Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald Read online

  JACOB

  Tweezers?

  NEWT

  They’re thin and pointy—

  TINA

  Thin, little pointy things.

  JACOB

  Yes, I know what tweezers are.

  NEWT

  (to TINA)

  You might not want to watch this . . .

  TINA

  I can handle it.

  NEWT succeeds in catching and pulling at the tentacle in KAMA’S eye.

  NEWT

  Come on. You’re all right. Jacob, will you take that for me?

  He has extracted something like a spindly, waterborne spider, which he hands to JACOB.

  JACOB

  Ew! Calamari.

  KAMA has started muttering, distraught, semiconscious.

  KAMA

  I must kill him . . .

  TINA

  Who? Credence? Who—?

  NEWT

  It may take him a few hours to recover. The parasite’s poison is quite strong.

  TINA

  I’ll have to go to the Ministry with what I’ve got.

  (a wobble in her voice)

  It was nice to see you again, Mr. Scamander.

  She strides from the room, leaving NEWT perplexed and upset.

  SCENE 80

  INT. FLAMEL HOUSE, HALLWAY—AFTERNOON

  JACOB follows TINA into the hall.

  JACOB

  Hey, hold on one second, will you? Well, hold on! Wait! Tina!

  She leaves. As the front door closes, NEWT appears at the drawing room door.

  JACOB

  (to NEWT)

  You didn’t mention salamanders, did you?

  NEWT

  No, she just—ran. I don’t know . . .

  JACOB

  (firm)

  So you chase after her!

  NEWT grabs his case. He leaves.

  SCENE 81

  EXT. RUE DE MONTMORENCY—END OF DAY

  TINA is hurrying up the road. NEWT hastens to catch up.

  NEWT

  Tina. Please, just listen to me—

  TINA

  Mr. Scamander, I need to go talk to the Ministry—and I know how you feel about Aurors—

  NEWT

  I may have been a little strong in the way that I expressed myself in that letter—

  TINA

  What was the exact phrase? “A bunch of careerist hypocrites”?

  NEWT

  I’m sorry, but I can’t admire people whose answer to everything that they fear or misunderstand is “kill it”!

  TINA

  I’m an Auror and I don’t—

  NEWT

  Yes, and that’s because you’ve gone middle head!

  TINA

  (stopping)

  Excuse me?

  NEWT

  It’s an expression derived from the three heads of the Runespoor. The middle one is the visionary. Every Auror in Europe wants Credence dead—except you. You’ve gone middle head.

  A beat.

  TINA

  Who else uses that expression, Mr. Scamander?

  NEWT considers.

  NEWT

  I think it might just be me.

  All lights are extinguished as every building is wrapped in black banners.

  Muggles pass, totally immune, but a YOUNG RED-HAIRED WITCH nearby is walking along. She, like NEWT and TINA, can see the banners.

  TINA steps into the middle of the road, watching the black silk fall out of the sky to shroud the surrounding buildings in darkness.

  TINA

  It’s Grindelwald. He’s calling his followers.

  We pan up one length of flowing black silk until we achieve an aerial view of Paris. The entire city is being covered in GRINDELWALD’S dark banners.

  SCENE 82

  EXT. WIZARDING CAFÉ—END OF DAY

  Witches and wizards hurrying outside to see what is invisible to Muggle passersby.

  SCENE 83

  EXT. PARISIAN STREET—END OF DAY

  QUEENIE reaches out to the nearest black banner, and an emblem of a white raven appears beneath her touch.

  SCENE 84

  EXT. PLACE DE FURSTEMBERG—END OF DAY

  NEWT still following TINA. They stand surrounded by the impressive scale of GRINDELWALD’S banners.

  TINA

  It’s too late. Grindelwald’s come for Credence. He might already have him.

  NEWT

  (suddenly forceful)

  It’s not too late. We can still get to him first.

  He grabs her hand and pulls her on.

  TINA

  Where are you going?

  NEWT

  The French Ministry of Magic.

  TINA

  That’s the last place Credence would go!

  NEWT

  There’s a box hidden at the Ministry safe. It’s a box that can tell us who Credence really is.

  TINA

  A box? What are you talking about?

  NEWT

  Trust me.

  SCENE 85

  EXT. DERELICT BUILDING, ROOFTOP—LATE AFTERNOON

  CREDENCE is breaking up birdseed and feeding it to a small chick when NAGINI appears behind him.

  NAGINI

  (urgently)

  Credence.

  She leads him back through the open window, out onto the roof. The Eiffel Tower is visible behind them.

  We pan around and see GRINDELWALD sitting on the rooftop near them both.

  GRINDELWALD

  Shh.

  CREDENCE

  (whispers)

  What do you want?

  GRINDELWALD

  From you? Nothing. For you? Everything I never had. But what is it you want, my boy?

  CREDENCE

  I want to know who I am.

  GRINDELWALD

  This is where you will find proof of your true identity.

  GRINDELWALD takes a piece of parchment from his pocket and throws it into the air. The parchment flutters to CREDENCE and lands gently in his hand.

  GRINDELWALD

  Come to Père Lachaise tonight and you will discover the truth.

  He bows, then Disapparates, leaving CREDENCE holding a map of Père Lachaise cemetery.

  SCENE 86

  INT. FLAMEL HOUSE—END OF DAY

  An uncomfortable JACOB is asleep in a chair beside the semiconscious KAMA. KAMA is muttering.

  KAMA

  Father . . . why did you make me . . . ?

  JACOB jolts awake as if from a bad dream.

  JACOB

  Wait! Wait—

  Now fully awake, JACOB’S stomach begins to rumble.

  A figure appears behind JACOB. Six-hundred-year-old NICOLAS FLAMEL stands at the entrance to his alchemist’s studio.

  FLAMEL

  I’m afraid we keep no food in the house.

  JACOB yelps in fear.

  JACOB

  (terrified)

  Are you a ghost?

  FLAMEL

  (amused)

  No, no, I am alive, but I am an alchemist, and therefore immortal.

  JACOB

  You don’t look a day over three-seventy-five. Hey, sorry we didn’t knock—

  FLAMEL

  No matter. Albus told me some friends might be dropping in.

  (holding out his hand)

  Nicolas Flamel.

  JACOB

  Oh. Jacob Kowalski.

  They shake hands. JACOB’S grip is firm—too firm for the alchemist’s fragile bones.

  FLAMEL

  Ooh!

  JACOB

  I’m sorry.

  FLAMEL

  It’s all right.

  JACOB

  I didn’t—

  FLAMEL looks over at the large crystal ball, in which dark billowing clouds and flashes of lightning have appeared.

  FLAMEL

  Aha! At last, we see developments!

  JACOB

  (drawing closer)

  I’ve seen one of these before.
It was at the fair. There was this dame there, and she had a veil. I gave her a nickel and she told me about my future.

  (beat)

  She missed out on quite a bit, actually.

  We close in on the orb, into dark billowing smoke and flashes of lightning, into the center where we see CREDENCE—

  JACOB (O.S.)

  Hey—wait a minute! I know him. That’s that kid. That’s Credence—

  —and then it becomes the Lestrange tomb, its stone raven prominent. Suddenly, QUEENIE appears inside the tomb, sitting on a stone bench, waiting . . .

  JACOB

  Hey! That’s Queenie! There she is.

  (as if to QUEENIE)

  Hi, baby!

  (to FLAMEL)

  Where is this? Is this—is this here?

  FLAMEL

  This is the Lestrange tomb. It lies in the cemetery of Père Lachaise. . .

  JACOB

  (to QUEENIE in the crystal ball)

  I’m coming, baby. Stay right there—

  (to FLAMEL)

  Thank you, thank you, Mr. Flamel!

  JACOB clutches FLAMEL’S hands in gratitude.

  FLAMEL

  Ahh!

  JACOB

  Oh no. I’m sorry! I’m sorry, okay?

  FLAMEL

  Ouch.

  JACOB

  Oh—look after Mr. Tentacles for me.

  He turns. The sofa is empty. JACOB runs out of the room into the hall. The front door stands open. KAMA has escaped.

  JACOB

  Oh no. I’m sorry, I gotta go.

  FLAMEL

  Please, you must not go to the cemetery!

  But JACOB too runs off into the night.

  BACK TO FLAMEL.

  He has shuffled after JACOB, but on realizing he is gone, FLAMEL turns anxiously back to the orb. Black flames are swirling around it.

  FLAMEL shuffles back into his studio and opens a cupboard. We glimpse glass vials, tubes, and the glowing Philosopher’s Stone. He heaves from a shelf a padlocked book embossed with a phoenix. He touches the padlock and it springs open.

  CLOSE ON THE BOOK as he flicks through it.

  Each page holds a photograph captioned with a name. FLAMEL turns the pages, but the subjects of all the pictures are missing.

  FLAMEL

  Oh dear—

  DUMBLEDORE’S portrait is blank.

  FLAMEL flicks open another page. EULALIE HICKS, a young American professor at Ilvermorny, looks around, worried.

  EULALIE

  What’s happening?

  FLAMEL

  Exactly what he said would happen. Grindelwald rallies tonight at the cemetery, and there will be death!

  EULALIE

  Then you gotta go!

  FLAMEL

  (panicked)

  What? I haven’t seen action in two hundred years . . .

  EULALIE

  You can do this, Flamel. We believe in you.

  SCENE 87

  EXT. PLACE DE FURSTEMBERG—DAY

  TINA and NEWT stand in a nearby alleyway, looking out over the square where tree roots previously rose to form the birdcage elevator to the French Ministry.

  NEWT

  The box is in the ancestral records room, Tina. So, three floors down.

  NEWT rummages in his pockets and pulls out a tiny bottle with only a couple of muddy drops left inside it.

  TINA

  Is that Polyjuice?

  NEWT

  (of the bottle)

  Just enough to get me inside.

  He looks down at his coat and finds one of THESEUS’S hairs on his shoulder. He adds it to the mixture, drinks, and turns into THESEUS, still wearing NEWT’S clothes.

  TINA

  Who—?

  NEWT

  My brother, Theseus. He’s an Auror. And a hugger.

  SCENE 88

  INT. MINISTÈRE DES AFFAIRES MAGIQUES, MAIN LEVEL—NIGHT

  THESEUS exits a meeting room and strides toward LETA, who is waiting for him.

  LETA

  What’s happening?

  THESEUS

  Grindelwald’s rallying. We don’t know where, but we think it’s tonight.

  LETA and THESEUS kiss.

  LETA

  Be careful.

  THESEUS

  Of course.

  LETA

  Promise me you’ll be careful.

  THESEUS

  Of course, I’m going to be careful. Listen, I want you to hear this from me. They think that Credence boy might be your missing brother.

  LETA

  My brother is dead. He died. How many times, Theseus?

  THESEUS

  I know, I know. And the records, the records will prove that, okay? They can’t lie.

  TRAVERS

  (sharply)

  Theseus.

  THESEUS leaves LETA and joins TRAVERS.

  TRAVERS

  I want every person at that rally arrested. If they resist—

  THESEUS

  Sir—forgive me . . . but if we go in too heavy, don’t we run the risk of adding to the—

  TRAVERS

  Just do it.

  THESEUS catches sight of NEWT-AS-THESEUS and TINA walking, heads down, through the Ministry typing pool. The brothers’ eyes meet.

  ANGLE ON NEWT-AS-THESEUS AND TINA.

  NEWT-AS-THESEUS grabs TINA’S arm and makes a sharp turn down a corridor. THESEUS sets off in pursuit, leaving LETA and the angry TRAVERS (who hasn’t spotted NEWT) behind. LETA backs away from the throng and slips through a side door.

  SCENE 89

  INT. MINISTÈRE DES AFFAIRES MAGIQUES, CORRIDOR—NIGHT

  NEWT-AS-THESEUS and TINA run along a corridor lined with pictures, the Polyjuice Potion already wearing off NEWT.

  NEWT

  I don’t suppose you can Disapparate on Ministry premises in France, can you?

  TINA

  No.

  NEWT

  Pity.

  The Potion wears off completely.

  TINA

  Newt!

  NEWT

  Yes, I know. I know there’s—

  At once, every portrait along the corridor turns into NEWT. An alarm sounds.

  ALARM (O.S.)

  Urgence! Urgence! Un sorcier suivi, Newt Scamander, est entré dans le Ministère! Emergency! Emergency! A tracked wizard, Newt Scamander, has entered the Department of Magic!

  THESEUS moves into shot.

  THESEUS

  Newt!

  TINA

  (running)

  That’s your brother?

  NEWT

  Yes—I think I may have mentioned in my letters we have quite a complicated relationship—

  THESEUS

  NEWT, STOP!

  NEWT and TINA sprint through a second door, which leads—

  SCENE 90

  INT. MINISTÈRE DES AFFAIRES MAGIQUES, MAILROOM—NIGHT

  —into a mailroom. Two elderly PORTERS are pushing mailcarts across the circular room.

  TINA

  Does he want to kill you?

  NEWT

  Frequently.

  THESEUS

  No!

  As they sprint past the mailcarts, THESEUS sends a curse after them, sending the mailcart boxes flying. TINA blocks the spell.

  TINA

  He needs to control his temper!

  TINA points her wand. THESEUS is slammed down into a high chair that TINA has conjured out of nowhere. Hands bound, THESEUS flies backward on the chair into a meeting room, where he slams into a wall.

  NEWT

  (awed)

  I think that might have been the best moment of my life.

  TINA laughs. NEWT and TINA sprint on.

  SCENE 91

  INT. LESTRANGE MAUSOLEUM—NIGHT

  An ancient tomb containing many sarcophagi is dominated by the grand marble tomb of LETA’S father.

  ABERNATHY and MACDUFF enter carrying the bag retrieved from the French Ministry and remove the elaborate box, which
they plant in the mausoleum to be found.

  SCENE 92

  EXT. PÈRE LACHAISE CEMETERY—SHORTLY AFTERWARD—NIGHT

  JACOB is panting as he runs through the dark, deserted cemetery, looking for the tomb he saw in the orb. A faint light in the distance shows him the Lestrange mausoleum.

  SCENE 93

  EXT. LESTRANGE MAUSOLEUM—A MINUTE LATER—NIGHT

  JACOB reaches the tomb. A stone raven on the lintel.

  JACOB

  (whispers)

  Queenie?

  No answer. He enters.

  SCENE 94

  INT. LESTRANGE MAUSOLEUM—NIGHT

  ANGLE ON JACOB entering a small space full of shadows and sarcophagi. A single lamp.

  JACOB

  Queenie, honey?

  MALE WIZARD

  Don’t. Don’t move.

  A movement behind him. He whirls around. A silhouetted figure lunges at him.

  SCENE 95

  INT. MINISTÈRE DES AFFAIRES MAGIQUES, RECORDS ROOM ATRIUM—NIGHT

  NEWT and TINA turn a corner into a beautiful atrium area in front of towering Art Nouveau doors carved to resemble trees. A very old woman behind a desk bars the way: MELUSINE.

  MELUSINE

  Puis-je vous aider?

  NEWT

  Er—yes, this is Leta Lestrange. And—I’m her—

  TINA

  Fiancé.

  An increased awkwardness between them as MELUSINE lifts an ancient book onto the desk and opens it.

  CLOSE ON MELUSINE’S WIZENED FINGER as it runs down a list of surnames beginning with L.

  MELUSINE

  (pointing them on)

  Allez-y.

  TINA

  (whispering)

  Merci.

  NEWT

  (sotto voce, behind TINA)

  Thank you.

  NEWT grabs TINA’S hand and pulls her toward the doors into the records room. MELUSINE eyes them suspiciously.

  NEWT

  Tina, about that fiancée business—

  TINA

  (brittle)

  Sorry, yeah. I should have congratulated you—

  The doors to the records office open. They enter briskly.

  SCENE 96

  INT. MINISTÈRE DES AFFAIRES MAGIQUES, RECORDS ROOM—NIGHT

  The doors close behind them, plunging them into darkness.

  NEWT

  No, that’s—

  TINA

  Lumos.

  An extraordinary acre of shelves stretches away from them, all carved to look like trees, so that they seem to be on the edge of the forest. Pickett pokes his head out of NEWT’S pocket and squeals in excitement.