Return to New York

Flames

"No!" Grindelwald's shout filled the mausoleum. Newt stared at the body of the young woman lying motionless on the floor. He recognized her as the same woman that had been on the street corner earlier that day.

Tina had stared in shock as she had watched the young woman fall to the ground. She had been killed by an Auror. She had tried to attack him and he had retaliated with an Unforgivable curse when even the simplest of shield charms would have protected him. Now she understood why Newt had said what he had about Aurors and she knew that many of her coworkers would have reacted the same way. 

Grindelwald knelt beside the young woman's body, gently stroking her vibrant orange hair. Something caught Newt's eye. The Niffler had finally reached him and was crawling under his feet.

"Take this young warrior back to her family," Grindelwald called. He moved away from the body and people moved to take her.

Tina watched, nearly crying. She was scared. Everything was going wrong.

"Disapparate," Grindelwald commanded. "Leave. Go forth from this place and spread the word. It is not we who are violent."

Everyone began Disapparating. Soon the only people in the mausoleum were Newt, Tina, Leta, Theseus, Kama, Nagini, Credence, Jacob, Queenie, all the Aurors, Grindelwald's closest followers, and, of course, Grindelwald himself.

Grindelwald had moved back to the center of the platform.

"Let's take him," Theseus whispered, the shape of the amphitheater amplifying it and echoing it across the room.

Grindelwald raised his wand and spun in a circle, casting a ring of blue fire around the platform. His followers jumped through the flames, all but one of them Disapparating. However, one of the followers, a young man with a pleasant face, couldn't make it through the flames. Screaming in pain, he dissolved into ashes.

"Aurors!" Grindelwald called. "Join me in this circle. Pledge to me your eternal allegiance, or die. Only here shall you know freedom. Only here shall you know yourself."

Suddenly, the flames began to leave the circle, licking across the stairs. The Aurors began to run but it was hopeless. The flames caught them, instantly burning them to ashes.

"Play by the rules," Grindelwald taunted. "No cheating, children."

Newt saw Credence start towards the ring of fire. Nagini was trying to stop him.

"Credence!" he called, running towards him. A stream of fire appeared in front of him and he beat it back, but he couldn't get through. He was knocked backward, landing heavily on his shoulder.

Tina watched as Credence walked through the flames. Grindelwald pulled him into a hug then sent him away. She lowered her head. Her mission had failed. She hadn't been able to protect Credence and now Grindelwald had him. Suddenly, she heard Jacob's voice shouting across the room.

"Queenie, don't do it!"

Tina's head snapped up just in time to see her sister reach the ring of fire. She watched in horror as the young woman stepped through the flames, screaming in pain, but not burning up.

"Queenie!" she yelled as Grindelwald touched her sister's shoulder, sending her away from that place. A stream of fire reached her and she knocked it back. Fire was filling the whole mausoleum, killing more of the Aurors. A couple of them tried to Disapparated but the flames shot up and destroyed them before they were gone.

Newt watched as one of the Aurors, the man who had killed the young woman, step forward, joining Grindelwald in his circle.

"Mr. Scamander!" Grindelwald called. Newt and Theseus both stared at him. The younger knew he was being addressed. "Do you think Dumbledore will mourn for you?" he taunted.