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“Newt!"
The Hufflepuff boy stands fixedly under the heavy snow. Eyes roll til he meets where the familiar voice comes from. From a distance, Tina approaches him. Newt watches as his darling returns back to him after a bunch of missions that lie on Head of the Department of Aurors. This world is now a chaos, and as an outstanding Auror, there is no doubt his girl was so occupied.
“You…”
Newt stammers, does not know how to act properly, his hands wandering all over the suit he wears in confusion. It takes him a few seconds to calm himself towards her and awkwardly points to the bakery.
“You… are here for the wedding… aren’t you?”
Tina chuckles, clearly, the man with whom she is in love has always been so terrible in a conversation, and she always loves that of him.
“You must have figured it out, I’m the maid of honour, and you, best man I gather?”
“Well, I guess I missed something. Anyway, you are here. . . You are stunning.”
The American Auror tightens her lips for a smile. Straightforward, honest, and a bit clumsy, Tina has been attracted unconsciously to the charm of the magizoologist.
“Let’s get inside.”
Tina says as she places her palm behind Newt’s back and they walk in together.
Inside the small bakery, sounds of congrats and cheers burst out, breaking the silence of an empty street.
Albus Dumbledore grips tight on whatever is left of the blood pact, eyes still sticking to the cozy bakery when the other man’s voice suddenly appears in his head.
“Who will love you now, Dumbledore?”
Dumbledore leans against the chair, head raises up, and his eyes close still.
The war… is soon to begin.
.
After his failure from the election, Grindelwald had disappeared. Yet his acolytes never left him, and the dark side awaited for the day of counterattack to come.
.
The first fight happened 3 months later, right in the middle of the French’s Ministry of Magic, releasing all the deadly prisoners. More than 20 Muggles were captured and brutally tortured. French Aurors reported that they had managed to entrap some escaping inmates in an attempt to rescue innocent Muggles. However, this was just a small group of all the prisoners that broke out.
.
The engagement of Newt and Tina occurred on the same day as the first snow of that year.
The sprinkling of snow fell down onto the lovebirds’ shoulders and guests who came to send their best wish to the couple, painted everything in glamorous white.
As the gleaming pair of rings were handed to the two, under the witnesses of the spectators, Newt and Tina closed the distance between them and fell into the other’s embrace.
“I will go back to MACUSA.”
Tina whispered, whilst her cheek pressed against his. She placed a gentle goodbye kiss on his upper lip.
“And I will go back to Hogwarts. Dumbledore needs me. See you after the war, Tina.”
His voice choked with emotion, almost moved to tears when he sent his farewell.
“Until next time, Newt.”
Tina turned her back, hands already clutched at the Portkey, she was so ready to leave. The sooner she did, the less bitter it would be.
“Tina!”
Newt’s voice blurted out, right before she opened the Portkey.
“After the war, let’s get married.”
Tina grinned in response, brightest as ever, then lifted her hand up to show her finger where the shiny ring was placed.
“I’m already yours, Newt.”
.
The attacks took place incessantly, from France, Bulgaria, Brazil,... to America, finally reaching the United Kingdom. The retaliation from the Aurors was no less intense. Battles between two sides were unceasingly changing. While the number of acolytes who chose to be with Grindelwald kept rising, on the other side, more and more talented wizards chose to follow Dumbledore
.
The last fight of the Global Wizarding War happened in 1945.
At that time, almost half of the Wizarding World had been fully covered in ashes of war.
Under the blue sky of Scotland, top of the Astronomy Tower of Hogwarts were two men facing each other.
“Tea, Albus?”
“As always, Gellert.”
Gellert nodded, put two cubes of sugar into the cup of tea, and passed it to the other man.
The moment Dumbledore’s finger reached for the cup, the space slightly shivered and a drop of tea fell out. Two teacups quickly slipped from their owners palm, and smashed into pieces as soon as they reached the cold ground. Following, both wizards took their wands out as fast as they could and the next split second, two wands already pointed against the other.
“Shall we start our fight?”
The moment lights of incantation flashed from Grindelwald's wand, hundreds of Acolytes flooded in the Kingdom. Newt, along with every wizard in Britain had been prepared for this combat for long enough, in order to defend their home from the attack.
The wonderful creatures that Newt took care of played an important role in the war, made the Acolytes struggle quite a lot.
.
Eventually, in an instant of negligence, Grindelwald was distracted and Dumbledore took his chance, casted the spell that changed the complexion of the fight completely.
Flares from Dumbledore's spell had a reflection on the blue of his eyes, and Grindelwald witnessed it. Those miserable weary eyes from Albus hit him hard, and reminded him of the past.
What made the two souls leave each other?
Since when did the thoughts of hurting the other invade their minds, clouding their judgements?
Why did things have to become like this? Gellert could not tell.
.
In the end, Grindelwald trapped himself in Nurmengard, the cell which he built himself. He made his call, to spend the rest of his life in this hideous place.
On the contrary, Albus Dumbledore becomes the admirable wizard who is most loved and respected in the Wizarding World.
.
.
“When the United States was on the verge of collapsing, there was one Auror, one who insisted on staying, who unyieldingly fought back. And that girl chose not to give in. She, herself had defeated 27 acolytes. Unfortunately. . .”
The Head of Aurors hesitates for a while, then takes out a ring all filled with the breath of dark magic and places it right in front of Newt.
That naive boy, has not yet gained his consciousness, is still dumbfounded by the news he just received.
His knees give way to his grief and Newt falls to the ground. His head is spinning, and the ache from the chest overwhelms his body.
His Tina, his girl, his soon-to-be wife...has sacrificed in the war in America.
“Until next time”
He clearly remembers that's what she said, though never has he thought it would be the last word from her, and the last time he ever saw her.
Grasping on the ring he handed her at their engagement, Newt can not believe she has left him for good.
At the funeral, Newt faces the grave that carved her name, with nothing expressed on his deadpan face . He has cried so much in the past few days that his tears are all dried up. Where used to have the beautiful blue eyes of a man in love, is now nothing but darkness and despair. His heart is left empty, and broken.
All this time, Newt was all alone, he lived in his own world and did everything all by himself. But then Tina came, lightened up and mended his wrecked soul. A purely beautiful love they shared, such love that changed his life completely, from one surrounded only by the fantastic beasts to a life full of excitement, with friends, and more adventures. Most of all, a life with Tina.
But now, Tina is no longer with him.
His joy in life, the home he was willing to dedicate everything he had to cultivate together with her, his future, has left him all alone in this world.
Newt’s solitary back freezes in front of her grave. His back that always lowered to avoid eye contact from others since he would prefer to be alone, but now, with the same gesture, only when facing the grave of his loved one does he realise how deeply terrifying to be lonely can be.
If only he was aware that "Until next time" was her last word, if only he knew things would end up like this, Newt would have come with her, with Tina that night.
But there is no such thing as "If only" in this world…
Jacob takes Newt in his cuddle, then Queenie's skinny arms follows, her palm pats gently on Newt's shoulder. All of them are in great pain and mourn for a family member, a trustworthy friend, and a one-life destiny.
Few months after Tina's memorial, Newt, alongside his suitcase, starts his journey around the world. He wishes to be her eyes, to live for her life, and succeed in their dream of travelling around the world together.
Tina sacrificed for the greater good, he knows she would be proud of it. Therefore, he has to continue to live, for himself, and for her as well.
"Whatever happens, no matter how long time passes by, I will love you forever and always, my girl with the eyes of salamanders.
Until next time, Tina."