The Grindelwald Twins

Chapter 1

The large steamboat passed by the Statue of Liberty and children ran to the railing to see New York. Children chased each other around as their excitement got the best of them, their parents held hands, smiling and chuckling to themselves.

In the center of the boat, a double-sided bench was occupied by two men and a woman who rested her head on her twin brother's lap. To other people they looked like a young couple relaxing. Their slightly older companion sat next to them on the bench. He carried a batter old leather case, darker around the corners and slightly worn from long use. It had obviously been used for many years and taken care of very well, as it was still in prime condition.

The case suddenly jolted one of the latches popped open, drawing the attention of the three.

The brown-haired man picked it up and put it on his lap, whispering to it quietly.

"Dougal...." he warned. "Settle down please." A growling sound came from with the case as it rattled and jolted in his arms, quite sounds of scratching could be heard from within. Luckily, no one around the three paid them any mind.

The siblings next to him turned simultaneously and watched the slightly strange scene. The woman had a soft smile on her face and the man and a smirk that was lightly slapped off his face by his sister as she sat up.

"Really, Nadi?" He chuckled, though his cheek stung and a very slight handprint marked the side of his face for a minute before fading.

"Yes 'really' Gray, you need to smile more," the two of them bickered like cats and dogs. It was obvious that they bickered quite frequently, as the man beside them simply raised a brow and shook his head, turning his attention to the other passengers lining the rails of the steamboat.

"Nadia, Grayson, let's go," he suddenly spoke, lightly scolding the twins as he stood. He was eager to get back on solid ground. It always unnerved him, the feeling of the deck shifting and rocking beneath his feet.

They exited the watercraft and looked around, in slight awe of the massive city just beyond the baggage checking. One of the many officers checked their passports, looking through each one diligently before looking back at them.

"British, huh?" It was really a question as he had just looked at their passports and he already knew, but still, they nodded.

"Yes," the brown-haired man, Newt, answered.

"First trip to New York?" The American officer seemed bored.

"Yes," Newt answered again.

"Anything edible in there?" Another question followed by a gesture to the case that seemed to be weighing down half of Newt's body. Yes, the thought flitted through Nadia and Grayson's minds.

"No," Grayson spoke, and the officers' attention shifted to him in acknowledgment, before turning back to Newt, who was clearly the eldest and therefore in charge.

"Livestock?" Once again the twins thought rang with 'Yes.'

"No," Newt tilted his face so his hair covered his eyes when he spoke. To the twins, it was clear he was lying but the American man didn't seem to notice.

The latch popped open once more, and the officers' eyes turned to it, a frown marking his pale features.

"Must get that fixed," Nadia took the case from Newt and closed the latch. "And...No." Yes.

"Let me take a look," The passports in the man's hand were set down on the table next to him as Nadia placed the case on it.

Quickly, her finger went to the lock and she pushed a small button under it that lifted a sign for a moment that read 'Muggle Worthy.'

The case was turned around and opened to reveal three sets of clothes -one for each member of the group, a compass, brochures, a magnifying glass, and a map.

A quick glance at the group showed they were slightly impatient to get into the city. The officer closed the case and spoke in his bored tone.

"Welcome to New York."

"Thank you," Newt, ever the polite one grabbed the passports as Nadia grabbed their suitcase, and soon the three of them were walking through the streets of New York, marveling at the large building and trains that went through the large streets. The only thing that could be heard from the trio is occasional muttering, but otherwise, they were silent.

***

"And it was like a... like a wind. Or like a... like a ghost. But dark. And I saw its eyes, shining white eyes," the witness climbed through the rubble in the site as he described what had caused the destruction.

"A dark wind, with eyes?" the detective stood in the ruined doorway as he listened to the man talk, barely believing a word the witness said.

"It's like a dark mass. And it dove down there. Down underground," he pointed to where the thing had gone.

A man dressed in black walked down the street toward the destroyed house. He walked up the stairs to a level above and looked at the wall.

"It's atmospheric," the photographer spoke, but the wall suddenly cracked, and the street became disturbed. The once whole brick street soon had a large line dug straight through it, only stopping at a building down the street. A part of the roof was hit and it tumbled down onto the street. The destruction reached a subway entrance, showering glass on the passing people.

The same man who had once stood on the steps of the building now walked a little ways away from the group at the beginning of the line. His eyes followed it down the street until it ended, and he seemed to reach a conclusion before he walked away.

Word Count: 950