The human mind would often become happy by seeing someone who had previously hurt them, become hurt.
Call it revenge or even some sinful feeling of gratefulness about someone who hurt you, getting hurt themselves now. But seeing the one sided duel taking place in front of her didn't feel right.
Beatriz and Rin had been throwing spells against each other for the better part of fifteen minutes now.
Both bloody, exhausted and on the verge of collapse.
Rin had sent cutting charm after cutting charm at Beatriz. And she had answered back with lightning spells that still crackled in the ground of the ring.
Outside the bringing of December had come with big steps, making the forest a bit chillier. But it still held its warmth. Fila breathed in the fresh air. Daniel who apart from Fila was the last remaining of the Ilvermorny team now standing.
Marcus crushed by a boulder, Aaron outclassed, Sera yielded after a long drawn out match.
"What's your expectation?" he asked her as the leaned against the railing overlooking the match going on below them.
Fila didn't answer immediately. She watched as another cutting curse grazed Bea's shoulder, drawing fresh blood. Bea staggered but fired back with a desperate lightning chain that forced Rin to dodge.
"I don't know," Fila said finally, voice low and even. "Part of me wants Bea to win. Another part… remembers what she did."
Daniel glanced at her, curious but careful. "You two were close. Really close."
"We were." Fila's fingers tightened slightly on the railing. "But closeness doesn't erase betrayal. She chose fear over trust. Calculation over loyalty."
Below them, Bea let out a pained cry as Rin landed a solid hit, sending her skidding across the stone. The crowd roared. Bea pushed herself up, blood running down her face, eyes fierce but fading.
"She's fighting hard," Daniel noted. "Even after everything."
"Yeah," Fila murmured. "She always does."
In that moment, as Rin prepared another cutting curse, Fila felt something inside her shift. Not forgiveness. Not yet. But a quiet understanding that pain didn't cancel pain. That watching Bea bleed didn't heal the wound Bea had left in her.
She turned away from the railing as the duel continued.
"I hope she yields soon," Fila said softly. "She's already given enough."
Daniel raised an eyebrow but didn't push. He simply fell into step beside her as they walked away from the stands.
The two kept on fighting. Cutting charm after charm, lighting and hex after another. And it soon came to a close.
"FUCKING GIVE UP." Bea shouted and unleashed a devastating lighting strike that flowed into the ground, coming up right in front of Rin. Knocking her back several maters. But Rin didn't let that stop her, and as she started to fall she sent another charm. A cutting charm cut right into the stomach of Bea.
And she fell.
A low sigh came from Fila. She didn't feel very good seeing that and she could feel her heart give a slight jump in her chest.
Bea laid there on the ground, almost entirely covering in her own blood.
But she smiled, her head turned to Fila. And they made eye contact.
Bea's eyes found Fila's across the distance. Even through pain and exhaustion, she smiled small, broken, but real. A smile that carried apologies, regret, and something softer. Something that still looked like love.
Fila stood completely still.
'That damn smile.' She mumbled but couldn't make herself look away.
Felling something she shouldn't feel right now. Pity, but with a sparkle of sorrow.
She sighed deeply, already regretting something she hadn't even done yet. The medics were already on their way towards her.
With a snap she apparated the Bea's side.
"Sorr…" Bea tried to say.
"Just shut up," Fila interrupted, putting a potion to her mouth. The potion she had made. It would do good.
Everyone else looked at the two with confused gazes, some even started speculating and murmuring.
Bea drank the potion with trembling lips, her eyes never leaving Fila's face. The emerald liquid worked almost instantly the deep gash across her stomach began to knit together, the bleeding slowed to a trickle, and color slowly returned to her pale cheeks.
For a few long seconds, the entire ring was silent except for the distant crackle of residual magic and the soft murmurs spreading through the stands.
"You fought well," she said quietly, almost too quiet for anyone else to hear. "You always do."
Bea's breath hitched. Tears mixed with the blood on her face.
"Im sorry…"
Fila apparated away, leaving only a flurry of flower petals and leaves after her.
Bea laid on the rough hard ground of the ring, while medics had already started working.
"Her wounds has already started to heal" one of the medics said while examining her.
The crowd's murmurs grew louder. Speculation rippled through the stands. The Butcher of the Jungle had shown mercy to the girl who had betrayed her. Some called it weakness. Others called it strength.
Fila soon popped out of nothing by the stands where she had been before. June and Miles already walking towards her. "That was nice of you," June said as she got closer, voice soft. "After everything… you still helped her."
Fila adjusted her blindfold, the golden Thunderbird catching the pale December light. Her voice remained calm and even.
"I didn't do it because I forgave her," she said. "I did it because watching her bleed didn't make me feel any better. It just made everything feel heavier."
It's a strange feeling this. seeing someone you would have cared for if things turned out different. It's a pull towards something that shouldn't be but could be still. Maybe she had a good reason for going behind Fila's back like that. Som reason that She herself didn't understand. But maybe that the pretty part about it.
"Fila." June's worried voice shot out. "You could at least go talk with her in the medical wing later."
She let out a soft sigh but didn't dwell on the thought, she had enough to think about as is. And right now, she would see who would go into the ring next.
Headmistress Dourado stood with her bowl of names in the ring facing the spectators.
Fontaine stood just a bit away from Fila, he and professor Hale had discussed what would follow with this. three of the five champions of Ilvermorny had already lost, all from the students of Mahoutokoro.
"If Daniel gets chooses right now he might lose, the odds are against us. And he will probably meet a Japanese student." Hale frowned at the thought, he was a winner. He wanted his team to win, and his only way to do that. Ophelia.
"What ever happens, happens. Professor, we can only hope for a win." Fontaine smiled, to him the results of the tournament wasn't a big deal. He more saw it as a way for these students to grow, both in strength and knowledge.
But he couldn't agree more on the fact that Mahoutokoro is doing really well. Only losing one of their champions. And Itsuki had lost against Ophelia.
"I don't want Ophelia to battle them all, it could lead to some worrying effects on her." He said quietly. "I will talk with her."
Hale's expression grew grim, "You are going to ask her to drop out."
Fontaine didn't confirm Hale's thought, but they weren't wrong.
"Yumi." The voice of headmistress Dourado cut the tension and quiet of the ring.
The two champions of Ilvermorny looked at the bowl with anticipation.
Dourado took the last piece of paper with the name and looked up to the crowd. "Ophelia."
The words echoed in her mind, and the people around cheered as they knew a good match would be coming soon. Yumi had been the cause of Marcus still being in the hospital.
Thinking back on the face of Marcus as he laid under that boulder brought a smile to her face, a sinister one. Knowing she could finally make Yumi feel some sort of pain for that.
Daniel put a hand on her shoulder. "Well good luck with that. A shame i seem to never get picked." He said with a fake tear gestured by his finger.
Dourado still stood in the ring, "The duel will take place right now." She said with a smile. A taunting way to do things, witness a harsh duel and get into the next one right away.
The wind blew in her hair now, she felt a chill run down her spine.
But with a determination she walked down into the ring and apparated to her position. Yumi had also gotten ready.
"You're not walking out of this one," Yumi said, loud enough for the front rows to hear. "Not after what you did to Itsuki."
Fila stopped at her mark. She didn't raise her wand yet. She simply looked at Yumi, really looked at her.
"You almost killed Marcus," Fila said calmly, almost conversationally. "You smiled while you did it. So let's not pretend you're the victim here."
The headmistress stepped forward, her voice carrying across the tense silence.
"Final match. Fight with honor. Begin."
The tow duelist looked at each other while the headmistress started walking out of the ring, counting the steps until they could unleash a barrage of spells hoping it would either knock the opponent down. Or kill.
Her black walnut wand in her hand felt good, sturdy. And the Thunderbird feather in it hummed with excitement.
Thunderbird wands are known to be, explosive and often unleashing spells violent and chaotic depending on the users feelings. They are also known to be easy to make weather controlling spells with, something Fila had never experienced with. But making a snow storm in the middle of the amazon had crossed her mind more than a few times.
"Stop!" a voice suddenly called out, making even the headmistress stop in her track.
Everyone looked towards the voice, which seemed to come from the entrence of the ring. And sure enough four official looking wizards came in, and one witch. They walked with stern and steady steps towards Ophelia.
"This duel is terminated, and Ophelia Grindelwald." he began as he soon grabbed her arm with a forceful grip. "You're under arrest for suspicion of wielding dark magic."
The words hung in the air like a curse.
Four official-looking wizards and one witch advanced with stern purpose, their robes bearing the insignia of the International Confederation of Wizards' Enforcement Division. The lead wizard, a tall, severe man with a thin mustache, seized Fila's arm in a forceful grip.
"You're under arrest for suspicion of wielding dark magic," he repeated, louder this time so the entire ring could hear.
The crowd erupted.
Gasps, shouts, and a wave of confusion swept through the stands. Some cheered, others booed. A few Castelobruxo students looked genuinely shocked.
Fila didn't resist immediately. She stood very still, her black walnut wand still held loosely in her other hand. The Thunderbird feather inside it hummed with restrained energy, almost like it wanted to lash out. But she kept her voice calm and cold.
"Take your hand off me."
The wizard tightened his grip. "You will come quietly, Miss Grindelwald. The use of illegal curses and dark botanical manipulation has been documented. The rose bush incident with Itsuki Yamazaki was the final evidence needed."
Fontaine was already moving, pushing through the barrier that hadn't fully dropped yet.
"This is outrageous!" he called out sharply. "The tournament is sanctioned. All magic used was within the agreed rules of engagement. You cannot just—"
Another official stepped forward, blocking Fontaine with a raised hand. "Headmaster Fontaine, this is an international matter. The Grindelwald name carries certain… sensitivities. We have orders from higher up."
Fila's jaw tightened. A familiar cold feeling stirred in her chest.
She soon felt her wand yanked out of her hand by the female official aurorer.
"Headmaster, please send a letter to Vinda Rosier and tell her what happened." Fila said while gritting her teeth.
June and Miles were shouting from the stands, trying to push forward, but security charms held them back. Daniel stood frozen, eyes wide.
As the officials began to escort her out of the ring, Fila kept her head high. No struggling. No screams.
A classic ploy of play from someone who wanted her gone. She hadn't used any dark magic, nor was her flower magic illegal in anyway shape or form.
Fila looked at the officials. They seemed experienced, more than they should for some normal arrest that could have been made by almost any aurorers.
"So where we going guys?" Fila tried to make something out of the situation. But they didn't budge one bit and only kept going. "Oh come on don't be like that, we're all friends here right. This is all just some misunderstanding."
"Stupefy." She heard before it all went black.
The Stupefy hit her like a hammer to the back of the head.
Fila's world went black before she could finish her sentence. Her body slumped forward, caught roughly by two of the officials before she could hit the stone. The last thing she registered was the distant sound of June screaming her name and Fontaine's furious shout.
When she woke up, her head throbbed with a dull, angry pulse. Her wrists were bound with enchanted cuffs that suppressed magic — cold, heavy, and uncomfortably tight. She was sitting on a hard wooden bench inside what looked like a secure portkey transport carriage, the windows charmed opaque. Two aurors sat across from her, wands out and expressions blank.
Fila tested the cuffs once, feeling the familiar hum of Thunderbird magic trying and failing to spark inside her wand arm. She leaned her head back against the wall and let out a slow breath.
"...Overkill," she muttered, voice raspy. "You could've just asked me to come quietly."
One of the aurors, a stocky woman with short gray hair, didn't even blink. "Orders are orders, Grindelwald. You have a reputation."
Fila smiled thinly, though there was no warmth in it.
"A reputation I earned in a sanctioned tournament. Funny how that works."
The carriage jolted as it arrived at its destination. The doors opened to reveal a sterile, gray-stone holding facility.
She was forced out as the door opened, and she recognized the symbol of the officials standing to take her. And eagle with the American flag.
'Fucking MACUSA.' She cursed in her mind as she was escorted roughly through the halls of what most likely were a holding building for them.
The officials didn't speak much. They simply shoved her into a small, windowless holding cell. The enchanted cuffs remained on her wrists, connected by a short chain to a ring bolted into the wall. Her blindfold stayed in place they hadn't bothered removing it, which almost felt like a small mercy.
The heavy door clanged shut behind her. A single dim light orb floated near the ceiling.
Fila sat down on the narrow bench, leaning her back against the cold stone. Her head still ached from the Stupefy, but she kept her breathing even.
Minutes stretched into what felt like hours.
Eventually, the door opened again. A sharp-featured witch in formal MACUSA robes entered, carrying a folder. Two armed aurors stood guard at the entrance.
"Ophelia Rosier Grindelwald," the witch began without preamble. "You are being held under suspicion of using Class Three Dark Botanical Magic and excessive force in violation of the International Dueling Accords. The internal deployment of thorns and plant matter causing organ damage is considered a prohibited curse under post-Grindelwald treaties."
Fila tilted her head slightly, blindfold shifting.
"So it's illegal when I do it," she said calmly, "but perfectly fine when Yumi tries to crush a boy under a boulder the size of a hippogriff? Interesting definition of 'excessive.'"
The witch's expression didn't change.
"Witness statements and medical reports from the tournament have been reviewed. Your… methods have raised concerns about possible dark influence."
Fila let out a short, humorless laugh.
"Dark influence. Right. Because the name Grindelwald is enough on its own. You people really are predictable."
The witch leaned forward slightly.
"Cooperation would make this easier. Who taught you that curse? Was it family? Vinda Rosier, perhaps?"
It clicked, they weren't just trying to blame her for some bullshit excuse. They were fishing for all of it, her grandmother even.
Fila's jaw tightened, but her voice stayed ice-cold and steady.
"I taught myself. In a sanctioned duel. Against someone who nearly killed my teammate and smiled about it. If that makes me dark, then half the people cheering in that crowd are guilty too."
The witch closed the folder with a snap.
"You will remain here until a full hearing can be arranged. Contact with the outside world is restricted. Your wand has been placed in evidence."
As she turned to leave, Fila spoke one last time.
"Tell them Vinda Rosier will be coming. And when she does… I wouldn't recommend trying to stop her."
The door slammed shut again.
Alone in the dim cell, Fila exhaled slowly. The cold stone pressed against her back. The cuffs bit into her wrists.
She looked around, "Why do I always end up in a damp, depressing place made of stone." She laughed lightly at the situation.
The tournament would be lost now, Daniel wouldn't win against the four still standing Japanese students. And that more than anything made her irritated, but she decided to just breath the frustration out. Doing anything about it would be impossible now.
The room was small, a bed, table, chair and a toilet. Smelled like piss and damp stone.
"Fucking lovely place you have here." she said not thinking she said it out loud.
From across the hall in another cell a voice came, "Its not that bad once you get used to it." an elderly woman's voice.
Fila walked towards the door and looked over to the other cell.
Fila let out a short, humorless chuckle, resting her cuffed hands against the cold bars.
"Comforting. I'll add it to my list of life advice."
The old witch tilted her head, studying Fila through the gap.
"Grindelwald girl, aren't you? The one they dragged in earlier. Whole place has been whispering about you. 'Butcher of the Jungle.' They love their dramatic titles here."
Fila leaned her forehead against the cool metal.
"Something like that. Apparently winning too convincingly counts as dark magic these days."
The woman laughed a dry, wheezing sound that echoed down the hall.
"Welcome to MACUSA justice. They've been terrified of your bloodline since your grandfather's war. One wrong spell and suddenly you're the next Dark Lady in training. I've seen it before." the woman paused. "You look a lot like him."
Fila's eyes widened. Did she hear that correctly. "What did you say?" she asked.
The old witch gave a slow, knowing smile. Her eyes gleamed with something ancient — nostalgia mixed with bitterness.
"I said you look a lot like him. The eyes… even behind that blindfold, I can tell. The posture. The way you carry yourself like the world already owes you something. Gellert had that same quiet arrogance when he was young."
Fila pulled back slightly, heart beating faster despite her calm exterior.
The woman chuckled again, low and rasping.
"Don't look so surprised, child. This wing isn't for common criminals. MACUSA likes to keep all the old 'dark' elements together. Former followers, supporters, sympathizers… anyone who ever raised a wand for the Greater Good. They call it 'protective custody.' We call it the Grindelwald Wing."
Fila glanced down the dimly lit corridor. Now that her ears were attuned to it, she could hear faint murmurs from other cells, older voices, some speaking German or French, others humming old revolutionary songs under their breath.
The elderly witch leaned closer to her own bars.
"Name's Elara Voss. I was one of his advisors during the early campaigns. Strategy. Propaganda. I helped write half the speeches that made Europe tremble." Her smile turned wistful. "Before it all went wrong, of course. Before the madness took him completely."
Fila studied her carefully.
"And now you're here. Rotting in a stone box."
Elara shrugged.
"Better than being dead. Most of us who survived Azkaban or the trials ended up here. They don't know what to do with us. Too old to be real threats, but too symbolic to release." She tilted her head. "And now they've thrown the granddaughter into the lion's den. Either they're fools… or they want you to break."
Fila's fingers tightened on the bars.
"I'm not here to break."
"Good," Elara said approvingly. "Because they'll try. They always do with your bloodline. Questions about Vinda. About old rituals. About whether the 'monster' was taught at home. Just remember the name isn't a curse. It's a blade. You decide how to wield it."