The Imposter

The evening shift at MACUSA started out as it would any other, calm and somewhat tedious. Several wizards who'd punched their time cards from the Wand Permit Department had made their way down to the lobby to flirt with the receptionists manning the front desks. Meanwhile, several Aurors hurried across the black marble floor to the basement elevator with stacks of intelligence files piled high in their arms, hoping to make the shift changeover on time.

Tensions had been high around MACUSA lately, but everyone had been relatively normalized to seeing the hand on the Magical Exposure Threat Level clock wavering between yellow and orange. It was simply just another day until, suddenly and without warning, the unthinkable happened. A No Maj was killed by magical means.

It happened at a gala full of New York's richest and most influential No Majs causing a major breech in the Statute of Secrecy. All MACUSA employees had been placed on high alert, their respective departments immediately enacting their emergency protocols. Not long after, all members of the Magical Congress convened for an emergency session where it was revealed an Obscurial was responsible for the attack.

Iris Faeborn, Auror and second-in-command of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, had Apparated into MACUSA's lobby from a late dinner at her usual Italian spot around the corner to find it dark and deserted. The hand of the Magical Exposure Threat Level clock was fixed firmly on red, the dials spinning rapidly as if to stress the direness of the emergency. The sight struck Iris with immediate dread.

Spotting the telltale long leather coat of an Auror hurrying across the deserted lobby, she broke out into a run, intercepting the wizard between the stairs and his speedy path to the elevator.

"What's happened?" She gasped, feeling as if the bottom had dropped out of her stomach.

The Auror, whom she recognized as Markus Abernath, quickly explained all he knew regarding the attack- the death of the news mogul's son, the Obscurial, Mr. Scamander and his creatures, all of it. The more she heard, the angrier she became.

"Why wasn't I informed about this immediately?" She demanded hotly, feeling completely blindsided.

"I'm sorry, Miss Faeborn, I have no idea why you weren't contacted," he sputtered, seeming just as surprised as she was. "Mr. Graves should have sent someone for you."

"Yes he should have," she bit out through her tightened jaw. "Where is he now?"

"The Magical Congress adjourned twenty minutes ago," he told her, not believing she was only just hearing this. "Three suspects have been taken into custody- one of them is Tina Goldstein. Mr. Graves is questioning them in the interrogation chambers now."

Iris hardly knew what to say, it was all so unbelievable. Suppressing the automatic urge to yell at Markus, she coolly nodded and thanked him before heading straight for the basement elevator.

"What the hell is happening?" She heard him mutter from behind her.

My sentiments exactly, she thought, slamming the brass cage to the elevator closed and riding down to the interrogation chambers.

She paced impatiently in the small space, her arms crossed over her chest as the car descended. Over the past few months, Iris had noticed a change in Percival's behavior towards her. Lately, he had been sidelining and undermining her at every turn, all the while apologizing and making watery excuses for it. Everyone on the Investigative Team believed he was simply acting with conviction due to the current social/political climate, but Iris believed he had an ulterior motive. Though, she wasn't sure what that could possibly be.

At first she thought she was being paranoid. But then as time went on and she realized it wasn't her imagination, she became greatly concerned. She had finally come to the conclusion that there was something very wrong with Percival Graves.

8-8-8-8-8

Elladonna Parson, or Ella as her family called her, sat with her trainer, Maple, behind the heavily grated security window of the interrogation chambers awaiting further orders from above.

The only thing she and her co-workers knew was that something had gone terribly wrong in the city and all of MACUSA had been put on high alert. That information was far above the pay grade of a low level officer like herself. Still, the uncertainty ate away at her as the hours slowly ticked by.

She couldn't imagine what her parents would think if they knew she was caught up a national crisis on her first day of work. What was worse, Maple Marbellum, her senior officer, seemed positively elated by all the excitement. She acted as if it were all a drama put on for her amusement. And ever since Percival Graves came through ordering an interrogation chamber to be readied, she hadn't stopped gushing on about him. Having to listen to nonstop her was torture.

"I hear he subdued them with just a flick of his wrist. I would have given anything to have seen that!" Maple exclaimed with an excitable giggle, referring to the strains of gossip that had trickled down to them from the Congress Chamber regarding the new suspects. "Merlin, isn't he just perfect?"

"He is handsome," Ella admitted quietly, trying to ride the line between being professional and friendly. She couldn't afford to make an enemy of her superior. Honestly, the mousy witch hoped that the conversation would come to an end.

"And single!" Maple added. "Everyone thought he and his ex-partner, Iris, might get together but she got her nose all in a snit over his promotion and they've been at odds ever since," she tittered meanly. "From what I hear, he pretty much ignores her now!"

Just as Maple finished her sentence, they both noticed a very haughty and proud looking witch turning the corner. She pinned Maple, who had frozen in visible terror, to the spot with her sharp blue gaze.

"Don't you have anything better to do than run your mouth?" Iris scolded tersely, approaching the cage. "Which room is Mr. Graves interrogating the prisoners?"

Maple had several smart remarks floating around in her head but she didn't dare say them aloud. An Auror as high up as Iris Faeborn had the power to turn the elder witch's little domain in the basement upside down.

"Number twelve at the end of the hall to the left," she answered with half the volume and confidence she'd spoken with before.

"The password is, Centaur," Ella piped up, embarrassed by association.

"Thank you," Iris nodded specifically to the younger witch, completely ignoring the other, before heading off.

Ella stared after the frosty woman with a mixture of fear and rapidly growing admiration. "Was that...?"

"Iris Faeborn." Maple grumbled, scrunching up her face in disgust making her look like a bullfrog.

Ella held back a grin, deciding that the Department of Magical Law Enforcement's second-in-command was fast becoming her hero.

Winding down the snake-like hall of the interrogation center, Iris's heeled footsteps clicked in a brisk, perfect measure. She never took any interest in workplace gossip. However, hearing that Maple woman yap on about Percival and her relationship struck a nerve. That woman didn't know the half of what she was talking about, she thought ruefully.

It was true she was angry at Percival for taking the promotion, but it wasn't because she was jealous. It was far more complicated than something as petty as that. Besides, their differences never once obstructed their work. There was too much respect between them for that to happen. She couldn't imagine, after all they had been through, why he would suddenly shut her out on a professional level.

8-8-8-8-8-8

Grindelwald left the interrogation room satisfied that Tina and that Scamander fellow proved to be the perfect scapegoats. All he had to do was wait until Credence summoned him and then he would have the Obscurial in hand.

Suddenly, and most inconveniently, he spotted Iris Faeborn sharply turn the corner in front of him. The blonde Auror strode towards him with purpose, looking very angry and determined. Clearly she had been informed of the current situation- he had hoped it would have taken her longer but Iris had proven herself rather hard to shake. He could not risk her running into Scamander and Goldstein who were about to be escorted through the hall behind him so he quickened his pace to intercept her.

"Miss Faeborn," he greeted, not stopping his progress. Iris practically had to spin on her heel to catch him.

"Mr. Graves," she began, stepping in front of him. "Why am I only now finding out about this Obscurial attack? "

"I'm sorry, I had sent an Auror for you but the situation needed to be dealt with immediately." He told her.

"Tina is one of our own. If she's guilty, a security breech like this is unprecedented. Don't you think something of this magnitude merits a second opinion?" This was not a question.

"It was clear what my ruling on the matter had to be in accordance with the law." He said, breezing past her, only hoping she would follow.

"And what, may I ask, was that ruling?" She snapped from behind him. "Or is that also something you deem unnecessary for me to know?"

She stood there, unbending, her voice sounding like the crack of a whip in the narrow hall. Grindelwald turned around and stared at her through the guise of Graves, his brow knit together in concern.

"Miss Faeborn, can we discuss this somewhere else?" He asked, trying to urge her down the hall. He had to clear her out of there before the executioners passed by with Scamander and Goldstein.

"I'm not going anywhere until you explain yourself," informed him. "You've been playing this hardline with me ever since the first Obscurial attack and it's going to end now. We were partners once, Percival," she said, the hurt beginning to show in her voice. "What happened?"

"Please, Iris," said Grindelwald gently, using her first name. He knew he had to play on her affinity for Graves if he was going to convince her. "I know tensions have been high lately but…"

"Iris!" A desperate voice called out sending a sab of fury through Grindelwald.

Both of them turned to see Tina and Newt being dragged down the hall towards the execution chamber.

"Tina, what's happening?" Iris cried, desperately snatching at any chance for an explanation. Then she saw the executioners forcefully pushing them forwards, their wands trained on them. Her heart sunk in her chest.

"Mr. Graves has sentenced us to death!" The brunette cried, unshed tears swimming in her eyes.

Newt then began to yell from over his shoulder, "That Obscurious is not a threat! He knows this. There's an Obscurial out there right now and he wants to use it against us!"

Iris could barely process what she was hearing. Once the two were hauled out of sight, the blonde Auror's gaze fell squarely on Grindelwald.

"Scamander is lying," he told her. "That Obscurious which killed the No Maj was the one we found in his case. They're far too rare for there to be multiple in the city."

"And Tina? You know as well as I the last thing Goldstein would do is aid and abet a terrorist," she argued.

"Iris, I had no choice," he sighed. "Tina knew Mr. Scamander brought that creature here and did nothing to stop him."

Iris's breathing quickened as he talked, her heart pounding in her chest. She could barely hear him over the sudden rushing sound in her ears. All of what he was telling her felt like a desperate lie, an attempt to cajole her into believing him. She felt it in her gut, like a sick twisting feeling.

Just then, her eyes caught sight of the all-to-familiar triangular symbol sticking up from his vest pocket as it flashed silver in the light. Suddenly, Iris stopped breathing and everything became deathly still.

"That symbol…" she muttered, a tremble in her voice.

She remembered the photo in MACUSA's file on Grindelwald of the mark he had carved into the wall at Durmstrang when he was seventeen. The sight of it in that darkly eerie context was unforgettable. Besides herself, no one else on the Investigative Team had known what the symbol meant, certainly not Percival. There was no reason why he should be wearing it now.

Grindelwald's eyes snapped to hers shocked that she recognized the necklace. He'd seen the fear that flickered across her face and immediately knew.

"It's the symbol of the Deathly Hallows," he explained, stalking towards her.

"I know what it is," she said ominously as she slowly backed away from him.

Suddenly it all fit together- his avoidance of her, the eagerness in which he sentenced Scamander and Goldstein to death, the symbol of the Deathly Hallows-

"You are not Percival Graves," she declared, drawing her wand on him. Still, he continued to advance.

"Oh, Miss Faeborn," Grindelwald sighed as his cold eyes met hers. "You're far too tenacious for your own good."

He pulled out a wand from his coat pocket then, a wand that wasn't Percival's, and wordlessly threw a curse at her, making the first move. Iris deflected the white bolt of light, sending one of her own back at him, having the same effect. They both sized each other up before throwing themselves headlong into the fight.

Curses shot back and fourth between the two with shocking speed, lighting up the narrow hallway. There was nothing to take cover behind which forced the two to battle quickly and fiercely for the upper hand.

"Crucio!" Iris snapped, commanding her wand with expertise.

Grindelwald blocked her attempt at torturing him with little difficulty. Still, every exchange was getting harder and harder to repel her. She was a quick learner and a highly skilled duelist. It was easy to see how she held her position as second-in-command. Sadly, he needed to end this soon before anyone saw them.

"Everte Statum!" He cried fiercely, finding an opening in her defense and seizing it.

The spell hit her square in the chest, sending her flying through the air and smacking into the marble wall behind her. Before she could come to her senses, Grindelwald advanced on her, gripping her throat and slamming her back against the wall, her head smacking against the stone once more.

Iris felt the tip of his wand jab hard between her ribs as he choked her. She struggled in a blind panic, wavering in and out of consciousness as she vainly attempted to pry his fingers from her throat. She urged herself to remember her training, to do something other than flail about but all she could feel was panic as her vision filled with black spots.

Grindelwald could feel her slipping away under his grasp. He knew there was no way he could make this look like an accident. He had to end this quickly and dispose of her body. Her death wouldn't cause him any trouble if he could find the Obscurial before anyone noticed her absence.

Holding her tight, he twisted his wand harder into her ribs with conviction, "Avada…"

Before he could finish the curse, Iris jolted back to her senses. Her hands shot to his face, scratching fiercely at whatever she could reach. Grindelwald reeled backwards in pain, throwing her to the ground as he did. His eyes ached, the skin around them searing with pain as the world turned red.

"Accio wand!" Iris choked.

Her wand jumped from the floor and into her outstretched hand. Her heart froze in her chest as she saw Grindelwald raise his wand towards her once more. His face, still disguised as Graves, was set into a furious snarl, blood running down his forehead and into his eyes.

Seeing his outstretched arm, Iris immediately Dissapparated to the very first place that came to mind. As she twisted through the air, she could barely make out the bolt of acid green light that hurled towards her.

A fearful scream escaped her, clipped short as she hit the cold dirt right outside the grounds of Ilvermorny Wizarding School in Salem. She bounced hard across the forest floor like a stone skipping across water, having been flung by the momentum of her Apparation. When she came to a stop, she looked around to gather her bearings. Her gaze fell on the carved stone castle at the top of the hill before her. Never had she Apparated so far before. It was a miracle she didn't get splinched.

That imposter had almost killed her, she thought, hardly believing she'd made it out of the hallway alive. He had Percival, whoever he was. He had all of MACUSA eating out of the palm of his hand. She had to tell the President and warn the other Aurors. She only hoped that the imposter didn't turn out to be whom she feared.

Lit with a determined fire, she raised her wand in front of her to Dissapparate back to New York only to find it snapped in two. It was barely held together by a thin thread-like piece of the Thunderbird feather core.

"This can't be happening..." She breathed, feeling the blood drain from her face. She had no wand and no way back to MACUSA.

Putting the sad remnants of her wand in her pocket, she quickly scurried up the sodden hill to the castle. There had to be another way, she thought.

8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8

Grindelwald wiped the persistent trickle of blood from his forehead as stared down at the scorch mark his Killing Curse had left on the ground. Faeborn had escaped. It was only a matter of time till she told President Picquery and the Aurors. He had to act fast.

Holding his hand over the fresh cuts on his face, he performed a Healing Charm that left his skin looking completely flawless. Pulling out his pocket square, he wiped the blood away and began removing any traces of their fight from the hallway. As the last bit of char dissolved from the floor, he suddenly felt a peculiar pulling sensation pulsating throughout his body. Credence was summoning him. It seemed that fortune decided to favor him. Satisfied with his work, Grindelwald Dissapparated to the den of the Second Salemers to obtain the Obscurial. His revolution was about to begin.

AN: Review Favor Follow! Honestly, I had a lot of trouble structuring this story. I would love to hear what you guys think!