Strings Attached

Chapter 22

She finally broke, the tears rolled down her cheeks, and fell on the hard ground mixing with the dampness of the floor. Sobs wrecked through her body as her hands fisted her clothes as she felt a strain against her throat.

She hid her face against her hands, trying to control her sobs but it was out of her control. She is now just a mess with her future nothing but a pile of ashes and once Fawley gets his way with the impending trial, her life will be nothing but being surrounded by these awful creatures and these damp walls which makes you more depressed.

Grindelwald knew what he was doing and she felt so fucking stupid for falling into his trap of going to fucking Paris. If she didn't, maybe there would be a little less suspicion over her head. He was a smart man, but Celeste wished she could have ended him right there and there.

Next morning arrived with more anxiety for Celeste as she was escorted back to the ministry for trial. As she pushed around the ministry hall towards the courtroom, she found it empty. It was weird because why would the Ministry be empty in the middle of the working day?

Her dull eyes scanned the room, and there was not a single owl in sight. Weird and curious. Celeste was taken into the elevator, even the auror found the empty ministry eerie and unsettling. "Are they all attending the trial or what?" the auror on the right asked, wiping his forehead.

"I had no idea if it was a public trial to begin with." The auror on the left said, scratching his chin. "This is not normal." The right auror said, relieved to get out of the elevator. "You all are daft. Has anybody ever reminded you that lately?" Celeste asked, her lips pulled in a scowl.

"Well, Ms. I am an intelligent being, enlighten us about your insight over the empty ministry?" The right auror barked, raising his eyebrow. "You are being boycotted, duh. I thought it was visible, but you are obviously very much caught in Fawley's effect." Celeste snorted, stopping in front of the courtroom's door.

"You are extra cheerful for the person who spent a night in Azkaban." The auror spat, glaring daggers at the woman who just shrugged. "It is gonna take more than Azkaban to break me." Celeste winked, before walking inside the courtroom without any assistance.

To her utter surprise, the room was packed with people. Her eyes landed on her mother, who was glaring at the minister and looked ready to jump the man. But she couldn't find her brother, father, Best friends and her husband. She knew something was wrong but she didn't get a chance to dwell on the thought as she was pointed towards the chair in the middle of the room.

Great, here goes absolutely nothing. Celeste sat on the chair, waiting for the whispers to die down and for the trial to begin.

"Silence!" The minister exclaimed, hitting the gavel on the table, to grab everyone's attention. "We are gathered for the trial of Celeste Lucas Fischer Scamander. Or do I call you a Grindelwald, Mrs. Scamander?" Fawley asked, maliciousness was not hidden from his voice.

Celeste let out a bitter chuckle, glaring at the man as her chuckle died down. "I am not him, I will never be him. He may be my biological father, but he and I aren't alike in any single way. So stop this stupid tyranny." Celeste scoffed, sitting up a little straighter.

Fawley looked down on her, his eyes unreadable for the first time since Celeste started to work for him. "I do not believe for a second that you thought your adoptive parents were your real parents." Fawley countered, his head tilting his head in a menacing way.

"Do you have proof for that? A proof that can prove that I was in fact in league with Gellert Grindelwald?" Celeste questioned, addressing the audience more than the minister himself. "You never seemed to capture him." Fawley answered, and it made Celeste laugh loudly.

"Are we forgetting the fact that you refused to address this issue meanwhile I actually captured that motherfucker back in New York and your incompetence gave him a way to escape your fucking grips. So don't blame your flaws and mistakes on me, because I did my best with resources at hand." Celeste bit back, her eyes wild with anger.

"She is right, Minister Fawley. My department has been complaining about missing creatures because of Grindelwald for five years now, but you never seemed to take it seriously. It was only Newt and Celeste who took our complaints seriously." Head of control of magical creatures spoke up.

"And not to mention she was the reason you even got a lead for many dark wizard cases. Are we really prosecuting her for the mistakes of a man who was not part of her life? She is the best the ministry could ask for?" Albus Dumbledore's voice rang out, making everyone look at the source of the voice.

"Professor Dumbledore, you shouldn't be butting in the matter where you are not concerned." Fawley snarked, his eyes glaring daggers at the man.

"But my sister is concerned here and I will not let you treat her unfairly. Your time as minister has come to an end, Minister Fawley." A voice rang out at the entrance of the courtroom. Everyone's attention was drawn towards it. "Give up, or we will be forced to take drastic steps." Gilbert said, his wand slipping out of his sleeves. Collective gasps rang around the room at the scene.