The front door opened with a rush of wind, allowing a flurry of leaves to enter the inn. As Barty made his grand entrance, struggling with the door while simultaneously dragging his son across the threshold, Modesty trembled at the sight of all the leaves scattering across the floor. She retreated behind Quico, who was holding up his koala, using it as a shield to protect himself and Modesty.
"Relax, sprout," said Barty, placing a hand on the koala's head, directly between its ears. "It's only me. Nothing to be afraid of." He adjusted his jacket, stopping to brush the leaves out of his hair, then with one final tug he hauled Gellert into the building.
Quico lowered the stuffed animal, blinking and looking around in bewilderment. Where was the scary goat man? Usually he could smell him a mile away. But with everything covered in a layer of sawdust, dirt and straw, it was difficult to tell where Aberforth was.
"Where...?" Quico began, clearly struggling to force his words out, when the sound of footsteps could be heard coming from behind the bar.
"Right, I suppose I'm going to take this lot out back then," said Aberforth, not even taking the time to welcome the children to his home. He barely made it around the corner when his granddaughter flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his waist and smiling broadly.
"Hunchback grandpa! Did you remember to bring me sweets this time?" she cooed, trying her best to act sweet for Grandpa Goat Man. But Aberforth wasn't having any of it. He pried her hands off his midsection before quietly slipping her a goat milk caramel flavored with sea salt. The little girl looked at it and made a face. "This is supposed to be candy?!"
"It is around here, lass," Aberforth shot back, making his way towards the children. Alecto was already reaching for him with both hands, babbling about treats because she had seen Chilindrina receive a piece of candy. Aberforth sighed heavily. He wasn't prepared for this. Nor was he prepared when Chavo practically flew out of his seat and started asking him for food.
Quico was tempted to join the others for a piece of candy. He hesitated slightly, trembling and clutching his koala against his chest, when he felt Modesty's hand close around his wrist.
"If he sits on goats, then he probably hands out chocolate covered peas like Mrs. Barebone," she whispered urgently. Although she couldn't have been farther from the truth, the idea was reinforced by Chilindrina trying to give her candy to Chavo, who tore open the wrapper and promptly stuffed it in his mouth. At least the candy would keep him quiet for a while, since the sticky caramel had glued his jaws shut.
Seeing this as her chance, Soleil made another announcement, telling the children that they needed to follow Aberforth outside in order to enjoy the games, treats and activities they had planned. That was all it took. A stampede of eight little feet stirred up a cloud of dust, racing for the exit at the back of the building. All that remained after the initial rush of movement was Quico, Modesty and Alecto.
"Run along now, children," said Barty, straining to push Alecto's stroller across the floor. "Bloody hell, what has Maisie been feeding this child?"
Alecto pouted and whined, swinging her stuffed animal and bopping Barty on the head with it. It took a little time and patience, but Soleil was able to coax her daughter outside, even though Modesty refused to leave Quico's side.
"Credence is waiting for you," said Soleil, hoping that would be enough to ease their anxiety. Quico didn't say anything, but she was sure she saw him smile a little, peeking out from behind his koala and looking for his father.
When they reached the backyard, they discovered Credence sitting in his wheelchair under the shade of an old apple tree. The crisp autumn breeze was playfully tugging on his hair, though he appeared to have fallen asleep with his plush goat tucked under his arm. His mother had wrapped an orange scarf around his neck, the cozy fabric decorated with embroidered sunflowers to celebrate the autumn festival. However, the colors clashed with his pale complexion, like strands of ebony embracing amber hues, splashed across a blank canvas.
"Credence?" Modesty was first to approach the Obscurial, taking a cautious step towards her brother. "Are... are you awake? Can you hear me?"
"Dada?" Quico followed close behind, trying to get Credence's attention.
Modesty moved closer, taking a moment to examine the stuffed animal Credence had acquired. Her gaze began to wander, seeing bunches of sunflowers, wreaths made from leaves and pinecones, and pumpkin towers that had been used to decorate the yard. Thankfully, there wasn't an excessive amount of leaves, only what was needed to make the yard and accompanying pens look nice for the autumn festival. There was even a scarecrow with a ragged appearance, smiling at them from the corner of the pumpkin patch.
Pumpkins, not peas, she reminded herself. There wasn't a single pea sprout or vine to be seen. Maybe, just maybe, this wasn't like Mary Lou at all.
She looked back at her brother when Quico started tugging on his sleeve. The child whimpered, wanting his dad to wake up and spend some time with him, but Credence remained fast asleep.
"He doesn't wake so easily, lass," said Aberforth, who had managed to escape his granddaughter for a miraculous forty-five seconds.
Quico started when he turned around and saw his grandfather. This was followed by a series of unintelligible babbling, his feet shuffling as he moved to hide behind Credence's wheelchair. He squeezed his eyes shut, fearing the worst, but when nothing happened he looked up and saw Aberforth with his hand on Credence's shoulder, his actions surprisingly gentle.
Together the children watched as Aberforth stroked Credence's shoulder, rubbing in slow circles before moving his calloused hand towards the strands of hair that had fallen across his son's face.
"Aurelius, it's time to wake up," he said softly, brushing aside the trailing locks. "Your children are waiting to see you."
Chilindrina ran over, eager to visit her father. They gathered around his wheelchair, seeing Credence with his cheek resting against his shoulder, his lashes lifting to reveal cloudy eyes.
Aberforth smiled. "Have a good sleep, son?"
The Obscurial lifted his head, gradually becoming aware of his surroundings. Through his hazy vision he was able to discern three small figures clamoring for attention. Quico was making happy noises, Chilindrina was bouncing on the balls of her feet, but it was Modesty Credence embraced first.
He leaned forward with a groan, wincing and wrapping his arms around her. Her name escaped his lips, no more than a hoarse whisper, but it was enough to bring tears to her eyes.
"I wasn't sure that I'd see you again," she murmured against his coat, her voice beginning to crack. She inhaled sharply, ignoring the burning gaze of Credence's daughter, who was glaring daggers at her. A shuddering gasp managed to escape, her breath hitching as she fought to contain her emotions, and then the tears began to fall.
"Is this one of your children?" Aberforth asked, pointing to Modesty. He shifted awkwardly, taking a step back and giving the children some room.
"No, this is my little sister," Credence replied, leaning back in his seat with a tired sigh. "I've told you about her before, didn't I?" He honestly didn't remember.
They were joined by Dragon, who had changed into her human form and was wearing an orange and yellow zigzag print dress. Soleil and Barty were watching over the remaining children, giving the Dumbledore family time to visit with the kids. And although Chavo, Severus and Gellert didn't mind the focus being on someone else, Alecto was rather displeased with the situation.
She began to squirm and fuss, annoyed that she hadn't been given treats or attention. Barty barely had time to react before she threw her sloth plushie at the pumpkin tower, kicking it over and scattering the decorations on the ground. This set off Gellert, who had been looking for a chance to escape and cause mischief. The toddler let out a yell, launching himself at the scarecrow. Sticks and straw went a flyin'.
"Gellert Grindelwald, what has gotten into you?" Barty hollered, snatching his son by the back of his shirt and lifting him out of the crumpled mound of clothing and straw.
"What?" Aberforth tensed, his hands curling into fists at his sides. "Care to explain this... " A muscle twitched over his left eye, his voice catching in his throat. "This... this child?" he finished, gritting his teeth and glaring at the screaming toddler.
"Uhh..." Barty was rendered speechless, quickly turning his head and looking back at Aberforth.
Gellert's fist closed around a handful of fabric, tearing the material as he wailed, "No pants! No Pants Bob!" He had practically torn his pants off by the time Barty managed to wrestle his hands away from the ribbons holding his trousers in place.
"No Pants Bob?" Soleil looked at both of them, momentarily taking her attention away from Alecto. The words had barely left her mouth when the baby Death Eater took one last swing and swatted the dementor in the face with her stuffie.
"It's just a phase," Barty huffed out. He forced Gellert down on his bum, making him sit on a bale of hay while discretely conjuring a fourth ribbon that wove itself around Gellert's wrists, securing his hands behind his back until he calmed down. "He's saying No Pants God. Or at least that's wha' I think it means."
The toddler narrowed his mismatched eyes, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "Hoomin sackeefish," he said, glancing back at the remains of the scarecrow.
"No, absolutely not!" Barty snarled.
Gellert's gaze traveled the length of the yard, eventually landing on the pen that contained several baby goats. "Aminal sackeefish?" he said thoughtfully, unconcerned with his father's growing rage.
"Pardon me, but I don't think that's a phase," Aberforth spat in contempt. He glanced in his son's direction, seeing Credence holding his goat stuffie against his chest, his head bowed. It was instinct, a defensive gesture, one that still remained after the horrors he had witnessed.
With Gellert subdued once again, Soleil attempted to calm Alecto, admonishing her behavior and asking her to pick up the scattering of pumpkins. But the baby Death Eater wasn't having it. She gave the dementor a firm no, pouting and crossing her arms over her chest.
"It's alright, Mrs. Dementor. We can put the tower back together." Credence was already looking at the assortment of pumpkins, a few of which had rolled across the ground, stopping short of his feet. "Although I might need some help."
"I'll do it, Uncle Blueberry!" Chavo, having finally unstuck his jaws after consuming Aberforth's homemade sweets, eagerly ran forward, ready to help his friends and family. He went for the biggest pumpkin that was within reach, grunting and rolling it across the grass. There was a momentary struggle before he managed to lift the pumpkin and carry it back to the others.
Seeing this made Modesty want to help out as well. She joined her brother, and together Modesty and Chavo started picking up the pumpkins and returning them to the pile. There was only a slight delay when Chavo expressed his desire to take a bite out of the pumpkin he was carrying.
"But pumpkins are food!" Chavo insisted, looking rather crestfallen when he was told he couldn't eat it. "Whoever heard of decorating with food anyway?"
While all this was going on, Quico stood in the middle of everything, sucking his thumb and watching the others. He wanted to help, so he tucked his koala under his arm and tried lifting one of the medium-sized pumpkins, but it was too heavy. He reached for another, slightly smaller pumpkin, fumbling with it and accidentally dropping it on the ground. With a cry of frustration, he plopped down on the grass, wondering what he was doing wrong.
"Quico, are you alright?" asked Credence. The Obscurial had already succeeded in stacking three pumpkins, and was reaching for a fourth when he saw Quico whining and pointing to Modesty.
Although he couldn't find the words to express his frustration, Quico was trying to ask why Modesty and Chavo could pick up the big pumpkins but he couldn't. Credence was able to understand what he was saying, trying his best to comfort and reassure his son.
"Everyone is different, Quico. You don't need to be good at carrying pumpkins just because Modesty is. You just need to do your best. Here, I'll show you." With a bit of effort, Credence was able to move his wheelchair over to where the smaller pumpkins had landed. He gripped the armrest with one hand, carefully leaning over and picking up one of the small pumpkins. "See? This is my best. I can help them and so can you."
Quico thought about it for a moment, looking around at the scattering of pumpkins. It was a bit distracting, noticing the smooth texture some had, while others were bumpy and green instead of orange and round. He finally settled on a small yellowish pumpkin, easily picking it up and showing his father.
"Poomkin!"
Credence chuckled and smiled at him. "That's very good, Quico. Now you can put it in the pile with the others."
By working together, the children were able to put everything back in its place. The scarecrow was standing proudly in the field, surrounded by mini pumpkin towers. Aberforth grumbled and complained that it was fancier than he was used to, but Dragon smiled and clapped a hand on his back, saying that his son would appreciate all the effort he put into making their field trip beautiful.
"What effort?" the old goat breeder asked. "You think it took more than fifteen seconds to put all this together? The children put more effort into it than I did."
"It still means something to him. Look how happy he is, Aberforth."
Indeed, Credence was looking tired and pale as usual, but his eyes were shining merrily despite the ache that blossomed beneath his ribcage. He held his stomach with one hand, pain spiking in his midsection when he tried laughing at a joke his daughter made, but managed to wave off her concern, saying it wasn't that bad right now.
"Are you sure, daddy? 'Cause I brought my safety scissors if you need emergency surgery."
"No, I'm alright..." Credence replied, wincing and massaging his abdomen. "I already had one procedure when I was a child, and that was more than enough for me."
"Right then." Barty clapped his hands together, forcing a smile on his face and looking around at the children. "'Ow 'bout we play sum games, yeah?"
A cheer went up amongst the children. Severus joyfully tossed a handful of cheesy crackers in the air, which were then caught and inhaled by Chavo before they even touched the ground. Which was impressive.
"The first game we're goin' t' play is pumpkin ring toss," Barty explained, taking the children over to where a large pumpkin and a stack of hoops had been placed beside the picnic table. Thinking that he was supposed to toss the pumpkin, Quico walked over and tried lifting the heavy fruit. Barty sighed, but kept his temper in check. "No, sprout, you aren't supposed t' toss the pumpkin. For this game, you toss the hoop and try t' get it around the pumpkin. Do you understand?"
Severus was heard giggling when Quico attempted to lift the pumpkin. Soleil had just opened her mouth to give him a stern lecture, but Chavo beat her to it.
"That isn't very nice," said Chavo, waving his finger in his brother's face. "It's not his fault that he isn't allowed to eat the pumpkins. Because they wouldn't be so heavy if we took some bites out of them, you know."
Okay, maybe it wasn't exactly what the dementor had in mind. But it quieted her cheesy cracker loving offspring, so she couldn't complain.
"Lemme go first!" Chilindrina called out, grabbing a hoop and practically knocking Barty over in the process. She didn't notice that Aberforth was chuckling in amusement when the Death Eater seized the edge of the picnic table to keep from falling on his rear.
With a twirl and a toss, Chilindrina was able to get the hoop over the pumpkin on her first try. She took a bow then stepped aside, allowing the next child to come forward.
When it came time for Alecto to take a turn, the baby Death Eater was more concerned about how the hoop tasted and was chewing on the plastic ring. Barty had to gently coax the hoop out of her mouth, taking his time so as not to upset her. He demonstrated how to throw the hoop, though she didn't really seem to be paying attention. She simply toddled over to where Aberforth had placed the pumpkin, dropped the hoop over the bright orange fruit, then proceeded to cheer and clap. This spectacular round of applause was cut short when Gellert managed to wriggle out of his pants and tried to toss them onto the pumpkin, only to send them flying halfway across the yard.
Soleil intervened before Alecto could take her clothes off, and Dragon moved her son into position so he could try participating with the others.
"Here you go, baby Creeds." Dragon gave her son one of the brightly colored rings, which he managed to grasp even though his hands had started shaking. "Just remember to try your best, sweetheart. That's all you have to do."
Credence tightened his grip on the hoop, taking a deep breath before launching the ring into the air. It sailed right past the pumpkin, landing three feet to the right in the grass. His mother brought the hoop back and encouraged him to try again, with the same results. It seemed no matter how many times he tried, Credence couldn't get the hoop over the pumpkin.
He was about to give up when Quico approached his wheelchair with one of the plastic rings. The boy was struggling to walk and carry both the hoop and his koala at the same time.
"Quico, do you want me to hold your toy for you?" Credence asked, reaching for the stuffie and holding out his hand. "It should be easier for you play with us if you let me hold your koala for a little while."
Quico looked at his father, considering the offer to let Credence guard his koala while he joined the activities. Normally he wouldn't part with his comfort toy, but he really wanted to play and his koala needed a designated babysitter. So he plopped the stuffie on Credence's lap and turned towards the pumpkin. And just like his father, Quico threw the hoop and watched it hit the side of the pumpkin before landing on the ground.
"Daddy, Daddy! Try it like this!" Chilindrina called out, hurling a second hoop and getting it around the pumpkin in one go.
"I'm sorry, baby girl," Credence replied, looking rather crestfallen. "I don't think I can throw it like you can."
"That isn't the point though, is it?" Dragon picked up one of the hoops and offered it to her son. "Weren't you just telling Quico that he doesn't have to be good at something just because someone else is? All you have to do is try your best."
After a moment of thought, the Obscurial nodded and took the hoop. "Do my best," he murmured, eyeing the pumpkin in the grass. "What is my best?"
He realized that he could use his Obscurus, just like he had done during his fight with Albus Dumbledore. He exhaled slowly, forcing the parasitic entity down the length of his arm and into his fingertips. His fingers twitched, shadows spreading throughout his veins and blackening the flesh along the back of his hand. To the children standing nearby, it appeared as though a cloud had passed in front of the sun, and with all the strength he could muster, Credence threw the hoop across the yard and into a tree beside the goat pen, breaking several branches in the process.
Oblivious to the passing clouds, Quico clapped and cheered.
Chavo's jaw dropped. "He caught a tree! I don't think I've ever seen anyone do that before."
Spurred on by his father's grand performance, Quico started babbling and reaching for another hoop. He didn't care if it went around the pumpkin, he just wanted to try his best and have fun. He spun in a circle then let go of the hoop, tossing it in the direction of the tree. And while he didn't get the ring around the pumpkin, he managed to throw the ring completely sideways, where it landed on top of a decorative pumpkin pile.
Soleil was delighted, informing everyone that Quico didn't just get a pumpkin. He got a whole bunch of pumpkins. Chavo went next, throwing the hoop and hitting Barty in the head with it. Gellert found this humorous, laughing and dropping his pants to show his approval. Severus followed his brother's attempt, stumbling and dropping the hoop. This prompted his father to suggest they move on to the next game, though only after Soleil had finished putting Gellert's clothes back on.
For the second game, Barty led the children over to a large mound of straw. There were also boxes filled to the brim with straw, which Quico was admiring from afar. The Death Eater explained that this game was mostly for the younger children, however the older children could participate if they wanted to. He told them that Aberforth had hidden prizes in the straw, such as apples, stickers, toys and candy, and that the children could take turns searching for any hidden goodies they could find.
"It's a simple game for the infants and toddlers," he said, having to stop and grab onto Chavo's suspenders in order to prevent him from diving into the nearest pile of straw. "For the older children, there are harvest themed sensory boxes on the picnic table. Aberforth personally designed these with Credence an' Quico in mind, but I'm sure the rest of you can enjoy some imaginative play as well."
Chavo sagged to the ground, his father still holding his suspenders. He watched as Quico climbed into the nearest box, burrowing into the straw until only his eyes were visible. Modesty crept over to the table and was examining one of the sensory boxes, while Soleil was busy herding Severus, Gellert and Alecto over to the straw pile.
Up until now, Modesty had been too afraid to leave Quico's side and play any of the games. However, her guardian had abandoned her in favor of a cozy box filled with straw. She would either have to stay with Credence or try to be brave and see what was in the boxes on the table. Much to her surprise, there weren't any leaves, peas, chocolate pears or raw fish inside any of the boxes on the table. She peered inside and saw that the bottom of the box was covered in a layer of artificial grass. There was also a small stack of cardboard tubes on one side to represent hay bales. Toy tractors had been added to the other side of the box, along with three different kinds of cereals.
The idea was that the children could have fun using the tractors to transport the cereal, pretending they were harvesting the crops. There was also a variety of different textures to keep them occupied. The tractor parts and spinning wheels could also be of interest, depending on what Quico and Credence liked to play with.
She was busy examining a handful of Pixie Puffs when Dragon carefully eased her son into place at the table. Credence was looking rather worn, as usual, but curious about what was in the sensory boxes.
"You can stay here with your sister if you want," Dragon said, taking a seat on the bench so she could be close to her son. "If you get tired, just let me know and you can have another nap in the shade."
Credence looked up in time to see Chavo swan dive into the pile of straw, where he began burrowing like a niffler in search of shiny trinkets. He then turned and looked at his sister.
"Are you having a good time, Modesty?"
She hesitated before nodding. "Credence, you don't see anything strange around here, do you?"
"Uhm... no, not really." The Obscurial was confused. Why would his sister ask such a thing? "Farfe lets the baby goats run through the house and up the stairs. He'll milk the goats in the kitchen too... there's a milking table in there. But aside from that, I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary."
"He doesn't sit on the goats, does he?" A pause, followed by a hoarse whisper. "I've heard things," Modesty said, moving closer so only her brother could hear what she was saying. "I'm afraid... because Mrs. Barebone used to sit on leaf machines, and there's so much straw and dust on the floor, so I was thinking..."
Credence shook his head. "No, it isn't anything like that. Do you think Ma would let me stay here is that's how it was?"
"I guess not." She wasn't aware of Aberforth's horrible cooking, or the fact that he listed pea soup among the many repulsive dishes available at the inn. Thankfully, he didn't force his son to consume endless peas. But the peas were there, kept out of sight in a dark and dirty cupboard.
The Obscurial shifted his attention towards the sensory box, focusing on the artificial grass at the bottom. It made a pleasant rustling sound when he picked it up and tried playing with it, though it felt strange. It was too hard and stiff, not at all like real grass. Credence wasn't sure if he liked it, so he started stacking the cereal in a corner of the box he'd meticulously cleaned beforehand, removing all traces of artificial grass and a few stray pieces of straw.
Chavo emerged from the pile of straw with twenty-seven miniature bars of Honeydukes Best Chocolate. He had been lucky enough to discover a hidden mound of candy that hadn't been evenly distributed throughout the straw. Naturally, he scooped up every last piece of candy, pocketing it in a flash before anyone else could come along and see his treasure trove of treats.
His little brothers managed to find a few prizes. Severus found an apple and complained that there weren't any cheesy crackers, while Gellert uncovered a pack of stickers and a bag of jelly slugs. When he saw how little his siblings had, Chavo stopped and considered them for a moment. It was tempting to stuff all that chocolate in his face, which would probably make him sick if he ate everything at once. Instead, he decided he would be happier sharing with his brothers.
Alecto, on the other hand, had no intention of sharing what she found. She practically fell into the straw, then proceeded to fling it in every direction. Eventually she found a pumpkin toy that was made of felt. This went in her mouth, and when she decided she didn't like the taste of it, she dropped it in the straw and continued looking for something that was either shiny or edible.
By now Modesty was getting curious about the treasure hunt in the straw and wanted to join the others. She took one last look at Credence, who was busy separating each type of cereal into its own neat little pile, then asked if it was okay to look for toys and treats in the straw.
"Just because you're older doesn't mean you can't join the little ones," her mother said. "It's meant to be an easy activity for the babies and toddlers so they can have something to play. But you're welcome to have a look and see what you can find."
Quico lifted his hand out of the straw, showing Modesty a drippy lollipop he'd been happily sucking on. This was enough of an incentive. She slid off the picnic bench and started digging through the straw.
By the time everyone had finished their treasure hunt, Chavo, Severus and Gellert were covered in chocolate and needed a thorough cleaning, Modesty found two apples and a mouse pop, Alecto found some skeletal sweets and was happily noming her candies, and Soleil (who decided she wasn't too old to join them) had uncovered a bag of jelly slugs, which she secretly transfigured into some Swedish Fish when nobody was looking.
Chavo and Quico went over to the picnic table, where Credence had taken to watching the children play in the straw. It had been so long since he was able to play games and experience the joys of daycare with the others. There were tears in his eyes when he looked down and saw Chavo offering him a chocolate bar.
"Do you want some, Uncle Blueberry? I know it doesn't have fruits and stuff, but I thought you might want some since you didn't get to play with us."
"Oh, thank you, but I really shouldn't," Credence replied, despite longing for the sweet taste of delicious chocolate. "Farfe said there will be special treats later, so I'm waiting for those. But I appreciate your kindness."
"Daddy, look what I found!" Chilindrina ran up to where Credence was sitting, then proceeded to dump all of her treats in his lap. Her father lifted the koala out of the mound of toys and sweets and returned it to Quico, who was now examining one of the sensory boxes while sucking on his lollipop.
Looking down, Credence saw a tiny teddy bear holding a felt pumpkin. The stuffie was surrounded by a mound of assorted sweets and a few apples, though the Obscurial knew she wasn't likely to share her treats with anyone.
"That's a lot of candy, baby girl," Credence murmured, just as Modesty was returning from the pile of straw with her goodies. She stopped beside Chilindrina, shying away from the newcomer while clutching an owl plushie she had found in the straw. Her brother smiled at them, though by now they could see that he was getting tired. "You both found something... I'm glad," he finished with a weary sigh, closing his eyes as tears spilled down his cheeks.
"I think we should let him rest," said Dragon, intervening on her son's behalf.
Chilindrina frowned, pursing her lips and pouting. "But I never get to see daddy! It's been a full hundred years and I'll be old and my hair will have fallen out by the time I see him again!" She was prevented from causing a scene when Aberforth handed her a basket for the prizes she'd found in the straw, adding that her father would still be around for the remainder of the field trip, he was just going to sleep for a while.