I had read your MACUSADirector! Newt AU, and was thinking of how different Graves would be, so sorry if I spew everything out. Graves doesn't really change, he still goes into Horned Serpent, he's still complete amazing in Defense class, he's still an exceptional in wandless magic, he still get top marks but the thing that does change came before he even entered Ivellmory. He was younger, and this small young child looked up at the foreboding pictures of a long continuous line of aurors
And he thinks, and he thinks and finally he asks his mother if she would still love him if he decides to be anything besides an auror. She smiles a large almost face-splitting smile and says, "Whatever you do, you do it for you." So Graves dabbles throughout his whole school career until finally something catches his eye. Beastiology is a completely under staffed, under developed class and yet, and yet it completely mystifies Graves that their is so much they don't know about these creatures.
How much he could learn from this. So when he finally finishes and all his school-mates, acquaintances, hell, even Seraphina state to him that he's going into the Auror Program he laughs in their faces as he continues to stuff all he owns in a suitcase with a well placed extension charm and hoofs it out of New York. He's everywhere, all around America sending post cards from Oregon, Nevada, California, Minnesota. He collects and protects a menagerie of completely strange creature.
He hoofs it out of America around the world, breaking smuggling rings and adding to his ever enlarging asylum of beasts, and no mummy isn't what his beasts call him, that's ridiculous (They call him Papa). And everyone in the higher standing in the American Wizarding World, tuts and shakes their heads thinking what a waste Percival has made of himself. All of that talent gone down the drain, they moan. But Percival is not wasting a single ounce of what he learned at all. He's a Graves boy.
And Graves boys know the law. He knows every sub section in every code and in every legal document to ever pass through the hands of law makers, that helps him cheat the system. He uses all of the knowledge of when he was in diapers sitting on his father's knee while the man droned on to cheat the system. See the Nundu needs no permit because of Subsection C where it clearly states that a person(s) belonging is only considered dangerous if in use.
Do YOU have a receipt for the item in which you are so WRONGLY accusing my Niffler of stealing? Any legal documentation for having that Graphorn illegally in Africa, yes I do indeed. He runs circles around any well trained auror.
He receives a letter from his mother, demanding he come and visit home for even just a few days and he replies with a yes, besides he was coming around to bring Tuscany the Thunderbird back home.
Hello friend. Fabulous friend. Graves being Papa and knowing his laws inside and out absolutely thrashing any auror who dare stand against his creatures this is golden.
Graves naming his creatures after Italian provinces THIS IS GOLDEN TOO
(and the piece referred to is this one here for them as want to read Newt as the director)