Chasing Grindelwald

1: Boarding

NEWT
     Newt scaled the crowd behind him and Tina for Queenie and Jacob, who were in a different line. They finally caught up, Queenie's mouth set in a hard, worried line as she clutched Jacob's hand.
    It was obvious she wasn't happy about Jacob coming along, but she also didn't want to leave him behind. Sometimes graphorns were the same way about their mates; knowing they were about to leave for battle, they couldn't decide whether to leave their mate in a safe place or bring them along for moral support. Queenie looked like she didn't think this battle would end well.
   Tina's expression, however, was determined, stern, and beautiful. She had assured Newt she was ready to catch Grindelwald, and he had no doubt in her. The hate in her voice when she mentioned the dark wizard scared Newt almost as much as the prospect of the challenge they were facing. He had his doubts, true; but Grindelwald had to be stopped. Muggles were humans, too. Not a species for wizards to harness. Newt would stand by that belief, and the fact that Grindelwald was responsible for the death of an innocent child...the thought of Credence made Newt shiver. He hadn't thought he was dead initially, but now that it had been so long he was beginning to wonder....
"Newt!" Tina's voice snapped him out of his reverie. "Come on, the ship leaves in ten minutes! They're getting the last few folks on before they lift up the gangplanks."
"Right, yes," Newt shook his head to clear it and followed Tina and the others.
    Five minutes later, after much stair climbing, they all stood on the deck, listening as the White Star ship blew it's final horn. Newt leaned on the railing and set his case by his ankles, biting his lip as he gazed at the Statue of Liberty. He wondered if he would ever see it again in person, or if this was truly his last trip to New York.
Wonderful, Newton, he scolded himself. You're just a factory of negative thoughts today, aren't you?
"We can do it, you know," Tina said confidently, leaning against the rail next to him and setting her hand on top of his. "I mean, look what the four of us've accomplished before. Why can't we do something like that again?"
"We were wonderful last time, weren't we?" Newt smiled at everyone in an attempt to lift their spirits, including his own. Especially his own. Queenie's knuckles were white, her grip on Jacob's hands turning his fingers purple, but they grinned back at Newt. The ship lurched forward.
"Of course we can, what are we worried about?" Queenie said, feigning her sister's level of confidence. "We'll do just fine."
"Grindelwald is not going to win this war," Tina stated. "I won't let him."
"He's evil," Jacob agreed. "Evil people don't have half the heart of good people. That's why they always lose."
   Newt gave them all one last weak smile before turning back around, staring at the shrinking Lady Liberty, and hoping he'd get to visit her again.
    MERRY CHRISTMAS! I decided I'd publish the new book I know a lot of you have been waiting for, to spread a little Holiday cheer. If you celebrate Hannukah, then I guess I'm a little late, but Happy Hannukah, or Kwanza, or whatever you celebrate! If you celebrate Ramadan, well, happy Late-Ramadan! Love from LunaPage.