Chapter 9- Obscurial

Once inside Newt's suitcase, he directed Jacob on what area Dougal normally resided in then Newt turned to Lila, "Do you want to hold her?"

Lila blinked, "Sure, why not?" She snorted, "That's basically been the attitude of the last two days for me."

Newt gave his signature half-awkward smile back at her and it made her heart melt, "Welcome to my world." He carefully lifted up the tea cup lid off and held out his right hand, "Mommy's here, come on. It's safe now."

Lila gave a blissful smile as she watched the Occamie coo and slide upwards, out of the bowl and wrap her body around Newt's hand. Newt slowly positioned his hand so that Lila could take the Occamie into her hands. Lila held out both hands and softly called the Occamie's attention. The Occamie chirped at her and slid across the gap and onto her hands.

"She's light." She gasped. Lila looked back up at Newt, "How? When she Choranaptyxic's to a space, doesn't she have the same weight either way? When we were in Macy's, and she grew, she felt heavy. Now in here, she's small and feels as light as a feather."

Newt's eyes lit up, "You know the sciences?"

"Just the basics." Lila responded, "It was my uncle's favorite pastime. He would read from science books to me during story time at night when I was younger. I retained some of that knowledge. Not enough to land me a job in it." Lila stated as an after fact, "Most of the information he read hasn't retained itself as I was half asleep when he started to read to me."

"I see there are many different peculiarities about you, Lila Cromwell." Newt stated boldly, "You know the sciences, can read and write in Latin and are steadfastly loyal. You'd make a great Hufflepuff."

Lila looked down at the Occamie and tried her hardest not to blush. It seemed it didn't work as she felt her cheeks flare up, "What's her name?" She abruptly changed the conversation.

"Wolf." Newt replied, going with the flow, "The Japanese translation of wolf is Okami which is phonetically similar to Occamie. I thought it fitted her."

"Hello Wolf." Lila parroted Newt's name for the Occamie. She scratched Wolf on the back of her head and behind the ears. She just realized that Newt still hadn't answered her question about Wolf's weight issue but Newt began talking, cutting off what she was going to say.

"She's probably tired from all the action today." Newt stated as he watched Wolf yawn, "Let's put her back in her nest with the others."

At that Lila looked up, "Alright." She agreed. Newt showed her over to a nest with other Occamies resting and one or two eggs that still haven't hatched yet. She walked slowly over and lowered her hands into the nest. Wolf saw his other friends and slid excitedly off, chirping at them. Obviously she was telling the others of her great adventure.

Lila looked up and saw that Jacob had done his task of taking back Dougal to his habitat. Queenie and Tina were looking around the suitcase in awe, not having seen the inside before. It truly was magical.

The Erumpent came to greet them, but not leaving his habitat. Tina stared at it, mesmerised. Jacob saw Tina's look and laughed, shook his head and walked away.

Lila turned her attention back to Newt as he let out an exclamation of, "OW!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out Pickett. Newt stared at him as Pickett climbed onto the top of his left hand. Pickett began to squeak. Newt sighed and stated, "Right." As if responding to Pickett's squeeks. Knowing Newt, he probably understood what the Bowtruckle was saying, "I think we need to talk."

Newt raised an eyebrow as Pickett chirped, "You want the nice lady with you to back you up?" Newt looked over to Lila and sighed, "Pickett wants you as backup."

Lila's eyebrows furled, "Me?"

"He apparently heard you defending him." Newt swallowed, "When I gave him to Gnarlak." Newt's voice broke over saying Gnarlak's name and Lila pretended not to notice.

Lila softened and walked over to Newt for a little more privacy, "I'm here, Pickett."

Newt turned his attention back to Pickett, "I wouldn't have let him keep you, Pickett. Think I would rather chop off my hand then get rid of you." They walked while Newt was talking, "After everything you've done for me."

Lila pipped in, "It's true," Lila stated and hesitated before continuing, "He looked devastated and broken hearted when he realised the only way to get the information about Wolf was to hand you over." She shook her head, "I never want to see that look again."

Lila saw Newt glance at her sharply but she ignored him, "Pickett, Newt loves you. He would have traveled around the world to find you and get you back." Pickett reached for her from Newt's hand and she held out her right hand to Newt's left. Pickett climbed over and gave her hand a hug, "Aww, Pickett."

"Seems he's taken a shining to you." Newt said, glancing from Pickett to Lila. At Newt's voice Pickett put both of his 'arms' on his 'hips' and pouted, "Think we've talked about the sulking before, haven't we. Pickett. Come on, give me a smile. Pickett, give me-"

Pickett leaned forward and blew a raspberry at Newt.

"Pickett." Lila sighed, "That's rude." Pickett turned and seemed to give her a 'look.' Lila quietly giggled at how cute he was being.

Newt sighed, "All right. Now that's beneath you. Come on, hop back on." Newt indicated to Pickett who was currently clutching Lila's right hand, refused to let go, "Pickett."

"I don't think he wants to let go." Lila whispered, her eyes wide and stared into Newt's grey, stormy eyes.

Newt deflated, "Do you want to stay with Lila, Pickett?" His voice was barely a whisper.

Pickett nodded his tiny head and Lila's heart clenched. Pickett was having a fight with Newt and didn't want to be anywhere near him right now. Lila could understand that. She cleared her throat, "I-its fine if Pickett stays with me." She paused, "At least for now."

Newt swallowed, "Fine."

Lila moved her hand so that Pickett could hop onto her right shoulder. He slid down and in to the right pocket of Tina's purple night gown that she was still wearing. She had to get a change of clothes. As she turned away from Newt, movement caught her eye. She turned and saw a picture frame on a worktable next to the wooden shed. It was of a young girl dressed up. Two flowers were pinned in her hair with dangling earrings. The picture of the girl moved. MOVED.

"Um, Newt." Lila asked, staring at the moving picture, "Is that picture supposed to be moving?" It was the strangest sentence she had ever uttered.

Apparently Queenie had questions of her own and asked, "Who's she?"

Newt shook his head, "Oh, that's no one."

"Leta Lestrange." Queenie stated. So, she already knew. She just wanted to know if Newt would tell them. Apparently Newt didn't want to. Newt sighed as Queenie continued to speak, "I've heard of that family. Aren't they kind of, you know…."

Newt turned his neck to Queenie so fast that Lila thought she heard it crack, "Please don't read my mind." Newt moved over to a small work are and began to work with some of his herbs in a large bowl and Queenie winced and looked down as Newt slowly continued his work until he stopped and looked up, "Sorry, I asked you not to."

Lila clenched her hand. Ever since she had first learned that magical people could read minds and that Queenie appeared to do it without even asking first, it had unnerved her. It made her wary around the woman.

Queenie looked from Newt to Lila, twisting her hands together in a nervous twitch, "I know. I'm sorry."

Lila noticed Queenie's look at her and felt a shiver rush through her body. She took a step backwards, "You read my mind?" She asked, her voice trembling. Didn't she tell her that she didn't want to be read back at the apartment? Couldn't she remember a simple request?

"I can't help it." Queenie's shoulders shrugged. She looked sheepish.

Lila took a deep breath, "Just," She breathed out, "Try not to next time. Please." She didn't want to get into a fight. It wouldn't do for the group to be fighting each other when they were being hunted.

"People are easiest to read when they're hurting." Queenie stated, turning toward Newt.

"I'm not hurting." Newt stated. Lila didn't say anything. She could tell that he was lying. More to himself than to them. He turned back to his herbs, "Anyway, it was a long time ago.

Queenie slowly walked closer, "That was a real close friendship you had at school."

Newt sighed and looked between Lila and Queenie, "Neither of us really fitted in at school. So we became quite-"

"You became real close?" Queenie asked. She shrugged, "For years." Newt leaned on the workbench and Lila stepped a bit closer, if only to anchor Newt, "She was a taker. You need a giver."

Tina walked over, "What are you three talking about?"

"Uh, nothing." Newt stumbled in his reply. Tina's smile faded a bit as she recognized the lie.

"School." Queenie stated.

"School." Newt parroted.

Lila just nodded her head. Of course there was a girl. Mabey she had misread Newt's affections. Jacob walked over from the other direction, folding his jacket and unfolding his jacket, "Did… did you just say school? Is there a school? A wizardry school here in, uh, America?" Jacob put back on his jacket.

Queenie gave a genuine smile as Tina went and hung her coat from the coat hook, apparently hot, "Of course, Ilvermorny. It's only the best wizard school in the whole world."

"I think you'll find that the best wizarding school in the world is Hogwartz." Newt playfully snapped back.

Queenie crossed her arms and smirked, "Hogwash." She completely butchered Newt's schools name. Newt looked at Queenie as a squawking and screeching came from above. All looked up as the Thunderbird flapped his wings and lightning flickered across the "sky" of the suitcase.

"Danger." Newt breathed, translating what the Thunderbird was trying to tell them, "He senses danger."

Mr. Graves appeared in the alleyway behind the Second Salemner's church, teeming with anger. The Aurors had failed to find the bitch and Mr. Scamander. He had also been notified that the bitch's sister had stolen back their wands and the case of beasts. They had been so close to catching them at The Blind Pig. So close. He banged his fist against the wall, causing his knuckles to bleed.

Without flinching he healed himself. Merlin, he should have realized that if you wanted something done, and done well, you went and did it yourself. And that was what he was doing here.

He pulled out his wand in his right hand as he came to the entrance of the small church. If you could even call it that. It should be called what it actually was. A dump. He slowed as he heard distant sobbing.

Once inside the church, he moved carefully, meticulously. Not daring to disturb whatever creature did this. He had his suspicions, but until he actually saw it with his own eyes…. Mr. Graves streightend as he came across Madam Barebones body. She died from the exact same wounds as the late Muggle Senator Shaw. He had found it. Everything was finally coming together.

He slowly put his wand away, wanting to seem unthreatening. He saw the boy huddled in the corner, holding the necklace he had given him up. It was how he knew something was wrong. He smirked as he gave himself a figurative pat on the back for thinking ahead. He bent down, loathing how he had to pretend to like this… this mongrel. That's what anyone who was a squib was. A mix breed between two worlds. Never belonging in either one. Ever.

Mr. Graves gave the boy an awkward hug, "The Obscurial was here." He murmured. More to himself than the boy, "Where did she go?"

The boy continued to sob. It was getting on his nerves and he had to take a deep breath before continuing, wanting nothing more to Avada the kid. The boy looked up at him, still shaking, "Help me. Help me." The boy moaned.

"Didn't you tell me you had another sister?" Mr. Graves stated softly.

The boy shook his head and hunched back into himself. He repeated, "Please help me."

"Where's your other sister, Credence." He sighed, frustrated, "I need your help. The little one. Where did she go?"

"Please." Credence repeated, "Just help me."

Giving up on restraints, he punched Credence in the face, to bring him back to focus. He needed his information. Then pushed him back into the wall and Credence eventually calmed. Next he tried to appeal to the boy's familial ties, "You're sister's in grave danger." Credence looked him in the eyes, finally getting it into his thick skull, "We need to find her."

He grabbed Credence and apperated.

The two appeared in the middle of the darkened street. Only three street lamps were lit, the others apparently were not working or blown out. They were in front of the same apartment building that Mr. Graves stood at when he first began tracking this beast.

They slowly walked up the stairs of the abandoned apartment building, "What is this place?" Mr. Graves asked the boy. He couldn't have any delays.

"Ma adopted Modesty out of here." Ah. So this is were the beast lived. He should have known. Everything was coming to a full circle, "From a family of twelve. She misses her brothers and sisters. She still talks about them."

On the landing, Mr. Graves looked down on Credence, "Where is she?" He was close. So close that he could taste the victory.

Credence shook his head, "I don't know."

Mr. Graves turned and walked down the hallway, "You're a squib, Credence. I could smell it off you the minute I met you."

"What?" Credence's confused voice echoed to him.

Mr. Graves rolled his eyes. Did he have to explain everything to the mongrel? "You have magical ancestry but no power."

He looked down at the boy who was crying and shaking. Ugg, "But you said you could teach me." He moaned.

"You're unteachable." He spat, "You're mother's dead. That's your reward." He shook his head, disgusted, "I'm done with you." He walked out of the room and down another hallway, glad to be done with the filth.

He pulled his wand out of his pocket as he heard distant sobbing. Female sobbing. He smiled. He had found it, "Modesty?" He called. He walked into a dark room, wary of every subtle change, "Modesty."

He smirked as he spotted the beast curled up in a corner. He put his wand away, not wanting to frighten it, "There's no need to be afraid. I'm here with your brother, Credence." He crouched down and the beast scooted backward, "Out you come now." He held out a shaking hand. His jaw clenched. He would dominate the beast and would win. He clenched down the feeling of fear. There was no place for it.

A loud hissing and the ceiling creaked. Modesty turned to look at the ceiling, sobbing. A crack from the wall extended outward, and then another and another. Dust fell from the ceiling as the entire building rumbled.

Mr. Graves stumbled back, not wanting to piss off the beast even more than it was. Suddenly the wall crumbled and he stared down the broken walls to the boy. Credence. He was hunched over, both hands clenched in fists. And now he understood.

It was the boy all along. Oh, how stupid he had been. He tried to do damage control, "Credence." He breathed out, "I owe you an apology." He slowly brought his wand out.

"I trusted you." Credence mumbled it softly, but Mr. Graves could hear his statement as clear as a yell, "I thought you were my friend. I thought you were different."

"You can control it." He breathed, oh this was brilliant, "Credence. Credence." At the second call of his name, the boy- beast looked up at him. His eyes were red and he was angry.

"I don't think I want to, Mr. Graves." Credence shook, his eyes went white and exploded outward into black magical energy and roared toward Mr. Graves but went out of the wall that led to open air and the street below.

The beast was loose.

People screamed below as the dark and red mass flew above their heads. The Obscurial slammed into the cobblestone street and passed a building with a lit up sign called SQUIRE'S.

Lila followed after Newt, back out of the suitcase, on top of the building. Newt stood underneath the lit SQUIRE'S sign, "What's happening?" She called after him. Newt stood on the the ledge, holding his suitcase as he surveyed the city.

At the same time Jacob asked, "Is that it? That's the Obscurial?"

Lila climbed up on the metal scaffolding bar, next to Newt as something exploded to briefly light their faces in glowing red light, "All those people." She breathed.

Newt glanced at her, "That's more powerful than any Obscurial I've ever heard of."

Lila swallowed as everyone stared at the swerling and swelling mass of red and black magical, destructive, energy, "Okay, so, what do we do?"

At the same time Newt looked back at her and stated, "If I don't come back," Lila looked at Newt in dismay, "Look after my creatures." He handed Lila the suitcase and she took it, stunned. She shook her head, not believing that he wouldn't not make it, "Everything that you need to know is in there, he took out a journal and handed it to Lila. Still in her stupor, she grabbed it without complaint.

A boom sounded in the distance that rattled Lila to her senses. She shook her head, "What? Newt, no!"

Newt, who had turned at the sound of the boom, looked back and stared into Lila's eyes, "They're not killing it."

Lila's mouth felt dry as she tried to swallow. Slowly she nodded. Newt gave her a small, lopsided signature smile and stepped off of the roof and disapperated, "Newt!" She called after him, wanting to prevent him from leaving. She turned back to the group, helpless. She turned around to the rest of the group, already making up her mind to follow him, and hoped down from the ledge. Lila handed Queenie Newt's notebook and suitcase, "You heard him. Look after them."

Lila caught Tina's look, grabbed her right forearm and Tina disappereated, pulling her along and vanishing from the rooftop.

Queenie gave the suitcase to Jacob to hold and began to go after her sister and Lila, "Keep hold of that, honey."

Jacob's eyes widened and he grabbed Queenies left wrist, halting her in her tracks, "No, no, no, no.

Queenie protested, "I can't take you." She took a deep breath, "Please, let go of me, Jacob."

Jacob turned Queenie toward him, "Hey. Hey. You're the one that said I was one of yous." Queenie began to shake her head but Jacob continued, "Right?"

"It's too dangerous." Queenie responded. Using her Legitimacy, she looked into Jacob's mind and slowly put her right hand on the side of Jacob's cheek. Oh how she loved him.

The streets below were full of panic. People ran screaming too and fro. Mr. Graves strode up to the beast as he swirled and swelled around. Signs crashed behind him, but he paid no attention to the chaos, "To survive so long," He shook his head, "With this inside you," Mr. Graves held his left hand upward, "Credence, is a miracle. You are a miracle. Come with me. Think of what we could achieve together."

The black mass that was Credence Barebones blasted outward, shoving Mr. Graves stumbling backward.

Tina and Lila reappeared on the other side of the Obscurial. Tina had her wand out and Lila was a couple of steps behind Tina, not wanting to get too close but wanting to protect Newt. Then Lila noticed something shiny on the ground. She looked down and picked the object up. It was a gun from a police officer. He must have dropped it when he was running. She checked the number of bullets, ten rounds.

She looked to Tina and she saw what she had and nodded, "Good. You can protect yourself."

Lila nodded back, "I hope I don't have to use it. I never liked hunting." An object flew passed their heads, making them yelp. They quickly ran to one of the overturned cars and hid behind it, Lila spotted Newt behind another overturned car diagonally in front of them. She yelled, "Newt!"

She saw Newt turn and his eyebrows raised at the sight of her. Then, "It's the Second Salem boy. He's the Obscurial!"

Lila's eyes widened and glanced at Tina, who's face had gone pale. She remembered back in the bar when she told her that she had goten demoted due to a confrontation with the boy's mother. She squeezed her shoulder with her left hand, the one that wasn't holding a gun.

"He's not a child!" Tina yelled back to Newt.

"His power must be so strong he's somehow managed to survive." Newt yelled across to them.

Tina nudged Lila so she looked back at her and from her expression Lila could tell that she was going to run to the boy. Lila grimace and nodded back. Lila turned her attention back to Newt, "Newt!" At her yell, Newt looked frantically over at the two, "Save him." Tina and Lila got up and sprinted towards Mr. Graves.

"Mr. Graves!" Tina yelled, shooting a spell at him which Mr. Graves blocked. With a shaking hand, Lila pointed her gun at Mr. Graves and fired. The drawback was powerful enough to send her stumbling backward.

Mr. Graves only shifted out of the way, as if it didn't faze him. Tina and Mr. Graves exchanged a few spells, both blocking about five before Lila took another shot. Mr. Graves saw what she was going to do and shot a spell at her, making her fly backward through the air and crack her body hard against the side of a building. She felt the gun leave her hand at some point but didn't pay much attention to that little detail. She felt sharp pain tingle along her spine and hoped that nothing had broken.

Lila groaned as she drifted in and out of consciousness. She struggled to sit up and had to shield her eyes as bright light eliminated from the witch and wizard dueling.

In a muffled voice she heard Mr. Graves shout at Tina, "Tina, you're always turning up where you're least wanted." She saw a big shaped object being flung and knocking Tina to the cobblestone streets, allowing for Mr. Graves to vanish.

Suddenly Tina was next to her, shaking her, "Lila. Lila!" Lila groaned and in response Tina stated, "Brackium Emendo! Episki!"

Lila's head suddenly cleared to see Tina crouched in front of her. Her brows furled, "Thanks. Where's Newt?" She asked as Tina helped her up.

"Hopefully calming Credence down. Let's find out where they went."

In the war room at MACUSA headquarters President Picquery and her top Aurors stared at a map of New York City. A golden line moved around the blocks. It is Credence's magical signature, "Contain this." Picquery ordered, "Or we are exposed, and it'll mean war."

Newt appeared on a rooftop, holding his hands up, "Credence!" He yelled, trying to get his attention as Credence flew over the city, wreaking havoc, "Credence, I can help!" Newt ducked as Credence flew straight at him.

He disappeared and appeared on a long apartment building rooftop and ran to catch up with the Obscurial. As he got to the end of it, he disapparated before re-appearing on another similar rooftop. All around him he could see Aurors appearing on the adjacent rooftops and shooting blue spells at Credence. Newt ran to the door that was on top of the roof to hide. He was still wanted by them. Damn. This complicated things.

Credence flew lower and closer to the ground in order to avoid the spells. In the process, he tore up the cobblestone streets and was headed straight for a No-Maj police barricade.

The police officers stood their ground as the red and black mass charged them. It was like something from their nightmares. Was it true what that naysayer from the Second Salemers was saying? Did this prove magic existed or was it a science experiment gone wrong?

As it got to a certain distance, everyone began to fire their weapons. Their bullets did nothing to stop the incoming Obscurial. Cars and bricks were strewn everywhere. The officers screamed and ran to the sides as the barricade was broken by Credence.

The Obscurial got to the end of the street in the opening square and shot upward and then straight down, blasting outward then settling down, but still in a concentrated black mass. But not as violent as before. Slowly the mass dissipated to reveal the back of Credence Barebones who walked slowly down the subway tunnel entrance.

Newt, having watched this occur from the top of a roof sent the boy a look of remorse before disappearing and re-appeared on the steps, underground.

As Newt rounded the corner for the stairs that was labeled City Hall, he saw that the platform was deserted but the lights were still on. Newt slowly inched forward, wand still in his right hand. Credence had retreated to his black mass form of the Obscurial and was hiding up on the ceiling.

The Aurors surrounded the train station in a circle and cast a protection bubble. Mr. Graves strode confidently toward the tunnel entrance, barking an order, "Bar the area."

"Yes sir!" Came the reply.

"I don't want anyone else down there."

Lila could see the magical barrier slowly closing and Tina and Lila raced and rolled underneath it just in time. They hid in the corner and Lila wondered how they were going to get from here to Credence and Newt. Tina read her expression and grabbed her hand. She squeezed and Lila squeezed back.

Newt leaned around the collom cautiously then went back to hiding, resting his head on the cold marble, "Credence." Newt called out softly, "It is Credence, isn't it?" A beat, "I'm here to help you, Credence. I'm not here to hurt you."

Newt gathered his courage and steps out from behind the pillar and onto the train tracks, "I've met someone just like you, Credence. A girl. A young girl who'd been imprisoned. She had been locked away. And she'd been punished for her magic." Newt kept talking. It was working, the mass was getting smaller and smaller. The mass dissipated and Credence was kneeling in its place.

Newt slowly bent down and placed his wand on the ground, showing Credence that he meant no harm, "Credence. Can I come over to you? Can I come over?" Credence only stared at Newt so Newt slowly stood back up, without his wand.

At that moment he stepped into the center of the tracks, a spell blasted him backward and he landed on the ground with a thud. Mr. Graves strode forward with a look of determination. At the sight of him, Credence ran passed Newt.

Mr. Graves shot a spell at Newt and Newt rolled away as it hit and blew up a small portion of the tracks. As he rolled away he had grabbed back his wand where he had put it as Mr. Graves cast another spell that damaged part of a pillar that Newt was hiding behind.

Newt fired a spell back at Mr Graves, which he easily blocked. Suddenly Mr. Graves wasn't there but moving Credence out of the way of an oncoming train.

Up on the surface, Madam Picquery strode around the dome, looking around at all the No-Maj's who were surrounding the barrier. One voice in particular stood out to her, "Move out of the way, that thing killed my son!" The elder Shaw exclaimed with fervor. Following behind him were two reporters and more photographers, "I want justice! I'll expose you for who you are and what you have done!"

Back underground, Mr. Graves sent lightning down the metal rails to electrocute Newt who cried out in pain and staggered backward. Credence was behind him and he was damn sure going to protect him. He deflected another blast but that made him stumble backwards even more.

Then Mr. Graves sent lightning and ripped up the tracks to hurt Newt and throw him back onto the ground in pain. After seeing that Newt was down, he sent lightning after lightning strike at Newt causing him to yell in pain and curl inward, not even bothering to fight back at this point.

On the surface the No-Maj's chattered among themselves and Landon, who had followed his father began to laugh and through his hands up. He was right. HE WAS RIGHT!

His father motioned to the two photographers, "Look. Take photos."

Mr. Graves continued the bombardment of Newt's torture session. Mr. Graves only stopped as Credence had gone back into Obscurial form and was now above them. Mr. Graves fell to his knees, with a pleading look at Credence, "Credence." Mr. Graves started.

The Obscurial exploded outward and both Mr. Graves and Newt apparated away from the spot. They both jumped from safe spot to safe spot as Credence's black mass tore up the subway station.

Then Credence went straight up and into the sky, blowing outward in the night air and slamming downward into the tunnel, collapsing the ceiling onto the tracks below. Mr. Graves moved just in time to miss being hit.

Credence roared at Newt and Mr. Graves who were lying on the ground of the tracks, at his complete mercy.

Until, "Credence!" Two female voices called out at once, "No!"

Newt looked up and was shocked to see Tina and Lila approaching the conflict from the other tunnel. Lila was just a couple steps from behind Tina, but he could see that her nightdress was ripped in a couple places, her hair was out of place and she had dirt stains spread out on her face. Tina was in a similar state.

Tina and Lila slowed to a stop as Credence seemed to recognise Tina's presence or voice, "Don't do this." Tina pleaded, "Please."

"This isn't you." Lila stated, putting her hands up in a 'don't attack' formation.

"Keep talking, Lila, Tina. Keep talking to him. He'll listen to you. He's listening."

"I know what that women did to you." Tina stated, her heart breaking for Credence, "I know that you've suffered."

"No one deserves what you went through, Credence." Lila added, with tears in her eyes, "No one."

"You need to stop this now." Tina took a couple tentative steps forward, "Newt, Lila and I will protect you. This man, he's using you."

"He'll hurt you." Lila added, "Just like he's hurt me." She thought back to earlier were he threw her against the wall. She'd been pretty sure that without Tina's magic, she wouldn't be able to walk again, "He's nothing but a bully."

She saw Newt's head jerk towards her before Mr. Graves stated, "Don't listen to them, Credence. I want you to be free. It's all right."

"Credence?" Lila asked, Tina and Lila were significantly closer to Mr. Graves and Newt then were they were before, "That's it." She whispered as Credence seemed to be calming down.

She turned in shock as dozens of Aurors ran down the stairs and through the tunnel behind them, President Picquery leading the ones from the tunnel, "No!" She yelled quietly, "Shh! Don't!"

Tina agreed with her stating, "You'll frighten him!"

Mr. Graves turned and glared back at the Aurors, "Anyone who harms him answers to me! Credence."

"Credence." Lila stated, putting her hands out, "Shhh. It's okay."

Tina pulled Lila down to the ground as they ducked the spells flung by the Aurors, "No!" Tina and Newt yelled, desperate.

"No!" Mr. Graves yelled.

The screaming continued until the black mass exploded outward with a magical burst of energy, forcing Newt, Lila and Tina to the ground. Newt covered Lila as rocks tumbled to the ground. Black fabric floated in the air.

Credence was gone.

A/N: It's really hard to write battle scenes in this when you don't know what spells they're casting… tried my best. Hope you liked it! BTW, I've officially graduated with two degrees in Anthropology and History! Yippie! :D Onto my Masters Degree in Library and Information Science!

Reviews:

Momochan77: Thanks! I always thought it was super weird if the two people that were paired up by the author automatically fell in love in the first story or even first chapter. I normally turn away from stories that start off like that. I would say that the characters are running on adrenaline and lust and do not actually have feelings for each other. That's why I normally take one or two stories to get the characters involved with each other romantically. It just seems more plausible to me. You need to work on a relationship to make it actually work, not just the thrill of the adventure. Yeah, I'm also still a fan of the Halloween Town movies, I watch them every Halloween.

AmericanNidiot: I corrected the spelling of the Ashwinder egg, thanks for the save!

BookKeeper88: Thanks! :D

Love . Fiction . 2019: Thank you!

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Posted: June 1st, 2019

Final Update: July 6th, 2019