Mary Lou Barebone

These are some headcanons I have about Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, in no particular order:

• Mary Lou knew that Credence was magic, but only because she thought his mother was Irma Dugard - a half-elf, half-witch would certainly be "wicked" and "unnatural" in her book.

• Leta used to hold her breath under water for as long as she could.

• The only people Credence ever truly cared for were Modesty, Nagini, and Aberforth.

• In present-day, Credence isn't very well-known, because most people don't know that Credence Barebone and Aurelius Dumbledore are one and the same.

• Credence, due to being the one to most often care for Modesty, is surprisingly good with children.

• Credence's aunt on the ship who drowned trying to save Corvus was actually his mother; she only said she was his aunt because she wasn't about to announce that she was the unwed mother of the child she had with her.

• Chastity was a Squib whose magical parents abandoned her in a No-Maj orphanage after they realized she didn’t have magic, only for her to be adopted shortly afterwards by Mary Lou Barebone.

• Aberforth holds a grudge against Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and against the entire Magical Congress of the United States, because Ilvermorny never detected Credence, and because of how badly MACUSA handled Credence’s case, even in present-day, nearly a hundred years later.

• Leta's father purposely sent his son to Mary Lou, figuring that Yusuf Kama would never suspect that young Corvus was in the care of a magic-hater, and that he would come retrieve him once it was save. Only, when he came to get his son back, Credence was there instead.

It had just been a toy. She'd just wanted to look at it. Then she would give it back and Ma would never know and everything would go on as normal.

Now Ma was dead, and Chastity too, flung against the wall with bone-shattering force, limbs askew on the ground. The building was destroyed, the roof falling in, the walls crumbling. Modesty alone had survived, and Credence-

Modesty ran through the night, feet pounding against the pavement, running down streets and alleys with no other thought than to get away, to find the only place she'd ever been safe.

Credence was evil magic, just like Ma had always said. The terrifying dark cloud of destruction had come from him.

It had just been a toy.

She'd seen one of the children who came to get food playing with it, a girl around Modesty's age. Ma made sure to check all the children who came for witch's marks or other signs of witchcraft, so the girl hadn't been playing with it in the hall; she'd been outside in a nearby alley.

Modesty both liked and disliked when the other children came. She liked it, because it was the only time she got to see other children her own age. And she didn't like it, because as Ma's ward, she was different from them, more fortunate than they were, having to rely on others for food. She wasn't one of them. They envied her.

So Modesty rarely, if ever, got to speak with them. But she'd stood and watched this girl play with the wand. She'd been muttering nonsense words and waving the stick around.

And nothing happened.

It didn't look evil or wicked. It just looked like a toy. Like Modesty's dolls.

So she'd asked if she could borrow it, and the girl had agreed, but only if she gave it back the next day. So Modesty took the wand and brought it home and, once in her bedroom, waved it around and made up her own nonsense words. It hadn't felt wicked. It just looked like a stick.

She'd hidden it under her bed, to discreetly return it to the girl she'd borrowed it from the next day. But then Credence had found it.

She'd been terrified he would tell Ma. She'd begged him to put it back, saying that it was just a toy. If it was just a toy she wouldn't be punished too much for it, would she?

Credence always looked out for Modesty, and listened to her. The two of them were much closer than they were to Chastity. But that meant nothing when it came to Ma. They were always supposed to listen to her first.

Then Ma had seen, and Credence had lied to her. They were forbidden to lie, but he'd said the wand was his, to protect Modesty, even though it wasn't. Ma had taken his belt. Then Modesty had said that it was really hers, because she didn't want Credence to get punished, even though she really didn't want to be punished instead. Credence always got beaten. He shouldn't have to be beaten for something he hadn't done.

Then everything had exploded.

Ma was dead. Chastity was dead. Their home was in ruins. Credence was dark evil magic. And it was all Modesty's fault.

If she hadn't brought home the wand in the first place, none of this would have happened.

Modesty sobbed as she ran, more terrified than she'd ever been. She had to get as far away as possible, before the dark Credence magic found her.

It had just been a toy.

These are my headcanons for what the boggarts of various characters in the Fantastic Beasts movies are.

• Credence Barebone - Mary Lou Barebone. Yes, even years later, after Paris and Nurmengard.

• Chastity Barebone: Mary Lou Barebone

• Modesty Barebone - Mary Lou Barebone

• Mary Lou Barebone - the stereotypical caricature of a witch

• Newt Scamander - The world inside his suitcase destroyed, with all of his creatures dead (I imagine that his worst fear of having to work in an office changed, since his job wandering the wilds and finding different magical creatures is pretty much the opposite of that, and he worries what will happen to his animals if it's decided they're too dangerous and his suitcase is taken away, like at MACUSA that one time).

• Leta's was already shown.

• Theseus Scamander - Newt dead or injured.

• Yusuf Kama - his father telling him that he failed to avenge his mother.

• I couldn't think of anything for Tina, Queenie, or Jacob.

Of all the people that Irma could have taken Credence to, why was Mary Lou Barebone selected. Any checking would have revealed her anti Wizard stance and Snatcher family background..

..unless you wanted the child to repress their magical ability and grow an Obscurus..

There really only seems to be one person who'd be interesred in making that happen..

..but if that was true, why does Grindelwald know so little about the child until Credence reveals himself as the Obscurial? Surely he'd know at least the age and sex of the child.

As Irma delivered Credence to Mary Lou and only Credences Aunt was onboard with the baby, how does Mary Lou know Credences mother was a 'Wicked woman'? Was the information about her given to ensure the poor treatment of the child?