Lysander Scamander: Lost in Time

10: The Truth is Out

We were all gathered in Tina's apartment, which was very small with eight people in it.

"Wait, so - Achilles Tolliver is kidnapping wizards and witches?" Queenie asked.

Tina shook her head, "No. That's the problem. He only took Erika."

I was biting my nails, glancing nervously around the room as my knee bounced. It didn't matter if Lily was rubbing my shoulder blades soothingly, I was panicking. Is this how Lorcan felt on a daily basis?

"But, why a girl no one knows?" Newt asked, "Why not - I don't know - a loved one?"

"Because she is a loved one." I blurt out.

"Lysander!" Lorcan, Lily, Riley, and Alice screamed at me.

"What's the point? They have to know why!" I said, raising my voice. I felt a couple tears stinging my eyes.

Newt, Tina, Jacob, and Queenie stared at me. Tina crossed her arms, "What do you mean?"

I opened my mouth, but my voice didn't make a sound. Queenie must've read it because she stifled an 'oh.'

I looked up at them and said shakily, "My dad is your great grandson."

I met eye contact with Newt and Tina, something I hadn't wanted to do at all, but it was necessary. The two of them looked at each other before looking back to us.

"Are you saying, you think he took your sister because she's our great great granddaughter?" Newt asked.

I nodded. I noticed their distress and confusion, "I only say this, because Erika has a tendency to overshare when she's stressed. She just keeps talking and talking and talking until she's-"

Queenie held up her hand, "We understand."

I shrank down to the floor. Lily crouched down beside me.

"That's why you wanted me to get your brother." Newt said.

I nodded my head.

"Speakin' of your brother, is he okay?" Jacob asked.

I looked around at Lorcan. He was standing stock still in front of the kitchen sink. I stood up and stepped toward him.

"Lorc?" I asked, snapping my fingers in front of him, "Hey, dude, are you okay? Apollo?"

Lorcan looked at me, but his eyes weren't staring at me. I recognized them as the man from the Underground. I instinctively punched him in the face. My brother fell to the floor, unconscious.

I shook my head, turning back to the others. Pointing at Lorcan, I said "I know what happened at MACUSA."

~~~

"Are you telling me that Tolliver jinxed your brother?" Tina asked.

I nodded, "Erika would be able to explain these jinxes better than me. Lorcan would've had to have been doubting something about himself for this jinx, though. I'm sure of that."

Lorcan was lying on the sofa behind them. I'd knocked him pretty good, so he wasn't waking up anytime soon. Riley stared at me.

"You can't be serious?" she stated like a question. She leaned over to Lily.

She stared at me, a furious look on her face, "This whole thing could've been done and dealt with if you'd just left him be?!"

I swallowed, "Lils, I didn't know. I just wanted to hel-"

She got to her feet, "You've done enough helping!"

She ran from the room. Riley stood up to follow, but I stopped her - shaking my head.

"I need to clear everything up." I told her.

Then, I left the room after her. Lily saw me and faced the wall. She sat at the top of the stairs, wiping tears out of her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Lily." I started, "I shouldn't-"

She shook her head, "I guess I wish you would've thought everything through, but how can I blame you for wanting to help Lorcan? It's cruel of me. Everything about the scene I just made was vile and cruel. I'm just vile and cruel."

I shook my head as I took her by the hand, "No. No, you're not. You're perfect. You're everything I want and need."

"Ly, I was supposed to be a twin, but I absorbed it in the womb." she told me.

I laughed, "Why would that make you vile and cruel?"

"Because I think I have to be the best." she explained.

I laughed lightly, "You ARE the best. Everyone knows that. You're the daughter of THE Harry Potter, for crying out loud."

She smiled and blinked slowly. Wrapping her arms around my shoulders, she let herself cry. And all I did was sit there and comfort. Eventually, it got to a specific point, and I knew I couldn't be out in the hall for much longer.

"We should get back inside." I told Lily, "We don't want my Nana getting in trouble because of me. I do look fully grown."

She nodded. Standing up, I held out my hand for Lily. She took it and we turned back to the door. I heard a crash from inside, followed by a scream. A bright light shown underneath the door. Lily and I rushed inside where my brother was lifted into the air. A portal was behind him. Riley and Alice were trying to grab onto the furniture in small attempts to stay in the room.

I realized that this was the only way to get to Erika.

"Riley! Alice!" I called out, "Let go!"

"What?!?!" they screamed at me.

I jabbed my finger at the portal, "Go through!!!

They looked at each other before letting go. They fell through the portal and were lost in the light. Queenie suddenly lost her footing and fell through as well.

"Queenie!" Jacob and Tina yelled together. Jacob fell through, too. Tina was still trying to hold the fireplace, but soon her fingers slipped as she fell through, too.

"Tina!" Newt called out in distress. And he jumped through.

I looked at Lily, still holding her hand, "We can't let Lorcan go through! If he's with us, Tolliver knows our every move!"

She nodded. I picked her up and gently tossed her through the portal, then I stood up on the table and jumped through. I turned around and pointed my wand at my brother. I closed my eyes and yelled-

"Bombarda!"

My spell shot out from my wand and flew through the portal at my brother. Closer. Closer. And closer.

BOOM