Aiden strolled confidently toward the main entrance with the suitcase in hand, where a formation of Aurors had barricaded the exit entirely.
"Mr. Prewett, surrender immediately, and we may commute your death sentence given your youth," Picquery announced with icy authority.
"Really, you pompous Americans. Why don't you investigate your own corruption before pointing fingers?" Aiden retorted with moral outrage.
"British interference in our matters is unwelcome. Finish him."
Having delivered the order, Picquery turned away dismissively, Aiden's fate already sealed in her mind. Every Auror lifted their wand simultaneously, magical energy coalescing at dozens of wand tips in a lethal spectrum of light.
Aiden extended his right hand into empty air. A single crimson rose appeared in his palm.
He lifted the flower to his nose, inhaling its sweet fragrance with deliberate calm. Within his mind, the dragon snarled menacingly at all those present.
Aiden's lips parted fractionally, releasing white mist with his breath.
The Mental Breath of the Sequence 4 Manipulator instantly demolished the human barrier of Aurors blocking MACUSA's entrance.
The invisible psychic assault ravaged the minds and souls of the seasoned wizards. Anyone within its range collapsed as though struck by divine retribution.
Picquery spun around in utter shock to find Aiden already standing serenely before her.
Madam President, don't perch up there too long. It's time you looked down at the real world," he warned with understated menace.
Having delivered his message, Aiden departed with brazen confidence, leaving behind only those too stunned to intervene.
Stepping out of MACUSA into the crisp night air, Aiden Apparated to a secluded spot in Central Park.
Aiden opened the magical suitcase, and four people emerged from its interior.
"So where do we head now?" Aiden asked the assembled group.
"Maybe I can offer a safe place to stay," Jacob suggested, raising his hand with cautious optimism.
After navigating several busy streets, Jacob guided the group through Queens into a deteriorating neighborhood.
He produced his keys, unlocked a weathered gate, ascended the groaning staircase, and stepped onto a debris-filled rooftop.
"This was my grandfather's place," Jacob explained, gesturing toward a ramshackle wooden shelter constructed from salvaged planks. "It's isolated enough. We should be safe here for now."
He gestured vaguely at Aiden. "Can't this child do that thing where he makes spaces bigger?"
"Just call me Aiden, Jacob," Aiden said, extending his hand in friendship.
"Oh, of course. Honored to meet you properly," Jacob replied, shaking hands warmly.
"Aiden, you shouldn't have killed that executioner," Newt said, turning to look at him with concern.
"Mate, he was one of Grindelwald's people. If I didn't eliminate him, should I have left him to sabotage MACUSA at the critical moment?" Aiden shrugged pragmatically.
"No, what I mean is you shouldn't alter the past so drastically. After all..." Newt regarded Aiden with growing concern.
"My very presence here demonstrates that everything is already woven into history's fabric. There is no absolute past or future in this world, Newt." As Aiden explained, the spectral outline of a cosmic timepiece materialized behind him like an ethereal chronometer.
Meanwhile, Queenie and Jacob had started their own conversation nearby.
"Whoa, what's that thing?" Jacob asked, pointing behind Aiden.
"Oh, that's just magical energy manifesting. Nothing to worry about. So tell me about your grandfather's pigeons." Queenie smoothly changed the subject.
"He did raise pigeons, yes. And he taught me his baking secrets," Jacob answered, clearly touched by her genuine curiosity.
"How lovely. My grandfather kept owls. I used to feed them scraps when I was little," Queenie reminisced fondly.
"That sounds amazing..." Their conversation flowed with increasing intimacy.
Noticing the conversation between Aiden and Newt had become strained, Tina approached to defuse the tension.
"Graves kept emphasizing that your beasts were responsible for the chaos. We have to recapture them all. How many remain loose?"
"Just one more—Dougal, my Demiguise. He stays invisible most of the time," Newt replied, his eyes fixed on the glittering cityscape.
"I have no idea how to track him down. It's practically impossible."
Suddenly, inspiration struck Tina.
"Gnarlak! Back when I was an Auror, he served as one of my informants. He runs a side business trading magical creatures," Tina explained, seizing Newt's hand with sudden excitement.
"But how do we extract information from him? We have nothing of value to offer," Newt pointed out pragmatically.
"Well, don't we have a certain dragon-shifter standing right here?" Tina suggested, her gaze settling pointedly on Aiden.
Aiden's eyes narrowed slightly. "..."
The group made their way through a cramped alley to reach a concealed entrance.
"I cannot believe you're forcing me into this absurd costume," the silver-haired dragon-shifter grumbled.
He now wore a sleek black evening gown, regrettably cut in feminine fashion.
"It looks stunning! Though we'll need to keep you quiet to maintain the disguise," Queenie declared, raising her wand.
Silk bandages wound around Aiden's eyes and mouth as his hands were secured behind him. The elegant black dress exposed graceful shoulder blades, while the gleaming silver horns atop his head served as unmistakable evidence of his extraordinary nature.
Approaching a seemingly blank stone wall, Queenie and Tina cast disguising spells on each other's clothing. Newt also touched his tie with his wand, transforming his appearance.
Tina knocked on the hidden door, and the group entered the secret speakeasy.
The dimly lit bar was thick with smoke as a dark-skinned goblin crooned loudly from the stage.
Jacob sat at the bar complaining, "How do you even drink in such a cramped space?"
A whiskey glass sailed through the air, landing perfectly in Jacob's outstretched palm.
"What, haven't you seen a house-elf before?" A house-elf behind the bar was wiping glasses with practiced efficiency.
"Oh yes, I love house-elves. My uncle employs a house-elf," Jacob said amiably.
"Figures," the house-elf scoffed dismissively.
Queenie approached and settled in beside Jacob, ordering her own drink."
On the other side, Newt and Tina sat in a shadowy corner of the tavern with the bound Aiden.
"I can't believe I'm sitting here. Half the people in this place have been arrested by me at some point," Tina muttered, clearly troubled by her fall from grace.
"Excuse the intrusion, but I glimpsed your memories of that boy in the dissolution pool's death potion earlier," Newt said, leaning closer.
"That boy is called Credence. His adoptive mother constantly beats him. I attacked her at a Second Salem rally, and everyone present was memory-charmed afterward. It became a major scandal."
Tina raised her drink and drained it completely, the glass hitting the table with a sharp clink.
"Would you two mind keeping it down? This bondage situation is seriously uncomfortable," Aiden wriggled and mumbled through his restraints.
"Quiet now—he's approaching," Newt warned softly, tapping Aiden's head.
A goblin entered and settled into the wooden chair beside Newt and Tina's table.
"So, you're the madman with a suitcase full of dangerous beasts," he said, accepting a drink the house-elf slid across the bar.
"We hope you can help us locate an invisible creature," Newt replied, looking up at the dealer.
Gnarlak lit a cigar and took a slow draw.
"Your head carries a handsome bounty, Mr. Scamander. Why should I help you instead of collecting the reward?"
He took the bill from the house-elf and signed it with a flourish.
"I can pay you well," Newt offered.
"Keep your pocket change," Gnarlak said, waving him off and turning away.