Mary Lou Barebone

"There's strange things going on all over the city. People behind this are not like you and me. There's a hidden society, it goes back centuries."

- Mary Lou

Mary Lou Barebone is the secondary antagonist of the 2016 fantasy film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. An American No-Maj in the 20th century, Mary sought to eradicate all witches and wizards from the United States.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Possessing an intense hatred for wizardkind, Mary established the New Salem Philanthropic Society, and situated it in New York. Her distaste for wizards and witches led her to adopting children of magical backgrounds, and harshly suppressing their abilities. Eventually, Mary adopted three children - Chastity, Modesty, and Credence - by December of 1926. Mary singled Credence out and remorselessly punished him for his repeated failures. Unbeknownst to her, she was unintentionally making Credence an Obscurial by suppressing his magical abilities. Credence would end up becoming one of, if not the most powerful Obscurial. In addition, Mary was assaulted by the auror - Porpentina Goldstein - when she was physically attacking Credence. This one act causes Tina to lose her position in the Magical Congress of the United States of America as she had unintentionally exposed herself when she was trying to defend Credence.

Later in the film, she attempts to convince the mayor that the attacks occurring in New York were supernatural in origin, attempting to goad him into making the NSPS the headline for the city newspaper. He declines her demands, and she begs him to reconsider if the attacks were to continue. In secret, Modesty was performing magic, which brings her into conflict with Mary. Assuming that it was Credence, Mary snaps Modesty's wand, and prepares to beat Credence. Without any warning, the Obscurial from earlier overcomes Mary, killing her instantly. The New Salem Philanthropic Society comes to an end with her demise.

Trivia

 * She was portrayed by Samantha Morton.
 * Her actions in mistreating Credence that led to her demise made her similar with Tomoo from Elfen Lied, Dahlia Gillespie, and Margaret White. Unlike them however, Mary's approach were driven by genocidal goals.