Credence Barebone

"His name's Credence. His mother beats him. She beats all those kids she's adopted, but she seems to hate him the most."

- Tina Goldstein regarding Credence's family life

Credence Barebone was an American wizard who lived during the 20th century. He was the adopted son of Mary Lou Barebone, who was the leader of the New Salem Philanthropic Society, a No-Maj anti-witchcraft group.

Credence had two adopted sisters, Chastity and Modesty Barebone. He lived with them and his adoptive mother in the United States of America in New York city in 1926 at the Second Salem Church in Pike Street Manhattan. Credence was the eldest, followed by Chastity and then Modesty.

Credence was an Obscurial, a wizard or witch who developed a magic parasitical force known as an Obscurus through the repression of his or her magic. Credence was de oldest and longest lived Obscurial known of the Wizarding World. While most Obscurials die before their tenth birthday, Credence lived into adulthood which was previously unheard in wizardkind and a possible testament of his latent power.

The Obscurus of Credence Barebone was responssible for the death of his adopted mother Mary Lou Barebone, his adopted sister Chastity Barebone, and Henry Shaw Junior.

Credence Barebone seemingly dies at the hands of MACUSA Aurors at the New York City Subway near New York City Hall on the night of 7 December 1926. However, Credence had survived his confrontation with MACUSA on a "mysterious way".

Early life 1905


Credence Barebone was born as a magical child into a wizarding family. His biological mother was a witch, but his father is still unknown. But at some point he was put up for adoption; the reason for this is unknown. He was later adopted by Mary Lou Barebone, the leader of the New Salem Philanthropic Society or Second Salemers, a No-Maj anti-witchcraft group with its roots in the Salem Witch Trials. She considered his mother a "wicked, unnatural woman", implying that he may share the same qualities. Mary Lou abused Credence physically, often using his own belt that left marks on his hands. Porpentina Goldstein held the belief that although Mary Lou beat all the children she adopted, she seemed to hate Credence the most. Mary Lou also closely scrutinised every moment of his life, checking on his whereabouts and punishing him for not abiding by her strictures. This abuse forced him to suppress his magic and ultimately he developed an Obscurus, a powerful magical parasite.

Before December 1926
"It’s okay."

- Tina Goldstein comforts Credence



Sometime before December 1926, Porpentina Goldstein, an American Auror of the Magical Congress of the United States of America took to observing the activities of the Second Salmers. During one meeting, Mary Lou used a belt to hit Credence when the witch Porpentina Goldstein rushed forward to his defence. Tina magically assaulted Mary Lou in front of her followers and saved Credence from the beating. The open use of magic in front of a group of Muggles required extensive Obliviation and was a major scandal resulting in Porpentina's demotion to the Wand Permit Office. Credence found himself dreaming of the woman who had saved him from his mother's wrath frequently after this event.

December 1926


By December of 1926, Credence was losing control of his Obscurus, and it manifested in outbursts that were wreaking havoc in New York. These disturbances were noted both in the Muggle press such as the New-York Clarion and the wizarding press such as The New York Ghost. During that time, he came in contact with the evil Dark Wizard Gellert Grindelwald, who was disguised as Percival Graves, an American Auror from MACUSA. Grindelwald was searching for the magical Obscurial child of "immense power" at the Second Salem Church in close proximity of Mary Lou Barebone, which he had seen in a vision. Conforming that Credence was the key in finding the child, he asked Credence for help. In return, Grindelwald promised to help Credence join the wizarding world someday and to free him from his adopted mother.

On 6 December 1926, on the steps of the Steen National Bank. Credence, along with his adopted sisters Chastity and Modesty, handed out leaflets to the public, while his adoptive mother Mary Lou preached to the public in a rally, supporting the New Salem Philanthropic Society. She confirmed that there are bizzare things happening through out New York. A wizard named Newt Scamander, who was just passing, set down on his suitcase while listening to Mary Lou's speech. A No-Maj Jacob Kowalski, who was going to the bank to get a loan, stumbled over Newt Scamander's suitcase and Credence cowered away from the stumbling Jacob.



Later that day Langdon Shaw, whom was a believer in the existence of magic, brought Credence and his family into his father Henry Shaw Senior's office. Mary Lou was interested in garnishing the support and influence of him and his elder son's re-election platform. While in his office Henry Shaw Senior refused and dismissed both Langdon and Mary Lou and asked them to leave. While they left Credence dropped a leaflet. Henry Shaw Senior's elder son (the Senator) handed it back to him. And in the process unashamedly made fun of him and called him a freak. This upset Credence, as was evident from the look on his face. This prompted Modesty, whom had overheard the whole exchange to grab his hand in a show of sisterly support.



At the night of 6 December 1926, Credence's Obscurus was streaking through the streets. Henry Shaw Jr held a fundraising dinner for his supporters at New York City Hall. When he was in the middle of his speech, he was interrupted by a strange, haunted noise coming from the organ pipes at the end of the room; and as he recommenced, the strange noise got louder, prompting the guests to look around for the source of the disruption and worriedly start to mutter to each other. Suddenly, the chandeliers shattered and the lights went out, and Credence's obscurus bursts forth from beneath the organ, soared across the hall, sending tables flying and throwing people around as it carved a line towards the stage where the Senator was still standing. The force threw Shaw backwards against his poster, and then raised him up high where he floated for just a moment in midair before being thrown violently back down onto the stage, dead. Credence's obscurus killed the senator as revenge for calling him a freak during the Second Salemers visit at Henry Shaw Senior's office, unwittingly exposing the wizarding world.



At the night of 7 December, while looking in Modesty's room, Credence had found a a toy wand under Modesty her bed. Modesty entered the room and Credence asked her where she got it, but Modesty told him it was hers and that it was just a toy, and asked him to give it back. Mary Lou entered the room and was shocked to see what he was holding. As they stood on the upstairs landing, Credence removed his belt so his adoptive mother could punish him. Mary Lou turned back towards Credence and snapped the wand in half. As Mary Lou offended Credence's biological mother, Modesty forced her way between them and admitted the wand was hers, but Mary Lou refused to believe her.

As Mary Lou prepared to punish Credence, suddenly the belt was whipped out of Mary Lou's hands by supernatural means and fell like a dead snake in a far corner. As she looked at her hand, it was bleeding and full of cuts, the same injuries that Credence had. As Mary Lou slowly moved to retrieve the belt, it moved away across the floor before she could touch it. Turning to confront the children, Credence lost control and his Obscurus bursts free, the force threw Mary Lou backwards, striking a wooden beam and flinging her over the balcony and smashed down onto the floor of the main church, dead. The dark force flies through the church and destroyed everything in sight and killing Chastity in the process.



After the Obscurus accident, Credence touched his necklace that wore the sign of the Deathly Hallows. The necklage was gifted by Grindelwald to him on the afternoon of 7 December 1926 at an alley of the Second Salem Church. Grindelwald told Credence if he ever found the child, he must touch the symbol so he could easely locate him. Grindelwald, still in the form of Percival Graves, arrived at the remains of the Second Salemers' Church to find Credence shaking and sobbing, cowering at the back of the church and whimpering while he was touching his deathly hallows pendant. Grindelwald stepped quickly towards Credence while he bends down and cradling Credence's head. Grindelwald tries to ask him where the Obscurial was gone as he believed it was Modesty. But Credence was unable to explain and continued with pleading to Grindelwald for help. As Credence begins to weep again, Grindelwald slapped Credence hard in the face, demanding to know where Modesty was hiding. Credence was aghast and unable to comprehend that his hero had hit him, then the two  apparited  away.



Credence took him to Modesty, who had fled the destruction to her old childhood home the Bronx. Once there, Grindelwald told Credence that he is a squib, that he has magical ancestors but no power. As Grindelwald moved through a dark room, he sees a tiny movement and heard a sobbing from Modesty somewhere close.Grindelwald went to Modesty who was hiding in a corner and shaking and whimpering at the mention of Credence. As Grindelwald extended his hand and asked Modesty to come out, the crack began spreading like a spider web. Dust began to fall as the walls shook uncontrollably and the room began to disintegrate around them. Each wall collapsed in front of Grindelwald, until the final wall collapsed and he faced Credence who revealed his obscurus because of the betrayal of Grindelwald, at the surprise of Grindelwald. Although Grindelwald attempted to apologise and offered to train him, Credence lost control and transformed completely into an Obscurus going on a rampage of destruction through New York City knocking down buildings and overturning cars. Credence's obscurus created total chaos Times Square. churning and twisting through the city. Cars were sent flying, pavements exploded, and buildings are demolished and on fire, as people screamed and ran in all directions.

Apparent death
"We see Credence from within the black mass, his face contorted, screaming. The barrage of spells continues and Credence howls in pain... Under this pressure, the Obscurus finally seems to implode — a white ball of magical light taking over from the black mass... All power subsides. Only small pieces of black matter are left - floating through the air like feathers."

- Credence supposedly dies at the hands of MACUSA Aurors

Newton Scamander who tracked Credence's trail of destruction to the New York City Subway near New York City Hall tried to talk with Credence to calm him down, saying that he would help him. Because of Newt's kindness and understanding, Credence was soothed by the magizologist's words. Slowly, his Obscurus subsided, leaving only a frightened Credence who was huddled on the train tracks. As Newt continued with talking, Grindelwald arrived soon and caused Credence to resume his rampage again. However, Tina ran onto the tracks, and managed to calm down Credence once more. Credence reached out to her, as she was the only one who had gave him an uncomplicated kindness while he looks to her, desperate and afraid.



However President Seraphina Picquery and Aurors from MACUSA began coming down the steps of the subway and into the tunnel to contain the situation and raised their wands aggressively. The obscurus began to swell again while Tina, Newt, and Grindelwald asks them to put down their wand. Despite this, they proceeded to attack Credence with numerous spells. Credence began to scream as the barrage of spells at the Obscurus continued, only stopping when they believed he was destroyed. Under this pressure, the obscurus begin to implode with a ball of magical light that took over from the black mass. The force of the change sends Tina, Newt, and the Aurors stumbling backwards and he burst into millions of pieces, with only small fragments of black matter floating through the air like feathers.

Surviving death
"As Newt follows Madam Picquery’s gaze, he sees a tendril of black matter, a small part of the Obscurus, floating down through the roof. Unnoticed by anyone else, it eventually floats up and away, trying to reconnect with its host"

- A sign that Credence is still be alive



While most everyone believed Credence was destroyed, Newt Scamander observed a single shred of his Obscurus form fleeing the scene. Credence had survived his confrontation with MACUSA. Credence his surviving was described on a "Mysterious way".

Personality and traits
He was both "troubled" and "mysterious." Shy and withdrawn, this made him far more vulnerable to the abuse that came in response to the slightest infraction of his adoptive mother's strict rules. His timid personality also made him susceptible to manipulation by Gellert Grindelwald, who took a personal interest in him.

After years of abuse at the hands of his adoptive mother, Credence Barebone became a very timid and socially awkward young man. He was very withdrawn and easily intimidated by people in positions of authority. He was quiet and suffered from anxiety whenever he was forced into stressful situations and particularly didn't like crowds.



Credence was scared, lonely, and terrified of making any mistakes that would displease his mother. He had no friends outside and had been publicly humiliated by his mother's open abuse in front of the Second Salemers. Credence was compliant and passive in most situations as he already knew the punishment if he decided to step out of line or defend himself.

However, when Credence was insulted or threatened, his Obscurus form was unleashed, which was triggered by his negative emotions which he acted violently on, causing wide-spread destruction and death to those who provoked him. Namely, he attacked Mary Lou Barebone because of the abuse the latter inflicted on him for so long, and Henry Shaw Junior for the way he mocked him.

Credence was actually quite desperate for love, affection, and acceptance to the point that he was easy to manipulate and control, particularly by Grindelwald, to the point that he was willing to risk the wrath of his mother to help his manipulator or friend regardless of the consequences while he's earning this love and affection. This neglectful and abusive upbringing brought out a volatile side to him: his desperation for any sort of positive human relationship made it difficult for him to communicate, and thus when he was overwhelmed with emotion, he acted out in explosive fits of rage and magic.

Credence was quite curious regarding magic and the wizarding world. Called observant and intelligent by Grindelwald, he listened closely to Grindelwald's words and eagerly believed his promises to teach him magic and allow him to be part of the wizarding community. He was also exceptionally polite and well mannered and could be soothed with simple words of kindness and understanding when he is at his most uncontrollable positions.

Magical abilities and skills
"...his power must be so strong he’s somehow managed to survive. It’s incredible."

- Credence's power as an Obscurial


 * Obscurus Transformation: Credence was an Obscurial, prone to unleashing or embodying an Obscurus due to years of being forced to suppress his magic.
 * High Magic Capability: While Credence never developed his magical abilities, his ability to survive for so long despite being an Obscurial indicated he may have an immense amount of latent magical talent. Newt Scamander said "That's more powerful than any Obscurial I have ever heard of." According to him, Credence was notably more powerful than other known Obscurials in the Wizarding World.

Credence's mother
Credence doesn't remember his biological mother. It is unclear whether he knew she was a witch. Mary Lou tells Credence that his birth mother was a "wicked, unnatural woman", implying that he may share the same qualities.

Mary Lou Barebone
"As if on autopilot, Credence removes his belt. Mary Lou stands and extends her hand, taking the belt. In silence, she turns and walks up the stairs—Credence obediently following."

- Mary Lou punishes Credence for coming home late

Credence feared his adoptive mother due to years of emotional and physical abuse. She beats him with the intent of teaching him to suppress and be ashamed of his magical traits. By suppressing his magic, he developed an Obscurus. It was noted by Tina Goldstein that out of all Mary Lou's adopted children, Credence was the most hated, most likely because of his magic.

Credence learned over the years to willingly surrender his belt for a beating when he knew he did something wrong. He tended to be passive when it came to the beatings and he learned to take them submissively. Despite living in an environment where magic was shunned, Credence was drawn toward the ideas of wizardry and even entertained the thought of becoming part of the wizarding world. Mary Lou seemed to be aware of Credence's interest in magic and did not hesitate to beat him for it.

Modesty Barebone
"Behind Credence, Modesty’s eyes burn. She clutches Credence’s hand protectively."

- Modesty took Credence's hand after he was insulted by Senator Shaw

Credence shared a closer relationship with Modesty, as she did not possess the same zealous attitude Chastity did in regards to their mother's anti-witchcraft stance. Modesty was young and curious, she shared Credence's secret interest in magic. Because of this shared interest they trusted each other. When Henry Shaw Junior insulted Credence, she took his hand to reassure him. Modesty often witnessed the beatings he got from their mother and attempted to comfort him. Modesty occasionally confided in Credence that she missed the nine brothers and sisters she had before she was adopted. When Credence found the toy wand under Modesty's bed, Mary Lou believed it to be his and bet him, despite Modesty's attempt at convincing her it was hers. After the Obscurus took control of Credence and killed their adoptive family, she became fearful of him.

Chastity Barebone
The relationship between Chastity and Credence is unknown. They attended their mother's anti-magic rallies and meetings together and passed out leaflets, but not much interaction happened. Chastity witnessed Credence's beatings but made no attempt at intervening or to defend him.

Gellert Grindelwald
Grindelwald disguised himself as Percival Graves and used Credence to try and locate the Obscurial, whom he believed was Modesty Barebone, promising him entrance into the wizarding world and training to perform magic. To Credence, Grindelwald was his only friend and the only person who truly understood and supported him. He healed his hands and comforted him when he confided in him about his mother's mistreatment.

After the Obscurus attacked Mary Lou, Grindelwald told Credence he had no use for him, calling him a squib, and pursued Modesty. Because of the emotional strain, Credence lost control over the Obscurus and, after Grindelwald realised it was him, offered his partnership and training in wizardry. Credence was deeply hurt by his manipulation and fled. MACUSA's Aurors chased and attacked him, and when Newt and Tina attempted to calm him and protect him, Grindelwald interrupted them to provoke Credence to cause more destruction in the hopes of achieving a war between magical and non-magical people.

Etymology
Credence is derived from the Latin credere meaning to trust and to believe, and from credentia, meaning belief. Barebone is an Anglo-Saxon surname, thought to be taken from the name of an English village, Barbon or Barbourne.

Behind the scenes
"It's important to explore the idea that there is cause and effect in the world, and the idea that someone who endures trauma has tough choices to make about how that trauma is going to affect the rest of their life - whether that wound will be a blessing or a curse. I think it's a really potent subject."

- Ezra Miller regarding Credence's struggle


 * Credence is portrayed by Ezra Miller in.
 * Initial reports said this character's name was "Kredan". When asked about it via Twitter, J. K. Rowling said, "Kredan is quite literally nobody. They got the name wrong!"
 * Credence reportedly becomes a "notable" character within the Harry Potter universe.
 * David Heyman reported that a scene was shot that shows Credence getting on a boat at the end of the film, but it was ultimately cut from the film, and it did not appear on the deleted scenes included with the DVD/Blu-Ray release.

Appearances

 * Inside the Magic: The Making of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
 * Inside the Magic: The Making of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
 * Inside the Magic: The Making of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
 * Inside the Magic: The Making of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
 * Inside the Magic: The Making of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Notes and references
Credence Barebone Криденс Бербон Croyance Bellebosse Credence Barebone