August continued to admire the dangerous and rare Nundu, wondering how Newt had managed to tame such a perilous magical creature. This giant beast, roughly the size of an elephant, could poison an entire tribe with a single breath. Wizards would have to join forces just to attempt to capture them. It was clear that Newt possessed a unique talent, an indescribable affinity for magical creatures.
"Chirp—"
Just as August was looking at this rare magical creature, a clear, prolonged eagle's cry suddenly came from Newt's location.
August looked up and saw a giant bird, glowing with a golden-reddish light, slowly descending from the sky, flapping its wings. The echo of thunder accompanied its movements.
Tina and Queenie watched the giant bird with disbelief, murmuring, "A Thunderbird..."
Most American wizards have a special affection for Thunderbirds, as one of the four houses of Ilvermorny, the only magic school in the United States, has the Thunderbird as its symbol.
Ilvermorny, like Hogwarts, has a long history, founded in the 17th century, and is also divided into four houses: Horned Serpent, which favors scholars; Wampus, which champions warriors; Pukwudgie, which represents the heart; and Thunderbird, which favors adventurers.
Ilvermorny was founded by a witch and her Muggle lover, and is therefore considered the most democratic and inclusive school.
However, the wizarding world is now severely divided between wizards and Muggles, making one wonder what its founders would think.
"Is Frank upset?" Newt looked at the restless Thunderbird. This magical creature has an instinctive perception of danger. "Something's wrong; something dangerous is approaching!"
"It seems I'll have to postpone some questions," August said, spreading his hands and looking at Newt.
"If there's anything I can help with, I'd be glad to, but let's address what's outside first," Newt replied very kindly.
"Of course, I can't think of anyone else more suitable for this, but business comes first. If you don't mind, I'll help you too," August responded.
"Thank you," Newt said. Although he didn't know the origin of this young wizard named August, he could feel his goodwill.
Tina had already investigated August's background. It was his training as a former American Magical policeman and Auror; she wouldn't easily trust a stranger who suddenly appeared.
This person couldn't even [Apparate], which is an essential skill for a wizard graduating from school.
August's explanation for this was that the magic he studied belonged to a different system, very different from theirs, and for some reason, he couldn't learn Apparition.
Tina was somewhat skeptical of this explanation, but the world is vast, and it's normal for other lineages to exist. Not being able to learn certain magic is common among other wizards; for example, not everyone can cast a [Patronus Charm].
---
In a corner of this big city, there was a small orphanage.
The interior of this house was now in ruins, with shattered walls, twisted wooden stair railings, and broken furniture and belongings scattered across the floor.
At that moment, a tall man, holding a wand, entered cautiously and slowly, carefully inspecting the ruins.
He saw a woman lying on the floor, her eyes wide open and her face ashen, still filled with fear and disbelief.
This was Mary, the owner of the house and caretaker of a group of children. She also had another identity: the leader of the *Second Salemers* organization.
The members of this organization were descendants of wizards, but now they no longer possessed magical abilities; after extensive intermarriage, they were basically all *Squibs*.
The origin of this organization dates back to the famous **Salem Witch Trials** in the 1690s.
At that time, over two hundred people were accused of witchcraft, with nineteen hanged, one crushed to death by stones, and five in prison. A significant portion of them were Muggles, or as they are called in the United States, *No-Majs* (non-magical).
Some Puritans, for their own interests, fueled this major event behind the scenes, leading to this tragedy and directly causing the establishment of the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA).
After its founding, MACUSA, to eradicate these cancerous elements from the American wizarding world, ordered their widespread encirclement and suppression, launching a persecution against these Puritans. Some were arrested and tried, others killed on the spot, and others went into hiding, escaping the purge.
However, they didn't dare to show their faces and could only marry No-Majs. Due to their hatred towards the wizards who had expelled them from the wizarding world and persecuted them to the point of giving them no escape, they instilled in their descendants from a young age the belief that "magic exists and will harm humanity; we must eliminate wizards."
Thus, it was passed down from generation to generation. Although they no longer possessed magic, their anti-magic stance persisted, gradually forming the Second Salemers organization, also known as the "New Salem Philanthropic Society," led by Mary.
Credence was Mary's adopted son, and he had been constantly abused, but he was weak-willed and always endured silently.
And Graves, the Head of Security for the Magical Congress of the United States of America, once approached him with a specific agenda, promising Credence he would help him establish himself in the wizarding world after he helped him find the girl he was looking for.
Graves looked at Credence, who was cowering in a corner. He frowned, looked around, and suddenly felt that things were exceeding his expectations. Why had the Obscurus suddenly erupted?
"Credence, don't be afraid!" Graves helped the boy up by the shoulders, urging him. The Obscurus was crucial to his plan, and there could be no mistakes with it.
"Help me, please help me!" Credence sat on the floor, crying inconsolably, looking terrified, begging for help again and again.
"Credence, don't you have a sister? Where is she? Tell me, where is your sister?" Graves didn't answer him, but insisted on knowing where the girl was. "Your sister is in grave danger right now; we have to find her!"
He saw that Credence continued to moan non-stop and, in a fit of anger, slapped him.
Credence was stunned at that moment, but Graves, without a word, grabbed him by the shoulders and Apparated away.
I should have known from the beginning that you had magical ancestors, but no magic. Graves and he Apparated to a dilapidated house. In the distance, they heard muffled sobs, knowing their target was there, so he became increasingly impatient with the person he had already used.
"But you said you'd teach me!" Credence immediately said.
"You can't learn it at all!" Graves replied indifferently, not taking him seriously. "Your adoptive mother is dead; that's your reward!"
"No..." Credence looked at him in disbelief, not expecting such a result. His body trembled slightly, and tears and snot flowed uncontrollably.
Graves ignored him and found the girl's hiding spot. He knelt down and said sweetly, "I'm here with your brother Credence. Come out, it's safe!"
Who would have thought that upon hearing that name, the girl became even more terrified and kept trying to burrow further under the table.
At that moment, Graves suddenly felt a strong magical fluctuation behind him. The walls peeled away in sheets, and huge cracks spread across them.