Garfield had made one thing clear to Queenie… she was not to inform anyone in the magical world about his origins or intentions.
She had claimed to serve an ancient and powerful family, which gave her just enough cover to deflect questions. That was the excuse.
And for now, it had to be enough.
"It's a secret I have to keep." Queenie said quietly.
Fortunately, the U.S. Ministry of Magic wasn't paying much attention to minor outliers like Garfield and Queenie. Their full attention was consumed by one thing.
Gellert Grindelwald.
Grindelwald wasn't just some run of the mill dark wizard from Europe, he was a symbol. A top-tier magical revolutionary
The U.S. Ministry knew he carried secrets.
Forbidden black magic and whispers… of the Three Deathly Hallows
Many wizards had heard the legends, but few truly believed the Hallows existed. Fewer still knew the truth.
Grindelwald's fanatical supporters, however, seemed to believe entirely, and that made the Ministry nervous.
Most of those supporters came from pure-blood families. If Grindelwald ever managed to unite them under one banner.
It would be a cataclysmic catastrophe.
Deep within a hidden facility operated by the United States Department of Magic, Seraphina Picquery…. President of MACUSA approached a high-security prison door, flanked by a team of elite Aurors.
The British Ministry had already sent formal requests demanding Grindelwald's extradition.
She declined politely. She needed time to investigate the truth.
Time to uncover this treasure.
"Open the cell."
"Yes, Madam President." The Auror replied.
He drew his wand, murmured a precise incantation. Magic shimmered briefly around the reinforced gate, then the door creaked open.
Inside, Grindelwald sat in the shadows, unfazed. As the light spilled into the cell, he turned with a slow smile.
"Minister Picquery." He drawled.
"Let me guess… Another urgent letter from our friends across the pond?"
"Maybe…" Seraphina replied evenly. "But the investigation here isn't finished. You won't be leaving."
She took a glance at the runes.
"Tell us the real reason you came to America. We don't believe you simply wandered here on a whim."
Grindelwald chuckled softly.
Fools. Pawns. Cowards the lot.
He would never reveal the truth. The Secret that could reshape the magical world.
Why would he ever tell them?
Instead, he stood and raised his voice like a prophet addressing a crowd.
"You pathetic bureaucrats."
"Dress up in useless titles and self-harming laws while dragging our kind down to the level of those clueless No-Majs."
"Look around you… we cower in shadows while they build cities in the sun."
His voice grew louder, more impassioned.
"I came to liberate our kind. To awaken the true wizarding bloodlines! Raise your wands, awaken your pride, and cast aside this weak, corrupt order."
"The age of wizardry is not over yet… it is just beginning! Together, we will build a new magical empire. Your names will be etched in stone beside Merlin himself!"
Seraphina could feel… a subtle enchantment in his voice. Not a typical incantation, a charm woven through speech. And it was working.
She glanced at her Aurors. Several of them looked dazed. They were feeling something.
"Enough!"
The spell shattered.
"Gellert Grindelwald, this is not a stage for your twisted gospel. I came to interrogate you about your crimes, not to let you poison the minds of my people."
She turned to her guards.
"Seal his mouth. No one is to speak to him without my express permission."
The Aurors straightened. "Yes, Madam President!"
Grindelwald watched with amused defiance as the spell was cast to silence him. His lips curled in satisfaction.
After all, the seeds had already been planted.
As Seraphina Picquery and her team left the holding cell, the dazed expressions of several Aurors began to clear.
The fog that had clouded their minds was lifting.
She turned back, watching their eyes regain focus, her suspicions were confirmed.
"Are you all right?" She asked.
The Aurors exchanged sheepish glances, embarrassed.
"Apologies, Madam President."
"We… nearly fell under Grindelwald's spell."
"Just a few words from him…"
"And it was like we were… somewhere else. It felt so real."
"He's dangerous, ma'am. I recommend we rotate in only our most elite Aurors to guard him."
Seraphina nodded slowly. "No. That won't be enough." She paused, then gave a firm order.
"Find Tina. Bring her here."
"Tina Goldstein?" One of the Aurors asked in surprise.
Yes, Tina Goldstein. The sharp-witted Auror who made the right call during the Grindelwald debacle, even when few believed her.
She had earned her reinstatement and then some.
Seraphina had promoted her to Squad Captain for good reason: unwavering instincts, solid magical theory, and a no-nonsense attitude.
"Right away, ma'am." the Auror said, hurrying off.
The wizarding world was teetering.
Tensions with No-Majs were escalating, magical laws were growing more complicated and unpopular, and public unrest simmered dangerously beneath the surface.
In such times, even minor incidents had the potential to spiral into chaos.
Just days earlier, Tina had handled a case where a young girl's accidental magic had destroyed her entire home.
No one was hurt, but the house was obliterated.
Tina had led the team herself, erasing memories, fixing the lawn, rebuilding the structure.
She hadn't even sat down in her office chair when a message summoned her to the President's wing.
"Minister Picquery, you called for me?" Tina asked as she stepped into the room, brushing back a loose strand of hair.
Seraphina gave a small smile and motioned to the chair across from her.
"Sit, Tina. No need to be formal."
"Yes, ma'am." She sat down, straight-backed, still alert.
"How's the fieldwork?"
Tina gave a tired sigh. "Busy."
"The magic in the air feels... unsettled. People are nervous, reckless lately."
"It's like the entire magical world's on edge."
Seraphina nodded, pressing her fingers together.
"Grindelwald didn't come here by accident. He sensed the tension in our world, the same tension that you just described."
"I believe he came to stir that unrest." She leaned forward slightly.
"If it weren't for Credence slipping up… if you and Newt hadn't caught on when you did, we might be facing an uprising already."
Tina blinked. "But… Grindelwald was caught. Isn't that the end of it?"
"The man is in custody, yes." Seraphina sighed.
"But his words nearly turned my best Aurors against me. That kind of charisma, dark as it is, can't be locked behind bars."
"... He actually got to them?"
Seraphina gave a tired nod. "He almost did."
"With nothing more than words. That's why I brought you here."
Tina leaned in, now fully engaged. "Are you going to turn him over to the British?"
"I'm considering it. But first…" Seraphina looked Tina dead in the eyes.
"I want to ask Newt Scamander if he knows of any magical creatures, guardians, watchers, or even trackers that might be better suited than humans to watch over Grindelwald."
"Something immune to his influence."
꧁𓊈𒆜༺⚜༻𒆜𓊉꧂
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