Albus's father didn't tell him what he was going to do before he did it. Maybe he thought Albus too young, maybe he was afraid his son would talk him out of it, maybe he didn't even realize what he was doing until he was already doing it. But the morning after he had attacked the boys, after he'd gotten his revenge on them, Albus woke up from a sleepless night to a flurried household. Ariana was still in bed, but his parents, rather than sitting by her bedside, were flying around the house, tucking things away, moving things about.
"Mum? What's going on?" Albus asked, rubbing his eyes. His mother shared a long glance with his father.
"Dad's probably got to go away for a bit, Albus", she finally said, "And we're making sure that everything is in order before he does. Why don't you go collect the eggs from the chicken coop, dear, no one's done that yet. See if Abe wants to help you!"
They both pointedly ignore that fact that collecting the eggs was Ariana's job, and that is why no one has done it yet.
Albus is not placated by this answer. He is a very intelligent child, he knows something is being hidden from him. But he recognizes that he is being sent off, and so he climbs the stairs quietly, so as not to wake Ariana, and passes her closed door quickly on his way to wake Aberforth. Aberforth, of course, is already awake. He has always been closer to Ariana than Albus has been, if Albus could not sleep, he doubts Aberforth could have. He explains quietly that Mother needs them to collect the eggs from the chicken coop, and there must have been something desperate in his eyes when he said it, because Aberforth does not argue, does not point out that collecting the eggs is a one person job. He simply slips his shoes on very quietly and follows Albus down the hallway, past Ariana's closed door. Neither of them says anything until they are outside.
"Al", Aberforth says quietly, and Albus is afraid, because Aberforth is never quiet, "What are Mum and Dad doing?"
"Just… just cleaning some things up, Abe", Albus says, and he knows his tone is not very convincing, "Let's just get the eggs, okay?" Aberforth nods, and there is no more conversation as the boys make their way across the yard and carefully tuck eggs into the basket. There are less than usual. Perhaps even the chickens could sense what a terrible, broken day it is, and couldn't find it in themselves to lay the proper amount of eggs.
Once they've loaded up all of the eggs, they turn wordlessly back to the house, and Albus finds himself thinking that perhaps it will be alright after all. But then he steps inside the house and stops abruptly, Aberforth on his heels. There is a man standing in the front hall, wearing Magical Law Enforcement robes. His parents are standing on the other side of the house, and his mother is clutching his father's arm very tightly.
"Percival Dumbledore", the man in the front hall says, his voice low, "You've been accused of brutally assaulting three muggle children. Come quietly now, or we will take you by force."
Albus's eyes go wide. They've got the wrong wizard! His father has always taught his children the truth about that blood purity nonsense, taught them that muggles are just as good as they are. Albus expects his father to argue, to explain that they've made a mistake, but he doesn't. He only sighs, turns to his sons and wife.
"I love you", he says, and then he pries his wife's hand from around his arm, turns to the man and carefully, slowly drops his wand, and puts his hand up. Albus realizes he's dropped the basket of eggs onto the ground, breaking them. He hears Aberforth yelling after their father, hears his mother yelling, "I love you!" and somewhere deep inside him it occurs to him that he ought to yell "I love you!" too, because he isn't stupid, he knows his father isn't coming back. But he can't do it, he just can't. All he can do is stand there and stare at that basket of broken eggs, and even later, when his mother ushers him away, he does not say anything. He does not say anything for a long time.
The basket of broken eggs sits on the floor where he dropped it for days, sits there until is molds, and only then does his mother seem to notice it, and sweeps it away.