Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (13 page)

TRAVERS (O.S.)

THESEUS!

THESEUS leaves.

SCENE 65

INT. DESERTED HOGWARTS CORRIDOR—DAY

The late afternoon sun falls through the windows as LETA walks along a corridor populated only with memories. She stops beside an open door.

The Great Hall is lit with floating candles.

SCENE 66

INT. EMPTY HOGWARTS CLASSROOM—DAY

LETA walks slowly into the classroom, then turns to look back into the corridor and—

DISSOLVE TO:

SCENE 67

INT. EMPTY HOGWARTS CLASSROOM—SEVENTEEN YEARS PREVIOUSLY—MORNING

13-YEAR-OLD LETA stands hiding inside the empty classroom while students in cloaks trundle by, pushing trunks and carrying owls. It is the last day of the winter term and
nearly everyone is going home.

ANGLE ON TWO 13-YEAR-OLD GRYFFINDOR GIRLS pushing trunks.

GRYFFINDOR GIRL 1

You know she stays here every vacation. Her family don’t actually want her home.

GRYFFINDOR GIRL 2

I don’t blame them, she’s so annoying. Even the name Lestrange makes me feel sick—

LETA flings herself into their path, pointing her wand.

13-YEAR-OLD LETA

Oscausi!

GRYFFINDOR GIRL 2’S mouth is sealed shut as though she never had one. Triumphant, LETA flees the scene, pushing past shocked students.

GRYFFINDOR GIRL 1

(screams)

Professor McGonagall! LESTRANGE HAS DONE IT AGAIN!

M
C
GONAGALL (O.S.)

Lestrange, stop running! LESTRANGE! Disobedient children. Stop! Shame on the House of Slytherin. One hundred points! Two hundred! Get back here, right now! Stop! Stop it! Stop
it! You stop it! Get back here!

GRYFFINDOR GIRL 1

Miss, it was Lestrange. She’s horrible—

McGONAGALL silences the girl.

ANGLE ON LETA, sprinting around a corner.

She wrenches open a side door and plunges inside.

SCENE 68

INT. HOGWARTS CUPBOARD—SEVENTEEN YEARS PREVIOUSLY—MORNING

13-YEAR-OLD LETA slams the door and stands there, ear against it. She hears running, distant shouts. Then a sound behind her makes her jump and turn around.

13-YEAR-OLD NEWT is already in occupation of the cupboard. He has hidden a couple of tanks here, one containing tadpoles, another Streelers. A lined cardboard box serves as
a nest for the raven chick he is cradling in his hand. It wears a splint on its broken leg. NEWT and LETA stare at each other.

13-YEAR-OLD LETA

Scamander . . . why aren’t you packing?

13-YEAR-OLD NEWT

I’m not going home.

13-YEAR-OLD LETA

Why not?

13-YEAR-OLD NEWT

(of the raven)

He needs me. It was hurt.

LETA takes in the tanks, then the ugly little bird, to which NEWT now feeds an earthworm.

13-YEAR-OLD LETA

What is that?

13-YEAR-OLD NEWT

A raven chick.

She is mildly intrigued now.

13-YEAR-OLD LETA

The raven’s my family’s emblem.

She watches him stroking the bird’s head. As he places the chick gently in her hands, she seems to see him plainly for the first time.

DISSOLVE TO:

SCENE 69

INT. DEFENSE AGAINST THE DARK ARTS CLASS—FOURTEEN YEARS PREVIOUSLY—DAY

It is Boggart time. DUMBLEDORE supervises the line of teenagers advancing to try their luck.
“Riddikulus”—“Riddikulus”
—gusts of
hilarity as a shark becomes a flotation device, a zombie’s head turns into a pumpkin, a vampire turns into a buck-toothed rabbit.

DUMBLEDORE

All right, Newt. Be brave.

16-YEAR-OLD NEWT moves to the front of the queue. The Boggart turns into a Ministry desk.

DUMBLEDORE

Mmm, that’s an unusual one. So Mr. Scamander fears what more than anything else in the world?

16-YEAR-OLD NEWT

Having to work in an office, sir.

The class roars with laughter.

DUMBLEDORE

Go ahead, Newt.

16-YEAR-OLD NEWT

Riddikulus!

NEWT turns the desk into a gamboling wooden dragon and moves aside.

DUMBLEDORE

Well done. Good job.

It is 16-YEAR-OLD LETA’S turn, but she doesn’t move. She is terrified.

DUMBLEDORE

(kind, to LETA)

Leta, it’s only a Boggart, it can’t hurt you. Everyone’s scared of something.

A group of girls stands together, enjoying her fear.

GRYFFINDOR GIRL 1

I’ve been looking forward to this.

LETA steps forward. The Boggart transforms and at once, all laughter is extinguished. Green light is reflected on every horrified face.

We see a shadow, with a tiny human hand. LETA lets out a sob and runs from the room.

SCENE 70

EXT. HOGWARTS LAKE, BOWTRUCKLE ISLAND—FOURTEEN YEARS PREVIOUSLY—EVENING

NEWT finds LETA sitting by the lake, tearstained, eyes swollen. They look at each other.

16-YEAR-OLD LETA

I don’t want to talk about it!

He holds out his hand and she lets him pull her up. He leads her past a few trees until they reach the one where Bowtruckles are climbing and fighting and playing. They
freeze at the humans’ approach but relax when they recognize NEWT. He holds out a finger. One of them jumps on.

16-YEAR-OLD NEWT

They know me, or they’d hide. They only nest in trees with wand-quality wood, did you know that?

(beat)

And they have very complex social lives. If you watch them for long enough, you realize . . .

He trails off. She is watching him, not the Bowtruckles. NEWT reaches across to her, the Bowtruckle standing on his wrist. His hand grazes hers.

DUMBLEDORE (V.O.)

Hello, Leta.

DISSOLVE TO:

SCENE 71

INT. EMPTY HOGWARTS CLASSROOM—AFTERNOON

LETA is still sitting at her old desk in the present-day classroom. DUMBLEDORE enters.

DUMBLEDORE

This is a surprise.

LETA

(cold)

Finding me in a classroom? Was I such a bad student?

DUMBLEDORE

On the contrary, you were one of my cleverest.

LETA

I said bad, not stupid. Don’t bother answering. I know you never liked me.

DUMBLEDORE

Well, you’re wrong. I never thought you bad.

LETA

You were alone, then. Everybody else did.

(very quietly)

And they were right. I was wicked.

A beat as he considers her.

DUMBLEDORE

Leta, I know how painful the rumors about your brother Corvus must be for you.

LETA

No, you don’t. Not unless you had a brother who died too.

DUMBLEDORE

In my case, it was my sister.

She stares at him, both hostile and curious.

LETA