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Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald by J. K. Rowling (8)

SCENE 49

EXT. PARIS—DAY

Establishing shot.

SCENE 50

EXT. PLACE DE FURSTEMBERG—MORNING

QUEENIE approaches the trees in the middle of the square. She coughs. The roots of the trees rise up and form a birdcage elevator around her, which descends into the earth.

SCENE 51

INT. MINISTÈRE DES AFFAIRES MAGIQUES, MAIN LEVEL—MORNING

QUEENIE descends into the beautiful Art Nouveau French Ministry of Magic, its domed ceiling patterned with constellations. QUEENIE approaches reception.

RECEPTIONIST

Bienvenue au Ministère des Affaires Magiques.

QUEENIE

I’m sorry, I don’t know what you just said at all—

RECEPTIONIST

Welcome to the French Ministry of Magic. What is your business, please?

QUEENIE

(loudly and slowly)

I need to speak to Tina Goldstein, she’s an American Auror working on a case here—

The RECEPTIONIST flicks through a few pages.

RECEPTIONIST

We have no Tina Goldstein here.

QUEENIE

No, it’s . . . I’m sorry there must be some sort of mistake. See, I know she’s in Paris, she sent me a postcard. I brought it, I can show it to you. Maybe you can help me find her here?

QUEENIE reaches for her suitcase, which falls open.

QUEENIE

It’s just in here. Oh rabbits! If you can just wait one moment! I know it’s in here somewhere. I definitely packed it. Where is it?

As the RECEPTIONIST gives a Gallic shrug, a genteel ELDERLY LADY crosses into the shot behind QUEENIE. She has a distinctive bag in her hands—we follow her into the elevator—where ROSIER stands waiting. As the doors close, the ELDERLY LADY transforms into ABERNATHY and he pulls out an elaborate box . . .

SCENE 52

EXT. PARIS BACK STREET—DAY

QUEENIE stands sadly on the street, holding an umbrella. Then—a double take—did she just see NEWT and JACOB hurrying from one side street into another?

JACOB

Could we at least stop for a coffee, or like a—

NEWT

Not now, Jacob.

JACOB

I don’t know.

NEWT

This way. Come on.

JACOB

Pain au chocolat? Half a croissant, or like, a bonbon?

NEWT

This way.

QUEENIE sets off down the street, trotting in her haste to catch up with NEWT and JACOB.

We follow her, drawing ever closer, as she chooses from a bewildering number of side alleys. So absorbed is she in trying to follow NEWT and JACOB—she can now “hear” JACOB’S thoughts.

QUEENIE

(calls aloud, joyful)

Jacob! Jacob?

But he has gone. Exhausted and lonely, QUEENIE drops down to the curb in the rain, deafened by the clamor of the thoughts of those in the crowd around her.

A hand falls onto QUEENIE’S shoulder. She turns, beaming. Her expression turns to puzzlement.

ROSIER

Madame? Tout va bien, Madame?

SCENE 53

EXT. BIRD MARKET—LATER THAT DAY

CREDENCE and NAGINI walk into shot, looking around. CREDENCE steals birdseed as he passes a stall.

GRIMMSON watches them, unnoticed.

SCENE 54

EXT. RUE PHILIPPE LORAND—SHORTLY AFTERWARD—DAY

CREDENCE and NAGINI peer around the corner at the distant Number Eighteen. A light shines in the attic. A shadow moves in front of it.

CREDENCE

(scared)

She’s home.

Now he is here, he is rooted to the spot. He dare not proceed. NAGINI prizes his hand from behind his back.

She leads him across the road.

SCENE 55

EXT. REAR OF 18 RUE PHILIPPE LORAND—MINUTES LATER—DAY

A door stands open into the yard. They slide through it into a servants’ passageway. NAGINI’S nostrils flare. Her eyes dart around. There is something wrong. They proceed toward the stairs.

SCENE 56

INT. 18 RUE PHILIPPE LORAND, LANDING OUTSIDE MAID’S ROOM—DAY

CREDENCE and NAGINI reach the landing. A door stands ajar. A shadow cast by lamplight: what seems to be a woman, sewing. The shadow pauses in its work. NAGINI is edgy, nervous, looking around.

IRMA (O.S.)

Qui est là?

CREDENCE can neither move nor speak. NAGINI realizes this.

NAGINI

C’est votre fils, madame.

She takes CREDENCE’S hand and pulls him gently into the room. Mended and freshly washed clothing hang from racks on the ceiling. They can see the shadow of a woman. NAGINI’S senses are hyperalert. She can smell danger. The shadow stands.

IRMA

Qui êtes-vous?

CREDENCE

(whispers, terrified)

Are you Irma? Are you . . . ? Are you Irma Dugard?

No response. They move through the hanging fabric toward her.

CREDENCE

I’m sorry. Your name is on my adoption paper. Does this make sense? You gave me to Mrs. Barebone in New York.

A beat.

A tiny hand pushes the last piece of fabric aside. There stands IRMA: half-elf, half-human. CREDENCE’S face reveals confusion, awful disappointment.

IRMA

(to CREDENCE)

I am not your mother. I was only a servant.

(smiling)

You were such a beautiful baby. And you are a beautiful man. I have missed you.

ANGLE ON GRIMMSON, watching them from a doorway.

CREDENCE

Why didn’t they want me? But why is your name on my adoption paper?

IRMA

I took you to Mrs. Barebone because she was supposed to look after you.

NAGINI’S fear is increasing.

ANGLE ON THE DARK WALL BEHIND SWATHES OF FABRIC.

The perfectly camouflaged GRIMMSON emerges from the wall, raises his wand, aims for the silhouetted figures, and dispatches a Killing Curse that sears through the sheets and clothing, leaving smoldering holes. We hear a body fall. NAGINI screams. CREDENCE’S shadow has vanished.

Grinning, certain of triumph, GRIMMSON slashes away the smoking fabric until he stands facing—

IRMA, dead on the floor, and NAGINI, who backs away from him. Slowly, his grin fading, GRIMMSON looks up at the ceiling. The Obscurus is swirling there like thick black smoke.

In a flash, GRIMMSON conjures a domed Shield Charm around himself and IRMA’S body.

And the Obscurus dives, pelting the Shield Charm like a million bullets, rising and re-forming and diving again, but though the magical barrier trembles, it is not broken.

Now the Obscurus expands in fury, smashing apart the attic like a tornado.

GRIMMSON smiles up at the Obscurus: We’ll meet again. He Disapparates.

Mingling with the debris of the destroyed attic, the Obscurus slams inward and CREDENCE re-forms. He stands looking down at the tiny body.

SCENE 57

EXT. ALLEYWAY—AFTERNOON

Fresh from IRMA’S murder, GRIMMSON stands in a covered alleyway beneath a bridge over the Seine. GRINDELWALD appears.

GRIMMSON

She’s dead.

GRINDELWALD walks toward him and halts when they are face-to-face.

GRINDELWALD

How did the boy take it?

GRIMMSON

(shrugging)

He’s sensitive. The Ministry won’t be happy when I tell them I’ve missed. They know my reputation.

GRINDELWALD

Listen to me. The disapproval of cowards is praise to the brave. Your name will be written in glory when wizards rule the world. And the clock is ticking faster. You watch over Credence. Keep him safe. For the greater good.

GRIMMSON

For the greater good.

SCENE 58

EXT. PARISIAN CAFÉ—EVENING

A pair of lovers sit over coffee. NEWT is scanning every man who leaves the café, checking the reaction of the feather trapped beneath the glass. JACOB stares at the lovers.

JACOB

You know what I miss about Queenie? Everything. I even miss the stuff that drove me nuts. Like the mind reading . . .

(he notices NEWT’S inattention)

. . . I was lucky to have someone like her even interested in anything I thought. You know what I mean?

A beat.

NEWT

Sorry?

JACOB

I was saying, you’re sure the guy is here that we’re looking for?

NEWT

Definitely. The feather says so.

SCENE 59

INT. PARISIAN CAFÉ, BATHROOM—EVENING

A cramped and dirty bathroom. KAMA stares into the mirror, his featherless fedora perched on the tap. Suddenly his face twitches. He raises his bandaged hand to his eye and rubs it, shaking his head. He removes his hand and stares at his reflection. We close in. A tiny tentacle is visible at the corner of his eye. He whimpers in distress and gropes in his suit pocket for a small bottle of bright green liquid, which he drops into his eye with a dropper.

Another whimper of pain as the tentacle withdraws. He looks at his reflection. It seems normal. He puts his hat back on and leaves.

SCENE 60

INT. PARISIAN CAFÉ—EVENING

KAMA leaves the café. The feather points at him. NEWT lets it out and it flies to KAMA’S hat.

JACOB

Is that the guy we’re looking for?

NEWT

Yes.

NEWT and JACOB jump up to confront him.

NEWT

(to KAMA)

Er—bonjour. Bonjour, monsieur.

KAMA makes to carry on walking, ignoring NEWT.

NEWT

Oh wait, no, sorry. We were . . . we were actually just wondering if you’d come across a friend of ours?

JACOB

Tina Goldstein.

KAMA

Monsieur, Paris is a large city.

NEWT

She’s an Auror. When Aurors go missing, the Ministry tend to come looking, so . . . No, now I suppose it would probably be better if we just report her absence—

KAMA

(deciding)

She is tall? Dark? Rather—

JACOB

—intense?

NEWT

—beautiful—

JACOB

(hasty, off NEWT’S look)

—Yeah, what I meant to say—she’s very—very pretty—

NEWT

She’s intense too.

KAMA

I think I saw someone like this last night. Perhaps if I showed you where?

NEWT

If you wouldn’t mind. That would be lovely.

KAMA

Sure.

SCENE 61

INT. KAMA’S HIDEOUT—EVENING

The interior of KAMA’S hideout is pitch black. The sound of water dripping. A brief shaft of sunlight reveals TINA, sleeping lightly on the floor in her coat.

NEWT

Tina?

She wakes. A moment as NEWT and TINA stare at each other. Each has thought of the other daily for a year. With no sign of KAMA, it seems she has been rescued.

TINA

(joyful, disbelieving)

Newt!

TINA notices KAMA entering in the background and raising his wand. Her expression changes.

KAMA

Expelliarmus!

NEWT’S wand flies out of his hand into KAMA’S. Bars form across the door, imprisoning them.

KAMA

(through the door)

My apologies, Mr. Scamander! I shall return and release you when Credence is dead!

TINA

Kama, wait!

KAMA

You see, either he dies . . . or I do.

He claps a hand to his eye.

KAMA

No, no, no, no. Oh no. No, no, no.

He jerks convulsively and slides to the floor, unconscious.

NEWT

Well, that’s not the best start to a rescue attempt.

TINA

This was a rescue attempt? You’ve just lost me my only lead.

JACOB launches for the door, trying to break it down.

NEWT

(innocent)

Well, how was the interrogation going before we turned up?

TINA throws him a dark look. She strides to the back of the cave.

Pickett, who, unnoticed, has hopped out of NEWT’S pocket, successfully picks the lock, and the bars swing open.

JACOB

Newt!

NEWT

Well done, Pick.

(to TINA)

You need this man, you say?

TINA

Yeah. I think this man knows where Credence is, Mr. Scamander.

As they bend over the unconscious KAMA, they hear an earth-shattering roar from somewhere above them. They look at each other.

NEWT

Well, that’ll be the Zouwu.

NEWT grabs his wand and Disapparates.

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