I Was Younger Then

You Can Write to Grindelwald About the Rights You're Entitled To

WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS DEPICTIONS OF GRAPHIC VIOLENCE, ANIMAL CRUELTY, SEXUAL HARASSMENT (hot graphic) 

**PLEASE READ THE WARNING BEFORE CONTINUING**

It was late but Penny wasn't interested in sleep. She'd spent the better part of the day with people in white robes asking her to perform a series of specific tasks with and without a wand. The entire thing was quite dull, but Penny greatly preferred it to her nighttime visitors, because at least the daytime crew spoke and laughed with her.

Penny was sitting at her table with the wizards chess set Tonks gifted to her. It was charmed by Arthur Weasley, but the set did more than simply play against Penny. It was another truly ingenious invention by Mr. Weasley. The board spaces were engraved with 60 different symbols on the face of it. At first look it was quite pretty, but Penny suspected there was a purpose to them beyond their aesthetic. The fact that there was no theme between the symbols solidified this hunch. She figured their meanings were to be interpreted. For example, the shaggy black dog bore remarkable similarity to Sirius' animagus form, which could be a specific reference to Sirius, but dually, the dog could also represent loyalty. The bald eagle clearly represented the MACUSA, and the half-moon spectacles were Dumbledore. The rest would take some thought to use.

It was an intricate and challenging way to send messages especially when considering which pieces to place on which symbols. Penny would arrange several of her pieces to display the message she wanted, and she guessed those pieces would move on the linked chessboard. When the other person decided on a reply the white pieces on her board would move. It was not a very secretive form of messaging, and anyone who was paying any amount of attention would realize in chess only one piece is supposed to move at a time. But, as it was, no one seemed to be observing Penny's time in her room with much care. She'd spent the better part of the last hour testing the function of it and trying to interpret the responses she was receiving. The process had given Penny a headache and she was rubbing her temples when the door opened and light blinded her. She blinked against her watering eyes and looked up into the blond features of Yaxley. Beside him were two strange men who wore tidy suits, thick robes, and bowler hats on their heads. The three entered, Yaxley waving his wand at the light bulb in the center of the room.

"Penny! Wonderful, you're awake, I was hoping we wouldn't be disturbing you," said Yaxley, conjuring chairs for them.

"Oh, you're definitely disturbing me. But if you just wanna walk back the way you came, you can rectify the mistake," said Penny, scooting herself closer to the wall as Yaxley took up residence in the chair closest to her.

"Such a charming girl. Alas, science calls us here," Yaxley said dismissively.

"Pray, tell me, what credible science is conducted in the dead of night on non-consenting children? And here I thought my brother had rid the world of that kind of ideology."

"Some say he merely paved the way for someone to expand on it. That is why it is the job of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and the MACUSA to ensure that no such thing takes place, ever again," Yaxley replied, giving Penny an ugly yellow grin.

Penny looked away from the grotesque, waxy man in disgust. The fabrication and fear mongering was insulting. Yaxley merely saw an opportunity for personal gain and he did not care who he trampled to get there.

"I assume you must be the MACUSA," Penny said, crossing her arms.

"Yes ma'am. We are committed to ensuring a talented lady such as yourself is safe from the manipulation of any persons, international or domestic, for political or personal gain," the younger man seated across from Penny said in a thick American accent.