- In Marvel: I Start by Marrying Scarlett Witch [Complete]
- MWM Chapter 104
“I’ll teach you to disobey! How dare you disobey me!”
In the dimly lit church, Mary viciously lashed Credence’s palms with a belt. Even though his hands were already covered in blood from the repeated blows, she showed no signs of stopping. Her expression was twisted, with a hint of sadistic pleasure.
Credence’s body trembled as he endured the beating, his face a mixture of fear and pain, but he continued to silently endure.
“You know, you’re really quite twisted.”
A voice suddenly echoed behind Mary, startling her into spinning around and retreating a few steps.
“Who are you? I’m disciplining my child—this is none of your business! Leave immediately!”
“Who I am isn’t important. What’s important is that I’m taking this child with me.”
Leo stepped forward and knelt beside Credence. He pulled out his wand and cast a healing spell on Credence’s hands, mending the bloody welts as if they had never been there.
Upon hearing Leo’s words, Credence, who had been keeping his head down, suddenly looked up, his face transforming from one of fear and pain to one of joyous disbelief.
In stark contrast, Mary’s eyes narrowed in panic. She quickly grabbed a pair of scissors and held them protectively in front of her, her voice shaking with false bravado.
“I knew you people existed! You’re all doomed! I’ll make sure the whole world knows about you disgusting wizards and bring back the days when you were hunted down!”
“What gives you the courage to speak to a wizard like that?”
Leo raised his wand and calmly cast, “Imperio!”
Mary instantly fell under the Imperius Curse, her defiant stance crumbling as she became a puppet to Leo’s will.
Leo couldn’t help but think how absurdly lenient the Ministry of Magic could be. They were so harsh on their own kind, yet overprotective of Muggles like Mary, who clearly descended from a line of Puritans and actively campaigned against wizards. What was the point of keeping someone like her alive?
Tina had once been demoted just for using magic to stop Mary from abusing Credence, and all Mary got was a memory wipe of the incident. How could wizards feel any sense of justice when such actions were taken against them?
Leo sometimes found himself agreeing with some of Grindelwald’s views. If the Statute of Secrecy hadn’t oppressed wizards for nearly three hundred years, forcing them into the shadows, perhaps fewer wizards would have been drawn to Grindelwald’s cause.
The International Confederation of Wizards might imprison or even kill Grindelwald, but that would only treat the symptoms, not the disease. Otherwise, there wouldn’t have been so many wizards flocking to Voldemort’s side later on.
The wizarding world had long suffered under the Statute of Secrecy; an explosion was inevitable. If only Grindelwald and Voldemort hadn’t been so extreme in their methods, they might have garnered even more support.
“Wait here for me. I’m going to take care of your cruel foster mother.”
Leo said to Credence before Apparating away with Mary. He returned to the church about two minutes later.
“Let’s go. Today, I’ll bring you into the wizarding world and make you an official wizard!”
Grabbing Credence’s hand, Leo Apparated them both away.
Taking care of Mary was simple: under the influence of the Imperius Curse, he had her walk into the path of an oncoming trolley, staging it as an unfortunate accident. Although wizards were legally prohibited from harming Muggles like Mary, especially those involved in anti-wizard activities, no one would mourn her accidental death.
It was unlikely anyone would investigate the circumstances too closely. Even if they did, they would find nothing, as Leo had used the Elder Wand from his mission space, not Tom’s registered wand.
…
In a dark alley off Times Square in New York, Leo and Credence reappeared.
Experiencing Apparition for the first time, Credence was clearly disoriented, but the excitement was evident on his face. He looked at Leo and asked, “Mr. Graves, don’t you need me to help you find that girl?”
Previously, Grindelwald had promised Credence that if he helped find an important girl, he would be brought into the wizarding world and trained as a wizard. But now, they hadn’t found her yet.
Leo smiled and then returned to his original appearance.
“No need. Actually, my real identity isn’t Percival Graves—I’m Tom Fawley. You can call me Mr. Fawley.”
“What… what’s going on?”
Seeing Leo’s transformation, Credence was momentarily stunned.
“Don’t be alarmed; it’s just a bit of magic. If you study hard, you’ll be able to do it too.”
Leo waved his hand dismissively before adopting a more serious tone.
“Credence, from today on, I’ll take you on as my apprentice and formally teach you magic. But there are a few things you must remember—these are crucial. If you don’t follow them, we’ll both be in serious trouble.”
“Mr. Fawley, tell me. I’ll do whatever you say!” Credence quickly nodded.
Leo continued, “First, never mention the name Percival Graves to anyone. That person is actually dead, and it’s illegal for me to impersonate him.
Second, your foster mother is now dead. After she died, you ran away from the church and met me. I took pity on you and decided to take you in as my apprentice. Don’t let anyone know that we knew each other before, or we could both end up in prison for life.
Third, I’m going to take you away from New York to live in London. Your past experiences—unless absolutely necessary—should never be told to anyone.
Can you do that?”
“I can, I can, Mr. Fawley!”
Credence nodded eagerly, like a chick pecking at grains. To him, Leo was his lifeline, his only hope of escaping his life of misery and darkness. He would hold on to him for dear life.
“Good. Remember, you’re my apprentice now. Let’s go take a stroll down Magic Street and buy you some essentials every wizard needs!”
Leo led Credence through a stone archway into the American equivalent of Diagon Alley.
Entering Magic Street for the first time, Credence was filled with wonder, much like Harry Potter had been during his first visit to Diagon Alley. He was curious about everything he saw but was much more reserved than Harry, his difficult upbringing leaving him shy and withdrawn.
Unlike Harry, who had a rough life at his aunt’s house but wasn’t subjected to abuse, Credence had grown up frequently beaten and scarred.
Leo guided Credence through Magic Street, buying him his first official set of wizarding robes and a suitable wand, and treating him to many magical delicacies. They eventually settled in for the night at the Bull’s Head Tavern.
…