J. Rowling - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Jacob grabs another shot of gigglewater and knocks it back. He giggles uproariously as Newt grabs his elbow and the group Disapparates.

The long room is dimly lit by one set of lights. There’s barely any noise.

Chastity sits primly at the long table in the middle of the church. She formulaically arranges leaflets and places them in little bags.

Modesty sits opposite in a nightdress, reading a book. In the deep background, Mary Lou busies herself in her bedroom.

Modesty is the only one to register a small clunk from upstairs.

A bleak room. A single bed, an oil lamp, a sampler on the wall: AN ALPHABET OF SIN. Modesty’s dolls lined up on a shelf. One with a little noose around its neck, another tied to a stake.

Credence scrabbles to get underneath Modesty’s bed. He looks among the boxes and objects hidden there, then suddenly stops, staring . . .

Modesty stands at the bottom of the stairs, looking up. She slowly ascends.

ANGLE ON CREDENCE’S FACE UNDER THE BED—Credence has found a toy wand. He stares, unable to draw his eyes from it.

Behind him, Modesty enters.

MODESTY

Whatchoo doin’, Credence?

Credence bangs his head on the bed in his haste to get out. He emerges, dusty and scared. He is relieved to see that it is only Modesty, but she, on seeing the wand, is terrified.

CREDENCE

Where’d you get this?

MODESTY

(frightened whisper)

Give it back, Credence. It’s just a toy!

The door bangs open. Mary Lou enters. Her gaze travels from Modesty to Credence and the toy wand—she is angrier than we have ever seen her.

MARY LOU

(to Credence)

What is this?

HOLD ON CHASTITY, still filling bags with leaflets.

MARY LOU (O.S.)

Take it off!

Chastity glances up toward the landing.

Mary Lou stands on the landing overlooking the main church below. Seen from below, her figure is powerful, almost deified.

Mary Lou turns back toward Credence and slowly, her face full of loathing, snaps the wand in two.

As Modesty cowers, Credence begins to remove his belt. Mary Lou holds out her hand and takes it.

CREDENCE

(pleading)

Ma . . .

MARY LOU

I am not your ma! Your mother was a wicked, unnatural woman!

Modesty forces her way between them.

MODESTY

It was mine.

MARY LOU

Modesty—

Suddenly—the belt is whipped out of Mary Lou’s hands by supernatural means and falls like a dead snake in a far corner. Mary Lou looks at her hand—it is cut and bleeding from the force of the movement.

Mary Lou is stunned—she glances between Modesty and Credence.

MARY LOU

(frightened but covering it)

What is this?

Modesty stares defiantly directly back at her. In the background we see Credence crouched down, hugging his knees and shaking.

Trying to remain composed, Mary Lou moves slowly to retrieve the belt. Before she can touch it, the belt slithers away across the floor.

Mary Lou backs away, tears of fear welling in her eyes. She turns slowly back toward the children.

As she moves, an almighty force explodes into her: A bestial, screeching, dark mass that consumes her. Her scream is bloodcurdling as the force throws her backward, striking a wooden beam, flinging her over the balcony.

Mary Lou smashes down onto the floor of the main church, her body lifeless, her face bearing the same scars seen on the face of Senator Shaw.

The Dark force flies through the church, upending the table and destroying everything in sight.

WIDE SHOT OF A DEPARTMENT STORE, its windows full of glamorously dressed mannequins.

Jacob approaches the shop windows, staring at a handbag which, seemingly of its own accord, is sliding down the arm of a mannequin. Newt, Tina, and Queenie hurry up behind him and watch as the bag hovers in midair and floats off into the store.

A well-presented department store decorated for Christmas, with aisles full of expensive jewelry, shoes, hats, and perfume. The place is shut down for the night, all the lights are off, no noises can be heard.

We see the handbag float down the central aisle, accompanied by small grunting noises.

Newt and the group quickly tiptoe through the store, coming to hide behind a large plastic Christmas display. They eye-up the floating handbag.

NEWT

(whispers)

So Demiguises are fundamentally peaceful, but they can give a nasty nip if provoked.

The Demiguise itself appears—a silvery-haired orangutan-like creature, with a curious, wizened face—clambering over a display to reach a box of sweets.

NEWT

(to Jacob and Queenie)

You two . . . head that way.

They start moving.

NEWT

And try very hard not to be predictable.

Jacob and Queenie exchange perplexed glances before heading off.

A small roar can be heard in the distance.

ANGLE ON THE DEMIGUISE, which, on hearing the sound, looks up toward the ceiling, before continuing to gather sweets, now shoveling them into its handbag.