Chapter 146: Scamander, Kowalski, and Goldsteins

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It was nineteen-twenty. It had been two years since the end of the first World War and Erik was in New York taking care of some business in the Ravens' Group office. It was the beginning of the night when Erik felt it. A pulse of magic was emitted from some point at the center of the city and it was not something small. Without waiting for something else to happen, Erik put down the papers that he was reading and apparated to the place where the pulse of magic had come from.

Arriving at the place with a very silent pop, Erik looked around in curiosity and immediately found the origin of the pulse. An Obscurial. Someone had pressured a magic child past the breaking point for him to transform into an Obscurial.

Erik continued to look around and saw two men fighting all around the place by throwing spells at each other. That scene was somewhat familiar to him but he could not place where he had seen it before. Soon enough, Erik heard a lot of 'crack' sounds and people started to appear all over the place through apparition. They were employees of the Magic Congress of the United States of America or MACUSA for short. Immediately, the employees started to take positions and point their wands at the mass of black mater that was the Obscurial. Erik watched everything with attention while some people were discussing what to do next. Without much warning, the employees then all fired spells at the same time at the Obscurial. Then, with a grunt of pain coming from the creature, it exploded into light. When the light disappeared, only flakes of black matter could be seen floating around, and even those were slowly disappearing too.

But incredible enough, the altercation was not done yet. A very well-dressed man started to walk in the direction of MACUSA employees while firing spells at them and defending himself at the same time. The man had good skills for a wizard. So good that he was disabling his attackers left and right and was only stopped when another man managed to immobilize him with the help of a magical creature.

It was then that a light bulb lit up inside Erik's head. Now he remembered why the scene in front of him was so familiar. It was the 'ending' of a movie from J. K. Rowling's world: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

'So, if I am not remembering things wrongly, the man that had just used the magical creature to capture the other must be Newt Scamander.'

Erik thought while looking at the duff-looking man. By his side was the witch who would end up becoming his wife, Porpetina Goldstein, or Tina for short.

'If that is Scamander and Goldstein, then the subdued man must be…'

Erik thought again while looking back at the immobilized man and noticing that he had a layer of magic over his body. Newt Scamander fired a strong revealing spell at him without much waiting, canceling his disguise. What revealed itself was the face of another man. Blond-white hair, mustache, and beard, paired with clear blue eyes. Effing Gellert Grindewald. Erik had almost forgotten about this guy. This meant that Albus Dumbledore was possibly already at Hogwarts in a teaching position. Erik had to suppress a groan at that thought because he had just remembered that the wizards will have their own 'world war' together with World's second one.

As things were wrapping up with the wizards and witches below, Erik watched as the MACUSA's Aurors put magic suppressing handcuffs on Grindewald and the President went to talk with Newt Scamander, who was lamenting the 'lost' of the boy turned Obscurial's life. At this point, Tina's sister, Queenie Goldstein, arrives at the place together with Jacob Kowalski. Erik continued to watch as Kowalski delivered a briefcase back to Newt Scamander. The President lamented then laments that they could not obliviate the entire city and that the magic community was now exposed. Newt Scamander then announces that he may have just the solution to their problems and put his briefcase down on the ground, opens it, and disappears inside it. Some minutes later, Newt Scamander was back from inside the briefcase while holding an iridescent blue-purple flask. Erik recognized the substance on the spot. Swooping Evil Venom. A substance that had the capacity to make people forget their bad memories of magic, like all the destruction caused by the Obscurial and the magical fight on the streets. Seconds later, a screech was heard coming from inside the briefcase and a majestic and enormous eagle-like bird flew from inside it, showcasing for all those that wanted to see its three pairs of wings. It was a Thunderbird that, incredible enough, was named Frank.

After a one-sided conversation with the bird and a heartfelt goodbye, Newt Scamander delivered the flask of venom to 'Frank', who flew into the air and above the city while using its innate abilities. The majestic bird summoned a storm and dosed its heavy clouds with the Swooping Evil Venom. When it started to rain, all the non-magical people under it were affected by it, forgetting about their bad experiences with magic. Seeing that Newt Scamander's idea was working as intended, the President of MACUSA ordered all employees to go around the city fixing everything that was destroyed, starting one of the biggest 'reparo' operations ever seen.

Erik continued to watch from his hidden position as the four people, Newt Scamander, Jacob Kowalski, and Tina and Queenie Goldstein talked about what had happened, already knowing what would follow from here. Unfortunately, Jacob Kowalski was a non-magical person, or no-maj as they called them here. That meant that he would have to get in the rain to have his memories of magic erased, together with the memories that he had with his new friends and the girl that he had fallen for. After another heartfelt goodbye, Jacob Kowalski took a deep breath and stepped into the rain, starting to walk with no destination. But as the Swooping Evil Venom was going to take effect on him, an umbrella being held by Queenie protected him from the rain's effect. Eric smiled at that and decided that he would not let this woman go to Grindewald's side just for a chance to marry the man that she loves.

On the next day, Jacob Kowalski received a mysterious package in the morning. Inside it was the deed for a small building on a busy street and a business check with the value of three thousand dollars written on it. What shocked the man was that both things were in his name. Not believing in it since that was a huge sum of money, Jacob Kowalski checked the envelope again and found a note inside it that read:

'Good baked goodies can change the world.

Go after your dreams.

Signed, an Enthusiast Chef and Baker'

Jacob Kowalski read and re-read the note dozens of times. It seemed that someone believed in his skills and wanted to help him start his bakery. He looked at the deed of the building and the business check again and noticed the name of the business that gave the check read 'Ravens' Group'. As Jacob Kowalski started to wonder what an old giant like the Ravens' Group would gain by funding his dream, he noticed a postscript on the note.

'Dreams are more worthwhile if you have someone to share them with. Don't let a stupid law say who you should love or not.'

Jacob Kowalski read taht words and stoped. His thoughts immediately went to Queenie Goldstein. Seconds later, the man exited his rented room in a hurry. He had made his decision.

Unknown to him, Queenie Goldstein received a similar envelope at her home. Inside it was a book about Legimency, together with a note that read:

'Did you know that if you marry a person in another country, when you are back in the United States of America there will be nothing that anyone could do against it? A magical marriage is equal in any place on the planet. Canada is a lovely place to visit in summer.'

After reading that note, It was like she had been struck by a lightning. Quickly, Queenie Goldstein ran to her sister's room and started to read the law books that she had there. Half an hour later, she had found nothing against what the note said in the law's books, making Queenie Goldstein let out a big smile at the thought of being able to marry the man that she loved. She was only interrupted by the sound of her doorbell ringing.

Walking out of her sister's room, Queenie Goldstein went to the door and looked through the door's peephole. Recognizing the face of the man that she loved on the other side, Queenie Goldstein opened the door and jumped at the man before he could even utter a word, hugging him and dragging him inside her home. Poor Jacob Kowalski didn't have a clue about what was happening but he very much liked the flavor of Queenie's lips on his.

Three months later, Erik and Selena attended the grand opening of 'Kowalski's Dream Bakery', hosted by the just married couple of owners, Jacob and Queenie Kowalski. The bakery shop was located just in front of the main office for the Raven's Group in the country and was a building with two floors, where the ground level floor was the bakery shop that had lots of space available, and the top floor was a residential apartment that was now being used by the just married couple. Soon after, the 'Kowalski's Dream Bakery' became a hotspot for the entire surrounding neighborhood due to its fair prices and delicious baked goodies.

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Years continued to pass. After he escaped from MACUSA's hands, Gellert Grindewald went back to Europe to start his plans for the revolution that was to come. He started by amassing magical knowledge and followers that shared his vision that the magical should rule the world and not hide inside their communities. Incredible enough, a lot of people agreed with him on his ideals and joined his cause.

As he started to amass power, Gellert Grindewald butted his head with many people. Unfortunately for them, they were ruthlessly removed from their positions while giving more space for Grindewald's forces to expand even more, easily 'conquering' the magical community of various countries. Soon after, the governments of other countries recognized Grindewald's movement as a danger to all magical beings and created a conjunct force to battle it, officially giving start to the Great Magical War.

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