Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (9 page)

Credence!

The Zouwu hobbles as fast as it can, away into the darkness. SKENDER knows there is no catching it now. He runs to galvanize his workers.

SKENDER

Pack it up! Paris is done for us now.

SKENDER points his wand at the tent, shrinks it to the size of a handkerchief, and pockets it.

TINA

(approaching SKENDER)

The boy with the Maledictus, what do you know about him?

SKENDER

(contemptuous)

He’s looking for his mother. All my freaks think they can go home. Okay, let’s go.

He leaps up onto a carriage and, as the crates and boxes are all magically reduced to a few cases, clatters away into the night.

TINA is left on her own in what seems for a moment to be a deserted square. Then she realizes that KAMA is standing behind her.

CUT TO:

SCENE 45

EXT. PARISIAN CAFÉ—NIGHT

TINA and KAMA sit together at an outside table. TINA is suspicious of KAMA.

TINA

I think we were both at the circus for the same reason, monsieur . . . ?

KAMA

Kama. Yusuf Kama. And you think right.

TINA

What do you want with Credence?

KAMA

The same as you.

TINA

Which is?

KAMA

To prove who the boy really is. If the rumors of his identity are correct, he and I are—distantly—related. I am the last male of my pure-blooded
line . . . and so, if the rumors are correct, is he.

KAMA takes
The Predictions of Tycho Dodonus
out of his pocket and holds it tantalizingly before her.

KAMA

You have read
The Predictions of Tycho Dodonus
?

TINA

Yes. But that’s poetry, not proof.

KAMA

If I could show you something better—more concrete—something that proves who he is—would the Ministries of Europe and America let him live?

A beat.

TINA

They might.

KAMA

(he nods)

Then come.

He gets up and TINA follows.

SCENE 46

INT. GRINDELWALD’S HIDEOUT, DRAWING ROOM—NIGHT

GRINDELWALD exhales vapor from a glowing skull-shaped hookah. His ACOLYTES watch as the smoke forms a vision of the Obscurus, a swirl of black and flashing red, then
resolves into an image of CREDENCE.

All look excited, except KRALL, who is sulky.

GRINDELWALD

So . . . Credence Barebone. Nearly destroyed by the woman who raised him. Yet now he seeks the mother who bore him. He’s desperate for family. He’s
desperate for love. He’s the key to our victory.

KRALL

Well, we know where the boy is, don’t we? Why don’t we grab him and leave!

GRINDELWALD

(to KRALL)

He must come to me freely—and he will.

GRINDELWALD returns his gaze to the vision of CREDENCE suspended in the center of the drawing room.

GRINDELWALD

The path has been laid, and he is following it. The trail that will lead him to me, and the strange and glorious truth of who he is.

KRALL

Why is he so important?

GRINDELWALD walks to face KRALL.

GRINDELWALD

Who represents the greatest threat to our cause?

KRALL

Albus Dumbledore.

GRINDELWALD

If I asked you now to go to the school where he is hiding and kill him for me, would you do it for me, Krall?

(smiles)

Credence is the only entity alive . . . who can kill him.

KRALL

You really think that he can kill the great—can kill Albus Dumbledore?

GRINDELWALD

(whispers)

I know he can. But will you be with us when that happens, Krall? Will you?

SCENE 47

EXT. WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER—DAWN

NEWT and JACOB are walking with cases toward Beachy Head. Pickett pokes his head out of NEWT’S breast pocket and yawns.

NEWT

Jacob, that man Tina’s been seeing—

JACOB

Don’t worry! She’s gonna see you and she’ll see the four of us together, it’ll be just like New York all over again. Don’t worry about it.

NEWT

Yes, but he’s an Auror, Queenie said?

JACOB

Yeah, he’s an Auror. So what? Don’t worry about him.

A beat. They walk.

NEWT

What d’you think I should say to her, if I see her?

JACOB

Oh, well, it’s best not to plan these things. You know, you just say whatever comes to you in the moment.

A beat. They walk.

NEWT

(reminiscently)

She has eyes just like a salamander.

JACOB

Don’t say that.

A beat. JACOB decides NEWT needs help.

JACOB

Nah, look, you just tell her that you missed her. Right, and then you came all the way to Paris to find her. She’ll love that. And then, tell her you’re losing sleep
at night for thinking of her. Just don’t say anything about no salamanders, all right?

NEWT

Right. Okay.

JACOB

Hey, hey, hey. It’s gonna be all right. We’re in this together, pal. Okay, I’m gonna help you out. I’m gonna help you find Tina, find Queenie, and
we’ll all be happy again. Just like old times.

He spots a slightly sinister figure on the edge of the cliff: all black, tattered robes.

JACOB

Who is this guy?

NEWT

He’s the only way I can leave the country without documentation. Now, you don’t suffer from motion sickness, do you?

JACOB

I don’t do well on boats, Newt.

A beat.

NEWT

You’ll be fine.

PORTKEY TOUT

Stir your stumps—it leaves in one minute!

Confused, JACOB looks around for the conveyance, ignoring the rusty bucket on the ground.

PORTKEY TOUT

Fifty Galleons.

NEWT

No, we said thirty.

PORTKEY TOUT

Thirty to go to France, twenty not to tell anyone I seen Newt Scamander leaving the country illegally.

Angry, NEWT pays up.

PORTKEY TOUT

Price of fame, pal.

(checks watch)

Ten seconds.

NEWT picks up the bucket and holds out his hand to JACOB.

NEWT

(to JACOB)

Jacob.

JACOB

ARGH!

They are pulled away into thin air.

CUT TO:

SCENE 48

EXT. PLACE CACHÉE—DAY

NEWT and JACOB peer around the corner. A French POLICEMAN is standing in front of the statue of the robed woman. JACOB is pale, sweaty, and still clutching the bucket,
which has come in handy.

JACOB

I didn’t like that Portkey, Newt.

NEWT

(absently)

So you keep saying. Follow me.

NEWT points his wand at the POLICEMAN.

NEWT

Confundus
.

The POLICEMAN lurches as though drunk, blinks, shakes his head, then giggles and ambles off, raising his hat at disconcerted passersby.

NEWT

Come on. That’ll wear off in a few minutes.

NEWT leads JACOB through the statue and into Magical Paris. He puts his case down and points his wand at the street.

NEWT

Appare vestigium
.

The tracking spell materializes as a swirl of gold, which illuminates traces of recent magical activity in the square.

NEWT

Accio
Niffler!

The case bursts open and a Niffler jumps out.

NEWT

Get looking.

NEWT climbs onto the case and inspects impressions of creatures revealed in the air, while the now-trained adult Niffler sniffs out clues.

NEWT

That’s a Kappa. That’s a Japanese water demon—

The Niffler sniffs around some shimmering footsteps. The Niffler has found the place where TINA stood in front of the Zouwu.