#the man who can't be moved: percival graves

[scales-of-murmuration]

✪✪✪✪✪✪ = Stop being so perfect

“How about you stop being such an adorable liar and I will work on that?”

[silverynight]

A sequel to the kindergarten teacher Newt au.

How about all of them? (Newt is irresistible)

***

At first Newt definitely thinks it's a coincidence; he sees Percival in the park where he always runs with Niffler (his dog). Of course he doesn't recognize him; it's been a long time and Percival was just a kid when Newt was his teacher.

He has turned into a handsome man.

"Newt? Newt Scamander!" He stops in front of him with a huge grin on his face.

Newt is not sure why a man like him is talking to him or why he knows him, but he stops as well anyway. Niffler starts smelling him and wags his tail, excited. It looks like he likes the man.

Newt blushes to the tip of his ears under the man's look, but scolds himself immediately because he's way younger than him for him to be thinking like that about him.

"Sorry, do I–"

"I'm Percival Graves!" The man chuckles. "I was your student..."

Of course! And that somehow makes it even worse.

"Oh, yeah! Sorry! How have you been?"

"Fine," he mumbles and takes a step closer. "But now I'm better than ever."

Is he... No, of course he isn't. Newt mumbles he has something to do and practically flees. The only problem is that he keeps bumping into him every morning.

***

He sees Albus Dumbledore again when he comes back to his school after holidays and the headmaster tells him there's a new teacher and he'd like Newt to show him around and explain the rules to him.

This time he recognizes the last name immediately and a voice in his head finds really funny those... coincidences.

However he ignores it and begins to spend time with Albus and realizes he enjoys talking with him too much.

"Would you like to go on a date with me?" Albus asks, making Newt choke on his tea.

"I'm older than you," he says and Albus takes his hand and leans over the table.

"Is that a problem?" He says and by the tone of his voice it's clear Albus doesn't consider it a problem at all.

"I'll think about it," he lies and runs away, because it's the only thing he does now apparently; run away from handsome, young men.

***

Theseus moves in the house just next to his... He's now a man of course, but after the encounters with Albus and Percival, Newt has started to remember his students from that particular class.

Now it doesn't look like a coincidence at all... Or is it? Perhaps he's just overreacting.

"Newt!" Theseus recognizes him immediately. "It's been a long time!"

The redhead tries to relax, specially because Niffler seems to like that one too.

Newt helps him get his suitcases inside the house and Theseus invites him to have dinner with him there as a thank you.

He doesn't know why exactly, but he accepts the invitation.

***

He recognizes Gellert as soon as he sees him; those mismatched eyes of his are unique.

"What are you doing here?" Newt mumbles, confused, looking over his shoulder, Theseus is there too.

"I'm still in love with you," Gellert mumbles, kissing Newt's hand, prompting him to turn completely red.

"You couldn't wait, could you?" Percival is also there, as well as Albus who only rolls his eyes at Gellert.

"We've been looking for you," Gellert continues, ignoring Percival. "We want to be part of your life. To have a relationship with you."

Newt is just human and the fact that four young men seem to be so taken with him to the point to look for him after all those years makes him feel so warm inside.

Although he still not sure.

"You were just kids, you can't–"

"We're adults now, baby," Albus mumbles gently and Newt's blush spreads down his neck. "And we love you."

"I'm way o–older than you," Newt stammers when he feels Gellert's hands on his waist, pulling him closer.

"We don't care," Theseus smirks, eyes roaming all over Newt's body.

"You don't know if this is going to work..." Gellert kisses him on the neck and Newt shivers with pleasure, forgetting what he was trying to say.

"I do, I'm sure," Percival says and Newt notices that the other three are getting closer as well.

"Give us a chance, Liebling," Gellert starts unbuttoning his shirt and Newt doesn't stop him. "What do you say?"

"Yes," he mumbles and he doesn't regret it at all.

***

Kofi

Patreon

[marynevskaya]

Prompt post: 4 times Newt tried to prove Percival Graves is a fantastic beast and 1 time...

Of course, Newt is coming back to New York to meet Goldstein sisters and Jacob, Newt's darling friends, but also he is curious to meet the real Percival Graves, so Tina has to take him to MACUSA with her. It is their luck Mr. Graves wants to meet «New York eccentric savior» as mush as Newt wants to meet him.

At first, Newt thinks he looks exactly like his imposter. Then, Mr. Graves smiles at him and Newt is smitten. But after that they're shaking hands, and this feeling strikes Newt like lightning.

Newt feels this each time he meets dangerous beast — he's shaking, drunk on adrenaline, his heart is pounding in his ears, and blood runs hot and icy cold at the same time. He is standing there, not able to move, afraid of doing something to provoke the beast, but Tina calls his name and suddenly Newt remembers there is no beast, just Mr. Graves, although Newt is very good at his job, he can't be mistaken!

Percival Graves is a beast, he decides. Fantastic one. Dangerous predator, lurking among unsuspecting MACUSA employees. But when Newt tries to warn Tina, he sees she doesn't really believe him. Newt tries to tell other aurors, but they don't believe him either — they say, after Grindewald Incident Mr. Graves has been tested by different authorities and by President herself so many times they would have found out he is hiding something.

But Newt is determined to prove they all are wrong, so he stays at MACUSA, keeping an eye on Mr. Graves, who kindly allows Newt to hang around for his research. And yes, Percival is aware why Newt is watching him this closely, but it's amusing him, to be honest. Whatever helps Newt to sleep at night, says Graves to worried Tina, whatever keeps him out of trouble.

In the meantime, Newt tries to understand what Percival Graves is exactly. His first guess is a vampire. Then, he thinks Director Graves must be a werewolf. Both his theories are proved wrong, so he decides Percival Graves might be half-veela, which is completely wrong too. Actually, he fails spectacularly every time he tries to prove Graves is a beast, but Newt doesn't really care about his reputation. It is when he endangers someone's life to prove Graves is a dementor (his 4th guess) Tina has to stop him.

Your obsession is sick, she says. You have to stop harassing Director Graves.

That's how Newt understands he has gone too far. He has to admit Mr. Graves is just a wizard, although incredibly powerful and dangerous. Looking back at all his behavior, Newt feels ashamed, 'cause Mr. Graves doesn't deserve to be treated like this.

So Newt heads into Graves Manor to bring his apologies. Mr. Graves welcomes him warmly, invites into the house and lets Newt explain himself. It's weird Newt feels so ashamed he starts crying, because he was SO CERTAIN! But Graves makes him tea and comforts him and at the exact moment Newt lets his guards down, not able to resist this attraction towards man, and kisses him...

...Percival Graves stops him and smirks.

Just to reveal himself as a dangerous fantastic beast.

[armageddon-generation]

Improving Crimes of Grindlewald

Just watched this movie again, and I’m not touching the representational/ethical issues, but here are some ways to streamline the movie.

(some small changes to the first movie, since this is already fantasy)

Newt comes to New York because he suspects Obscurus activity, and wants to make up for not saving the one he keeps in his case as a reminder. This connects Newt emotionally to Credence and his B plot

Make the locations more magical - Central Park Zoo is cool but give it a Wizarding dimension: A museum with magic exhibits about how 'dangerous' Magical Beasts are, and MACUSA hunting many to extinction. Newt and his beasts 'accidentally' destroy this misinformation. There's a War Memorial hidden in the Park like the one for the Potters in Godric's Hollow. Newt and Jacob bond over their experiences.

Instead of the beast in that random building, have one go to Coney Island. A magical old-timey Fairground is the perfect setting for a Beast chase.

The shit ‘Graves was Grindlewald’ twist didn’t happen, he’s just a follower. Use him to build up Grindlewald's appearance in this movie

Establish Credence could be a Lestrange (MACUSA found adoption records when covering up the death of Mrs Barebone - President Piquery mentions to Newt "I believe you're familiar with the Lestrange family") to set up the twist in this movie

Newt helps set Queenie and Jacob back up at the end, including restoring his memory - it's consistent with Newt’s disregard for both authority and segregation

Opening and Prison sequence

Start with a montage (newspaper headlines and moving photos, like in the first movie) of MACUSA cracking down on Wizard/muggle segregation and escalating tensions as they grow more paranoid about Grindlewald - establishing the theme of the Ministry being their own worst enemy

We see Queenie and Jacob - trying to live happily in secret - get busted, arrested and separated. This is scary, aggressive.

Queenie tries to protect Jacob (a frightening Jean Grey - style attack with her Legilimensy, to establish how far she'll go for him) but she’s outnumbered, and the fan-favourite character from the last movie is knocked out and wrestled away.

A terrified Queenie is transported to the American wizard prison for processing as a criminal, where Percival Graves is awaiting transfer to trial. He and Queenie make eye-contact as he passes

Highlight MACUSA treating Queenie as a dangerous freak because of her Legilimensy

Grindlewald breaks into the prison and frees Graves. This is our first time meeting him and he subverts expectations; charming and benevolent  to his follower where Voldemort was abusive.

Grindlewald and Graves save Queenie and set the other wizards being processed for No-Maj fraternisation free

This sets up Queenie’s conflict of wanting marriage equality without turning her into an unstable psychopath - she has no home, no job, and can’t turn to Tina because as an auror, technically Tina should arrest Queenie

Grindlewald’s Followers

Graves replaces that random woman as Grindlewald’s right-hand. There is one corrupt auror 

This auror leads the attack and arrest of Queenie in the opening sequence, but it isn’t revealed he’s working for Grindlewald until later

 Then he is one of the aurors the Ministry sends to hunt down Credence, with Theseus Scamander.

Gindlewald’s agent kills the House-elf when the aurors confront Credence. Then, at the end when the agent betrays the aurors and tries to join Grindlewald, Grindlewald kills him to show both Queenie and Credence he’s on their side. Thus Grindlewald gets to be rutheless like in the original, but he’s also a master manipulator

This way we roll 3 characters into 1 (the American who helps Grindlewald escape, the English guy who kills the House-elf, and the follower Grindlewald kills)

Ministry scenes (+ Dumbledore)

Same scene with the Ministry trying to recruit Newt to kill Credence, only this time they turn to Theseus after he refuses - putting Theseus in direct conflict with Newt

Dumbledore scene without the safehouse, have him recite the poem that he only namedrops in the original, to give the audience more context clues for later.

Include the conversation cut from the original where he explains why he sent Newt to New York - to help Credence - and establish Newt and Credence as Dumbledore and Grindlewald’s respective champions. Kindness vs Raw Power

Cut the sequence at Newt’s house and save the creature stuff for the circus

Theseus

Include the deleted scene of he and Leta at the party to establish their relationship - except instead of the floating baby (already in the Boggart scene) the pure bloods try to persuade Leta to join Grindlewald, creating ambiguity in her morality that will be resolved in the finale

Expand Theseus' character by touching on his PTSD. The Ministry pick him because he's a "war hero", but Theseus is clearly uncomfortable with that title - "I was just a soldier, Sir. And this is meant to be peace time."

When Theseus confronts Newt about choosing a side, have him draw on their respective experiences in WW1 - "While you were down the line playing with your dragons some of us had to stand and fight."

This is why Theseus doesn't want to provoke Grindlewald's followers - he can't face another war, or the peace he fought for breaking down

Much as I hate the idea of Grindlewald stopping WW2, framing Theseus' character this way means the rally and prospect of another War has a big emotional impact on him

Credence attacking the aurors after the House-Elf's death triggers a PTSD flashback - as he heads back to the Ministry we see a flash of wizarding WW1, dragons etc

Centre the Plot Around the Circus - Getting the Characters Together

Tina has tracked Credence down to the Magical Circus moving through France. She wants to protect him (like she did in the last movie) from the aurors trying to kill him

She contacts Newt; he’d be perfect for this situation because

the circus is full of magical beasts

Credence has befriended a Maledictus, whom Newt would know about because of their close connection to beasts

Newt knows  and cares for Credence

This allows us to naturally incorporate more fantastic beasts into our Fantastic Beasts movie; Newt gets hired as the circus’ beast master (the ring master thinks his name will draw in a crowd) 

It also gives Newt a concrete reason to be there without being the ‘chosen one’ of the story - he just wants to make up for letting Credence down last time

It also cuts the stupid ‘Tina read gossip in a magazine and now she won’t talk to Newt’ subplot, and all the time wasted looking for her

Use this portion of the movie - travelling across France to Paris in the circus - to build the dynamic between Newt, Tina, Credence and Nagini, so we care about them.

Nagini (recast as a different ethnicity) uses her experience living with a curse to teach Credence how to control his Obscurus, creating a sense of responsibility for him

Newt talks to Nagini about her condition: Explore the emotional toll of being a Maledictus - Newt is initially weirdly jealous of the idea of turning into a beast, which Nagini finds funny

Insert the ‘creature caring’ sequence from Newt’s house here - the characters bond through the creatures.

Parallel the burgeoning romance between Credence and Nagini with the awkwardness of Newtina

Credence explains he survived because Grindlewald saved a part of his Obscurus while MACUSA was attacking, and released it just before he was captured. Credence then spent months stuck in that form, rebuilding himself, which also helped him control his Obscurus

This immediately puts Credence in Grindlewald's debt: he was able to save him when Newt couldn't

Insert the Hogwarts scenes and flashback here. Leta mentions her father in the present and past - e.g. when she and Newt talk about going home (CUT MCGONAGALL!) to better set up her story at the end

Paris

We arrive in Paris. Leta’s brother Yusuf attacks the performance and Credence stages his escape against Newt and Tina’s wishes.

The beast escapes as in the movie

The group gets split up - Credence and Nagini, Newt and Tina

Newt, and Tina chase Yusuf into Paris’ sewers, where they get pinned in a firefight. Newt attracts an urban water demon (the kappa from the circus?) that incapacitates Yusuf.

Tina interrogates Yusuf. He explains his version of events - Credence is Corvus Lestrange. Now we don’t get two twists straight after each other at the end

The escaped circus beast causing chaos outside distracts them enough for Yusuf to disapparate. They catch the beast as in the movie

Cut Nicholas Flamel - he’s gratuitous fan-service adding little to the plot

Grindlewald

Present Grindlewald to the audience as the characters see him - charming, personable, the exact opposite of Voldemort

This means no baby-killing 

Make him look normal but attractive (Depp looks inhuman and off-putting, a poor-man’s Voldemort)

Forget the albino hedgehog, we need to believe this man could charm the pants off Albus Dumbledore

Queenie uses her Legilimency to probe his mind.

He uses Oclumency, and we see a battle of the minds wage in the background as they talk. 

Grindlewald lets her in to selective thoughts - namely his beliefs about marriage equality and his wholehearted ‘belief’ in them

He also reveals to her his relationship with Dumbledore, as a way to convince her he’s doing the right thing - “Dumbledore wasn’t willing to fight for what was right, but he still agrees with me” and that he can relate to her struggle with Jacob

Grindlewald is the first person to praise Queenie’s mental powers and encourage her to embrace her Legilimensy - her whole life she's been Othered and objectified, in the first movie even Tina hid Queenie away

Queenie’s persuasion takes at least a few scenes - every time we see Grindlewald, check in on Queenie’s fall

Especially given the setting between the World Wars, use this as a way to explore how fascism works - the dangerous seductiveness of that mentality manifested through our villain

Cut the scenes with Queenie in the French Ministry/wandering Paris

Finding Credence

Credence and Nagini run free together through Paris (include the scenes cut from the original, including the one where the pheonix chick arrives)

They find the House Elf, but Theseus and the aurors arrive and the attack plays out as previously described

Theseus leading the aurors drives a wedge between Credence and Newt by association in the finale

After Credence escapes the aurors go immediately to the Mnistry to report

A scene of Theseus and Leta supporting each other in the Ministry, while he’s making his report (after his PTSD attack)

Leta: I don't trust them. You've already sacrificed so much for these people and their wars. Just... Let the others die first, alright?

Theseus [laughing]: you're such a Slytherin.

Leta: And you're far too much of a Gryffindor for my liking. It's going to get you killed.

This sets up Leta's sacrafice in the finale.

Newt and Tina now have to find Credence

They know about the House-elf because Credence told them in the circus, so they go to that address to find it destroyed

This is when they travel to the Ministry, to look at the Lestrange records

The corrupt auror with Theseus gets there first and runs with the information both Leta and Newt want

The demon cats attack Tina even though she is Ministry personel because Queenie is considered an associate of Grindlewald - Tina finds out her siater was arrested midway through this action sequence and Leta saves her while she’s distracted

Tina and Leta working together to protect Newt from the demon-cats

Theseus realises what is going on and tries to stop the corrupt auror but he escapes. Theseus then helps Newt, Tina and Leta escape

They release the circus beast as in the movie

Credence and Nagini meet Grindlewald, with Queenie. Grindlewald tells them about the informaton in the Lestrange crypt and lets them be.

Finale

Only Leta has to explain her story, then the rally plays out much the same (which is f*cking problematic but that’s not why I’m here)

No blood pact because it fucks with canon - Dumbledore is just reluctant to fight Grindlewald directly because of their relationship and the Elder Wand. This way Newt has the same frustration as the audience - why didn't you go?

Queenie tries to persuade the others to come with her, and reveals Dumbledore’s relationship with Grindlewald as justification, shaking Newt, but they refuse.

The corrupt auror who killed the house-elf and arrested Jacob is killed for Credence and Queenie’s benefit

Queenie and Credence are disapparated away

Then Grindlewald attacks Theseus’ aurors, but without the fire dragons; his speech was about not hurting anybody, so trying to destroy Paris straight after is stupid. Show Grindlewald's power with a 20:1 duel

Personally I wouldn’t kill Leta because she’s so interesting, but if she does die have it be here, holding Grindlewald off while the others escape (Tina, understanding, pulls Newt away and Newt pulls Theseus).

Leta's sacrafice is what directly inspires Newt choosing his side

When they meet Dumbledore in the last scene Newt is angry and upset about what Queenie told him, and tells Dumbledore his lovers’ quarrel got Leta killed

[sweetiebriar]

I support some of these points and was pleasantly surprised and happy.

However, and this is something that should be pointed out, we often see only what we want to see. And unless the crew members answer themselves, we can't be sure of anything about these inspirations. So, to go as far as to affirm so directly that FB3 is a queer film, I do not support this feeling. It’s doing good to queer representation though, I agree.

To this, I want to add that the Depp -> Mikkelsen transition could have been much better approached, and in particular from a queer point of view, as this article very well highlights it. I must say those points stroke me too after watching the movie.

Admittedly, The Secrets of Dumbledore did tip-toe around directly speaking or showing [the characters’s] romance, [but] not bother[ed] to show them in intimate situations such as hugs, kisses or holding hands. It didn't even occur in flashbacks, like [in The Crimes of Grindelwald].

Instead, this direction made it easy to edit out the dialogue so markets like China, which didn't want the gay arc on screen, could avoid it. Thus, many fans thought the move by Warner Bros. was a gimmick and a cheap attempt at scoring diversity points, […].

The Secrets of Dumbledore [could have] depicted Grindelwald as a bitter man who altered his look to get away from the past (like he did to become Percival Graves). This would have been a scathing burn, with him telling Albus that his previous form (the Depp one Albus fell for) reminded him of when he was naive and weak, which culminated in Albus abandoning the mission. Instead of that betrayal and Albus gathering Newt and Co. to hunt the villain down, Grindelwald could have wanted to see a new face every day to help him forget about Albus, all to keep waging his war for power and control over the Wizarding World.

queer history in The Secrets of Dumbledore

the café where Albus and Gellert meet is in Piccadilly Circus; Piccadilly became famous enough as a place where queer people (usually gay men) went looking for casual sex that “dilly boy”, short for “Picadilly boy”, became slang for “male sex worker” in Polari, a dialect of English with deep ties to the gay subculture (it’s where “butch” and “fruit/fruity” come from)

Lally’s style of speech is lifted from Oscar Wilde, with her character also influenced by James Baldwin - Wilde is of course well-known, but Baldwin was a talented gay and Black writer whose use as inspiration signals a lot about how Lally is meant to be perceived

much ado has been made about Gellert’s lavender tie, and the lavender in bloom outside Hogwarts, but just for the sake of inclusion: lavender and violets were historically a covert signal/slang term for homosexuality and claimed by both gay men and lesbians

Vinda’s black suit and more masc-of-center costuming might potentially be calling back to the tradition of lesbians wearing tuxedos (as seen in photographs taken in the famous Parisian lesbian bar Le Monocle) but regardless of whether or not this is direct inspiration, she’s definitely signaling she’s not cishet in period-appropriate ways

a major portion of the film takes place in Weimar-era Berlin, which was well-known as a queer haven with a thriving community in the interwar period - if you’ve seen Cabaret, or you’re aware of the works of Christopher Isherwood (or you’ve seen the BBC adaptation of Christopher and his Kind) you’ll begin to get an idea of what it was like

I’m definitely going to be reblogging with additional things I remember but uh. this is a really queer movie guys.

[ilibra]

15. “You need to eat something” For the hurt/comfort prompt. Gradence, please and thank you. 💕

(There you go!! This ended up having a lot more hurt than comfort, I’m so sorry!! But I hope you can enjoy it nonetheless :’> )You need to eat somethingThey were trying to recover together, from the man that hurt both of them so much. Credence, a mere cloud of black smoke just a few months ago was now sitting at Percival’s table in the kitchen.“Please, call me Percival if that’s easier for you.”

The words were ringing through Credence’s head now. The man he was living with now wasn’t Mr. Graves, it was Percival. He might be wearing the same face, but the mischievous glint that Credence had always wondered about was missing now. This was Percival, the man with the kind eyes and warm hands.

It had hurt at first, seeing a man so similar to “Mr. Graves”, but with time he discovered that they were different in so many ways.After what happened in New York, Credence didn’t feel anything for a while. He had vanished into thin air, quite literally. His body was gone, his thoughts floating around in a small black cloud.For a while, Credence was sure he had died that day.Is this really what heaven is like? Cold and dark and empty?He had wondered, until one day, he started seeing shapes again. Just a mix of colors and things that he couldn’t make sense of, but his vision started to get clearer. Not long after that all his senses returned, one by one.He could hear voices talking to each other on the street, he could smell freshly baked pastries and ground coffee, presumably coming from a bakery nearby, he could taste the cold air on his non-existent tongue. It had taken a while for his sense of feeling to come back to him. He was still floating around in his weird state of being, when he noticed brushed the brick wall next to him.It had been so long that Credence had almost forgotten what it feels like, actually feeling something. It was still weird, like the feeling was far away, his sense numbed. And Credence wanted to feel again, really feel again, with a body and eyes, ears, nose and mouth. Sometimes he thought he could feel his legs or his arms, but then it was gone again and Credence couldn’t be sure if it was just wishful thinking.He wasn’t really sure where he was going, or floating more like, until one day, he thought he saw something familiar. Moving towards the window he had just passed, Credence thought he felt his heart leap in his throat. Right there, hunched over a table was Mr. Graves.His Mr. Graves. 

His Mr. Graves?No, something about this man felt different. Before he could think about it, Credence slipped into the room through the slightly opened window. The man was sleeping, all kinds of different papers scattered across the desk in front of him.Credence moved closer, tentative. It was weird. He looked like Mr. Graves, but he didn’t seem like him, didn’t feel like him. Credence felt his soft hair under his fingerti- no. He didn’t have fingers to touch, there was only the distant feeling of what this should feel like.To Credence’s surprise the man under him stirred. Credence felt himself, his being, expanding without his will. He could clearly see the man go through phases of confusion, shock and worry, once he had spotted Credence.“What- who… are you?” Mr. Graves asked.Don’t you recognize me?Credence was confused. He felt something shift in the very core of his being. He was expanding and shrinking at the same time.No.

No.Not this. He didn’t want to become unstable again. He saw the man reach for his wand in a panic, making Credence cry out in fear. The man stilled, just as confused as Credence. What was this sound, where is it coming from?“Please… don’t- don’t hurt me.” It only then occurred to Credence that he was crying, that the sounds were coming from him.The other man carefully reached out a hand to touch Credence’s cheek.His cheek?Credence couldn’t remember having a cheek or a face for that matter. But sure enough, the man touched him, barely grazing him with his fingertips. And Credence could feel it. Actually feel it!Credence moved his hand, his real hand, to hold onto the man’s wrist, before he slowly looked down at himself.He had a body again. The feeling of his limbs was still flickering in and out of existence, black smoke still emanating from around him, but he felt significantly more alive, more like himself. More than he had felt in the past few… months… weeks… days? When he thought about it, he couldn’t tell how much time had actually passed.Credence barely noticed that he had broken down onto the floor, crying. There was a warm hand on his back, grounding him.“It’s okay, ssssh…”That was how Percival had become Percival. He had not shut Credence out, seemingly not bothered by Credence’s barely existing being. Still unstable, still flickering in and out of existence from time to time.After Credence had tried to explain what happened to Percival, he had offered him a place to stay.“It only seems appropriate for what he- for what happened.”Credence could tell Percival felt responsible for Credence’s misery, even though he really had nothing to do with it. And Credence took his offer. It wasn’t like he had any place to go back to after all. Not in his state of mind and being.And so they both tried to heal. Except for the occasional nightmare, Percival seemed to do fine. Credence, however, was a different story. After only a few days, he noticed that he didn’t have to sleep. That hadn’t been a problem when he was still just a cloud of black smoke, but now it became more noticeable.He tried to lie down whenever Percival told him he would go to sleep and sometimes he even thought he was starting to drift away. But it only lasted for a moment before the shifting started again.No, no, no, no, no, please!He hated it, not being able to feel his body. Not having control over his limbs. Sometimes, when he was having a really bad night, he would knock on Percival’s door, telling him he had had a nightmare and asking if he could sleep by his side. To his relief, Percival always agreed. Something about his presence was calming, gifting Credence with at least a few hours of not having to think about who he was or wasn’t.He never told Percival that he was not able to sleep, not able to eat and not able to feel anything on really bad days. And it all worked out that way, somehow, until one day.Credence was sitting at the kitchen table, staring at nothing in particular when Percival came up next to him and placed a bowl with some soup in front of him. Credence stared at it with wide eyes. He had been able to avoid this until now, telling Percival he had already eaten, or pretending like he was chewing and swallowing.“You need to eat something.” Percival said, with so much concern in his eyes that it broke Credence. The tears were rolling down his cheeks before he could stop them. He was flickering again.Why? Why can I not just exist like everyone else?There was the warm hand again, right on his shoulder, trying to ground him.“Credence, you need-”“No, I really don’t!” Credence interrupted him with a sob. “I can't…” he said, staring at the soup in front of him. The feeling of the hand on his back flickered in and out of existence and Credence hated it.Percival suddenly took Credence’s hand into his and caught his eye. Intertwining their fingers, Percival looked at him with determination.“You see this? You feel this?” Percival said with a nod towards their hands and Credence nodded, dumbfounded. And it was true, he could see their difference in size, could feel Percival’s calloused palm under his.“We’re going to figure this out. Together.”Together.Credence felt fresh tears roll down his cheeks, he felt himself shake with every ragged breath he took. He realized he already felt more alive, more like he actually existed.He had thrown his arms around Percival in an instant. He felt his warm body around him, his arms on his back. Credence could hear his own heartbeat drumming in his chest, felt his lungs fill with air as he drew one breath after the other.I exist, because I want to exist.

Credence didn’t notice falling asleep. Only when he woke up in Percival’s bed, a warm body next to him, did a smile spread across his face.

[funkzpiel]

*breaks in* What if, when Percival dies after Grindelwald, he can't move on (because he doesn't want to yet, not because he can't), and he waits by this doorway connecting life and death. Whenever one of his people come through that door, they're somewhat happy to see him, because dying is fucking terrifying, and he's a steady presence, taking them by the hand and calmly explaining what to expect, and when they finally reach Death, they're no longer afraid.

This gave me intense “The Guardian” vibes, like whaaaaaaa? 

“There’s a legend of a man who lives beneath the sea. He is a fisher of men, the last hope of all those who have been left behind. Many survivors claim to have felt his gripping hands beneath them, pushing them up to the surface, whispering strength until help could arrive. He’s known as the guardian.”

He would DEFINITELY be there to ease them through death’s door, no doubt, but I could also see:

Grindelwald’s words haunted her.

“If you’re lucky, maybe he isn’t rigid yet.”

They spurned Tina faster. But her bones felt cold and hollow, as though she were racing toward an inevitable end. In her heart, anything was possible. But the Auror in her was certain he was dead.

That knowledge didn’t make the sight of him any easier to bear. Ashen as he was, she thought surely she had come too late. Blood haloed him in a perfect circle, as though Newt had not panicked at all, and she could feel its tacky greeting the moment she slid to her knees at his side. Her hands shook as she grabbed for him. Nails digging at his wrist and throat, searching for a beat she didn’t expect to find.

And yet… it was there. Surprising her as Newt always seemed to do.

Laughter and tears bubbled up from within her even as she called for a healer, her hands already working through the motions of fierce stabilization spells. Time stopped around the oozing wound, and slowly, color grew in Newt’s cheeks. His lashes fluttered, and with a whisper, life passed through his lips again.

He looked up at her, eyes blind for a long moment, then blinked.

“Tina?”

“Yes, Newt. I have you. I have you.”

She grabbed his hand, and that made his brows furrow. A worried frown began to weigh down her smile, only to bleed into confusion as Newt asked, “Wha– where is he?” As though someone else was supposed to be holding his hand.

Tina shook her head, eyes casting around briefly to confirm what she already knew - no one was here.

“What?”

“He was here. He was–”

“Newt, no one else is here. Just me.”

And when next he looked at her, right in the eyes, her breath halted. Because for starters, she could count on one hand how many times Newt Scamander had met her gaze, let alone held it and secondly, feverish stories from bedside visits began to rise between her ears.

“No! He was here. He was with me the whole time,” Newt urged, and Tina felt her breath still in her lungs like fog clearing from a mountain in the morning dawn. “He said he would stay with me until help arrived. Un-until you came. He said you’d come. He held my hand the whole time… He said he’d stay.”

Something like spring bloomed life into the parts of Tina she hadn’t realized had fallen dead. Hope blazing in a burst as her hands slowly fell to cup Newt’s face, thumbs brushing back his tears, stilling the frantic searching of his eyes.

“Who did you see, Newt?”

Newt swallowed, and in the earthiness of his eyes, she saw only honesty.

“Percival Graves. I- I know I never met him… but you and Theseus… he was just like you described him. It was him. He was here, Tina. I promise.”

She leaned down to brush her lips to his forehead in thanks, the tears she forbade herself to shed finally spilling like melted winter ice. Grateful she had found him. Grateful for his story. Grateful he was alive.

And grateful to the man who continued to protect them all, evidently just as bullheaded about resting in the afterlife as he had been during the brief time she had known him on earth.

She cried, but it was a happy affair, because there was a story building among the Aurors at MACUSA. First from one, then another and another. Stories from Aurors who had fallen during battle, but miraculously lived. Stories of a man who had found them and held their hands until help could arrive.

Stories of a guardian in a familiar suit, telling them to hold on just a little longer. That he would stay until help arrived. Hand tight and reassuring, voice calm and soothing. Nothing but forgiveness and conviction in his eyes.

Urging them to hang on.

And for a moment, she felt a familiar hand cup the back of her neck. Warm like sunshine through a window, and it was gone. But the feeling lingered.

Good work, Goldstein.

[paintingraves]

So I (unfortunately) suffered through You Got Served while on a flight. And now I can't get the image of Graves having a crew and Grindelwald's crew challenging him to a dance-off.

so I had to look up the video and now I’m fucking crying imagining Percival motherfucking Graves dancing like that but anyway :’D 

screaming ?? 

Graves’ crew - Tina, Theseus, Seraphina, Abernathy

Grindelwald’s crew - Dumbledore, Newt (Gellert bribed him by promising him a dragon egg), and a couple of followers 

Queenie & Jacob are the referees. 

I have no idea who wins. Perhaps, at some point, couples have to dance together in front of everyone - cue Graves with Grindelwald, trying to stomp the other’s man feet and gain control of the battle. Newt is with Tina, Seraphina is surprisingly graceful with Dumbledore, and Abernathy ends up with a random sneering man, much to his chagrin. 

But that was the easy part. Percival dreads the moment where he has to dance alone, because he’s not that good with moving his body. He is, however, particularly good at line dancing, a courtesy of his youth, which makes Grindelwald lose points. 

Tina wins Newt over to their side by pole dancing. Gellert curses that he’ll never have the dragon egg, but Newt much prefers following the pretty woman to Graves’ side. 

[wanderingnork]

Tina has been gone for a long time.

Nobody noticed, because whoever noticed one of the Goldstein sisters? It just happened, one day, that Tina went away. No one misses her now. They never will.

"How was work, Teenie?" Queenie asks, when her sister comes through the door.

"Fine," Tina says mechanically. She sits down and does not move again. Queenie can see the whole day in her head; Tina doesn't need to talk. So she doesn't.

The next morning they go to work together: Tina to the Auror Office, Queenie to the typing pool. It should be an ordinary day but something is not right. She can sense it. Unsettled minds that should be settled, nerves that should be calm. Queenie does not allow such things in here.

She needs to know. From her desk, Queenie reaches out, mind to mind across all of MACUSA, glance to glance and eye to eye, until she reaches her goal.

Seraphina Picquery is in her office. She doesn't know that Queenie is there: she never does. Even as the President speaks with a committee, Queenie is inside her head, searching for whatever is upsetting her people.

And she finds it.

A secret attack on Nurmengard--well, not so secret, Queenie knew about it weeks ago--led by Director Graves himself. (Queenie had made sure her sister wasn't on the strike team. That couldn't be allowed to happen. She does love Tina, and it's because she loves her that Tina can't be allowed to be willful anymore. She's in less danger, when Queenie is at the reins.)

But the attack went all wrong. Reports are confused, but the Director returns today anyway. Queenie will be glad to see him back. She broke in a long time ago--he was strong, but he belongs to her now--and she loves him. He's still in there, locked behind bars of her making, and Queenie likes having him on her leash. That strength is bent to her will now, and her will means keeping the wizards of America safe. No one does that better than Director Graves.

When he walks into the building, Queenie feels an awful sense of wrongness. Whoever--whatever--just walked into her building is strong and sick and twisted and hasn't got her mark on his mind. He's not familiar.

She listens to him with growing horror as he charms the President, bypassing all her safeguards. She tries to get from one of her people into his head but she can't--he's well-protected enough that she can't get in by proxy. She'll have to go herself.

Queenie steps into the Director's office with coffee and a brilliant smile. "Hi!" she says cheerfully. She sets the coffee down and slides into his mind, feeling out his defenses.

"Hello," the man who isn't the Director says. He studies her with eyes that don't belong to her. It's a sensation Queenie hasn't felt in so very long and it makes her skin crawl. She'd begun her great work because she was tired of listening to other people. Now she only has to listen to herself, and this strange man's eyes are hateful to her. "Queenie Goldstein?"

"Yeah, that's me, honey," Queenie says. She steps back to the door and closes it carefully, so no one will see. "Who are you?"

"Percival Graves," he says, level and calm.

"Drop the act," Queenie says sharply. No--she commands. She slams into his mind with hers and feels his defenses crack.

He looks shocked. "What are you?"

"I'm MACUSA," Queenie says. She smiles sweetly at him. "I'm New York. And I know you're not the Director because I'm the Director. So who. Are. You."

She punctuates each word with another slam. Fragments of identity come down around her--eyes hair thoughts the Greater Good a wand a cloak a stone--and she knows.

"Grindelwald," she says

He snarls like a wolf. "Yes," he says. He tries to stand and Queenie lets him. "I know why it was so easy to kill the Director now. You weren't there to pull his strings."

"Lucky I have you, then," Queenie says with the utmost calm. "Why don't you get on your knees?"

Grindelwald fights her, of course he does. He doesn't stand a chance. Queenie can make a city prostrate themselves at her feet. One man can't even try to fight her.

"What are you?" Grindelwald says from the floor. He's still struggling. Brave man--maybe he'll be a good replacement for the real Graves.

"I told you," Queenie says, "I'm New York. I'm MACUSA. And now, I'm going to be you."

Grindelwald has an army, after all. And looking at him then, Queenie thinks--what if she could make the whole world like her? Make it all perfectly quiet, just the way she likes?

"For the Greater Good," Queenie says, as she slowly tears into the wizard's mind. "Isn't that what you say?"

FUCKING DAMMIT

DID EVERYONE JUST FORGET THAT A POWERFUL ENOUGH LEGILIMENS CAN JUST SORTA DROP SHIT IN THE MIND AND LEAVE IT THERE, A LA VOLDEMORT

VOLDEMORT CAN SEND VISIONS AND FUCKING POSSESS PEOPLE

I CONTINUE TO STAND BY MY ASSESSMENT OF QUEENIE GOLDSTEIN AS THE SINGLE MOST POWERFUL CHARACTER IN THE HARRY POTTER FRANCHISE AND WILL BE INCREDIBLY ANNOYED IF NOBODY PICKS THIS UP IN FBAWFT 2

[scales-of-murmuration]

🤲

Muse is feeling touch starved! 

14. Rub their back while you hold them

The pair were lying down in bed having a bit of a lie in, Nagini’s hands gently trailing up and do Percival’s arm that was wrapped around her, the other rubbing her back gently. No words were spoken, just soft touches echoing between the pair. Eventually, she caved into the silence, turning around so that she could face him, smile growing a bit as she pressed her lips gently to his nose. 

“Good morning.” She hummed tiredly, pressing her forehead to his though her eyes stayed open, smiling softly, slightly tired, words a mumble with a small chuckle, unsure of what else to say. “How are you?” 

[scales-of-murmuration]

-Hugs the snek really tight and kisses her softly-

Nagini only huffed a little in surprise at the embrace, smiling softly though not quite meeting his gaze. “Well hello to you too.” The woman hummed a light laugh, best she could muster though responded in said gestures without hesitation, pulling away after the kiss to rest her head on hiss shoulder. “Needed that…. Thanks.” 

[scales-of-murmuration]

A little bit of a sadder take but here 

V1= Cre, V2=Nag, V3= Percy :)

[scales-of-murmuration]

         ~stay where you are~don’t come to close and don’t go too far~

                                       @loveisforchildren-percivalgraves

[scales-of-murmuration]

Out of all the people that you've met who would you want to make out with?

“Well…. There… You see.” She did not like this question. She assumed that it was asking on who she would want to make-out with the most. That answer was obvious. Credence. But Credence left her. So there was no way he wanted to kiss her, let alone make out with her…….. right? So she would have to make something up.

“Ummmm…..” She swallowed. “Who I have met on this blog? Percival Graves. Who I have met in my canon? I… um…. Tina Goldstein! Yep. That’s my final answer.”

[scales-of-murmuration]

Would you be Percival and Credence’s surrogate if they asked?

“Absolutely.” She smiled, happy, quick to respond without hesitation. She didn’t understand why either of them would ask her, but if it made them happy she would do thus without hesitation, regardless of the consequences it would cause her after.