SCENE 1
EXT. NEW YORK, AMERICAN MINISTRY OF MAGIC—1927—NIGHT
AERIAL SHOT of New York and MACUSA building.
SCENE 2
INT. MACUSA BASEMENT, BARE, BLACK-WALLED ROOM—NIGHT
The long-haired, bearded GRINDELWALD sits motionless, magically fixed to a chair. The air shimmers, charged with spells.
ABERNATHY peers in at GRINDELWALD from the corridor.
A baby Chupacabra—part lizard, part homunculus, a blood-sucking creature of the Americas—is chained to GRINDELWALD’S chair.
SCENE 3
INT. MACUSA, CORRIDOR BETWEEN CELLS—SHORTLY AFTER—NIGHT
PRESIDENT SERAPHINA PICQUERY and RUDOLPH SPIELMAN walk at pace toward an ominous-looking door past endless pairs of guards.
SPIELMAN
(Germanic)
. . . you’ll be glad to be rid of him, I expect.
PICQUERY
We’d be more than happy to keep him here in custody.
SPIELMAN
Six months are enough. It’s time for him to answer for his crimes in Europe.
As they reach the door, ABERNATHY turns and acknowledges them.
ABERNATHY
President Picquery, Mr. Spielman, sir. Prisoner is secured and ready to travel.
SPIELMAN and PICQUERY peer into the cell at GRINDELWALD.
SPIELMAN
You’ve thrown everything at him, I see.
PICQUERY
It was necessary. He’s extremely powerful. We’ve had to change his guard three times—he’s very . . . persuasive. So we removed his tongue.
SCENE 4
INT. MACUSA CELLS—NIGHT
Cells resembling cages rise in tiers. Prisoners chant and bang against the bars as the bound GRINDELWALD is transported upstairs, suspended magically in midair.
PRISONERS
Grindelwald! Grindelwald!
SCENE 5
EXT. MACUSA ROOFTOP—MINUTES LATER—NIGHT
A hearse-like black carriage, drawn by eight Thestrals, waits. AURORS 1 & 2 climb into the driver’s seat, the rest force GRINDELWALD inside.
SPIELMAN
The wizarding community worldwide owes you a great debt, Madam President.
PICQUERY
Do not underestimate him.
ABERNATHY approaches them.
ABERNATHY
Mr. Spielman, we found his wand hidden away.
He hands over a black rectangular box.
PICQUERY
Abernathy?
ABERNATHY
And we found this.
He holds a vial of some glowing gold substance in the palm of his hand. SPIELMAN reaches for the vial, which hangs on a chain, and after a moment of hesitation, ABERNATHY releases it.
Inside the carriage, GRINDELWALD raises his eyes to the roof as the vial is passed to SPIELMAN.
SPIELMAN climbs into the carriage. AUROR 1 driving, AUROR 2 beside him. The door closes. A series of padlocks emerges from the carriage doors. An ominous drumroll of clicks as padlocks fasten themselves in place.
AUROR 1
Yah!
The Thestrals take off.
The carriage plummets, then soars away through torrential rain. More AURORS follow on broomsticks.
A beat.
ABERNATHY steps forward, holding the Elder Wand. He looks up at the carriage, growing ever smaller. He Disapparates.
CUT TO:
SCENE 6
EXT. THESTRAL-DRAWN CARRIAGE—NIGHT
The underside of the carriage. ABERNATHY Apparates, clinging to the wheel shaft.
SCENE 7
INT. THESTRAL-DRAWN CARRIAGE—NIGHT
SPIELMAN and GRINDELWALD sit, eyes locked, flanked by AURORS, all pointing their wands at GRINDELWALD. GRINDELWALD’S wand box lies on SPIELMAN’S lap.
SPIELMAN holds up the vial, dangling from its chain.
SPIELMAN
No more silver tongue, eh?
But GRINDELWALD is transforming . . .
SCENE 8
EXT. THESTRAL-DRAWN CARRIAGE—NIGHT
ABERNATHY adjusts his grip underneath the carriage. His face too is changing. His hair is turning blond and lengthening . . . he is GRINDELWALD. He raises the Elder Wand.
SCENE 9
INT. THESTRAL-DRAWN CARRIAGE—NIGHT
GRINDELWALD’S rapid transformation into a tongueless ABERNATHY is almost complete.
SPIELMAN
(shocked)
Oh!
SCENE 10
EXT. THESTRAL-DRAWN CARRIAGE—NIGHT
Now fully transformed, GRINDELWALD Disapparates from the underside of the carriage . . .
. . . and Apparates next to the driver’s seat, where he is spotted by AURORS 1 & 2. GRINDELWALD points his wand at the carriage reins, turning the black ropes into living snakes that ensnare AUROR 1 so he falls from the carriage, back through the night sky, past the broomstick riders.
GRINDELWALD casts another spell so the black ropes of the reins bind AUROR 2 like a chrysalis, launching him forward in the air, then slingshotting him back to knock AURORS 3 & 4 from the rear of the Thestral-drawn carriage. They fall away into darkness.