Mary Lou Barebone



Mary Lou Barebone (d. 7 December 1926) was an American No-Maj who lived in the 20th century. She was the leader of the New Salem Philanthropic Society, also known as the Second Salemers, an extremist group whose goal was to expose and eradicate witchcraft in the United States. She had three adoptive children, two daughters, Chastity and Modesty Barebone, and a son, Credence, who was the middle child.

Early life
Mary Lou Barebone at some point became the leader of the New Salem Philanthropic Society, an American No-Maj anti-witchcraft group located in New York. Her hatred towards wizardkind led her to adopt children with magical backgrounds in an attempt to suppress the magic within by raising them to despise witchcraft. By December of 1926, Mary Lou had three adopted children.

At some point before December of 1926, Mary Lou was magically assaulted by Auror Porpentina Goldstein because she was physically abusing her son.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
On the steps of the Steen National Bank on 6 December 1926, Mary Lou, along with her children, preached to the public in a rally supporting the New Salem Philanthropic Society. After she praised the marvellous man-made inventions of New York, she insisted that the public heed her warnings of the presence of a mysterious force that's destroying the city, and she implored the audience that they join the Second Salemers in the fight against wizardkind. From the group of spectators, and unbeknownst that he was a wizard, Mary Lou spoke directly to Newt Scamander, before he ran into the bank.

Langdon Shaw, a believer in magic, brought Mary Lou and her children to his father, Henry Shaw Senior's office in an attempt for them to garnish the support of his newspaper company and his elder son's reelection platform. The meeting escalated quickly as Henry Shaw Junior called her son Credence a freak. Understanding that the Shaw family was not going to support the Second Salemers, Mary Lou politely bid them a good bye.

The next day, her son Credence found a seemingly real wand under her daughter Modesty's bed. As soon as the girl arrived to protest that it was just a toy, Mary Lou entered and was appalled to see what her son was holding. As Credence removed his belt so she could punish him, Mary Lou snapped the wand in half and Modesty confessed saying the wand was hers. Before she could beat Credence, the belt suddenly flung out of Mary Lou's grasp, injuring her hand, and as she went to pick it back up again, it again magically flew away. After she turned to confront her children, Mary Lou was attacked by an Obscurus, and flung against the rafters of the chapel and she fell dead with formidable marks covering her face.

Physical appearance
Mary Lou Barebone was described as a handsome midwestern woman who wore 1920s versions of Puritan dresses. She had a styled bob haircut and a charismatic and earnest face.

Personality and traits
Mary Lou Barebone was a fanatical bigot against the magical community, and would purposely adopt children with signs of magical ability in an attempt to quash it out of them, and in turn raise them to hate witchcraft. Her utter intolerance against them bordered on the unhinged, as she regularly physically, verbally, and emotionally abuse and torment her adopted children. Mary Lou was a disciplinarian, the slightest infraction of her strict rules by her children would result in abuse.

On the other hand, Mary Lou showed an array of good mannerisms and an understanding of defeat as she displayed these qualities to Henry Shaw Jr when he decided not to support the Second Salemers.

Behind the scenes

 * Mary Lou is portrayed by Samantha Morton in the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them film series.

Notes and references
Mary Lou Barebone Mary Lou Bellebosse Мэри Лу Бербон Mary Lou Barebone Мері Лу Бербон