SCENE 79
EXT. STREETS OF NEW YORK—LATE AFTERNOON
HIGH WIDE ABOVE NEW YORK. We zoom over rooftops before diving down through streets and alleyways, past speeding cars and cackling children.
We come to rest in an alleyway at the Second Salem Church, where Credence is pasting up posters advertising Mary Lou’s next meeting.
Graves Apparates into the alleyway. Credence, startled, backs away, but Graves makes straight for him, his tone and manner urgent, forceful.
GRAVES
Credence. Have you found the child?
CREDENCE
I can’t.
Graves, impatient but feigning calm, holds out his hand—suddenly seeming caring, affectionate:
GRAVES
Show me.
Credence whimpers and cowers, almost backing farther away. Graves gently takes Credence’s hand in his own and examines it—the hand is covered in deep red cuts, sore and bleeding.
GRAVES
Shhhh. My boy, the sooner we find this child, the sooner you can put that pain in the past where it belongs.
Graves gently, almost seductively, moves his thumb across the cuts, healing them instantly. Credence stares.
Graves seems to make a decision. He puts on an earnest, trustworthy expression as, from his pocket, he produces a chain bearing the symbol of the Deathly Hallows.
GRAVES
I want you to have this, Credence. I would trust very few with it—
Graves moves close, placing the chain around Credence’s neck as he whispers:
GRAVES
Very few.
Graves places his hands on either side of Credence’s neck, drawing him in, his speech quiet, intimate:
GRAVES
. . . But you—you’re different.
Credence is unsure, both nervous of and attracted by Graves’s behavior.
Graves rests his hand on Credence’s heart, covering the pendant.
GRAVES
Now, when you find the child, touch this symbol and I will know, and I will come to you.
Graves moves even closer to Credence, his face inches from the boy’s neck—the effect is both alluring and threatening—as he whispers:
GRAVES
Do this and you will be honored among wizards. Forever.
Graves pulls Credence into a hug, which, with his hand on Credence’s neck, seems more controlling than affectionate. Credence, overwhelmed by the seeming affection, closes his eyes and relaxes slightly.
Graves slowly backs away, stroking Credence’s neck. Credence keeps his eyes closed, longing for the human contact to continue.
GRAVES
(whispers)
The child is dying, Credence. Time is running out.
Abruptly, Graves strides back down the alleyway and Disapparates.
SCENE 80
EXT. ROOFTOP WITH PIGEON COOP—DUSK
A rooftop overlooking the whole city. In the middle sits a small wooden shed, which houses a pigeon coop.
Newt steps up onto a ledge and stands looking over the immense city. Pickett sits on his shoulder, clicking.
Jacob is inside the shed looking at the pigeon coop as Queenie enters.
QUEENIE
Your grandfather kept pigeons? Mine bred owls. I used to love feeding ’em.
ANGLE ON NEWT AND TINA—Tina has joined Newt in standing on the ledge.
TINA
Graves always insisted the disturbances were caused by a beast. We need to catch all your creatures so he can’t keep using them as a scapegoat.
NEWT
There’s only one still missing. Dougal, my Demiguise.
TINA
Dougal?
NEWT
Slight problem is that . . . um, he’s invisible.
TINA
(this is so ridiculous that she can’t help but smile)
Invisible?
NEWT
Yes—most of the time . . . he does . . . um . . .
TINA
How do you catch something that—?
NEWT
(beginning to smile)
With immense difficulty.
TINA
Oh . . .
They smile at each other—there’s a new warmth between them, Newt still awkward but somehow unable to stop staring at Tina as she smiles.
Tina moves slowly toward Newt.
A beat.
TINA
Gnarlak!
NEWT
(taken aback)
Excuse me?
TINA
(conspiratorial, excited)
Gnarlak—he was an informant of mine when I was an Auror! He used to trade in magical creatures on the side—
NEWT
He wouldn’t happen to have an interest in paw prints, would he?
TINA
He’s interested in anything he can sell.