This very short and eerie cue starts with a growling bass pedal and a metallic glare, before a constant ticking idea starts; ‘Credence’s Ticking Motif’, perhaps hinting at his limited time left as an Obscurial, as the Obscurus slowly consumes him. A syncopated string line is layered on top, as the ticking idea builds up in orchestration, with some electronic sounds, a new timbre in this score, alluding to Credence’s identity as ‘other’. The cue covers Credence being watched by Graves on the street corner and their ensuing conversation, the topic of which is the Obscurial itself. The agitated sound here creates a low-level discomfort as we see Graves manipulate Credence.

A lyrical descending string line enters as the tone of the conversation changes. Graves mentions Credence’s desire to join the Wizarding World and how they will “all be free” once the Obscurial is found. This hopeful shift is reflected ironically in the music. The music descends as the tone becomes more positive, indicating the falsehood in Graves’ speech and how the hope and freedom he promises will in fact be the inverse. The ticking is drowned out with this string line, as Credence feels his oddness being assuaged by Graves, being filled with false hope in its place, but the music here tells us instead that his affliction will not end through hope…