SCENE 114
INT. UNDERGROUND AMPHITHEATER—NIGHT
BACK TO GRINDELWALD onstage.
GRINDELWALD
The moment has come to share my vision of the future that awaits if we do not rise up and take our rightful place in the world.
ROSIER appears onstage. Bowing, she presents the skull-hookah to GRINDELWALD.
Total silence falls in the auditorium. GRINDELWALD is illuminated by the skull’s golden light. He inhales deeply through the tube. His eyes roll up into his head. He exhales . . .
. . . and it is extraordinary. A gigantic Technicolor cloak seems to unfurl from his lips across the high stone ceiling, bearing moving images—the crowd gasps—
Thousands of marching, booted feet . . . explosions, men running with guns . . .
CLOSE ON THE FACES OF THE CROWD, mesmerized and afraid, the light of the vision playing across their faces.
CLOSE ON NEWT, stunned.
The vision of a nuclear blast rocks the amphitheater. It is horrifying. The crowd feels it, is terrified. Screams, until the vision subsides, leaving murmurs of panic . . .
CLOSE ON JACOB, horrified.
JACOB
Not another war . . .
The vision fades. All eyes return to GRINDELWALD.
GRINDELWALD
That is what we are fighting! That is the enemy—their arrogance, their power lust, their barbarity. How long will it take before they turn their weapons on us?
We pan around the exits and see AURORS, unnoticed, entering the auditorium, fanning out among the crowd.
CLOSE ON THESEUS, who is worried: The situation is volatile and could go badly wrong.
The crowd settles, agitated, expectant. They are waiting for some new, extraordinary revelation.
GRINDELWALD
Do nothing when I speak of this. You must remain calm and contain your emotions.
(beat)
There are Aurors here among us.
Gasps. Heads turn. We see the AURORS looking around in panic. They are wildly outnumbered. The crowd is hostile.
GRINDELWALD
(to the AURORS who have just entered)
Come closer, brother wizards! Join us.
To mounting hisses and angry jeers, the AURORS know they have no choice but to walk forward and show themselves.
ANGLE ON LETA, turning to look.
She spots THESEUS. A long, charged look between them.
THESEUS
(to the other AURORS)
Do nothing. No force.
But one of the jumpiest young AURORS has made eye contact with the YOUNG RED-HAIRED WITCH. She is angry, as twitchy as he is, fingering her wand.
GRINDELWALD
They have killed many of my followers, it is true. They caught and tortured me in New York. They had struck down their fellow witches and wizards for the simple crime of seeking truth, for wanting freedom . . .
He is deliberately playing on the unstable YOUNG RED-HAIRED WITCH’S feelings. The YOUNG AUROR raises his wand a few inches. He can sense her desire for violence—
GRINDELWALD
Your anger—your desire for revenge—is natural.
And it happens. She raises her wand, but the YOUNG AUROR curses first. To the horror of her companions, she falls, dead.
GRINDELWALD
No!
Screams fill the auditorium. GRINDELWALD ascends into the crowd, which parts for him. He kneels and pulls the YOUNG RED-HAIRED WITCH’S limp body into his arms.
GRINDELWALD
(to her friends)
Take this young warrior back to her family.
The Niffler, unnoticed, wriggles out from beneath GRINDELWALD’S boot and disappears into the crowd.
GRINDELWALD
Disapparate. Leave. Go forth from this place and spread the word: It is not we who are violent.
They take the body and Disapparate, as does most of the crowd. THESEUS and the AURORS watch the purebloods leave. THESEUS ushers his AURORS forward.
THESEUS
(looking at GRINDELWALD)
Let’s take him.
They start to descend the amphitheater steps. GRINDELWALD turns his back on the advancing AURORS, relishing the fight to come.
GRINDELWALD
Protego diabolica.
He spins and draws a protective circle of black fire around himself. The exits close.
ABERNATHY, CARROW, KRAFFT, MACDUFF, NAGEL, and ROSIER walk through the flames into the circle.
ANGLE ON KRALL, hesitating.
Then he decides the circle is the better option, braces himself, runs into the fire—and is consumed.
GRINDELWALD
Aurors, join me in this circle, pledge to me your eternal allegiance, or die. Only here shall you know freedom, only here shall you know yourself.
GRINDELWALD sends a wall of flames into the air, pursuing fleeing AURORS.
GRINDELWALD
Play by the rules! No cheating, children.
NAGINI grabs CREDENCE and tries to drag him away with her, but he is staring at GRINDELWALD.
CREDENCE
He knows who I am.
NAGINI
He knows what you were born, not who you are . . .
GRINDELWALD smiles at CREDENCE through the fire.
NEWT
Credence!
NEWT tries to fight the fire but it becomes more monstrous, lashing out with eel-like spurs.
CREDENCE decides: Pulling free of NAGINI, he walks toward the flames.
Devastated, NAGINI is forced back by the ever-expanding fire.
ANGLE ON QUEENIE AND JACOB, who are pressed up against a different stretch of wall.
JACOB
Queenie. You gotta wake up.
QUEENIE
(a decision)
Jacob, he’s the answer. He wants what we want.
JACOB
No, no, no, no, no, no.
QUEENIE
Yeah.
JACOB
No.
The black flames are coming toward them, fast.
ANGLE ON CREDENCE, walking through the flames.
GRINDELWALD embraces him like a prodigal son.
GRINDELWALD
This has all been for you, Credence.
ANGLE ON QUEENIE AND JACOB.
QUEENIE
Walk with me.
JACOB
Honey, no!
QUEENIE
(screams)
Walk with me!
JACOB
You’re crazy.
She reads his mind, turns, hesitates, then walks into the black fire.
JACOB
(desperate, disbelieving)
No! Queenie, don’t do it!
She screams, and JACOB covers his face, terrified, as she passes through the ring of fire and joins GRINDELWALD’S side.
JACOB
Queenie . . .
TINA
QUEENIE!
QUEENIE Disapparates.
TINA retaliates, throwing a curse at GRINDELWALD, but the circle of fire lashes out in ever more violent spears. GRINDELWALD conducts the flames as though leading an orchestra, the Elder Wand his baton, as the forks of fire strike at AURORS attempting to Disapparate or flee.
Half a dozen AURORS lose their heads and run through the flames to GRINDELWALD.
ANGLE ON NEWT AND THESEUS, standing together on the amphitheater steps.
GRINDELWALD
Mr. Scamander. Do you think Dumbledore will mourn for you?
GRINDELWALD throws a large burst of black fire at them both, and THESEUS and NEWT defend themselves.
LETA (O.S.)
Grindelwald! Stop!
GRINDELWALD catches sight of LETA.
THESEUS
Leta . . .
GRINDELWALD
This one I believe I know.
THESEUS makes a gigantic effort of will, carving a passage toward LETA, determined to reach her. They are using all their skill to keep the flames at bay.
GRINDELWALD moves toward her through the flames as THESEUS fights closer, desperate to reach her.
GRINDELWALD
Leta Lestrange . . . despised entirely amongst wizards . . . unloved, mistreated . . . yet brave. So very brave.
(to LETA)
Time to come home.
He stretches out his hand. She contemplates it.
He looks at her, eyes narrowed.
She looks toward both THESEUS and NEWT, who are watching her, stunned.
LETA
I love you.
She points her wand at the skull in ROSIER’S hands, which explodes. ROSIER is knocked backward and GRINDELWALD is momentarily obscured in a whirl of chaos.
LETA
(to the others)
GO! GO!
The fire engulfs LETA. THESEUS goes wild. He tries to dive after her.
But NEWT grabs him and they Disapparate. The fire, mirroring GRINDELWALD’S rage, explodes, chasing them.
GRINDELWALD
(whispers)
I hate Paris.
SCENE 115
EXT. PÈRE LACHAISE CEMETERY—A MINUTE LATER—NIGHT
NEWT and THESEUS, TINA with JACOB, and KAMA with NAGINI all Apparate out from the amphitheater. The black fire pursues them like a many-headed hydra, erupting out of every mausoleum.
FLAMEL arrives at last.
The cemetery is on the verge of destruction. The fire GRINDELWALD has unleashed is out of control. It forms dragon-like creatures intent on annihilation.
FLAMEL
TOGETHER! In a circle, your wand into the earth, or all Paris will be lost!
NEWT & THESEUS
Finite!
TINA
Finite!
KAMA
Finite!
FLAMEL
Finite!
Our heroes, minus JACOB, make a circle, plunge their wands into the earth.
It takes almost superhuman power to contain GRINDELWALD’S demonic fire, which they are forced to combat with flames still more deadly. United, our heroes fight . . .
And at last, their purifying fire drives GRINDELWALD’S back. The entrances to the underground lair are sealed.
They have saved the city.
FLAMEL comforts JACOB. NAGINI sits in the darkness, tearful.
NEWT shuffles over awkwardly to the bereft THESEUS. NEWT hesitates, struggling to find words of comfort. Then, for the first time in his life, he puts his arms around his brother. They hug.
NEWT
I’ve chosen my side.
The Niffler hobbles over to NEWT, who picks him up . . .
NEWT
(to the Niffler)
Come on. Yeah. No, you’re okay.
. . . then notices GRINDELWALD’S vial in its paws. He takes the pendant, amazed. NEWT tucks both the vial and Niffler inside his coat.
SCENE 116
EXT. THE VIADUCT AT HOGWARTS—DAWN
DUMBLEDORE is walking across the viaduct from Hogwarts, toward NEWT, JACOB, TINA, THESEUS, NAGINI, KAMA, TRAVERS, and assorted AURORS, who stand at the other end.
NEWT walks ahead alone to meet DUMBLEDORE. TRAVERS moves to stop him.
THESEUS
(to TRAVERS)
I think it’s best if he speaks to him alone.
TRAVERS opens his mouth to protest. Meets THESEUS’S gaze. Nods curtly.
NEWT walks along toward DUMBLEDORE. They meet in the middle of the viaduct.
SCENE 117
EXT. AUSTRIA, NURMENGARD CASTLE WINDOW—DAWN
CREDENCE is staring out at the sky, scared of what he has done but awed by the magnificent vista. We pan out to see Nurmengard, high on its mountain.
SCENE 118
INT. NURMENGARD CASTLE, SIDE ROOM—DAWN
GRINDELWALD and QUEENIE are watching CREDENCE through the half-open door into a grand drawing room.
GRINDELWALD
(whispers)
Is he frightened of me still?
QUEENIE
(whispers)
You need to be careful . . . He’s not sure he made the right choice. Be very gentle with him.
She smiles as he bows her out through a separate door. Once he is sure she has gone, he walks into the drawing room to join CREDENCE.
GRINDELWALD
I have a gift for you, my boy.
From behind his back he takes a handsome wand. With a bow, he presents it to CREDENCE, who cannot believe his eyes.