The Dragging Dawn [Book Three]

Chapter 8

"You're an animagus?" Percival asked his daughter as both he and Credence stood staring at her.

"Yes." Sophia put bluntly, a look of determination written across her features.

Percival sank down into a chair and put his head in his hands, rubbing his eyes with his palms. "How can you be an animagus?"

"Well, through a lot of hard work I suppose." Sophia put bluntly. "But I've been an animagus for years."

"Why are you only telling us this now?" Credence demanded.

"Because it's quite helpful to keep something like that secret, especially when you're in school." Sophia laughed, trying to make the situation lighter.

"Have you any idea how illegal this is?" Percival said slowly, before freezing as a thought hit him. "David and Daniel aren't in the same position as you, are they? They can't turn into animals, can they?"

Sophia blushed slightly, and tried to change the subject. "Look. Being an undetectable animagus saved my life a few times. Being able to become dove without anyone knowing is quite handy. For Merlin's sake, I wouldn't be alive today if I wasn't an unregistered animagus, it's what saved my life during the Battle of Ilvermorny."

Credence froze for a second, staring at his daughter before an idea slowly formed itself in his mind and he went to kneel down in front of his husband, lowering his voice and hushing. "Look, I know how bad this looks right now and I know that you're angry because it's breaking the law but - and don't get me wrong here, I am also very angry at Sophia for doing this - don't you think that in a way this could be good?"

Percival lowered his voice to match the level that his husband was talking at, leaving his daughter to look on and watch them, worried. "What do you mean?"

"Think about it for a second. If what Sophia said is true, being an unregistered animagus is the only reason why she is still alive today. We are incredibly lucky to have only lost one child at the Battle of Ilvermorny when it was high likely that we could have lost both. If Sophia's hidden talent is the reason that she is still alive today than it is a good thing."

"But it's so illegal..." Percival whimpered.

" You say that as if we haven't gone against the law before. Percy," Credence looked at the man sat before him with pleading eyes, "I know that you're a man of the law, I understand that. But please, we could be in some serious danger with my sister so surely it is a good idea for this to continue. Sophia is a smart girl who we should trust to only use magic for good. She attacked my sister for me today in the park and gave me a chance to escape from her."

Percival hesitated. He understood what Credence was saying but there was still a nagging feeling at the back of his mind. "But MACUSA has laws for a reason..."

"Need I truly remind you that we were once facing the death penalty for crimes that we neither committed nor could control. It is true that people were harmed by us, especially by me, but rather than helping us the law decided to punish us in the most cruel way possible. Sometimes to survive you need to go against laws that people create."

Percival stared at Credence, his eyes pleading.

"I will not allow another one of my children to die, Percival."

And Percival knew that Credence had won.

Credence stood up, turning to Sophia and talking normally again. "You can remain an unregistered animagus." He said, but cut his daughter off as she began to celebrate. " Just don't do anything else illegal, alright." He looked back at his husband. "Percival, I think that you should go and inform MACUSA what we have learned tonight regarding the New Salem Philanthropic Society and my younger sister."

Percival nodded and disapparated out of the room.

"I was going to spend this time telling you about what I had learned in the park, Sophia." Credence mused, slightly amused. "But on account of the fact that you were there, I highly doubt that that will be necessary."

- - - - -

After half an hour stood in the debating chamber at MACUSA answering every question the President had thrown at him as much as he could, Percival decided to warn his friends of the danger.

He knocked on the Scamander's door, and smiled when he saw his friend's head peak around the side to see who it was.

"Newt, my dear friend." He greeted the man as he was allowed access into the house. "It's good to see you."

"And you too." Newt said with a smile. "What brings you here, Graves?'

"Is Tina around?"

Newt nodded, leaving Percival in the living room to find his wife. A minute or so later, he came back with Tina following just behind him. Percival began to explain.

"Although I am sure that you will be told this as soon as you turn up to work tomorrow, Tina, I decided that I wanted you to hear it from me, myself. The matter concerns the New Salem Philanthropic Society and it's new leader."

"You mean the leader we haven't been able to find out the identity of for months? Have you figured it out?" Tina asked, staring at Percival.

"Not quite." Percival struggled to find the right words. "Credence made a friend at church a while back, and got quite close to her. She even came over for dinner once..."

"She's the leader, isn't she?" Newt chuckled.

Percival nodded. "Not only that but it also turns out that she's Credence's younger sister who has had a vendetta against him ever since she watched him kill his other sister and mother."

"Oh." Newt and Tina said at the same time, grimacing.

"We're potentially in a lot of danger so just be careful, okay?"

"Thank you for telling us Graves." Newt said. "Have you told the President?"

"Yes." Percival sighed. "I think I hate this one even more than Picquery. Although I never thought that would be possible, she did try and have both me and my husband killed on many occasions..."

"Would you like me to tell Queenie and Jacob?" Tina asked. "You look ever so tired."

Percival smiled softly at the woman. "Thank you, Tina."

- - - - - - - - - -

Soooo we are past the length of TSS. Like I said a while back, I want to try and get this story to at least 15 chapters long but I don't know how well that will work.

Comment and tell me what you think. The comments really motivate me to carry on writing.

Just so I know for future knowledge- like I said before, this story will be the last of my Graves and Credence trilogy. There will be no more after this. However, as I have been writing about Sophia, Daniel and David I have fallen in love with these characters and their own personal story and relationship with each other.

Would you like me to start a new series about their years at Ilvermorny or not? Would you just prefer it if I left the characters with these three stories that I have written?

Yet again I listened to a lot of Hamilton while writing this.