Seraphina Picquery

Seraphina Picquery was an exceptionally powerful American witch who served as the President of the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA) from 1920 to 1928 (Fantastic Beasts film series). A formidable and authoritative leader, she was a staunch defender of Rappaport's Law, which enforced strict segregation between the American wizarding community and No-Majs. Her presidency was defined by the major magical crisis in New York City in 1926, which involved the destructive rampage of an Obscurus and the concurrent arrival of both Newt Scamander and a disguised Gellert Grindelwald (Fantastic Beasts film series).

According to supplementary materials, Seraphina Picquery was a student at Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in her youth. She was famously one of the rare students of her generation to be offered a place in all four Ilvermorny houses: Horned Serpent, Wampus, Thunderbird, and Pukwudgie. She ultimately chose to belong to Horned Serpent house (Pottermore). By the 1920s, Picquery had risen to become the President of MACUSA, governing the American wizarding world from the Woolworth Building in New York. In December 1926, her administration faced an unprecedented threat when an Obscurus began causing death and destruction throughout the city, threatening to expose magic to the No-Maj population (Fantastic Beasts film series). During this crisis, President Picquery dealt with the cases of Newt Scamander, whose magical creatures had escaped his suitcase, and Porpentina Goldstein, a demoted Auror who brought him in. Initially dismissive and severe, Picquery ordered the destruction of Scamander's suitcase and the obliteration of his memories. She also sentenced both Scamander and Goldstein to death after they were implicated by Percival Graves, her Director of Magical Security, who was secretly the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald in disguise (Fantastic Beasts film series). After Scamander and Goldstein escaped, they revealed the true identity of the Obscurus as Credence Barebone. Picquery personally led a large contingent of Aurors to confront and seemingly destroy Credence in a subway station to prevent a full-scale breach of the International Statute of Secrecy. It was immediately after this that Newt Scamander exposed Percival Graves as Gellert Grindelwald, and Picquery's Aurors were able to subdue and arrest the dark wizard. To repair the immense damage to both the city and No-Maj awareness, Picquery authorized the use of Swooping Evil venom diluted in a rainstorm to perform a mass memory modification on the entire population of New York City (Fantastic Beasts film series). In 1927, President Picquery oversaw the arrangements for Gellert Grindelwald's transfer to Europe to face justice. Despite her precautions, Grindelwald escaped custody during the transfer, a major failure for her administration (Fantastic Beasts film series).

President Picquery was a tall, elegant African-American woman who carried herself with an air of immense authority and power. She dressed in elaborate and fashionable 1920s robes, often complemented by ornate headdresses, befitting her status as the leader of the American wizarding world (Fantastic Beasts film series). As a leader, Picquery was stern, uncompromising, and a strict adherent to the law, particularly Rappaport's Law. Her primary concern was always the protection and secrecy of the magical community, which sometimes made her appear harsh and unforgiving, as seen in her swift judgment of Newt Scamander. Despite her severity, her actions were driven by the immense pressure of preventing a war with the No-Majs. She was decisive and did not hesitate to take command in a crisis, personally leading her Aurors into dangerous situations (Fantastic Beasts film series).

• Exceptional Magical Power: President Picquery was a highly accomplished and powerful witch. Her selection by all four Ilvermorny houses is a testament to her profound magical talent from a young age (Pottermore).
• Wandless Magic: She demonstrated the ability to perform powerful and complex Transfiguration without a wand. After the Obscurus was destroyed, she repaired the vast structural damage to the New York subway and the Woolworth Building with a simple, fluid wave of her hand (Fantastic Beasts film series).
• Leadership: As President of MACUSA, she was a commanding and decisive leader, capable of managing a national crisis and directing the entire force of American Aurors.

• Wand: President Picquery's wand was beautiful and distinctive, carved from Swamp Mayhaw wood with a Rougarou hair core. The wand was a deep violet color and featured a thorny, ornate handle (Pottermore).

• Percival Graves (Gellert Grindelwald): Picquery placed enormous trust in her Director of Magical Security, Percival Graves, unaware that he was Gellert Grindelwald using Transfiguration. She relied on his counsel throughout the Obscurus crisis, making him her primary confidant until his unmasking (Fantastic Beasts film series).
• Newt Scamander: She initially viewed Scamander as a dangerous and irresponsible individual whose carelessness threatened to shatter the secrecy of American wizarding society. Her opinion of him likely improved after he was instrumental in the capture of Gellert Grindelwald (Fantastic Beasts film series).
• Porpentina Goldstein: Picquery had previously demoted Goldstein from her position as an Auror. She was severe with Tina for her unsanctioned investigation but ultimately reinstated her after Tina proved her loyalty and skill in the fight against Grindelwald (Fantastic Beasts film series).

• Seraphina: This name is likely derived from the seraphim, a class of celestial beings or angels in Abrahamic religions. The seraphim are described as the highest rank of angel, associated with light, purity, and immense power, reflecting Picquery's powerful status and commanding presence.
• Picquery: The surname may be a combination of “pique” (to provoke or arouse; or a feeling of irritation) and “query” (a question). This could allude to her sharp, inquisitive, and easily provoked nature when dealing with threats to her laws.

• In the Fantastic Beasts film series, Seraphina Picquery is portrayed by British actress Carmen Ejogo (Fantastic Beasts film series).
• The character was created by J.K. Rowling for the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them screenplay and does not appear in the original seven Harry Potter novels.
• Her background as a four-house Ilvermorny student who chose Horned Serpent was revealed in the short story “Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry” on the Pottermore website (Pottermore).