Little Mischiefs [Inglorious Bastards/Black Anthology | HP Fanfic]

~ IB: Our Little Family

This is from the Fantastic Beasts fanfic I scratched out. It was supposed to follow Ned, Theseus, and Andromache during the events of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and throughout Grindelwald's War. 

I decided not to continue the story because: (1) nothing is different from the Fantastic Beasts. (2) The story was already told by Ned in Butterbeer, so it would be redundant to tell it; and (3) there are stories best left told through a character than us living through it. It keeps the "magic" and the "history" of it. 

With that, here is the Prologue for the 

~*~

1910

There must be some mistake, Ned thought as he stared at the two children before him. Two girls in the ages of nine and eight. When he was called from a meeting with his mentor Percival Graves by an administrator in the MACUSA, he expected to be some sort of warning for his actions for the past few days. Mingling with No-Majs in a pub, drinking moonshine in the dark. At the time he was following the witch to the office, he was dreading, even thinking of an excuse or a reason for him not to be punished for just having a drink with some people. But now, as he stood in the office with the witch that called for him, a Healer, and a wizard social worker, and two little girls that he was familiar by face only, he wished that he was called for this meeting was because of the prior reason.

Since called, Ned's eyes never left the two girls sitting on the bench. Both were similar in height, nose, and brown eyes, even their clothes but their hairs were what made them distinguishable. The girl with the dark hair had a protective arm around the blond who was fidgeting with some ragdoll, and the entire time the dark-haired girl had hawk-like eyes looking at him with caution.

"...Mr. Goldstein!"

Ned blinked once, twice as he snapped out of the trance, he was in. He ran a hand down his face, metaphorically wiping away whatever distraction that had him miss what they were talking about. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" He sheepishly said.

The social worker huffed in annoyance. "Do you know these girls?"

"I..." Ned stuttered. To be honest he didn't know them, but their faces were very familiar. Maybe he met them once before.

"Our parents were Fanny and Allan Goldstein," the girl with dark hair spoke. Her voice deeper for an average child her age. It was trembling. "You used to come to our home with your parents."

"Fanny and Allan," Ned finally grasped the memory of the two relatives he had in the city. "I remember them... yes. Allan is my father's first cousin."

"Was, Mr. Goldstein," said the social worker.

"I'm sorry?"

"About eight hours ago, Allan and Fanny Goldstein have died of dragon pox. Since they were in quarantine at that time, their daughters: Porpentina and Queenie Goldstein were staying with a neighbor of theirs. But with their deaths, the neighbor could not hold on to the girls permanently... it was only supposed to be until their parents got better."

"I-I'm so sorry," Ned turned to the girls.

The dark-haired girl, who he not remembered as Porpentina or Tina, had her gaze into space while her sister, Queenie, was trying to drown out everything that was happening by playing with her doll. But Ned could see the façade.

"We tried to look for any relatives that could take them, but it seems that the closest relative they have in New York is any relatives that could take them, but it seems that the closest relative they have in New York is you, Mr. Goldstein." The social worker continued.