Hold on
“She’s what?!” Newt yelled completely shocked.
“Newt, I know this is hard for you to hear but …” Theseus tries to calm him but to no avail
“Hard?!, Tina is with Grindelwald’s acolytes and you expect me to be calm, what if they killed her?!” Newt raised his voice, he can’t believe this, why wouldn’t they tell him sooner.
“Do you really think so low of her, that she can’t handle herself?” Theseus asks all serious.
“Of course not, but…”he is cut off by Theseus
“Then shut it, she is a very talented auror, even if they have caught her she would have found the means to stay alive.” At this Newt stares at the ground, the thought of Tina being killed is enough to drive him insane and he can’t bear it. He doesn’t respond. “I know you are mad but…”
“Mad? Theseus this is Tina we’re talking about, the person I…” he slows as he tried to finish his point.
“Love? Yes I am aware of your feeling for Miss Goldstein but that doesn’t give you the right to treat her like she’s some damsel in distress, she’d pummel you if she was here hearing you talk about her that way” this would make him blush if it weren’t for the chance that Tina may be dead, he is furious that Theseus hasn’t told him earlier, why didn’t Tina tell me, but there are more important things to worry about and that is getting Tina home.
“We leave tonight, we are bringing her back” at this Newt looks up as if he’s been boosted with an adrenaline spell. As the sun sets over the horizon Theseus and Newt once again place their hands upon a portket that whisks them away in the the cool night air.
———
The building was large and ancient looking, the walls were made of stone with cracks running all along the walls, if it weren’t for the faint glow of candlelight emitting from the windows it could easily be mistaken as abandoned. They has no time to waste, Theseus informed him of the plan on their climb up the hill, they were to get in and out without alerting anyone, this is a rescue mission, if a fight were to break out the 3 of them however powerful could not fight 50 at once, not the mention they don’t know what condition Tina was in.
A simple alohamora unlocked the front gate, you’d think for wizards they’d be more cautious but clearly they rely on their own strengths more than any protection charm. The halls are dark, they can just about make out where they are going. After searching the main floor they decide to go down into the basement, now this door was protected by more power charms so they figure something may the down there so they decide to check, the first thing they notice once they make it past the door is the silence, above they could hear men snoring and the owls hooting in the forest but down here it’s silent, a silencing charm they discover, but why would they…
Their thoughts are cut abruptly when a screams fills the hall that sends chills down both brothers spines, they look at the hall lined with multiple cages with prisoners, awake but cowering in the corner. Newt heart beats faster and then another scream fills the air,
“No” he whispers, he knows that voice, Theseus catches on as Newt attempts to bolt forward but is caught by Theseus who drags him behind a pillar, with his hand over his brothers mouth. The sudden movement caught Prescott’s attention.
---
“Who’s there, Colin? Is that you?” He calls out but no response. Newt has finally stopped struggling now knowing why his brother stopped him. There are enchantments places in front of the cells that warns every wizard in the building if any outsider enters or prisoner tries to escape. Once Prescott convinces himself he imagine the noise he gets back to his previous task.
“Now where was I? Oh yes, you were about to tell me why you broke into my room last night” he asked with a hint on amusement in his tone. Newt didn’t like this.
“And why should I share such information with someone who has done nothing but parade me about this cell,” her voice, he hasn’t heard it in what feels like eternity, the urge to move is overwhelming, but his brothers grip remains firm, he knows what he’s thinking, they can’t move until that man has come out of the cell disengaging the enchantments, but Newt fears that he’s not done yet. And he isn’t happy to be proven right. Clearly Tina’s tone isn’t to his liking so he casts a spell, sending another scream throughout the hall, his brothers grip tightens on his arm.
“If you weren’t so stubborn I’d use the impero curse on you” Prescott says sounding more serious
“Go ahead, see if the outcome is different from the last time you tried”came Tina’s voice. This seems to anger the man.
“Who do you work for?” His tone dangerously serious. “If you worked for the ministry surely someone would have come looking for you by now, but all I see is you and me in this tiny cell” Tina doesn’t answer, she trust Newt but there some part of her that fears that he won’t show up, maybe the fact that he was left in the dark made him feel like she betrayed him. No, she can’t think like that, Newt will come, she knows it, she just hopes he’s not too late. Another scream, this one much louder fills his ears, he can’t bear it his eyes are dangerously close to tears, he wanted to rip his ears off, each of her screams is another jolt of pain running all over his body.
“Daydreaming are we?” Prescott laughs, “can’t have you doing that you see this if you want to be set free tell me who you work for” he tried again. No answer and again he fires a spell followed by a scream, Theseus is using all his strength to hold his brother back, it pains him just as much to hear Tina in pain but he know that if they set of the enchantments the chance of all 3 of them getting out alive is slim to none, and Newt knows that too, but sitting there while she’s tortured must be the hardest thing he’s ever had to do.
A few moments pass and Prescott seems to have had enough of his games and the sound of a metal door closing signals that he’s about to go back upstairs. The brothers get ready as the enchantments disable.
“I will find out, even if I have to break every bone in your body, you will tell me why you came here and who sent you” he turns to walk away down the hall to the door, and soon as he passes Newt and Theseus they lung out. /Stupefy/yells Theseus, the man is out cold. While Theseus searches his pockets for Tina’s wand, Newt bolts to Tina’s cell, /alohamora/as he steps inside he finally sees her,
“Tina” she is cuffed hanging just a few centimetres off the floor, there’s blood dripping from her wrists where the cuffs have cut into her skin, her skin is pale and her hair is tangled but the fact that she’s alive is the most beautiful sight to him. He doesn’t hesitate to release her from the chains, as soon as he does she falls limb into his arms, he catches her and gentle lowers her onto the ground in his lap,
“Newt” she says weakly her eyes barely open, but he can see them, her beautiful salamander eyes. He places his hands on either side of her face, smoothing her hair, Theseus comes soon after kneeling next to Newt examining her injuries.
“Glad to see you alive Goldstein”
Theseus says attempting to be humorous, Tina smiles weakly,
“Glad to be alive, what took you guys so long” this earns Newt a smile, she believed in them, in him.
“Right we are running out of time we have to get out,” Theseus notes as he and Newt gently lift Tina into a standing position.
“Can you walk?” Theseus asks, it hurts but she manages.
“Theseus the other half of the map is here in Prescott’s study” she says in a serious tone.
“Are you sure?” Theseus asks to which she nods, they are running out of time.
“Newt, you take Tina to the rendezvous point, I’ll get the map” everyone nods but Newt calls out to his brother.
“Thes, be careful” he nods and turns quickly disappearing to search the building. Meanwhile Newt tried his best to support Tina without causing her too much pain which seems to be difficult, but Tina senses his concern within his eyes and stops him just as they make it outside the into the cold midnight air.
“Newt, I’m…” he cuts her off
“Tina we have to keep moving, if those people wake up and we’re still here, I’m not letting them torture you again” his tone is serious, she can sense the hurt maybe even betrayal behind them and doesn’t blame him, so they keep moving, back down the hill through the trees to provide them with cover, the darkness surrounding them is slowly pulling her into slumber, something which Newt noticed as her steps are slowing down, he also notices she’s shivering but that’s not surprising, all she’s wearing is a thin white blouse and black slacks, luckily they have reached the rendezvous point, it’s a small clearing in the middle of the woods, a tin can lays on the floor nearby that shall act as their portkey back home.
“Tina, you need to try stay awake.” He says while gently wraps his own coat around her thin frame, has she eaten? He thinks to himself as he lowers her to sit against a tree trunk. He then sit next to her surveying the areas when she breaks the silence.