Strings Attached

Chapter 20

"Nobody moves if you don't wish to die in this graveyard tonight." Celeste growled, making a way through the flames as she simply controlled it. She crouched before the fallen Gellert Grindelwald with a menacing look.

Newt was watching everything with a shocked look on his face. He has seen his wife angry, but this degree? Never. "She is scary. Never piss her off." Tina muttered as she saw how she controlled the fire.

"Lies? That's what you resort to? You lie about my parentage so they can lie too? My parents are Albert and Stefanie Fischer. Do not ever speak of that lie again." Celeste spat, her wand pointed to his face.

Grindelwald chuckled loudly at that. "Why do you think the entire Fischer family is raven headed? Your mother is brunette. No one in your family is blonde. Have you ever questioned that?" Grindelwald questioned.

Celeste narrowed her eyes, but before she could respond Grindelwald muttered a spell and Celeste was thrown into a memory? An illusion? But she was in a room with a woman who looked eerily like her glaring at someone.

She turned around and there stood a young Grindelwald. "You lied to me, Gellert. You are a fraud." She cradled her bump, walking backwards. "I did not lie to you, Lorelie. I just withheld some information." Gellert said, looking at the woman in mild annoyance.

"Du hast mich nie geliebt." Lorelie whispered, her eyes watering. "Du bist ein Monster." Lorelie hissed, before conjuring her things. She left without waiting for Grindelwald to explain.

Grindelwald growled in frustration, shattering a glass vase. The scene changed to Lorelie looking at Grindelwald with a blank face. "You will not find my daughter here." Lorelie said.

"You know you can't hide her from me. I will find her one day." Grindelwald said, lifting a photo frame. "She is your splitting image of yours. No wonder she is going to be like you. Feisty." Grindewald commented, turning his head a little to look at her.

"She is far away from my or your influence and is in great hands." Lorelie spoke up, defiance radiated from her body, Celeste moved to see the frame where he said that the unnamed child is her spitting image.

Celeste stumbled back a little as she saw the child in the photo was her. This was her as a child. Was Grindelwald right? Was she really her daughter? Before she could process the information, green light filled the room and thud resounded in the empty home. Celeste whirled around just to see Lorelie dead on the floor.

Celeste was pulled back to reality. She blinked thrice before tightening her grip on her wand. "What was that?" Celeste asked, now looking at recovered Grindelwald. "That was Lorelie. Your dead real mother. And that was the proof of me being your real father." Grindelwald said, a small smirk on his face. "That was a lie. That is a lie." Celeste said loudly, her wand ready to attack.

Grindelwald was a man of thin patience and it seemed he ran out of it as he sent Celeste flying back out of the circle with a hex. She Collided with the stairs with a loud thud. "Celeste!" Multiple voices exclaimed, and everyone jumped into action. Hexes flying left and right with people disapparating to spread the word of meeting.

Celeste stood up, her head throbbing as it was the body that hit the floor first. She took in a shaky breath and jumped into action with a purpose to end Grindelwald right there and there.

The auditorium was cleared soon, with just aurors and hit witches and wizards remaining, ready to attack. Celeste stood in front of them, glaring at him. "Why did you do that? Why did you destroy a woman's life?" Celeste asked, as she glared at the man. Her eyes were red, tears at the bay as she had no idea what was right or wrong.

"Your mother was one of the most powerful witches of her age. Sharp mind and one of best combative skills? She was the perfect woman to create a perfect prodigy. I had to have a prodigy to keep my legacy safe." Grindelwald answered, his tone amused.

Celeste giggled, making the whole team uneasy. "Grindelwald, that sounds so ridiculous. 'I wanted my own prodigy, so I will procreate with a powerful woman.' How did that intelligent mind thought of something so stupid?" Celeste laughed, her mind was foggy as she felt overwhelmed.

Grindelwald tilted his head, amused. "Why do you think that despite everything, I would be at your side? You revealed that information in hopes of me turning against my team and ministry?" Celeste inquired, playing with her wand.

Grindelwald's silence was all Celeste needed as she shook her head. "This makes me more bloodthirsty for your blood. You killed an innocent woman for your stupid agenda. You ruined my life for your propaganda, if any of your bullshit is true. I will kill you if you don't cooperate." Celeste threatened.

Grindelwald waved his wand around, knowing he was not getting through. The fire rose high in the air before approaching the aurors and hit witches and wizards. Celeste raised her wand, her gaze not leaving Grindelwald's as she effortlessly controlled the fire.

"Aurors and my team, apparate back to ministry. We do not want our graveyard here today." Celeste exclaimed, keeping the fire at bay. Majority of them hesitantly nodded and disapparated from there leaving Charlus, Newt, TIna, Leta, Jacob, Queenie, Credence, Nagini, Gilbert and Theseus only people remaining here.

"Answer one question. Did you ever love Lorelie?" Celeste asked, her voice calm. It was like a calm before a storm. Again, no answer. A humorless laugh left Celeste's lip before Celeste collided the fire with the ceiling before running upstairs. "EVeryone, out!" Celeste exclaimed, her eyes meeting Newt's in midst of chaos.

He reached out for her as the remaining eleven people ran for their life from the uncontrollable fire. They made a quick exit by disapparating outside the auditorium. "We cannot let this fire be unattended!" Celeste exclaimed as they rushed outside towards the courtyard.

"Why did you let that fire there?!" Charlus asked, his voice came out panicked. "Because it was not my fire. That fire only obeys the conjurer. I only had a moment of control" Celeste exclaimed as they all reached the opening.

To their surprise an old man was waiting for them. "This fire will engulf Paris in its wake! Everyone wands into the ground quickly!" The man asked for their help to which everyone nodded their head quickly.

Celeste raised her wand in harmony with others and with the timed aim, all sank their wands into soft ground exclaiming "FInite!" A red glow spread through the ground before the red flames rose into the air attacking the white flames and started to engulf the rapidly spreading fire.

Celeste watched the fire as the whole event came back hitting her like bricks as she watched the last of white flames dissolving the white flames. She collapsed on the ground breathing heavily. "Who am I?" Celeste whispered, tears making their way down her cheeks.