Invisible String [t. s]

Epiphany

Paris, France.
Père-Lachaise Cemetery.

  The group of around fifty Aurors arrived at the Cementry, right outside the Lestrange Mausoleum. As they approached, Amélie and many others, felt the tickle of anxiety and fear in their stomachs as they divided themselves in pairs.

"Listen." Élie said when they entered the Mausoleum, finding themselves inside the elegant tomb with many coffins and white marble statues that represented the dead members of Leta's family. "We must act swiftly. I know you're scared, I am too, but we must remain calm, we don't know what are we going to find in there or what will happen. We don't know who's in there."

"There will be men, women and maybe even children." Theseus commented. "We need you all to remain calm and keep your head in the game if we're all to go home tonight. It isn't illegal to listen to him." He added, just as a note because he knew the man would try to be persuasive.

"Stick to your partner and try to blend in. You move on our mark, use minimum force on the crowd."

"We mustn't be who he says we are." Everyone nodded as the bricks of the back wall opened, revealing some stairs. They all walked down said staircase and their eyes opened like plates when they saw the amount of people standing by the staircases around what seemed to be an underground amphitheater.

"Alright, make your way around the area, we'll stay here so you can see us." The Aurors nodded and the Heads of the Bureaux started walking to stand close to the stairs. "I have a bad feeling."

"Mhm." Everyone could feel the tension, many were tense and intrigued, excited and some seemed ready to fight. It was very bad energy. Their eyes scanned the room, they found their Aurors standing at the back of the room on tactical points, they could see the people who were nervous, those who weren't, and eventually...

"Vinda." He looked at her, Rosier was looking at someone on the low floor. A woman wearing a black coat and black hat, holding what seemed to be half a skull.

"That's your sister?"

"Indeed. And, apparently, she does try to kill me frequently." Only a second later, the crowd started clapping and clamouring at the man of the moment. The situation seemed unstable and could end up very bad. Both saw the way his Acolytes stepped closer to the entrances and the Aurors were heavily outnumbered.

Grindelwald approached with a steady pace the centre of the room. When he stood in the middle, he extended his arms and smiled at his public as they received him like a God. When the last applause echoed in the room, he dropped his arms and head before speaking.

"My brothers, my sisters, my friends...the great gift of your applause is not to me. No. It is for yourselves. You came here today because of a craving and a knowledge that the old ways serve us no longer." He walked around the area where he was standing. "You came here today because you crave for something...new, something different. It is said that I hate les non-Magiques. The Muggles."

"Vermin!" A man yelled from the right side of the room, seen from where these two were standing.

"The No-Maj." Grindelwald continued. "The Can't-Spells. I do not hate them. I do not. For I do not fight out of hatred. I say the Muggles are not lesser, but other. Not worthless, but of other value. Not disposable, but of a different disposition. Magic blooms only in fade souls. It is granted for those who live for higher things. Oh, and what a world would we make for all of humanity we who live for freedom, for truth and for love." A pause. "The moment has come to share my vision of the future that awaits if we do not raise up and take our rightful place in the world." That's when Vinda stepped forward to stand beside him. She offered the skull, that had a pipe attached to it. He took it, inhaled deeply and, when he exhaled, the smoke gathered on top of everyone's heads. Images were on the smoke.