SCENE 105
INT. LESTRANGE MANOR, NURSERY—1901—NIGHT
IRMA lifts a baby from a crib and departs, watched by a desolate LESTRANGE SR.
LETA (V.O.)
My father sent me to America, along with Corvus.
SCENE 106
INT. SHIP’S CABIN—1901—NIGHT
IRMA is asleep, CHILD LETA awake on a lower bunk, and BABY CORVUS screaming in his crib.
LETA (V.O.)
Irma was to pose as a grandmother with two grandchildren . . .
The lights suddenly flicker on and off—CHILD LETA hasn’t moved, she is still looking at the screaming BABY CORVUS.
LETA (V.O.)
Corvus never stopped crying.
In the background there is a commotion as figures run along the corridor outside the door. As CHILD LETA approaches BABY CORVUS, who continues to cry, IRMA wakes. She goes to investigate the fuss and noise in the corridor.
LETA (V.O.)
I never wanted to hurt him.
CHILD LETA is transfixed by the baby.
LETA (V.O.)
I only wanted to be free of him. Just for a moment . . .
SCENE 107
INT. SHIP’S CORRIDOR—1901—NIGHT
The door of the opposite cabin is ajar. BABY CREDENCE is inside, fast asleep. CHILD LETA slips inside. She swaps the babies.
LETA (V.O.)
Just a single moment.
SCENE 108
INT. SHIP’S CABIN—1901—NIGHT
CHILD LETA enters with BABY CREDENCE.
IRMA
Give him to me!
The ship lurches again. IRMA snatches BABY CREDENCE, not noticing the switch amid the confusion. The cabin door bangs open to reveal a dark-haired young woman wearing a nightdress and life jacket.
CREDENCE’S AUNT
Irma? They want us to put on life jackets!
She slips and slides into her own cabin and picks up BABY CORVUS, also not realizing the babies have been switched.
SCENE 109
EXT. LIFEBOAT—1901—NIGHT
CHILD LETA, IRMA, and BABY CREDENCE are in one boat, CREDENCE’S AUNT and BABY CORVUS in another.
A huge wave is approaching. CHILD LETA watches as the lifeboat bearing CREDENCE’S AUNT and BABY CORVUS is overturned.
CLOSE ON THE SURFACE OF THE WATER. A few survivors reappear, including CREDENCE’S AUNT, but not BABY CORVUS . . . CREDENCE’S AUNT pulls off her life jacket so she can dive too . . .
She does not reemerge. We close in through the surface of the water, past the drowning woman, and see the dark shape of a drowning baby trailing bubbles of magical light as he sinks . . . and his figure becomes . . .
SCENE 110
INT. LESTRANGE MAUSOLEUM—NIGHT
. . . the drowning baby falling through sea-green light, hanging in the air in the mausoleum. LETA has conjured it. It has haunted her all her life and now she shows it to them.
The orchid representing LETA on the Lestrange family tree twists around the branch labeled CORVUS LESTRANGE until the leaves wither and die.
NEWT
You didn’t mean to do it, Leta. So it wasn’t your fault.
LETA
Oh, Newt. You never met a monster you couldn’t love.
A long look between them, a look full of memories.
TINA
Leta, do you know who Credence really is? Did you know, when you swapped them?
LETA
No.
CREDENCE reacts.
An opening suddenly appears in the wall of the mausoleum. All stare at the steps leading down into the earth. The sound of a gigantic crowd rumbles beneath them.
JACOB
Queenie?
Before anyone can stop him, he runs down the steps. NEWT and TINA dash after him. LETA looks at KAMA, then follows NEWT.
KAMA hurries after her.