Wizarding World AU's

We Don't Talk About Queenie

Riley looked into the box she found in the attic. It had a faded label that she couldn't really read, so she opened it up to see if she could learn. One object stuck out. It was a wand with a shell handle and dark wood.

"Whose wand is this?" she muttered a little too loud.

Oh my god. Riley heard behind her.

"Pa!" she was so startled, she practically jumped out of her skin.

Anthony took the wand from his daughter's hand.

Great grandmother's wand? Riley read.

"I want to know who she was. Pa, can you-?"

"My mother was crazy!" Jacob shouted as he burst into the room.

"Grandfather!" Anthony yelled, tossing the wand back to Riley. Riley held it tightly to her chest.

"Tony. She should've learned sooner." Jacob said to Anthony. Turning to Riley, "She was like you. A legilimens. But she went insane because of it."

Anthony backed against a wall as Jacob circled Riley. He grasped at either side of her head, "She would read some dark secret and BAM! It's not a secret anymore!"

Riley looked at him, "What if she didn't know what she read?"

"Too bad! It's there! She interpreted what she thought it meant!" Jacob explained.

Anthony's grandmother, Emma, burst into the room, "She ruined our wedding with her delusions! Said something about everything going wrong with one of the guests!"

Jacob explained further, "A guest then proceeded to run away, but not before he set the church on fire."

Jacob and Emma were done for the day, having a good time retelling that story, but Riley wasn't finished.

The next day, she further questioned who Queenie was when she and Anthony were over at the Scamander's. The person who answered was one of the American cousins, who were visited.

Joshua, the grandson of Theseus Scamander, explained, "My grandfather became really anxious one day after he was paid a visit from Grindelwald's followers. Queenie was one of them. They threatened my grandmother, father, and uncle if he didn't tell them what they wanted."

Rolf shoved through, "The last time they saw her, it's said she had a crazed look in her eye! And her appearance was so ragged, Nana almost didn't recognize her!"

Anthony pulled Rolf back by the shoulder, "Don't scare her, Rolf!"

Rolf held up his hands, "What? I can't have fun?"

Lorcan- "She said Papa's creatures would parish!"

Riley's eyes went wide.

Lysander- "She said Pop would grow a gut! Just look at him!"

Riley nodded at that bit information.

Erika- "Apparently, she observed him enough, that she predicted Theseus would bald. Here's a picture."

Erika handed Riley a picture that was probably the most recent picture they had. Sure enough, Theseus Scamander had no hair.

Saoirse peered into the room, "Can you guys not talk about Queenie so loud? Tina's starting to break down."

Lysander sagged his shoulders. He approached Saoirse and asked her something very quietly. She let him into the room and shut the door. Riley didn't know how connected the Scamander's were with her family, so she asked.

"Why would Mrs. Scamander be upset?" she asked Rolf, who was closest to her.

Rolf looked down at Riley, "Sit down over here. I'll explain everything to you."

Riley tried to read his mind, "You're using occlumency?"

Rolf sighed, "You shouldn't read someone's mind to learn this."

Rolf started from the beginning, "My nana and Queenie were sisters. But when Queenie joined Grindelwald, my nana refused to acknowledge Queenie existed anymore. When Theseus gave her the news that they found Queenie dead in a home, my nana was distraught. She never got to say goodbye and has regretted it ever since." he looked at Riley and allowed her to read his mind.

Riley stared at him and nodded, "I understand now."

Anthony approached them, "Always remember, Ri." he met her eye, "We don't talk about Queenie."

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