《 Skip a Beat 》

Hell and beyond

The team of aurors split off- half of them keeping watch on Grindelwald and his acolytes, the other half sneaking into the building and combing through the levels to find the box.

"You are only to retrieve the files. Do not engage in combat unless absolutely necessary," tediously reminded Travers for what seemed like the hundredth time as they clustered on the once-elegant mezzanine floor.

Black paint peeled off the railings overlooking the ground floor, and aurors huddled close together to avoid stepping on crumbling bits of concrete.

They all nodded, eager to complete the mission and return home safely.

"Good," said Travers, his tone more clipped than usual. Tina could only guess that he was anxious. Tiny segments of concrete crumbled off under her feet and plummeted until hitting the ground level, so dark that she couldn't see where they landed. Tina shuffled in closer to the group to avoid falling with the crumbs.

"Do not try to apparate. It won't work here. Do not let yourself be seen. Remember: smooth, catlike movements. Always remain calm."

Casting his eyes around the cluster of determined-looking aurors, Travers nodded curtly.

"Go."

As if a switch had been flipped, they silently streamed away in different directions, leaving Travers and his partner, Andrew, to retreat to the cellar and work their way up through the levels.

Theseus and Tina had agreed to start on the ground floor.

If there was something worth pilfering in the box, Grindelwald would keep it close to his side, and Graves had reported that he, along with his acolytes were last spotted fleetingly on the ground floor.

Yes, they were walking straight into the lion's den. Both of them knew it. But if they wanted any chance at finding those files, the lion's den was their best hope.

Tina raised her wand, preparing to cast a summoning charm, then on second thoughts, discreetly lowered it. Grindelwald wouldn't make it easy for them to locate the files. He might already know that they were there. The very thought sent shivers down her spine, and she quickly dismissed it.

Her partner didn't miss a beat.

"That kind of magic won't work in here," murmured Theseus. "There are probably protective charms everywhere."

Tina couldn't find it in herself to try and prove him wrong. Magic was all around them. The atmosphere was heavy with it. Its scent was on the air. You could almost see it.

The two of them descended swiftly down a crumbling fire escape staircase and emerged, clinging to the shadows, onto the ground floor.

It was horribly exposed, the only shelter being the overhang of the mezzanine floor above it. But it was dark. Dark spaces were good- it was harder to see someone obscured by shadows than someone standing in broad daylight.

The floor was deserted. Even the aurors previously clustered on the mezzanine floor had disappeared to different parts of the building.

The pair set about searching the area. Tina skirted around the left side of the floor, while Theseus took up the right.

Tina's near-silent footsteps sounded softly as she sneaked around corners. Minuscule bugs and mice scurried for shelter in cracks of the wall, cowering in fear as Tina slipped past.

She slid her hand along the wall, trailing her fingers across crumbling concrete and peeling paint.

A strangely perfect straight crack had Tina stopping in her tracks. Backing up, still keeping to the shadows, she realised it wasn't a crack at all, but a door.