Queenie the tea lady and desperate thoughts
“You failed this department, Unperceivable Goldstein. What is your excuse for that?”
“None, sir. I have no excuse for that. Grindelwald is a very good Occlumens that I can’t read anything beyond what he projected. And my own carelessness that made me decide I didn’t need to probe his mind further.”
“Because?”
“Because he was impersonating the Director of Magical Security, sir. If we don’t trust our people, who else can we trust?”
“Fair enough. But don’t make the same mistake again, Goldstein. Trust no one, not even me. You’re dismissed. Return to your usual post.”
“Sir, may I ask you a question?”
“You may.”
“What exactly are we going to do? About Grindelwald, I mean.”
“We are still in the middle of a discussion about it. Ultimately, it’s up to the President. That is if the International Confederation of Wizards didn’t meddle first.”
“Will they, sir?”
“There were some talks about that. Particularly about a wizard named Dumbledore. I trust you’ve heard about him?”
“An english wizard, yes? I always read his column in Transfiguration Today. What about him, sir?”
“Rumour has it that he is the only one who can take Grindelwald in a duel. They were friends in their youth. That is our main concern, right now. As the International Confederation can just send him as a representative and be done with it. And if they do, we can do nothing about it either. We don’t need another scandal on our name. That being said, he need to be executed, not dueled. I don’t know what they’re thinking.”
“What about the Obscurial, sir?”
“Just keep it to ourselves right now. The Obscurial is a wizard, first and foremost. We don’t want to endanger him needlessly. How’s he doing, by the way?”
Queenie Goldstein is the tea lady of the Wand Permit Department and several other departments on the same floor, or at least that is what everyone thought. Because if asked, no one can tell what her formal job title is, everyone just know her as the very beautiful tea lady of Wand Permit. In truth, she is an Unperceivable whose main duty is to weave through people’s mind and analyze it. Anyone with thoughts that revealed themselves as a criminal or was determined with a plan that is harmful to MACUSA or their kind as a whole, will be persecuted by her department.
The Unperceivable is a relatively new department. Formed in 1920, initially the department was created as the counterpart of the Unspeakables from Ministry of Magic, Great Britain and only have a handful of members. But the idea was scrapped under then newly appointed President of MACUSA, Seraphina Picquery on the ground that they don’t really have a reason to conduct experiments that they have no hope of understanding. Because of that, the department’s duty since then turned into something akin to the Secret Police of MACUSA. The head of the department is Dieter Elsner, a man in his middle 40’s. His second in command is a woman who’s can rarely be seen around and the rest of the department only consists of 15 people. Like the english counterpart of their department, they can’t talk about their job, operating entirely in secret. The members of the department are scattered around MACUSA. Some in the Auror department, others landed in some menial job. Queenie is one of them.
“Miss Goldstein, how are you?”
Ah, here comes Abe.
“Mr. Abernathy, I am fine, thank you. I was just about making some coffee. Would you like some?”
“Oh, it’s fine. I’m heading to the Auror department.”
She is so beautiful. If I ask her out for a dinner, will she say yes? Oh god, don’t smile at me like that. What if someone sees? Play it cool, Abernathy. Still, she is so …
Tuning out the rest of the thought, Queenie continues to prepare the coffee while smiling and told Abernathy he better get moving or he will be late. She focuses on the thoughts of other people bustling in the hallway while Abernathy sputters and muttered something then went away. Nothing seems amiss. People are still thinking about the incident fifteen days prior. There are also others who’s thinking about mundane things. Queenie like those the most.
‘I hope she will be surprised and say yes.’
‘Will that man be at the bookshop today, I wonder. No-maj he might be, he is still a fine man.’
‘No! I think I left the house unlocked! Oh god, should I go back home and check?’
And every now and then, there are thoughts that makes her uncomfortable with her ability. It also makes her wonder why can’t people live without hurting others. Just be nice, it’s so easy.
‘Mary will never find out. She is my best friend, no way she would think her husband is cheating on her with me. That poor girl has always been rather slow.’’
‘That interfering woman always have something to say! Can’t you just shut up, old woman?! When are you going to die?’
‘Be safe, my boy. Please be safe. I don’t care if you hate me, just be safe Credence. Be safe..’
Hold on, there. There is only one person beside her and her boss who knows Credence is alive and Queenie’s pretty sure that person is not a man. Unless Tina have another set of voice that she uses to think, which is unlikely.
Intrigued, she turned down the hallway and the thought is getting louder and louder. Finding herself standing in front of the Director Graves’s office, she sighs. Of course it was him. He’s the one who cares about the boy the most, poor at showing his affections he might be. Teenie, what have you done?
“Queenie?”
“Teenie, dear. I was about to deliver some coffee to Director Graves. Before that, can I talk to you please?”
Frowning, Tina agreed and together they headed to the isolated ladies’ room at the end of the floor. After casting the Disillusioning and Silencing charms, Queenie turned to her sister.
“Now dear, what did you told Director Graves? I thought we agreed we won’t tell anyone else about Credence. Too many people are in this already, honey. We can’t afford to take another risk.”
“You heard his thoughts, then? I thought Director Graves is exceptional in Occlumency? You said so, the first time we met him.”
“He’s stressed, Teenie. The moment he heard our voices right outside his office, he barricaded his thoughts. I can hear nothing from him now. Well?”
“What did he think about?”
“Credence, of course.”
“In what way, Queenie?”
“In the way someone who cares a lot do.”
“You’re not going to tell me, are you? Well, you heard it yourself. He cares about Credence and frankly, whether we like it or not, it’s him Credence needs the most right now. You know that child is always asking about him. This is the least we can do for him, Queenie. Lodgings aside, Credence needs emotional support and frankly, I think Director Graves needs it too.”
Queenie know this, how could she not? She heard that boy’s thoughts everyday. Heard the muffled sobs every single night. They have tried to cheer him up, oh they tried. And Credence, lovely boy, also did his best to cheer up. Busying himself in learning magic with Newt’s wand, sometimes even learning it wandless. Taking care of the beasts inside of Newt’s suitcase, helping Jacob with his pastries making and whatnot. Still, the heart wants what it wants. They can’t make him happy the way Director Graves can. The best they did is making the boy content. And just content is not the way to live. That is merely surviving.
“Still, what about his status Teenie? He’s still in the danger of being captured. The entire MACUSA is a danger to him.”
“That is what I wanted to talk to you about. Director Graves is working on it. He asked us to give him a week, at the very least.”
“Oh honey, do you think he can succeed changing the status? The Council won’t approve it, for sure.”
“He have his ways, he’s not the kind of man who’d make an empty promise. Trust me on this please, Queenie?”
Things were so much easier when Teenie can’t do Occlumency, just 2 years ago. Now she can’t even probe through her mind without her noticing it. Oh dear, she just hope they won’t place Credence in a further danger. The boy had been through a lot already.
“Okay Teenie but he can’t see Credence. At least until his status’ changed. We need to protect him, Teenie. We promised.”
“I know, Queenie.”