ended up having some unforeseen events" he said putting his suitcase closer to you "For sloppiness some of the creatures that were here have escaped and we have to find them and Tina and Jacob are helping me, but you...well you know a lot about magical creatures and I was hoping that you could help me. "he explained in the hope that you would say yes.

"Okay, I'll help you, I need to be a little distracted," you said, looking at your hands and reminding yourself of what happened this morning.

"TIME SKIP"

A few hours passed and everything passed so quickly, you had spent the day helping Newt with the missing creatures, so to repay them both took you home, or rather the place where it would be, it was all destroyed in rubble your first thought was soon about Credence only he would have enough strength to destroy that whole place.

"CREDENCE!!! CREDENCEEE" you screamed running towards the rubble, where was he? was he all right? the fear of losing him went through your mind, you shouldn't have left him that morning, you walked among the destroyed stones and saw Mary Lou's body lifeless, the thought of relief went through your mind, you knew it was wrong to think that way but you couldn't deny that you were happy to see the body of that lifeless monster.

"We have to find him..." you said by taking his coat that was under some wooden boards.

"You lived here? What's your relationship with credence?" Tina asked worried, Newt and Jacob were standing behind her.

"Yes I lived here, I was adopted by Mary Lou after my parents died in an accident" you explained, Newt's expression saddened him, he didn't know why you moved to America " Credence and I  get closed... I fell in love with him and tried to protect him, but that freak seduced the credence mind thinking I was going to abandon him, when I heard that I ran away and came to you" you felt the tears running down your face.

"don't worry we gonna find him" But some instinct of yours knew where he was, you could feel that he was frightened, he needed you, you threw yourself out of your arms and ran.

"where are you going" says Newt running after you.

"I KNOW WHERE THIS IS" you continued on your way "take it easy Credence, I'm on my way

You could feel his aura, he was scared, nervous, and that helped you to decipher where he was, you passed through the middle of the population that gathered around the subway stairs, you stopped in the middle and you turned to the three people that followed you.

"Please don't let anyone in, he's very unstable, I promise to bring him back" you said quickly running to the subway.

When you arrived there Credence was in his obscurial form, he was scared and his form kept changing.

"Credence is me..." you said calmly to calm him down, he seemed to recognize you "credence come back to me, you don't have to be afraid, I'll protect you" you came closer.

He gave in and went back to his normal shape, sitting on the rails, he was crying, you ran to him, you pulled him into your body, he let himself be tucked in your arms.

"Im here my love... Im sorry... Im sorry, i'll never let you go" Your tears fell on his face, you were so happy that he was all right, but then everything happened too fast, one moment he was in your arm and the next he was already in his obscure form ready to attack.

"PLEASE DON'T HURT HIM, HE IS SCARED!!! "Your words flowed through the tunnel as you ran to the front of the creed to protect him like the first night you were together.

In a few seconds wizards attacked Credence killing the almost immediate "NO!!" you couldn't stand on your knees with tears of anger in your eyes, you looked at people in front of you remembering the gentle smile of credence, you got up quickly and ran to Grindewall that by now had unmasked pushing his body against the wall, many tried to stop you were being controlled by anger

"Give me a reason not to kill you right now" you put your wand around his neck, the anger you felt was huge you just wanted to make someone pay for his death.

Someone grabbed your body and pulled you back it was Newt, two of MACUSA's gullible guys grabbed Grindewall's body, but not before he asked to come close to you, he looked you in the eyes and approached your ear.

"He's alive, it's just a matter of time," he said like a whisper, and then he was taken away...

[iridecsense]

𝘯𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘦

                                      𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘯𝘦

              ──── ⋅ ⍤ ⋅⊰⋅∘ 〄 ∘⋅⊱⋅ ⍤ ⋅ ────

⤷ summary: Proceeding the encounter with Grindelwald in Paris, Newt goes seaward on a secret mission for Dumbledore when his ship is caught in a storm...

✧ word count: 5.2k ✧ pairing: newt scamander | siren!reader ✧ genre: romance, slow burn, angst, adventure ✧ warnings: none ✧ author’s note: You may be wondering when I will stop writing for Newt. I honestly don’t know myself, but here is my new Newt series that I am personally very excited about. Now, in order to set up plot and all that yummy stuff, reader (you) wont appear for the first three chapters, so please be patient with me. I promise you will get all the fluff soon! Feel free to comment or send me feedback via my ask box, I love hearing from you all. That being said, I hope you enjoy this new series!

              ──── ⋅ ⍤ ⋅⊰⋅∘ 〄 ∘⋅⊱⋅ ⍤ ⋅ ────

About two months passed since Paris. Grindelwald's movement has spread across the wizarding world, earning him a significant amount of followers. Tension grew within the wizard community, causing the ministry a lot of grief. Grindelwald, being the infamous, conniving dark wizard he was, went underground. No one has seen or heard from him. He was nothing but a menacing whisper in the wind.

Even still, the damage he had caused festered. Darkness spread throughout Europe, slowly inching its way around the world like a disease. The loss of Leta Lestrange fell heavy upon Newt and his brother Theseus. Theseus, being Leta’s ex-fiancé, has become vengeful and apt to square his vendetta with Grindelwald. Newt, having also shared a love for the young, beautiful Lestrange, felt obligated to aid his older brother and guide him through his grief.

Newt had his own persuasions for bringing down Grindelwald. Had these circumstances not occurred, Newt would have nothing to do with the Ministry or the dispute at all. Though, fate has been less than kind. Grindelwald seduced his friend Queenie Goldstein and Credence Barebone to his side. This alone was enough to pull Newt from the sidelines.

After helping save Paris from Grindelwald’s killing curse, Newt’s travel ban was lifted, and he was once again called upon Albus Dumbledore for a separate mission. He disliked doing other people’s bidding, but for once this seemed necessary.

Newt was in his London flat feeding a hippocampus when his assistant Bunty called his name. Her quiet-like nature went unnoticed by him and she resorted to tapping him on his broad shoulder.

“Newt, there is a letter for you,” she said, handing him the envelope. Newt took it into his hands. “Thank you, Bunty.”

The envelope was blank, the only defining feature being the unmistakable Hogwarts seal. Newt broke the red wax, opening the letter. As expected, it was from Albus Dumbledore. The letter read simply:

Newt never said it, but he disliked how aloof Dumbledore was with him. Dumbledore would call upon him like a dog, and send him off on some journey that would most likely put him in danger. He wished that just once, Dumbledore could be straightforward instead of cryptic and mysterious. He also wished he wasn’t the one always chosen to aid him in his quarrels.

“Bunty,” Newt called as he tucked the letter into his pant pocket, unaware of Bunty’s presence looming behind him.

She inched closer to his side. “Yes, Newt?”

“I need you to finish up for me. I have taken care of the kelpie and there is no need to bother the zouwu,” he told her as he walked through the maze of creatures. “I can handle her when I get back.”

Newt was searching for his coat. Bunty saw it hung over the mooncalves’ fence and picked it up, shaking the dirt from it. Newt whirled around and she presented his coat to him. He thanked her and she helped him put it on.

“Should I finish the kappa enclosure while you’re gone?” She asked.

“No, that’s not necessary,” he said. “There is no need to wait for me. You can clock off when you’ve finished.” Newt gave her a closed smile and jogged up the stairs, leaving her behind.

Newt left his apartment and walked along the cobblestone road. It was night, and the streets were slick with rain. He looked around to ensure no one was watching before apparating to the London bridge.

Upon arriving, he saw the cloaked figure of Albus Dumbledore just a few feet ahead of him. Dumbledore had his back towards Newt as he looked over the bridge. His hands were tucked into his coat pockets and his collar was turned up.

“Have you ever wondered what controls you, Newt?” He asked, still facing the horizon. “The heart or the brain? Or perhaps you think it’s both.”

Newt ignored Dumbledore’s question and presented his own. “Why have you called me here?”

“I am not sure myself,” Dumbledore continued. “I can’t find the logic behind why we do the things we do. But perhaps that in itself is the answer.”

Newt walked to Dumbledore’s side and leaned against the railing. The air was heavy and thick with the weight of the situation. Evidently, Newt knew why he was being called. In fact, he was expecting it.

Dumbledore turned to Newt in a serious manner. “Grindelwald has successfully seduced half of Europe. Many of his followers have started carrying out his agenda, preaching to others while he continues to weaponize Credence.”

He motioned for Newt to follow him, leading him off the bridge. “What we cannot afford is more enemies. That is why I have summoned you.”

“What do you suppose we do?” Newt asked.

“You are well-traveled, Newt,” said Dumbledore as he rounded a corner. “So, naturally, it could only be you.”

They came upon a small tavern that stuck out from the rest of the surrounding buildings. Dumbledore held the door open for Newt before walking in after him. The tavern was practically empty besides the few drunk persons scattered by the bar and those who worked there. They took a booth in the corner of the room, away from prying ears.

Dumbledore took his seat across from Newt. “Have you talked to the Ministry?”

Newt shook his head. “Not recently. Not since the week after Paris.”

“Good.” Dumbledore waved over the bartender to bring drinks. “As I said before, Grindelwald’s influence has spread. Rumor has it that his henchmen have been killing and enslaving witches and wizards that do not have pure blood.”

“Last I heard, his influence was heavy in Germany,” Newt added.

“Yes, that is the last I’ve heard as well.”

The bartender came upon the two men and gave them mugs of butterbeer. Dumbledore thanked her and gave her two galleons, sending her off.

“The Ministry won't listen,” said Dumbledore. “They’ve been imprisoning traitors.”

Newt’s eyes widened. “The Dementors.” He recalled hearing rumors of Dementors scouring the city in search of Grindelwald’s followers.

Dumbledore nodded. “They think by striking fear into their hearts, they will obtain loyalty. Blind to the fact that their hostilities drive more towards Grindelwald.”

Dumbledore reached into his coat pocket, pulled out a dragon skin pouch, and an envelope. He placed it on the table. “This should be enough,” he said.

Newt furrowed his brows. “I’m sorry, ‘should be enough’ for what?”

“Your trip, of course.” Dumbledore took a swing of butterbeer, drinking it all and exhaling in satisfaction. “I’d suggest going to the Mediterranean first, they’ve yet to be influenced. If I’m not mistaken, there is a ship leaving tomorrow morning in Plymouth.”

Newt was having trouble processing Dumbledore’s words. Dumbledore didn’t seem to notice and spoke to him as if what he was saying were obvious. Newt watched Dumbledore rise to his feet.

Dumbledore looked down at Newt. “I want you to know, I do not take joy involving you in this, Newt. But you are the only one I can trust. You’ll know what to do.”

“But what about—”

“Good luck, Newt.”

Dumbledore gave Newt a lopsided smile before turning on his heels and walking out the door. Newt was left in the tavern alone and defeated. The corners of his lips quirked up and he took the pouch from the table.

When he returned to his flat he ran up the stairs and barged into a side room. It was a small, dreary old room, almost too small for a grown man. It didn’t help that most of the floor was littered with bottles and half-eaten plates. In the single bed pushed up against a corner laid the shell of Jacob Kowalski. His once dapper and bubbly persona had turned sour and grim. Instead of proper pajamas, he wore a dingy wife beater decorated with questionable stains and striped white and blue boxers. He laid face down in the bed, the sheets messily intertwined between his legs, and his hand loosely gripped a half-empty bottle of wine.

“Jacob wake up!” Newt turned on the light by his limp friend’s side. Jacob groaned and turned his back to block the glare from his eyes.

“Go away, I’m sulking,” he mumbled hazily.

“Yes, I can see that,” Newt snarked. “But we have to pack.”

Jacob turned to face Newt, squinting in his direction. “What?”

Newt pulled out a suitcase and started filling it with Jacob’s clothes. Jacob sat upright in the bed. “Hey, hey, hey! What are you doing?”

“We are going on a trip,” said Newt.

“A trip,” Jacob repeated.

“Yes.”

“And where is this 'trip' taking us, exactly?”

“Italy, I suspect.”

“What’s in Italy?”

“People we need to help,” Newt said plainly.

Jacob rolled his eyes and sighed. “Yeah, right,” he scoffed, turning his back to the wizard. “Just leave me alone, Newt.”

Newt stopped packing and glanced at his melancholic friend. Jacob struggled greatly after the battle of Cimetière du Père-Lachaise. Losing Queenie took a toll on his heart. He tried desperately to get her back the first couple of weeks, hardly taking a second to sleep. He drove himself mad following pointless leads, each failure sent him deeper into a downward spiral. By the time they returned to England he was devastated.

Newt told Jacob he could stay with him, and because they both needed a friend to lean on, he stayed. Their loss effected them differently. While Newt never gave himself the time to process his grief, busying himself in any way possible to keep his mind off it, Jacob wallowed in it. He hadn’t left the house since they returned, only leaving his room to eat and relieve himself.  Wine became his new lover, and the bed his concubine. The constant disappointment brought on his own self-loathing, having convinced himself he was the cause of his impotence.

It pained Newt to see him like this. He halted his actions and moved to sit next to Jacob. He placed a soft hand on his shoulder.

“We could find Queenie, Jacob.”

Jacob tensed at the mention of her name. He stayed silent, unrelenting.   Newt withdrew his hand and began to leave the room when he heard Jacob stir in the bed. When he turned around, Jacob was on his feet, a new fire swirling behind his black eyes.

“When do we leave?”

                                     ⁎ ⊹                                    ⁂ ˚ ✧ ⁂                                     ⊹ ＊

The moments just before dawn were always the most peaceful. At dawn, the sky was painted lapis, and the air was brisk. The docks were no different. The air was cool and smelled of seawater. A light fog blanketed the boats and piers, providing camouflage for the gulls hunting an unsuspecting fishermen’s catch. Newt ambled down the pier with his case in hand. Jacob less-than gracefully stumbled behind him, nauseated by the portkey they just ventured through.  

“Oh, God, I think I’m gonna be sick,” Jacob groaned weakly.

His wailing went neglected by Newt who was far too busy unscrambling the thoughts in his mind. Dumbledore had told him that a ship to the Mediterranean was leaving in Plymouth this morning, and yet the docks were half empty, the only implements filling them being sailboats and fishing vessels. Upon arrival, he’d asked the first sailor they’d come across when the ship would come to port. The sailor brazenly voiced his annoyance with Newt and claimed that no such ship comes to dock there. Newt clenched his cheek. His own irritation created a deep line in the center of his forehead between his eyebrows. He shoved his hand into his pocket when he felt it brush against a piece of parchment. His mind flew back to last night’s encounter and the envelope Dumbledore had handed him. He pulled the paper out of his pocket and examined its front. The name ‘Uluras’ was written in Dumbledore's hand. He didn't recall seeing that earlier.

He whirled around and caught the arm of another passing fisherman. He asked about four strangers if they knew anyone by the name Uluras, all of whom denied ever hearing such a name. A woman who had just disappointed Newt with her answer left his presence to board a boat when a young man came up behind him. Jacob, having been aware of his presence, nudged Newt’s arm to gain his attention.

“Why are you looking for Uluras?”

A boy no older than seventeen stood in front of them holding a full box of cod. His dark brown skin glistened with a mixture of sweat and seawater. He was tall and skinny, his droopy clothes were muted and clearly worn with age.

“Do you know him?” Asked Newt.

The boy's eyes scanned the two men, using his intuition to determine whether they were a threat.

“Yeah, I know him,” he answered, finally. “What do you need him for?”

“I don’t know. I have this letter for him.” Newt handed the boy the letter. He placed the box on the ground and read the front before flipping it to the back. His eyes were drawn to the red seal that held the letter together. His once stone-set face washed over with recognition. He returned the envelope to Newt, bending down to pick up the box of fish.

He gestured towards the mainland with his head. “Follow me.”

Newt and Jacob shared a look before trailing behind him. They followed him up a trail through a rural plane. They trekked wordlessly for about a mile when they came to an isolated beach. Resting on a cliff overseeing the sea was an odd-looking shack. From where they stood at the base of the precipice it was terribly worn. It looked almost as if one strong gust of wind could send it hurtling into the sea. Taking a look back at the two men lagging behind, the boy adjusted the heavy cargo in his hands and began hiking up the cliff towards the shack. Jacob struggled to walk properly on the inclining ground, still recovering from his protkey-sickness. Newt took long strides, trailing the boy posthaste. Jacob called after Newt breathlessly as he stumbled over the rough terrain of the hill until he finally managed to grasp the back of his coat.

“Newt, buddy,” he huffed. “You know I like spending time with you, right?”

Newt slowed his pace to walk beside him, unsure of where the sudden sentiment came from. “Yes?”

“Good, good. Well, as nice as this boys trip is, don’t you think it’d be faster to do... whatever magic transportation thing you have to get to Italy? This seems shady, even for you.”

“I wish we could, Jacob. But ever since Paris, the Ministry has been adamant in restricting international travel; only aurors are allowed to travel now. They can’t know what we’re doing. We’ll have to travel like muggles to avoid them.”

“Right,” Jacob hummed. “Muggles.”

Newt smirked. “We could always use another portkey, if you’d like.”

Jacob’s face screwed up at the thought. “Nah, I’m good.”

Newt smiled to himself and continued up the hill to the shack. It was even more ghastly looking up close. The structure was crooked and with each gust of wind it appeared to sway. The wood was black with rot and mildew. Spots of green mold and moss crept up the sides and covered the roof shingles. The wind was strong at the crest of the cliff. It howled in their ears like a wailing spirit and caused the wind chimes hanging under the porch to play a tumultuous percussion. Shrieking gulls circled the shack, and swooped low to the ground upon their arrival, hoping to snag a fish from the defenseless boy’s hands. He leads them up the decaying stairs and to the door. Sounds of metal clinking together and floorboards creaking under shuffling feet could be heard from inside. With a kick of his foot, the boy pushed the door open and walked inside.

Inside was surprisingly well kept in comparison to the exterior. Though the structure was still deteriorating, it was more appealing with bright turquoise paint covering obscene blemishes and contrasting the white-painted beams on the ceiling. The various nicknacks and trinkets that lined the walls helped distract from the shabby furniture and moth-eaten curtains that covered grimy windows. It was a reasonably sized abode. From where they stood in the center of the shack they saw a kitchen, a door suspected to lead to a bathroom, and another door that was left ajar, revealing the bedroom behind it. To the left was a set of creaky stairs that disappeared to the second floor.

The boy told Newt and Jacob to follow him into the kitchen where a side room was connected. Across the room was an older man hunched over a blue wooden workbench. Above him was a wall lined with fishing gear ranging from hooks to harpoons. He worked busily on a metal contraption, screwing nails into overlapping metal sheets.

“Baaba,” the boy called.

The man didn’t turn around, entirely focused on the work in front of him. “Nuh badda mi, Niris. You know I am workin’.”

The boy sighed and placed the fish on the ground before walking over to his father. “Baaba, there’s some people here to see you.”

The man lifted his head and turned back to face Newt and Jacob standing by the archway. He had a strong face; angular, and relatively free of wrinkles. The only indication of his age was the silver streaks that colored his black locs and scraggly beard. It was no doubt this man was the boy’s father, he took after him quite well. The man gently pats the young boy’s arm and pushed him back towards the kitchen. The boy went to pick up the box of fish and reluctantly left the three men alone.  

Newt took a step forward. “Are you Uluras?” He asked.

“Aye, that’d be me,” said the man. “Who wants to know?”

“My name is Newt Scamander and this is my friend Jacob Kowalski. He’s a muggle. I have a letter for you.” Newt fished the envelope from his pocket and handed it to him. “It’s from Albus Dumbledore.”

Both of Uluras’s eyebrows jumped. “Albus Dumbledore sent you this?”

Newt nodded. Uluras eyed the two suspiciously before opening the envelope. Newt shifted anxiously while he read. His eyes scanned the paper, his expression softening with each line. When he reached the end, he sucked his teeth and threw the envelope onto the work table.  

“This man come to me asking for something like this?” He exasperated. “I tell him to let me know if there be anything he needs done, and he send me a war!”

Uluras mumbled to himself as he crossed the floor, walking to a bookcase filled with anything but books. He ran his finger across one of the shelves when he came across a figurine of a pirate ship. He pushed the ship back and turned it about ninety degrees. There was an audible click and a low rumbling coming from underfoot. The bookcase split into two and pulled apart to reveal a tunnel carved out of stone leading downwards. It was hard to tell how long it stretched, but occasional drops of water that fell from the ceiling echoed throughout the passage, and flickers of burning sconces lit the way.

Once the rumbling stopped, and the bookcase seemed to set in its open position, Uluras grabbed a pile of rope lying in a corner and slung it over his shoulder, and descended down the tunnel.

“Come this-a-way, foofool!” His voice bounced off the rock walls.

Newt and Jacob peered into the dim hole, their expressions displaying their contrasting emotions.

“Seem’s like a fun guy,” Jacob snarked.

Newt looked at Jacob with an amused smile, before gripping his suitcase and following after Uluras.

Jacob threw his hands up in exasperation, begrudgingly walking inside. “So, this is what we’re doing now?” He mumbled, gruffly. “Following angry old men into creepy tunnels? Where did this tunnel even come from? Is nobody going to ask that? We’re on a cliff!”

Jacob’s remarks went ignored by the others as they descended down the stone passage. It was a downhill walk. Three pairs of footsteps echoed through the cavern as they walked in silence. It was cold, and the scent of seawater grew the deeper they went.

“Where exactly is he taking us?” Jacob whispered. Newt was going to answer that he wasn’t sure where they were heading, but Uluras spoke first, surprising them both.

“You need a ship, do you not?” He said.

“Yes, we do,” Newt affirmed.

“Then that’s where we're going,” Uluras said, effectively silencing all doubts.

As they walked through the tunnel, and the smell of seawater grew stronger, a blueish light slowly engulfed them. Light from an unseen water source reflected against the walls and ceiling of the cavern, casting rippling white beams all over. When they reached what seemed to be an irrefutable dead-end, Uluras, as though he had done it a thousand times before, pressed his hands flat on the rocky wall that blocked their path and whispered a chant in a language neither Newt nor Jacob had heard before. The rock made a terrible crumbling sound and a large crack in the center of the wall formed, splitting the stone into two halves. The earth beneath them began to tremble as the wall slowly parted like sliding doors.

Uluras stopped chanting and stepped back as the wall broke off to reveal what it was meant to conceal. What a glorious sight it was, the view beyond the wall. From the grand ceiling were stalactites that protruded threateningly. The air was thick and moist, a refreshing salty mist dampened their skin. It was a glorious cavern where a vibrant blue pool of water collected at its center and stretched farther into a canal that lead out to sea. It wasn’t the cave itself that brought awe to Newt and Jacob’s features, but the grand ship that lay anchored in its wake.

A mighty sailboat, with hefty white sails secured to three proud masts gently, swayed in the water. Despite being dwarfed in comparison to many of the steamboats procured in the 20th century, the Georgian relic was still quite the sight to see. It’s chipping wood had once been painted a radiant royal blue and trimmed with glistening gold, yet both became dulled over time. Detailed heavenly carvings lined the sides and the stern, but they were no match for the wooden angel carved at the bow. A beautiful feminine angel with a length of black coiled hair and mahogany skin stretched its fading white wings in a protective manner in front of the boat.

“A pirate ship,” Jacob gaped. “It’s a pirate ship!”

Uluras scoffed and shook his head, mumbling something under his breath in a foreign language. “This ain’t no pirate ship, boy,” he said. “That there be the fastest ship on earth, Zanj Lanmè.”

“The Sea Angel,” Newt translates, his eyes still taking in the ambiance of it all.

The smallest of smirks managed to tug the corner of Uluras’s lips. “What you know about Creole, white boy?”

Newt’s cheeks spotted red. “I did some traveling around the Caribbean a while ago. I spent some time in a village in Haiti and helped them catch a Loogaroo that had been terrorizing their people.”

Uluras pursed his lips and nodded in understanding. “Nasty things, them Loogaroo are. Even the bokor have trouble ridding them,” he mused. “How a skinny bradda like you was able to subdue one?”

“I was just lucky, I suppose,” said Newt.

Uluras hummed, not completely satisfied with Newt’s answer, but enough to let it go. He turned his attention back to Jacob, who was still processing everything.

“Well, as I was sayin’,” he tells him, “she ain’t no pirate ship. Zanj Lanmè be a ship of liberty. She was once used as a slaver ship and crossed the ocean between West Africa and the West Indies, that be until a captured slave by the name of Asha discovered that she was a sòsyè.”

“She was a witch?” asked Newt.

“Yes, and a powerful one, too. Without realizing it, she called on a great storm. The traders were left to fight against the wind and sea on deck, while the slaves stayed below. Asha’s storm was too great for any pouvwafèb to survive. They all were taken by the sea and when the storm was over, the slaves realized what had happened. They were freed. Asha used her newfound power to break their shackles, and enchanted the ship to glide through water with ease and withstand any storm to take them to the mainland. Zanj Lanmè be the ship of my ancestors.”

“Wow,” was all Jacob could muster to say amidst his amazement.

“That’s incredible,” Newt added.

“Yes, she is.” Uluras smiled proudly and walked towards the ship. Newt and Jacob followed him to the edge of the pool. With a slow wave of his hand, a stream of water rose from the pool, splishing and splashing wildly as it began to form a sort of bridge between them and the boat. Just as fast as it had appeared, it crystalized in front of them, stabilizing it enough to support their weight. Without a smidgen of hesitation, Uluras stepped on the bridge and walked up to the ship.

“Zanj Lanmè will take you wherever you need to be. You should be thanking her, you are the first white men to board her in a century,” Uluras yelled back to them.

Newt stopped on the bridge and turned to the angel at the bow. He lowered his head in a respectful manner as a small thank you and continued up the ramp.

“Thank you, ma’am.” Jacob quickly bowed to the angel as he passed.

Just as Jacob stepped on deck, another low rumbling vibrated the grotto. The three men whipped their heads to the tunnel entrance and saw the wall parting again. With a large sack in tow, Niris emerged from the passage and rushed to the ship, much to Uluras’s surprise.  

“Niris, what are you doing here?” He questioned.

“I am coming with you, father,” said Niris as he made his way up the bridge.

“No, you are staying here!”

“And do what? Sit and wait for you to come home? Besides, you need my help, Baaba. You can’t man Zanj Lanmè on your own.”

Uluras sighed, mumbling something in Creole before placing his hands on his hips. “You’re just like your Mudda: thick-headed,” he demurred, though he increasingly became convinced. “Hurry up and gadda supplies below deck,” he finally conceded.

Niris smiled widely with his teeth, rushed on deck, and thanked his father with a big hug before disappearing below.

“Mr. Kowalski.” Uluras turned to face the shorter man.

“Aye, Captain?”

“Would you mind helping my boy while I talk to your friend here?”

Jacob looked at Newt beside him, who gave him a nod to go on without him. “No, not at all,” said Jacob. “I’ll get right on that.”

Jacob lackadaisically headed in the same direction Niris had since disappeared to. Uluras walked in the opposite direction, towards what Newt recognized as the captain’s cabin. He opened the painted red door and held it for Newt to walk in after him.

The cabin was impressive, to say the least, a real French antique of the late seventeen hundreds. It was as long as it was wide, made up of dark wood in which the walls were paneled and decorated with miscellaneous objects such as maps and paintings. A few bookshelves lined the walls, filled with thick unknown books and some geographical tools. The farthest wall was covered edge to edge with five long, glass arched windows, leaking streams of light into the otherwise dim cabin. To the left was a rather posh canopy bed a few feet from a large cluttered desk that was bolted to the center of the floor.

Uluras let the door close and walked towards the desk. As he passed, the lanterns hanging from the ceiling, and the candles sitting on the desk lit to illuminate the room around them, creating a warm glow of light.    

“Dumbledore sent you to me with the hopes I will take you to Italy,” he spoke. “Normally I wouldn’t be bodda’d to take anyone anywhere in this here ship, but it appears I don’t have a choice.” Uluras crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the desk as he inspected Newt. “I get the feeling you are an honorable man, Mr. Scamander. Odda'wise, you wouldn’t be chasing demons across the world. Demons such as Gellert Grindelwald.”

“Dumbledore told you,” Newt deduced.

“Even if he didn’t, I wouldn't need him to tell me a war is brewing. Everyone knows about Grindelwald and his blind followers. And everyone knows you. You managed to fight against him twice, most recently in France. No doubt you are planning to face him again.” Uluras let out a soft chuckle. “I don’t know if you are brave, stupid, or both. Maybe I am stupid for agreeing to help. Nothing good comes to those looking for trouble.”

“Sometimes it feels more like trouble is looking for me,” said Newt.

“The best people are tasked with fixing the worst of the world. Trouble chooses you because you are destined for greatness. It’s best to remember that.”

Oddly enough, Uluras’s words gave Newt the encouragement he needed. While he was always one for an adventure, the events that transpired the last few months left him feeling defeated. The loss of Leta filled him with a great deal of grief, one that numbed him almost completely. When Dumbledore called him back in arms, there was a flicker of hope that punctured his heart. He could avenge her, and save Credence and Queenie. He could stop Grindelwald once and for all. These were the thoughts that went through his head. But once his high died down, and he realized just how serious a mission he was embarking on. He quickly became apprehensive. What if he was in way over his head? What if he failed? What could he possibly do to stop a psychotic dark wizard from waging war on muggles? All of those anxieties seemed to muffle with Uluras’s reassurance.

Newt was brought from his inner monologue when Uluras placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. He must have sensed Newt’s doubts and concerns. “I will take you to Italy,” he promised. “Don’t worry Mr. Scamander, you can trust me and my son to get you where you got to go.”

Newt smiled awkwardly and bowed his head. “Thank you.”

Uluras slid his hand off Newt’s shoulder and gestured to the door. “Why don’t you go find your friend and my son. He should be able to show you to your quarters while I prepare us to sail.”

Newt nodded and headed out the door, leaving Uluras behind in the cabin to find Jacob.

               ──── ⋅ ⍤ ⋅⊰⋅∘ 〄 ∘⋅⊱⋅ ⍤ ⋅ ──── 

❦ 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘳𝘺                                                                   𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 ⊱

              ──── ⋅ ⍤ ⋅⊰⋅∘ 〄 ∘⋅⊱⋅ ⍤ ⋅ ────

[magicalhideoutengineer]

Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) has returned to London. He's released his book too, huge success making him extremely famous in certain circles. ("He's not world famous. He's basically famous like a singer is huge in germany. He's the David Hasselhoff of wizards," says Katherine Waterston who plays Tina.) But he's not happy.

"He just wants to get back to New York, to Tina," says Redmayne. "But his travel documents have been denied. The ministry keeps interrogating him and New York and why he was really there and what his true agenda was. He's not in a happy place. He's kind of fucked off."

Tina meanwhile, is not in New York, but Paris where Newt will eventually follow. "She's been reinstated as an Auror, which is everything to her," says Waterston, "She's trusting herself more after her instincts were proved right last time." Hence the journey to Paris, where she believes somebody very important is hiding. Most of the film will take place in Paris, in 1927. The reason the action has moved here (Paris) is because of one character, the one Tina is trying to find: Credence Barebone."

The last remnant of Credence fled to Paris in search of his real mother and answers. And having regenerated, he is now part of a circus.

“He landed himself in a familiar situation but this time he's gone all Twisted Sister on it. We're not gonna take it," Miller says. He talks like this a lot, in sudden caps. "The circus, he's back in an abusive, repressive environment, but this time he has a companion." The companion is the Maledictus (Claudia Kim), the circus's central act and a woman who is cursed to eventually turn into a beasts. "They are both being abused and exploited and there's only so much he's going to tolerate."

The man tying all this together, who will nessecitate the trip to Hogwarts and who is after Credence for still secretive reason is the  titular Grindelwald. Played by Johnny Depp, he starts the film in jail, having been captured for the crimes against the Wizarding community at the end of the last film. He swiftly breaks out and begins a campaign to unite the wizard world against the non-magical, who he considers inferior, believing he can gather enough support to make wizard and witches the dominant form of Humanity. And he might be right.

"Grindelwald as a villain is quite unlike Voldemort." says Yates, comparing the two big bads of Rowling's series. "Volemort was basically a thug. If you disagree with him, he'd just kill you on the spot. The scary thing about Grindelwald is that if you disagree with him, within 5 minutes he'll have you agreeing with him... He's incredibly charming and convincing. He's not a warrior but a seducer. He'll bend the truth until it fits what you want to hear and he can get you on side."

Dumbledore is chosen by the British Ministry of Magic as the man to bring Grindelwald to justice, but he refuses to do it directly. Instead, for reasons we'll get to shortly, he persuades an old pupil, Newt, to do it for him. Law sees a direct comparison with Dumbledore's relationship with Harry Potter.

"Dumbledore has an overview of events that most don't and therefore can't tell everyone everything at a particular time," he says. "He did the same with Harry really. He steered Harry until he realized he was being used, but in a way he knew there there were things he couldn't find out until it was right to find them out. It's the same here with Newt." Laws says the key to his understanding of their relationship came from a note by the author. "Jo told me that in some ways Dumbledore thinks of himself as a beasts because of things he's done in the past," he says, "and he knows that therefore Newt [as a beast-lover] will forgive him."

Redmayne is very careful in discussing why Dumbledore sents Newt after Grindelwald, beyond him being his favorite ex-pupil. "I don't want to give away what Dumbledore's relationship with the first film," he says. "But at the start we see that he maybe had some influence on what went on in the first film."

"In that early interview, I didn't say Dumbledore's not gay. He is," says Yates. But he says this installment in the series only gives the first hints of what happened between Dumbledore and Grindelwald. "This part of this huge narrative that Jo is creating doesn't focus on his sexuality but we're not airbrushing or hiding it. The story isn't there in this particular movie but it's clear in what you see... that he is gay. A couple of scenes we shot are very sensual moments between of him (Dumbledore) and the young Grindelwald."

The return to Hogwarts is a reunion for fans, but so far it only includes some of the cast. Kravitz get to film there because Leta Lestrange was a remnant from Newt's Hogwarts past. The pair forged a romantic, though possibly not reciprocal, relationship at school, where they were both outcasts. He, because he was an oddball who only wanted to be friends with animals. She, because she was part of a family with a pretty dark history. As a boy who always had an eye for anything misunderstood, Newt was drawn to a character who is neither hero nor villain. As Kravitz puts it, "Leta is constantly drawn between the good and the bad, the light and the dark, trying to work out where she fits."

Leta was the first person Newt had feelings for and comes back into his life in a rather painful way: she's now engaged to his brother, Theseus. "I don't know if anyone in this triangle really knows what's going on," says Kravitz, "Newt is not always good at making his feelings clear." 

"No, I did not get to go to Hogwarts," says Redmayne, all but stomping off and slamming the door to his room. "Technically I film at Hogwarts, there's a shot where we come to the aquaduct [outside the school], but that was really standing in a massive green curtain." When asked if she made it to school ground, Katherine Waterston simply makes a 'Harrump' face. She did not make it into school ground.

[vehuhia-rp]

I am not a stranger to the dark

Credence had been an orphan his entire life. His parents had abandoned him when he’d been but a kid, and he had no memories of them anymore.

He’d learnt to survive. To steal food, to work whenever he could, wherever he could. He’d been chased, he’d been whipped, he’d been spat upon.

There wasn’t one humiliation he didn’t know.

Which meant that when he became old enough to understand these things, he started to be approached by men who wanted to use him in exchange of money.

He’d always said no, of course.

Always, until now.

Growing up, he’d taken another orphan under his wing. Modesty, she was called. She didn’t know where her parents were. She’d grown up in an orphanage, but she’d escaped after some kids had been too roughly abused.

She’d been afraid she would be the next to die under the blows of the director.

Credence had found her in a dark alleyway, scavenging food from a nearby trash bin, a piece of glass in her hand for only defence.

He’d cleaned her wounds, fed her, and she’d officially adopted him.

They kept each other warm on cold nights. They shared food, clothes, stories. Love. They were the closest thing to a family either of them had ever known, and it was perfect that way.

Except that Modesty had fallen badly ill, lately. It had started with a cough, and she’d stayed in bed for days now, with a fever that just wouldn’t go down.

Credence had gone to the doctor, begging for his help, but he’d given him his price. Far too high for him to afford. He’d bought miracle remedies to seller in the streets, but they hadn’t worked.

And Modesty was dying.

Which was why he found himself on the docks one night late, nervously tugging at the hem of his sleeves, but head held high.

He’d heard about it far enough. He knew it paid well, and that sailors were the men who paid the most. After months on sea, they were ready to sell everything they had just to share the bed of a woman - or a young man like him.

Which was why he was standing in the darkness and the cold, waiting for sailors to step out of the nearby pub and come to him. It would be easy, once they noticed him. He just had to clench his teeth for a little while, and then he would have enough money to bring Modesty to the doctor.

@scharfezunge

[wrockingwriter]

Obscurus and Patronus: Expressions of the Soul in the Wizarding World

If you’ve read my previous post about Obscurials, you know that I have this theory that Obscurus and Patronus are flip-sides of the same coin. It kind of consumed my panel in 2018 in the best of ways, so I wanted to explore this further with the new bits of evidence we get from the Crimes of Grindelwald film.

We are shown and told time and again that powerful magic takes conviction and strong emotion- and I’m here to claim that the Obscurus and Patronus are no different- merely the Light and Dark equivalents of one another. A protector, though ones with wildly differing means of doing so.

Let’s start with the bit of magic we know a fair bit about: The Patronus Charm.

The Patronus Charm (incantation: Expecto Patronum (literally ‘I summon a protector’)) is an ancient and mysterious charm that conjures a magical guardian. A projection of all of your most positive feelings. It is difficult, and many witches/wizards are unable to produce a full/corporeal Patronus, a guardian which generally takes the shape of the animal with whom they share the deepest affinity. You may suspect, but you will never truly know what form your Patronus will take until you succeed in conjuring it. -Miranda Goshawk’s overview

So there are two forms of Patronus- the basic Incorporeal, which is simply a projected shield and is confined to the range of one’s wand; and the advanced Corporeal, which takes the shape of a full animal (which is supposedly the animal one has the deepest affinity for) and can be directed to do tasks at a distance (send messages, guide, direct, distract).

To cast a full Patronus, you need two things:

An intensely happy memory (or fantasy, it seems, going by Harry’s ability to conjure a Patronus for his OWL by imagining Umbridge being sacked.

A confidence that it can be done. Perhaps just an overall surety of self, going by Harry was unable to fully cast a Patronus until he had evidence that he had already been able to do so. Hermione has trouble when she doubts herself.

It’s also shown that a Patronus can change form if the caster goes through an emotional upheaval- falling intensely in love, trauma (perhaps) etc.

James and Lily Potter are said to have had complimentary Patronuses, which implies either their souls deepest affinities are very similar, or Lily’s Patronus changed shape in the wake of falling for James.

A Patronus and an Animagus can take the same shape (which lends itself to the ‘deepest affinity’ portion of Patronus shape explanations, but not to a Patronus shifting shapes) as we are shown with McGonagall, Lupin, and James.

JK, in the days I still think of as Canon (interviews pre 2009, but this is a whole different topic) was once asked about James and Lily’s Patronuses being a set and she replied that ‘the Patronus often mutates to take the image of the love of one's life, because they so often become the 'happy thought' that generates a Patronus.’ so the thoughts that are used to form a Patronus CAN influence a Patronus Guardian’s shape.

But back to technicalities, a Patronus is only active while the caster is focusing on it- it’s a conscious directive by the caster that has to be held until it’s been done, else the Patrons dissipates.

If a Patronus Guardian is not actively facing a Lethifold/Dementor, it seems to take on traits of the animal they resemble- a semblance of sentience (Prongs approaching Harry after he’s first summoned)

As an audience, we are told repeatedly through the older witches and wizards that the Patronus Charm- a fully formed, corporeal, Patronus- is incredibly rare and difficult. We’re actively told by Lupin when he starts to teach Harry, Amelia Bones when she is so impressed by his conjuring one at the trial, Professor Tofty when he is so admiring of Harry’s ability to produce it during his OWLs. It’s also made clear through the disbelieving reactions of Fudge and Umbridge.

We are also shown, though, MANY characters who can cast the Charm fully, especially in the DA- but is that a show of how many powerful wizards Harry is surrounded by, or is it a way to show that there is a huge misconception about the difficulty of the Charm itself? (This is, of course, ignoring the ungodly amount of contradictory information to be found through Pottermore, the Wonderbook game, later JK interviews, etc)

So if we throw all this together, we know a Patronus Charm is:

Unique to the caster

More powerful when corporeal

Only able to be active while consciously cast

A passive protector (does not destroy anything, simply drives it away)

Made of light

A projection of the caster’s most positive feelings

---

The Obscurus is new to us with this Fantastic Beasts franchise, but with some (over) analysation we can pull together quite a bit about them!

And Obscurus is a Dark force that develops and grows inside a witch or wizard who must hide or suppress their abilities. Children who develop this seemingly parasitic force have lived through a trauma that’s associated with magic, and their shame/fear/etc causes them to attempt (and succeed) in suppressing their magic on a regular basis.

In the newest film, Crimes of Grindelwald, Dumbledore says that an ‘Obscurus grows in the absence of love as a dark twin, an only friend.’

In the first Fantastic Beasts film, Newt describes the circumstances that caused Obscurus to form in the past as ‘young witches and wizards sometimes tried to suppress their magic to avoid persecution. Instead of learning to harness or to control their powers, they developed an Obscurus.’ Tina, in this same moment, describes an Obscurus as ‘an unstable, uncontrollable Dark force that busts out and attacks- and then vanishes.’

In the confrontation with GrindelGraves (cos that’s what I’m going to be calling him) where he asks about the Obscurus he found and removed from the case (which, by the way, the fuck happened to it? Newt did say it couldn’t survive outside of the box/bubble, so what happened???) and states that ‘it’s ‘useless without the host.’ And that makes Newt explode, calling the Obscurus a ‘parasitical magical force that killed a child.’

There is a seeming throwaway comment from a witness at the beginning of Fantastic Beasts, saying the thing was ‘like a wind with shining white eyes.’

There is no record of an Obscurial (the host of an Obscurus) surviving past the age of 10, but that doesn’t mean that it hasn’t happen- simply that it hasn’t been recorded.

When we see the Obscurus in action, it is near ALWAYS in response to a negative event that happens to Credence. (the notable exceptions are a deleted scene in Crimes of Grindelwald, and the scene we arrive to in Fantastic Beasts, though there is no way to know for sure without context)

Senator Shaw, at the newspaper, focuses on Credence explicitly at two key moments: when he calls ‘and take the freaks with you’ and when the flier falls he call Credence over to take it back, and then says ‘here you go, freak- why don’t you put that in the trash where you all belong.’

Shaw himself is directly targeted after this, other people at the event are tossed about and perhaps scared or minorly wounded- but Shaw is lifted up into the air, thrown against his own poster, and is dead and brutally scarred by the time he hits the ground. The poster itself is also destroyed before the Obscurus leaves, wreaking havoc in its wake.

Mary Lou Barebone is both stated and shown to be beating Credence for as long as she’s had him- and far worse than she treats the other children in her care. But the beatings alone are not enough to bring out the Obscurus- it’s not until Mary-Lou denies all connection/affection for Credence and insults his unknown biological mother all in one fell swoop (I’m not your ma! Your ma was a wicked, unnatural, woman!) that the Obscurus sees her as an active threat.

After the belt that Credence had only moments before handed her whips its way out of her hand and slithers away, there is a dark mass. It covers Mary Lou and throws her backward through the building, and by the time she lands on the ground she is already dead- and shares the scarring Shaw had.

GrindelGraves has, for an undetermined amount of time, been a positive in Credence’s life. He’s been shown healing his hurts, providing comfort when he feels overwhelmed, and we find out that he had promised to teach Credence magic. He snaps the trust Credence had in him like a twig, thinking that Credence is of no further use to him. (You’re a squib, Credence. I could smell it off you the minute I met you. You have magica ancestry, but no power. You’re unteachable. Your mother’s dead; that’s your reward. I’m done with you.’

We all know that this is the point at which Credence stops fighting, when he gives in to the Obscurus entirely (I don’t think I want to, Mr. Graves). Both the figurative and literal walls between them crumble, the Obscurus bursts from Credence, and his grief, rage, and betrayal fuel him as he lashes out at everything and everyone. This is the difference, I think, between Credence and other Obscurials- but that’s a different talk. The Obscurus, as we know, is at its most powerful in these moments where Credence has fully given in. The lashing out at the person who betrayed him, the city that degraded him, and the overall expression of his hatred of all the injustices this life has handed him.

During this confrontation Newt and Tina are able to talk Credence out of the Obscurus by being patient and understanding, by sharing in his hurts and not trying to fight him. These efforts are, of course, foiled by GrindelGraves and later Madame Picquery who only know how to appeal to the power of (GrindelGraves) or eliminate (Picquery) things outside of their direct control.

In Crimes of Grindelwald, we only see the Obscurus once- when Grimmson fires the killing curse while Credence is talking to Irma, keeping Credence from being hit.

Looking at this set of instances it seems obvious, at least to me, that the Obscurus growing within Credence was reacting to harm that came to Credence- whether physical or mental- and removing the threats presented. Once Credence loses himself to his grief and heartache it’s less focused- like Harry was when destroying Dumbledore’s office in the wake of Sirius’ death- but Tina and Newt’s kindness and care do calm the Credence and thus the Obscurus.

Happiness, hope, kindness, sympathy- these seem to contain/calm the Obscurus. And they’re the things that help when healing from trauma.

Putting this all together, we know that an Obscurus is:

Unique and dependent on the host

Instinctively/subconsciously directed

A dark mist with glowing white eyes

A destructive force to any perceived threat

Fuelled by an absence of love and the presence of fear

Formed through trauma

Leaves scars on the victims that are unique to Obscurus as a phenomena.

If a Patronus is meant to symbolise the healing strength of joy and contentedness in a soul/person, then an Obscurus (to me) is obviously meant to symbolise the destructive strength of anger and fear in a soul scarred by trauma.

To recap, a Patronus is:

Unique to the caster

More powerful when corporeal

Only able to be active while consciously cast

A passive protector (does not destroy anything, simply drives it away)

Made of light

A projection of the caster’s most positive feelings

Whereas an Obscurus is:

Unique and dependent on the host

Instinctively/subconsciously directed

A dark mist with glowing white eyes

A destructive force to any perceived threat

Fuelled by an absence of love and the presence of fear

Formed through trauma

Leaves scars on the victims that are unique to Obscurus as a phenomena.

Despite all their differences, their 3 key defining characteristics as powerful magic are the same: They are protective forces, unique to the magic user, that are powered by strong emotion.

Are you convinced?

[annuities]

Schilderwald ; one

pairing: theseus x reader

summary: basically, you’re really freaking confused.

note: i relate to reader on an emotional level. as of right now, this looks like it’s about 20 chps.

chapter two is here.

Oh god. Someone, please tell you how you got here. 

Your wrists are getting rope burns from squirming too much (you might’ve made a joke about aha, kinky, if you weren’t so confused), and you can probably break them— Surprise surprise, all those years forced to do fieldwork wasn’t so useless after all, you can probably untie the knot—

“Hi,” a woman abruptly says as she bends down in front of you. Everything about this woman is imitading— Leather jacket, short hair, dark— fierce eyes. And oh, that wand pointing at you. The hand is firm and the position is solid. 

“Hi?” you attempt, but it comes out like the squeal of a dying whale and ends in a questioning tone.

“My name is Tina Goldstein. I’m an American Auror,” she says. “And I need you to help me catch Grindelwald—”

Your eyebrows shoot up so high you suspect they might have found God. 

“Wait, wait wait,” a male voice joins the conversation. A man with tousled red-hair and a face dusted with freckles holds up his hands. He’s cute, in an unassuming way. “Shouldn’t we untie her first?” he asks. “We are, uh, asking her for help...”

“Newt,” the woman— Tina, Tina Goldstein begins. Her head is cocked and her words are said very deliberately. “We still don’t know if she’s a threat—”

“Uh,” you wave awkwardly. “I’m still here?” 

Two pairs of eyes find you. Then to Tina. Who sighs with a hint of murder.

Clearing her throat, she starts again, “As Mr. Scamander was saying, we are in need of your help to capture the dark wizard Grindelwald and find a boy named Credence Barebone.” She looks at you with those fierce eyes of hers, glittering with something like trapped firelight. 

She had you lost at the ‘help’ part. Weren’t you already helping? Why did she think you of all people could help? Also— “Just a question,” you say as they both nod. “Scamander, as in— Theseus Scamander?”

The man looks mildly surprised. Boyish features pulled into puzzlement. “You know him? He’s my brother.”

If anything, your name has now just become Perpetual State of Confusion.

x

EIGHTEEN DAYS EARLIER

Hot breath against the side of your neck, hands threaded into your hair and pulling you against him. Teeth bite, scraping against the skin of your neck, hard and bruising, you scrabble for a grip on his shoulders, pulling at the broad shoulders and the crisp shirt jacket.

Teeth clang against yours and he pulls on your hair — gentle enough not to hurt but firm enough to let you know what he wants. Slipping his leg between yours, he shoves you forward for a few quick steps and hauls you up against the wall. Moaning, you ball up the edge of his shirt as he continues to ravage your mouth. Your lungs burn, and abruptly you realize this is wrong as you push away against his chest—

Somewhere distantly, a door slams open followed by a few angry voices.

“Of all the people you could possibly ask, Theseus—“

“No, no, it has to be her, she’s the only one I trust with stuff like this—“

And then the door to the records room slam open, and with an ungraceful yelp, you tip backwards in your chair as you try to stack your papers into a pile before tumbling onto the ground. You take a pile papers down with you, and nervously, you give the one in front of you a shifty glance before snatching it off the ground.

“Uh, hi?” you offer, clutching the paper to your chest as you resist the urge to look at the pile of scattered paper around you. Ah, you shouldn’t have been meddling with those reports on the Nundu terrorizing muggle hunters today—

Torquil Travers gives you a look of immense resentment and promptly heads out the door with a raised chin and an air of pompous superiority. You narrow your eyes and the next thing you hear is a sound of yelped pain.

“I didn’t train you in wandless magic just to have you terrorizing coworkers, [Name].” 

You turn your head and raise it toward him. “I’ve known how for—” You shut your mouth with an audible click and offer him the most innocent smile you can. “Sir, yes sir,” you say, automatically resorting to the sentence because of the awkwardness. Ha, anything to get out of getting reassigned to field ops. 

Theseus Scamander raises an eyebrow before his eyes crinkle and he gives you a fond smile. “Easy there,” he teases you. “We both know you don’t work for me anymore.”

And thank the everloving God for that— You weren’t one for crushes, and infatuations came and left with the blink of an eye. But Theseus— Theseus Scamander: renowned world hero, charismatic (bastard with a sadistic work streak) Auror who can get just about anyone to compromise for him is completely different. And the fact that he was those things wasn’t even the thick of why you adored him. It was because of Theseus, and as cliche as it was, it was because of the passion he held in his work, the midnight oil you burned together and him diving desperately into any situation to save lives. 

Having a crush on him was sort of like being in love with a celebrity (yes, you had a healthy dose of muggle media as a child) when you were a teenager and calculating the age difference because ha— As if that was the biggest obstacle.

(Also, there was also Christmas Party last year where you had gotten too bold, too drunk and— Well, let’s not have a repeat of that.)

You smile, if a little dryly. “Yes, which is why you’re dropping by here, a full four floors away from Law Enforcement.”

“Hey,” he protests good-naturedly as he leans down and you freeze, for a second, until he wraps his long fingers around your forearm and pulls you up. “Can’t I visit an ex-subordinate every now and then?”

Why don’t you visit the guy who got demoted because you caught him slacking off on the job every now and then, too? 

You brush him off, ignoring the red shade your face was slowly adopting. “If you wanted me to find something, you can just, uh, sent me a letter.”

He tucks his hands into his pocket and leans onto your desk as you finally take out your wand and resettle your chair, as well as all of the scattered paper across the floor, making sure to place the illegals ones as far away from Theseus as possible.

“You see, I need your help for some... Confidential matters,” he tells you. 

You cross your arms. “I don’t do fieldwork anymore, boss. Sorry, maybe ask... I dunno, Wesley from your own department?” 

He laughed and returns his gaze to you. He shifts, and the afternoon light from the window bathes him in soft light. “Travers said the same thing, you know,” he says lightly. “But the only one I can trust to do this is you.”

Your eyes narrow. “If I say no?”

Humming good-naturedly, Theseus walks around you and towards the other side of the table in the Record’s Office. Before you can protest, he reads one off. “Potential Obscurus-Containing Households, do you know what happens to people who possess confidential records outside of their jurisdiction?” He waves the paper around.

A moment of silence.

You brighten. “Does that mean you’ll finally fire me?” 

“[Name].”

You really wish he would stop saying your name like that—

“Oh wait,” you suddenly realize. “I could get stuffed in Azkaban for that.” 

“[Name],” he says again. “I’m asking this of you because I trust you. I know you despise fieldwork and what happened— Is... Well... But I need to know that someone I can count on to keep my back is on this mission.”

Oh dear, your black little heart actually does a little flip at those words.

But— You’re not stupid. There are a thousand people out there who are more qualified than you are, who can be counted on not to let their emotions affect their work and people who don’t kiss their engaged boss at a Christmas Party because they’re drunk. Being in love with Theseus— Being in love with a taken man had consequences and that night last year you told yourself that you weren’t going to make someone else suffer because of you and requested for a transfer. 

Though, then again, were you really going to refuse him? Theseus, hand on your waist, hand on your elbow as he tries to teach you wandless magic in a hushed murmur by your ear. Theseus, who jumps into danger without a second thought because of that proud, righteous justice—

You owe him this. Not just because of that kiss, but for all the years he’s been looking out for you and all the things he’s taught you.

“Okay,” you say, chin raised, already dreading whatever’s coming. “I’ll help you.”

He beamed and lifts himself up from his desk to his full height. “Splendid,” he says and begins towards the door. Not before wrapping his hand around your wrist and pulling you with him.

You flail. “What’s this,” you gesture at the hand holding your wrist.

He gives you a stare. “I told you, it’s an operation of the highest degree of confidentiality—”

“Oh, did you now? I must’ve missed it.”

“—And I can’t discuss it with you until we’re in a secure location where I can be sure there is no third party.”

You give him a glare. “I do understand protocols— I have been working here for the last eight years. But why are you gripping my wrist like you’re trying to apply for a position as a human handcuff?”

He gives you a wicked stare that makes you weak at the knee. You stumble a bit, but Theseus just releases your hand lightning fast to catch you at the shoulders then return to gripping it. “So you can’t run.”

“What?” You give him a stare of utter betrayal. No, nope, nope— Sweet Merry Lewis this was a mistake. “You know,” you say weakly as he continues to smile. “I think I hear my mother calling for me.”

All coherent thought fades as he hushes you with a finger to the lips (and hear that— it’s you dying yonder) and all your retreat-route planning activities cease entirely. 

The two of you step into the elevator. There are dozens of people, as usual, making you unnecessarily close to Theseus. Due to your small height, your temple is basically pressed against his chest. You lower your head, hair falling into your face as Theseus remains tall with back-straight confidence as one of his hands are in his pocket while another continues captivity over your wrist. 

I should stop reading muggle romance novels, is what you manage to take away from your elevator ride together.

Immediately, the chatter of the Law Enforcement Dept. greet you, and the extrovert inside you bloom as you see a few familiar faces you haven’t seen in a while. Admittedly, you’d been less than sad when you were finally taken off the field ops. roster and given a stable desk jockey position in the records, but you certainly missed your friends.

“Sir—” One of them greets Theseus before they brighten as they see you. “Unofficial Former Great Leader!” Aurelia Henley beams as she sees you. Standing up, she bounds up to you quickly. “Are you finally coming back? Finally got tired of those stuff parchments, haven’t you?” And then she winks and bumps your hips together lightly. 

“Aw,” you grin. “I missed you too!” You try to shake Theseus’ handoff, when you fail, you offer him a nasty look that he only offers you a half smile in return and taps his pocket watch. 

By the time you turn back, Aurelia has adopted a sly, understanding grin on her face. “Well,” she says cheerfully with Cheshire smirk, “I won’t keep you. Do have a very lovely day, sir.

Good luck, she mouths as she returns to her desk. 

“Traitor,” you mutter beneath your breath lightly. If Theseus understands what your friend had been implying, he doesn’t offer any indication. A few others greet you afterwards, but despite your best efforts to stall, Theseus drags you to your destination in record time. The two of you pull up at the familiar door of his office.

It swings open to greet the two of you and slam shut when you’re finally inside. You’re pretty sure it’s locked and even an Alohamora won’t be able to unlock it.

It’s then Theseus finally releases you. You break away from him, desperate to put some space between the two of you. 

“Well,” you ask. “What was so bloody important that you needed to drag me here?”

“Oh, I just need you to help me find the dark wizard Grindelwald and capture him. That’s all.”

You make a break for the exit, lock door be damned.

x

tags list (if you want to continue to be tagged, keep replying, if you don’t, just ignore this):

@dammit-scamander @lotr-th-hp @sanya-gryff @gawabby @booknerd-and-fangirl @latenightpenscratchings @can-i-say-something-please @kinkyspellman

[kuro-gossips]

Splashes of Colour

Chapter 4: Shades of Purple

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3

Shortly after having a vision of his soulmate -- not the first and not the last, he is sure -- Grindelwald holds a debriefing for his subordinates. The heterochromic man commands to one them, “I want you to go to the circus now. Give my note to Credence and begin his journey.”

Nagel nods and quickly excuses himself from the room. Rosier, elegantly dressed as ever, haughtily declares in her heavy French accent, “When we’ve won, they’ll flee cities in the millions. They’ve had their time.”

“Now, now. We don’t say such things out loud. We only want freedom. Freedom to express who we truly deserve to be.” Grindelwald pacifies, a smirk curling up through his lips.

The French woman agrees, a finger positioned on her chin in contemplation, “To annihilate non-wizards.”

The Dark Lord’s eyes flash -- patience wearing thin -- when he speaks next, “Not all of them. We are not merciless, but the beast of burden will always be necessary. Rosier, if you please.”

The blue-eyed witch knows what he is referring to, even if he doesn’t explicitly say it, and retrieves the skull-shaped hookah for her Lord. Grindelwald takes a deep breath in and exhales the smoke that models itself into the Obscurus, black fog swirling with intermittent red flashes, and then resolving into an image of Credence Barebone. His acolytes vibrate with excitement, except for the wizard of Asian descent, Krall, who seems sullen at the sight.

“So, Credence Barebone. A boy nearly destroyed by the woman who raised him, yet now, he seeks the mother who bore him. He’s desperate for family, for love, and he is the key to our victory. We must make him believe that we can provide that information to him.” Grindelwald proclaims, his mismatched eyes shining with an unbridled lust for power.

Krall, a nervous tick in his dark eyebrow, says, “Well, we know where the boy is, don’t we? Why don’t we just grab him and leave?”

“No, he must come voluntarily… and he will.” The Dark wizard shakes his head in response, while explaining. His gaze returns to the suspended vapour form of Credence in the centre of the room. “The path has been laid and he is following it, according to plan. The trail that will lead him to me, along with the strange and glorious truth of who he is.”

“Why is he so important?”

“Who represents the greatest threat to our cause, Krall?”

“Albus Dumbledore, of course.”

“And if I asked you to go to Hogwarts, where he is hiding, and kill him for me, would you do it for me?” An unkind grin graces Grindelwald’s face. “Credence is the only entity alive, who can kill him.”

Krall stumbles through his rebuttal, quickly correcting himself as he catches his Lord’s stern glare, as if daring him to finish his initial train of thought, “You really think that he can kill the great-- can kill Albus Dumbledore?”

“Oh, Krall. I know he can. But will you be with us when that happens? Will you?” Grindelwald whispers, imparting a knowing look on the other man. The powerful wizard is able to discern that Krall is not completely faithful to him and to their mission because he has Seen it in the near future. Then, he addresses the rest of the room’s occupants, “Now, leave.”

In the vacant space, the blonde wizard recalls Newt’s freckled face in the subway tunnels of New York, contorted in agony from the electrical shocks he had sent at him and the distraught expression after he had learned that being too physically far from his soulmate is such a cause for concern. He can’t help but derive pleasure from the sight -- such a delicious image painted over the boy’s delicate features. He ponders many things as he takes a seat, a sinister smile on his face, looking out at the bustling streets of the French capital and enjoying a cup of tea. Grindelwald is intrigued by this so-called magical growth as a result of being in a mutual soulmate bond. Now, his next important issue to address is how to persuade the British onto his side. He knows the other has a soft spot a mile wide for magical creatures and that includes the Obscurus contained within Credence. The Dark Lord lets out a pleased hum as plans start to from in his head, soon to come to fruition.

He summons Vinda back a while later; she awaits his command, “Yes, my Lord?”

“Retrieve the Ministry’s records on Newton Scamander.” She bows at her waist and goes to complete Grindelwald’s bidding.

***

A beautiful woman, porcelain skin with hair as dark as night, is kneeling beside a trunk filled with extravagant costumes. She strokes the dark blue dress on top, the material is smooth under her touch, too similar to a snake’s skin. She knows her performance is about to begin and she knows she will hate every moment of it. However, she doesn’t have much choice at the moment. Nagini had needed a way out of Indonesia, away from human traffickers who had sought her out for prostitution or slavery. Skender may be the trash of the magical community, but the next option was far worse. So, she decided to display her ‘unique talent’ in the circus show instead.

“Nagini!” It’s the boy she has become close with over the past couple of months, Credence. His hair has thankfully grown out from that terrible haircut that he sported when she met him. He rushes towards her with an urgent whisper, steel bars separating them, “I think I know where she is.”

Credence must be referring to the identity of his birth mother and she confirms her suspicions when she reads the note he hands her, a frown forming. Regardless of her personal feelings, Nagini meets his chocolate brown eyes, sadness ever present because she knows how it is to be lost. She remains wary at the thought of this Grindelwald person who sent the note. She wonders if Credence can trust this man -- after all, she’s heard the whispers.

“We escape tonight.” He promises, hope burgeoning in his eyes for the first time since his initial meeting with Percival Graves in New York. He thinks he can find his true family and identity, and maybe then, he can stop feeling so utterly lost.

The ringmaster, Skender, appears through the tent’s flaps and angrily shouts at Credence, “Hey! I’ve told you to stay away from her, boy. Did I say you could take a break? Clean out the Kappa.”

He jerks the curtains between the two closed and scolds Nagini, telling her to get ready for her show. Credence barely contains his rage as he eyes the hanging cage, full of Firedrakes, plotting.

***

The night is clear and filled with gleaming stars as Tina Goldstein wanders through the streets of Paris.  The now reinstated Auror, far from home and on a self-appointed mission, walks with an air of confidence, so unlike nine months ago in New York. Somehow, despite her elegant gait, her shoulders are still burdened with personal troubles, thoughts commiserating inside her head. Her long, black trench coat glistens in the dim light as she approaches a statue of a robed woman, gracefully posed upon a giant slab of stone, where her fellow disguised witches and wizards are disappearing into. Dark eyes dart back and forth, ensuring that the non-magical citizens aren’t watching her, and she ducks into the sculpture.

Tina arrives at the entrance of a bustling circus with several tents, the largest one in the centre. A banner is strung across that reads: ‘Circus Arcanus: Freaks and Oddities.’ Street performers line the sides of the main walkway: half-trolls displaying incredible feats of strength, a half-elf juggling knives and other dangerous objects, and a pair of albino twins spitting flames between their open mouths. There is a magnificent creature Tina has never seen before -- its long, plumed tail coiling with feline-like finesse -- staring out from behind sturdy iron bars. The Auror hears the crackling of fireworks erupting in the sky above her.

She slips into the crowd of the main tent, dark eyes intent on searching for the lost Obscurial boy. She tries her best to blend in as Skender, the circus owner, grows increasingly frustrated at his freak’s rebellious behaviour. Credence, somewhere off in the back, makes eye contact with his female friend. Noticing Nagini’s gaze, Tina follows it and finally locates Credence. She begins to move towards the boy she had failed in New York. Skender is furious as he lashes his whip at the bars, “She is forced to become…”

Tina tunes out whatever drivel the burly man is spouting, it is unimportant to her. At last, Nagini gives in and slowly morphs into the body of a snake. Before anyone can react, the large snake strikes at Skender through the bars and yells something in Parseltongue. The ringmaster collapses, bleeding from the wound in his neck. Credence, eyes dark with emotion, snaps a stick at the cage containing the Firedrakes, who soar to freedom. The fabric of the big top catches aflame, screams erupting from the crowd, people stomping and running over each other to the exit. Tina tries her best to navigate through them.

A state of panic settles over the circus as the Firedrakes wreak havoc, tearing patterns through the night sky and trailing showers of sparks. The multitude of creatures are terrified and angered. A Hippogriff is rearing back, while its handlers attempt to rein it in. Performers are scuttling to and from, packing up their belongings, house elves are shoving everything into boxes that fold in on themselves until they become small enough to carry. Tina appears with a resounding snap and flicks her wand to put out the fire. The malnourished Zouwu bursts forth from its crate and leaps away from the screaming humans, roaring out of fright, face scarred and battered. Skender dismisses the creature, knowing any attempts to capture it are futile, so he gathers his workers and boards the carriage. Tina sees Credence in the distance and calls out his name in vain. He is already too far to hear her.

Tina confronts Skender and demands whatever he knows about Credence’s objective in Paris. The man claims that he is looking for his family, and somehow that surprises Tina, despite the fact that she knew that Credence is an orphan who had been adopted by cruel and wicked Mary Lou Barebone. After the bearded male whizzes away with his merry band of freaks, she is confronted by a West African male, judging by his accent, and the two of them discuss Credence’s fate at a nearby cafe. The female Auror optimistically assumes that they’re after the Obscurial boy for the same reason: to save him.

But she is very wrong, and she finds this out the hard way when he disarms her and throws her into an underground cell, one of the walls covered in markings and notes. The brunette sighs, defeatedly, and falls into an agitated sleep.

***

Newt and Jacob successfully track Tina down to her current imprisonment, courtesy of Kama. Following the spectacle that the Zouwu makes in non-magical Paris shortly thereafter, the group of friends are forced to seek shelter in Nicolas Flamel’s house. They clamber through the doors of the empty house, the place is eerily quiet, but they get settled in nonetheless. The British wizard heads down into his case to acclimatize its newest addition, while Tina supervises the unconscious body of the Senegalese man and Jacob desperately searches for food.

He reappears a good twenty minutes later, curly mop of hair peeking through the opening and viridian eyes observing the brunette. The Muggle breaks the awkward silence with a loud grumble emitting from his stomach, a drop of sweat rolls down the side of his face as he becomes the centre of attention. Jacob laughs, sheepish, a hand coming up to wipe at his forehead. Newt fondly smiles, the bags under his eyes even more pronounced -- something Tina finally notices now that they are in decent lighting. Newt appears haggard and worn, but as she opens her mouth to speak, he interjects, “Well, I suppose we all could use some food right about now.”

The round man wants to offer his help, but the magizoologist is already out the door and by the time he turns around to talk to the American Auror, she, too, is sweeping through the hallway, muttering about needing to report to the French Ministry. Jacob throws up his arms in defeat and sits down to watch the dark-skinned man while he waits.

***

Newt knows he shouldn't have volunteered to go searching for food, seeing as he is having difficulty keeping his eyes open, but he doesn't want to stay in such a stuffy environment. Things have been tense between him and Tina, especially with the last couple of letters that were exchanged. She has been insistent in persuading him to visit New York, spouting pleasantries about missing him, and frankly, it made him uncomfortable. He fears the woman has taken a liking to him, but he cannot possibly return those feelings when his mind has been spinning out of control since his soulmate's identity was revealed. As he blearily peers at the rows of food in the small market, his green eyes glaze over and he stumbles into the shelf. He wheezes lightly, gripping his chest as he tries to catch his breath, but Newt doesn't think he can remain conscious for much longer. There is a delicate hand that rests on his shoulder in a comforting manner as someone says something in French to him, but he can neither understand the language or has the mental faculties to perform a translation spell. His eyelids slip closed and just as he is about to slump to the ground, he is faintly aware of someone propping him up, bearing the brunt of his weight.

When the magizoologist comes to, he is alone in a drawing room, laid out upon an elegant chaise and his coat is neatly folded on the side table. Newt glances around the room, evaluating the layout with a keen eye, looking for possible escape routes and objects to defend himself with. This is certainly not the first time he’s been taken without his consent and it won’t be the last -- not in his line of work. His brain stops its calculations when a fair-skinned witch with darkly coloured hair and vibrant blue eyes glides through the doors. She has a tray with tea trailing behind her in the air, a polite and somewhat cold smile graces her lips as she notes that he is awake. She presents him with a teacup, which he takes with a soft 'thank you,’ but then stares at it with apprehension. Her mouth twitches with a bit of humour.

“I assure you, Mr. Scamander, the tea is not poisoned or drugged. Although, it seems you could use a bit of a Pepperup potion.” Her English is fluent, but laced with a French intonation. Newt flushes slightly, ashamed to seen disrespectful in any manner.

“How do you--”

“You have become quite famous, no? An author who writes about magical beasts… It is not everyday one stumbles upon such a well-known person after all.” Her amusement is still apparent in her voice as she explains. In truth, it is because she has seen the files associated with him, but the man doesn’t need to know. Newt fondles the rim of the plate the teacup is on in an attempt to gather his bearings. “My name is Vinda Rosier. Just Vinda is fine though.”

He recognizes her last name, one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight pureblood families of Europe with an affinity for the Dark Arts; it instantly makes him wary, but he schools his face to not react adversely. Newt is polite if nothing else, so he says, “Then call me ‘Newt.’ No one really calls me by my full name unless I’ve done something unruly.”

“Very well… Newt.” There is a vague sense of distaste as his nickname rolls off her tongue, unused to such casual language, but it makes him grin a little. He takes a sip of the tea, Earl Grey, he pleasantly notes.

“Thank you for your help earlier. I don’t know what might have happened if I was taken by some less kind people.” The redhead confesses, grateful that Vinda seems like a reasonably decent person, and because of this, he doesn’t expect when Europe’s most wanted Dark Wizard waltzes into the room. Newt scrambles back on the sofa, dropping the teacup and desperately unsheathing his wand, but he knows he cannot possibly hold his own against Grindelwald. Vinda is fast to respond in order to prevent the cup from shattering on the ground with a Levitation charm. His body unconsciously trembles with the traumatic memories of the electricity that ran through his body in New York and his outstretched hand shakes with it, yet the opposing wizard makes no movement to attack him. Instead, the older man nonchalantly approaches and sits next to him. Green eyes anxiously meet mismatched ones for a moment, before skittering away to the small space between them. He chokes out, “W-what are you-- Are you going to kill me--”

A surprisingly warm hand encircles his raised wrist and gently lowers it down -- it’s such a drastic contrast from Newt’s last encounter with the other wizard that the touch causes him to take a sharp inhale. A thrum of soothing magic courses between their connected skin and Newt shivers pleasantly at the sensation, making a sly smile to cross the other’s lips. Grindelwald knows how much their interaction affects his soulmate; he watches as the colour returns to his cheeks, watches as the dark circles under his eyes recede slightly, watches how the fine lines smooth out across his face, watches as his breaths deepen and pupils dilate marginally. All of it is involuntary, but fascinating to witness. He, himself, can feel the hackles of energy rising within him, being in close contact with his soulmate; his magic sings beautifully in his veins.

“Now, Mr. Scamander, why would I kill my soulmate? Someone exclusively made for me?” He says slowly as if talking to a child, lips tilting upwardly ever so slightly. He brings Newt’s hand up to his mouth, laying a light peck on it, a flush rising high on the younger’s cheeks.

“Well, that’s not-- I mean, you didn’t seem to feel that way last we saw each other.” The magizoologist confesses, eyes cautiously peering into the heterochromic ones of Grindelwald. Neither of them notice when Vinda slips out of the room -- she knows her Lord needs space and peace to intricately weave his words into another’s mind.

The Dark Lord makes a sound of agreement, then proceeds to explain, “You see, I’ve looked into you after our… encounter in America. I admit I was only curious at first as to why Albus was so taken with you that he would valiantly defend you from expulsion, but then, I realized your potential, Mr. Scamander.”

Newt holds his breath and waits for the Dark wizard to continue. He doesn't dare interrupt.

“Who in this world would sacrifice so much for creatures that many deem to be beneath them and for what reason? It has been a long time since I have come across someone as dedicated as yourself to any cause. You want a better world, a world that will readily accept the wondrous nature of these beasts, but you must realize that world will not come to actualization without some sort of action, do you not?”

The magizoologist swallows audibly, managing to stay the trembling in his hands slightly, before he replies, “Perhaps, but that does not mean I would agree with the subjugation of any human being, regardless of their magical prowess.”

“Is that what they have been saying about me? Oh, how foolish.” The Dark Lord chuckles. “I do not seek tyranny over the non-magical, my boy. They are not lesser, simply of other value. I want to assimilate the magical and non-magical communities, so we can be free to be who were are, without fear of revealing ourselves and suffering the consequences of inane laws. There is no need for unnecessary bloodshed--”

Grindelwald pauses for a moment when he sees a disbelieving and affronted look flash over his soulmate’s face, “--but yes, some must perish in order for there to be change. Wouldn’t you want a world where your beasts can roam without worry of being hunted for sport or salvaged for parts? I-- no, we can make that happen.”

Newt has to break eye contact with the man because that is the only thing he truly desires. He is silent.

“Tell me, Newt, does my magic lie to you?” Grindelwald grasps his scarred hands again and it is such a contrast between unmarred hands and his own. The younger wizard lets out a small breath as he feels another pulse of magic run through their connection -- the sensation is an intense mixture of comfort, sincerity, and passion that he almost snaps his hands away immediately. The Dark Lord’s grip is firm, however. “Am I lying to you?”

The younger man has great difficulty coming up with a reply and Grindelwald knows why. It’s a feeling that reverberates deep within Newt’s chest -- something he tries desperately to ignore -- because the redhead realizes that Grindelwald is not lying; he has not lied the entire conversation. It didn’t mean that Newt could trust a word he was saying, the Dark Lord is known to twist his words, known to have a silver-tongue, capable of persuading almost anyone; he knows that he must still be vigilant.

At the same time, it is so difficult and somehow, everything feels so utterly right when he’s in Grindelwald’s presence. The blonde continues speaking -- voice hypnotic as ever -- eyes fixated on Newt’s softer face, whose gaze is still averted.

“Not to mention, what would your dear Ministry think of your soulmate being none other than Gellert Grindelwald?” Newt sneaks a glance at him. The sneer on Grindelwald’s face is filled with disgust and reality hits the magizoologist with the force of a charging Hippogriff. “Do you think they will idly stand by and let you go on your merry way? Or do you think they’ll imprison you, leave you to suffer in a cage, and then torture you? And what of your case, Mr. Scamander? They’ll use everything at their disposal against me, including you and anything you treasure.”

Green eyes widen and freeze at the cuff of his shirt, where their hands are still intertwined. He retracts his arm abruptly, stumbling to his feet -- almost growing dizzy from the vertigo -- and stutters, “No-- uh-- I can’t-- I can’t do this right now. If-- if you’ll excuse me...”

Newt grabs his coat, flings it around his shoulders, and flees the building without another word. His heart flutters because the cold, hard truth is staring at him in the face:

Grindelwald let him leave.

[thunderpuffporcupine]

The Grindeldore Conundrum: Was Albus’ Love Requited? Maybe... ; )

JK Rowling, it seems, has been allowing her thoughts on that summer in 1899 to evolve somewhat since she first let slip, back in 2007, that Dumbledore had fallen in love with Grindelwald.

Initially, she said that Grindelwald “was a user and a narcissist”, who didn’t reciprocate Dumbledore’s feelings, but exploited them to keep him on his side. Then we had Yates’ infamous “explicitly” comment; leaving aside the unfortunate word choice and the resulting controversy, what intrigues me is what he said next: ‘they fell in love with each other’s ideas, with ideology and each other’. A strange thing to say about a love we always thought was unrequited.

Then we’ve had Ezra Miller waxing lyrical about how close those two were, and Johnny Depp saying that “They quite bonded, you know? When you loved someone, and cared for someone, and it arrives into a [combative] arena — as it has with Dumbledore and Grindelwald — it’s very dangerous when it becomes personal.” Oh, and Yates/Heyman saying they had both a sexual and emotional relationship, of course. But anyway:

When you loved someone...

Depp could just be referring to Dumbledore, of course- or maybe Grindelwald only “loved” him in a platonic sense, and even dropped the dreaded “You’re like a brother to me” line. It’d be cool if they really were a couple at some point, of course, but the problem is Gellert Grindelwald- even if, unlike Voldemort, he was capable of feeling love- doesn’t seem the type to fully let his guard down around someone, or trust them enough to become seriously intimate. Plus, it would be odd if Rowling dropped the idea of him using Albus’ infatuation to keep him on side- that’s totally the sort of thing he’d do, after all, and I’m still pretty sure it’s what he did with Credence. However, if he really did love Albus, there’s an alternative way it could have played out. What if the two never had a (physically) sexual relationship- maybe not even an explicitly romantic one, although I bet there was a lot of subtle flirting and eye-fucking regardless- but both of them still did really love each other?

A similar-ish scenario plays out in Doctor Who episode Kerblam. Spoilers ahead for it, by the way. Basically, the villain of the piece, while undercover, falls in love with a cute girl, but they’re both too shy and awkward to admit it. Eventually, though, it all goes horribly wrong, as the robots he’s trying to make murder people show him how that would feel, by killing the poor girl. It would have been better, of course, if he’d avoided romantic entanglements from the start. He was just there to commit a mass murder, after all. But hey, that’s the human heart for you. Or, as the Doctor puts it:

“I think you came here with a plan, but you didn’t expect to fall in love- but that’s what happens.”

I think that’s what happened to Gellert, too. I think he started out so determined that nothing would get in the way of his grand plans, of taking over the world and becoming the invincible Master of Death. And then he met Albus, and maybe he felt something but pushed it down, or maybe his interest at the time really was just respect for Albus’ intelligence and skill, and wanting to have such a brilliant person on his side. And Albus fell in love with him and Gellert used it, like he did with Credence Barebone, and kept telling himself he didn’t feel the same way, it was just manipulation to keep Albus close. But actually, he genuinely cared for Albus too, as more than a friend or an ally- maybe he tried to ignore it until he couldn’t anymore- and then, by the time they made the blood pact- look at the way his eyes roll back. Listen to the music. 

We’ve always known how much Albus loved Gellert. Well, we’ve known since 2007 at any rate.

But maybe, just maybe- however little he wanted to admit it- Gellert genuinely did love him back.

( @dumbledore-and-grindelwald Any thoughts?)