| Death Eaters | |
|---|---|
| Harry Potter association | |
Lord Voldemort (centre) with Bellatrix Lestrange (left), Lucius Malfoy (right) and several masked Death Eaters (back) in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix |
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| Headquarters | Riddle House [HP4] Malfoy Manor[1] [HP7] |
| Leader(s) | Lord Voldemort |
| Intentions | Preservation of blood purity, control of wizarding world, dominance of magical people over Muggles |
| Enemies | Harry Potter, Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore's Army, Ministry of Magic, Muggles, Muggle-borns |
| First appearance | Term first used in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, members of organisation appeared in first three series entries. |
In the fictional world of the Harry Potter series, the Death Eaters constitute a group of wizards and witches, led by the dark wizard Lord Voldemort, the chief antagonist of the series, who seek to purify the Wizarding community by eliminating the Muggle-borns (wizards or witches born to non-magical parents). They also try to create a new order through the Ministry of Magic and cause fear among the Wizarding community by terrorising and killing important officials and other enemies of the Death Eaters, chiefly the members of the Order of the Phoenix.
According to author J. K. Rowling, the original working title for the Death Eaters was "The Knights of Walpurgis."[2]
Death Eaters recognise one another by the Dark Mark on their left forearm, a sign created by Voldemort to summon him instantly to them or vice-versa. Their typical attire includes black hooded robes and masks. The Death Eaters, as a group, first appeared in the novel Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, although individual members of the group, such as Lucius Malfoy, Peter Pettigrew, and Severus Snape, had appeared in earlier books in the series.
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The Death Eaters first existed 11 years before the events of the books, torturing and murdering Muggles (non-magical humans) as well as anyone who opposed them or was believed to have information which could aid in or harm their rise to power. They also did this to people who were blood traitors. Around ten years after the Death Eaters first surfaced, a Seer named Sybill Trelawney made a prophecy about one who would have the power to defeat Voldemort forever. The prophecy could have referred to two different boys, Harry Potter or Neville Longbottom; however, Voldemort chose Harry, as said in the prophecy, that "the Dark Lord would mark him as his equal." As Voldemort was a half-blood, he chose his "equal," Harry, whose mother was a muggle-born witch, instead of Neville, who came from a long line of pure-blooded wizards. Acting on information from James and Lily Potter's Secret-Keeper Peter Pettigrew, Voldemort attempted to complete the prophecy and kill his infant rival. Due to Harry's mother's sacrifice to save her son, Voldemort's deadly curse rebounded off Harry and disembodied Voldemort.
With Voldemort vanquished after failing to kill Harry, the Death Eaters largely disbanded. The Ministry rounded many of them up and imprisoned them in Azkaban, the Wizarding prison, but some eluded justice by claiming they were bewitched by the Imperius Curse (it is implied that Lucius Malfoy did so) or by turning in other Death Eaters, as Igor Karkaroff did; Harry witnesses Karkaroff's testimony against former Death Eaters in Albus Dumbledore's Pensieve during the course of the series. It appears that very few Death Eaters stood for their fallen master and proudly went to Azkaban for him (like Bellatrix Lestrange), since, in the sixth book, Snape states that if Voldemort had refused to welcome back all those who turned their backs on him when he fell, then he would have very few followers. The Lestranges are the only three Death Eaters known to have willingly sacrificed their freedom for Voldemort. This is something that does not go unnoticed by him, as he claims, when he returns, that they will be recompensed for their loyalty.
Lord Voldemort, having regained his full strength at the end of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, summoned his followers to him by touching Peter Pettigrew's Dark Mark. Except for those dead, imprisoned, or afraid to return, the majority returned to his service as Lord Voldemort began his second attempt to claim power.
The Minister for Magic (Cornelius Fudge) deluded himself into believing that Voldemort could not have come back and that it was all a lie cooked up by Dumbledore, whom Fudge believed had designs on his political office. The Death Eaters use this tactical advantage throughout Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix to maintain their secrecy. Because of the Ministry's refusal to remove the Dementors from Azkaban, which Dumbledore advised immediately following Voldemort's return, the Death Eaters recruited the Dementors to their cause and made similar progress with the giants; the Dementors' revolt against the Ministry of Magic also allowed the Death Eaters to bolster their ranks with the mass break-out of several imprisoned Death Eaters.
In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Voldemort sent a group of twelve Death Eaters, led by Lucius Malfoy, into the Department of Mysteries, where he expected them to secure a Prophecy of vital importance to him: having originally attacked Harry based upon a partial recounting of it, he now wanted to hear the full version in order to better, or even fully, understand the connection between Harry and himself. The raid on the Department failed, however; Harry and his friends delayed the Death Eaters and kept the Prophecy out of their hands, finally destroying it, and were eventually aided by Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix. Dumbledore captured eleven of the twelve Death Eaters, sending Voldemort and Bellatrix fleeing after a fierce duel with the former, and ending the Death Eaters' enjoyed secrecy. Lucius, who had been important both to the Death Eaters and within the Ministry, was captured and imprisoned. However, the Death Eaters regrouped, assassinating and kidnapping important wizards, killed Muggles, and in general spread terror and chaos through the Wizarding world.
Towards the end of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the Death Eaters attacked Hogwarts for the first time, leading to the death of Dumbledore and injuries to several of the school's defenders. A second, more deadly attack near the conclusion of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows resulted in over 50 deaths, including Voldemort, who died when the killing curse he threw at Harry rebounded on him. Voldemort's death signalled the end of the Death Eaters.
While the Death Eaters practice "dark magic", illegal and dangerous spells, their ideology, such as it is, is a version of racial supremacy. They believe wizards are, as a genealogy book within the story phrases it, "Nature's Nobility"; other beings and races are inferior and should be subjugated. Within the wizarding community, so they believe, only those who are born to wizard parents are worthy of magical power, despite the fact that parentage does not in fact determine who possess such powers. They categorise wizards according to blood purity; "pure bloods", or wizard borns, out-rank "half-bloods" (mixed parentage) and "mudbloods", a derogatory name for those born to non-magical parents (muggles); though mostly they seek complete power and control over the entire Wizarding world, wishing to restrict leadership to a small band of pure-bloods. The Death Eaters not only seek the restoration of pure-blood rule over the Wizarding community, but also the eventual subjugation of the Muggle community under Wizarding rule.
In reality, the idea of blood purity is a misnomer – Voldemort himself is a half-blood – and it is unlikely that all of them could be pure-bloods, as very few, if any, such people could exist given the small gene pool. In Half-Blood Prince, Rowling depicts the Gaunts as a family who are obsessed with their ancestry and driven to inbreeding to preserve its integrity. Rowling has stated on her website that there are no true pure-blood families left, but that those who call themselves such simply strike Muggles, Squibs, and Half-bloods from their family records.
The Death Eaters have also attacked pure-bloods who oppose them. Examples of this are pure-blooded members of the Order of the Phoenix such as Sirius Black or the Prewett brothers who were murdered because of their loyalties, or the entire Weasley family. Such people are often called "blood traitors" by those who subscribe to Death Eater ideologies. On the other hand, Rowling has said that a Muggle-born wizard can become a Death Eater "in rare circumstances".[3] They are also not above recruiting creatures they deem inferior, as proven by werewolf Fenrir Greyback and the giant clan from continental Europe, as long as they help further the larger Death Eater agenda.
The following characters are Death Eaters identified by name during the series, and the crimes they committed.
| Character | Background and known crimes |
|---|---|
| Avery | Claimed to have been under the Imperius curse to avoid prison. Voldemort tortured him during his rebirth ritual. Participated in the break-in at the Department of Mysteries, and later escaped Azkaban. |
| Regulus Black | Defected when he discovered that Voldemort was creating horcruxes and testing the defences surrounding the horcruxes on his house elf. Later killed by Inferi while removing the Horcrux his house elf Kreacher had helped Voldemort hide. |
| Alecto and Amycus Carrow |
Assaulted people within Hogwarts. Tortured students while teaching at Hogwarts. Also were on the top of the tower when Dumbledore was killed. |
| Crabbe Sr | Vincent Crabbe's father. Present at Voldemort's rebirth. Participated in the break-in at the Department of Mysteries, and later escaped Azkaban. |
| Barty Crouch Jr | Participated in the torture and the permanent incapacitation of Frank and Alice Longbottom using the Cruciatus Curse. Escaped Azkaban after the latter crime. Delivered Harry Potter to Lord Voldemort. Impersonated Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody using Polyjuice Potion. Murdered his father, Barty Crouch Senior. Stunned Fleur Delacour and performed the Imperius Curse on Viktor Krum. Was hidden by his father and house elf. Later received the Dementor's Kiss. |
| Antonin Dolohov | Helped murder Gideon and Fabian Prewett. Tortured countless Muggles and non-supporters of Voldemort. Escaped prison fourteen years later to rejoin Voldemort. Seriously injured Hermione Granger and Alastor Moody with unknown curses in the break-in at the Department of Mysteries, and later escaped Azkaban. Attacked Harry, Ron, and Hermione in Tottenham Court Road with Thorfinn Rowle, but failed to harm them. Killed Remus Lupin during the Battle of Hogwarts.[4] Later defeated by Flitwick. |
| Gibbon | Assaulted people within Hogwarts. Accidentally killed by fellow Death Eater Thorfinn Rowle. |
| Goyle Sr | Gregory Goyle's father. Present at Voldemort's rebirth. Participated in the break-in at the Department of Mysteries, and later escaped Azkaban. |
| Fenrir Greyback | Known as the most savage werewolf, favoured hunting and attacking young children. Seriously maimed Bill Weasley and Lavender Brown. Leader of the Snatcher Gang that captured Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Participated in the Battle of Hogwarts where he is knocked down by Professor Trelawney who drops a crystal ball on his head from the top of a tower. Later he is brought down by Ron Weasley and Neville Longbottom. Was responsible for turning Remus Lupin into a werewolf. |
| Jugson | Participated at the battle in the Department of Mysteries and later escaped Azkaban. |
| Igor Karkaroff | Was captured and placed in Azkaban. Later released for providing information on fellow Death Eaters, including Barty Crouch. Became Headmaster of Durmstrang. After Voldemort's rebirth Karkaroff went into hiding but was later found murdered. |
| Bellatrix Lestrange | Participated in the torture and the permanent incapacitation of Frank and Alice Longbottom using the Cruciatus Curse. Escaped prison fourteen years later to rejoin Voldemort. Tortured Neville Longbottom, seriously injured Nymphadora Tonks, and murdered Sirius Black in the break-in at the Department of Mysteries. Tortured Hermione Granger and Griphook, and murdered Dobby at Malfoy Manor. Murdered Tonks and attempted to murder Ginny Weasley while duelling her, Hermione and Luna during the Battle of Hogwarts.[4] Subsequently killed by Molly Weasley. |
| Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange |
Participated in the torture and the permanent incapacitation of Frank and Alice Longbottom using the Cruciatus Curse. Escaped prison fourteen years later to rejoin Voldemort. Participated in the break-in at the Department of Mysteries, and again escaped from Azkaban. Rodolphus Lestrange is the husband of Bellatrix Lestrange. |
| Walden Macnair | Employed as an executioner for the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures; attempted to execute Buckbeak but failed as the hippogriff was freed. Present at Voldemort's rebirth. Persuaded the giants to join forces with the Death Eaters. Participated at a break-in at the Department of Mysteries, and later escaped Azkaban after the latter crime. Also participated at the Battle of Hogwarts. He was thrown across the room by Hagrid, making him unconscious. |
| Draco Malfoy | Carried out two failed assassination attempts on Albus Dumbledore; unintentionally poisoning Ron Weasley with mead and gravely injuring Katie Bell with a cursed necklace. Provided the means for Death Eaters to enter Hogwarts. Tortured fellow Death Eater Thorfinn Rowle on Voldemort's orders. Participated at the Battle of Hogwarts. He is played by Tom Felton in the Harry Potter movies. In the epilogue he is shown to have married Astoria Greengrass, with one son, Scorpius Malfoy. |
| Lucius Malfoy | Gave Voldemort's school diary to Ginny Weasley. Threatened school governors. Attempted to attack Harry Potter after losing his house-elf, Dobby. Tortured a Muggle family and participated in a violent rampage at the Quidditch World Cup. Present for Voldemort's rebirth. Placed Order of the Phoenix member Sturgis Podmore and Department of Mysteries employee Broderick Bode under the Imperius Curse in order to attempt to capture the prophecy for his master. Headed the operation in the Department of Mysteries, and later escaped Azkaban after the latter crime. Numerous counts of bribery. Father of Draco Malfoy. Husband of Narcissa Malfoy. |
| Mulciber | Specialised in the Imperius Curse. Escaped prison fourteen years later to rejoin Voldemort. Participated in the break-in at the Department of Mysteries, and again escaped from Azkaban. Also performed a dangerous hex on Mary McDonald while at Hogwarts. |
| Nott Sr | Theodore Nott's father. Rowling mentions on her website that he is an elderly widower.[5] Present at Voldemort's rebirth. Participated in the break-in at the Department of Mysteries, and later escaped Azkaban. |
| Peter Pettigrew | Spied on the Order of the Phoenix for Voldemort. Betrayed the Potters as their Secret-Keeper. Framed Sirius Black for the betrayal of, and, therefore, death of, James and Lily Potter, murdering twelve Muggles in the process and faking his own death. Murdered Cedric Diggory. Assisted Voldemort in procuring a new body. Was killed by his magically crafted hand that owed a life debt to Harry after hesitating to murder him in the seventh book. He is an unregistered Animagus and can turn into a rat. |
| Augustus Rookwood | A former Unspeakable that acted as though he was aiding the anti-Voldemort cause, but was revealed as a double agent, gaining information from Ludo Bagman and other unwitting agents throughout the Ministry. Escaped prison fourteen years later to rejoin Voldemort. Informed his master that Avery's information about Bode being able to steal the prophecy is incorrect. Participated in the break-in at the Department of Mysteries, and later escaped from Azkaban. Killed Fred Weasley in the Battle of Hogwarts. Later Stunned by Aberforth Dumbledore. |
| Evan Rosier | Destroyed part of Alastor Moody's nose during a fight with Aurors. Killed in the fight. |
| Thorfinn Rowle | Assaulted persons within Hogwarts and accidentally killed the Death Eater Gibbon. Attacked Harry, Ron and Hermione in Tottenham Court Road, with Antonin Dolohov. Participated at the Battle of Hogwarts. |
| Scabior | At some point in his life Scabior was imprisoned in Azkaban for undisclosed crimes, but was released sometime prior or following Lord Voldemort's infiltration of the Ministry of Magic. |
| Selwyn | Attacked Rubeus Hagrid and Harry Potter over the Dursleys' house. Tortured Xenophilius Lovegood. |
| Severus Snape | Gave Voldemort information about Sybill Trelawney's prophecy, which led to the deaths of James and Lily Potter. Killed Dumbledore on the astronomy tower in sixth book, although it is later revealed that Dumbledore was dying and asked Snape to kill him. Was killed by Nagini, Lord Voldemort's pet snake and final Horcrux. He and Lily Evans were childhood friends until they grew apart as teenagers. Even after all that time, he loved Lily. |
| Travers | Helped murder the McKinnons. Escaped prison fourteen years later to rejoin Voldemort. Tortured Xenophilius Lovegood. Accompanied Hermione, who was disguised as Bellatrix, to Gringotts. Ron was disguised as him. Also participated at the Battle of Hogwarts. |
| Wilkes | Killed by Aurors during the first Wizarding war. |
| Yaxley | Assaulted people within Hogwarts. Placed Imperius Curse on Pius Thicknesse. Also participated at the Battle of Hogwarts. Later defeated by Lee Jordan and George Weasley. |
Regulus Arcturus Black is the younger brother of Sirius Black. According to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, he died "some fifteen years previously" as seen from the perspective of August 1995.[6] As it is common in the Black family, Regulus is named after a bright star, in this case the brightest star in the constellation Leo. Before publication of the final volume of the series, Rowling stated that Regulus was dead,[7] but did not comment on the nature of his demise. She also remarked in an interview: "Regulus got in a little too deep. Like Draco. He was attracted to it, but the reality of what it meant was way too much to handle."[8] Sirius described him as his parents' favourite son because he accepted their ideas about blood purity.[9] Regulus is sorted into the Slytherin House and played Seeker on its Quidditch team. He joins the Death Eaters at the age of sixteen but later has a change of heart.
The Blacks' house-elf, Kreacher, reveals to Harry and his friends in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that he was ordered by Regulus to assist Voldemort in hiding a locket. Kreacher was forced to drink the potion protecting the locket to test its effectiveness. The potion (the same one that Dumbledore drank in that same cave) causes horrible memories or thoughts to be relived, intense stomach pain and dehydration. Kreacher was forced to go to the inferi-infested water and drink and was saved only by the fact that house-elf Apparition works differently from wizard Apparition. When Kreacher tells Regulus what has transpired, Regulus forces the elf to take him to the cave. While there, Regulus, instead of forcing Kreacher to drink, drinks the entire potion himself and switches the locket for a fake one. Before being dragged underwater and killed by Inferi, Regulus tells Kreacher to destroy the original locket. Regulus deduced that the locket was a Horcrux due to Voldemort dropping various hints about having made them, in his arrogance believing that nobody would hunt them down and destroy them.[4] Many years after his sacrifice, Kreacher revealed that he was still loyal to Regulus' memory, even leading the House-Elves of Hogwarts in the Battle of Hogwarts in Regulus' name.
Regulus appears in a photograph owned by Horace Slughorn in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, played by Thomas Moorcroft.
Alecto and Amycus Carrow (often referred as "The Carrows") are siblings who participate in the assault on Hogwarts at the end of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Amycus is described as being squat and lumpy, with a lopsided leer and a wheezy giggle; Alecto is described as a "stocky little woman" and shares her brother's squatness and laugh. It is said that after Voldemort's first downfall, they believed that he was gone forever.[10]
In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Alecto and Amycus become "teachers" at Hogwarts, severely disciplining students who oppose Voldemort. Amycus teaches Defence Against the Dark Arts, but as Neville Longbottom puts it, it becomes just "The Dark Arts" in which students are forced to perform the Cruciatus Curse against students who have been assigned to detention. Alecto teaches Muggle Studies, which becomes a compulsory subject, and teaches students that Muggles are like animals. Right before the Battle of Hogwarts, Alecto waits in Ravenclaw Tower on Voldemort's orders, preparing to capture Harry, but is stunned by Luna Lovegood after touching her Dark Mark to summon Voldemort. Amycus, after seeing what happened, tries to conspire with Minerva McGonagall who helped him into the room to offer some Ravenclaw students as sacrifices to Voldemort while planning to use the lie that Ravenclaws had ambushed Alecto and forced her to press her Dark Mark. McGonagall refuses and argues with Amycus, who spits in her face. Enraged at this, Harry casts the Cruciatus Curse, with such power that Amycus passes out. Later, McGonagall places the Imperius Curse on him, then binds him with his sister and places him inside a net.
Ralph Ineson plays Amycus, and Suzie Toase appears as Alecto.
Bartemius "Barty" Crouch, Junior is a Death Eater who is captured with the Lestranges, who are responsible for torturing Frank and Alice Longbottom, parents of Neville Longbottom. His father, who headed the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the time, sentenced him to life imprisonment in Azkaban. However, Crouch Sr later rescues his son as a favour to his dying wife. When they visit him in Azkaban, Mrs. Crouch used Polyjuice Potion to switch appearances with her son, enabling him to escape while she remains in his place. When she dies, she is buried under his identity.
To prevent him from returning to Voldemort's service, Crouch Sr controls his son with the Imperius Curse and keeps him hidden under an invisibility cloak. Crouch Jr is nursed back to health by Winky, the family's house-elf. When Bertha Jorkins discovers the truth, it reaches Voldemort, who rescues Crouch Jr and puts Crouch Sr under the Imperius Curse. Crouch Jr then kidnaps Mad-Eye Moody and, using Polyjuice Potion, assumes Moody's appearance and position as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher to infiltrate Hogwarts. Despite being an imposter, Crouch does a fair job of teaching the students; even student Dean Thomas says that "Moody" is not entirely sane, but the class still learns vast amounts from him. Crouch Sr escapes and reaches Hogwarts to tell Dumbledore about Voldemort's return, but he is exhausted and delirious from escaping the Imperius Curse. His son murders him on Hogwarts grounds.
The revived Triwizard Tournament is held at Hogwarts, and Crouch Jr is tasked with making sure Harry wins. In doing so, he bewitches Victor Krum to attack Cedric Diggory in the maze. He also stunned Fleur Delacour. When Harry, along with Cedric Diggory, touches the Triwizard Cup, it transports them to a graveyard, via portkey. There, Harry's blood is used in a ritual to bring Voldemort back to power. The plan succeeds, but Harry escapes. When Harry returns to Hogwarts, the still-disguised Crouch hopes to succeed where his master failed, but he also is unable to kill Harry, his plot foiled by Dumbledore, Snape, and McGonagall. Under the effect of Veritaserum, a powerful truth potion, he recounts his plan to them. Although he is closely guarded so he can later repeat his testimony, Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge has Crouch's soul sucked out by a Dementor before he can be brought to trial, which prevents him from confirming Voldemort's return. He lives, but few would dare to identify his present condition as "alive" as he has no memories or sense of self.
David Tennant appears as Barty Crouch, Jr in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Antonin Dolohov has a long, pale, and twisted face. He is confirmed in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to be one of Voldemort's first Death Eaters, being present at the Hog's Head when Voldemort comes to Hogwarts to request a teaching position and hide the diadem Horcrux, c. 1956. This makes him at least sixty years old at the time of the battle in the Department of Mysteries. Dolohov is one of the five Death Eaters who murder Gideon and Fabian Prewett (Molly Weasley's brothers). He also tortures many Muggles and opponents of Voldemort during the first war. Dolohov is imprisoned in Azkaban but escapes during the mass break-out.
He participates in the battle of the Department of Mysteries, where he causes damage to Hermione, but is imprisoned again, and returns to Azkaban prison. He escapes once more some time before the events of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. He tracks Harry, Ron, and Hermione to a Muggle cafe after they use Voldemort's name (which had recently been made a Taboo). He and his companion Rowle are stunned, and have their memories erased by Hermione and then are punished by Voldemort. Dolohov participates in the Battle of Hogwarts, killing Remus Lupin,[4] whom Aberforth Dumbledore last sees fighting with him. He is also seen duelling with Dean Thomas until Parvati Patil uses a body-bind curse on him. Dolohov and Yaxley are later sent to look for Harry, and they mistakenly thought the boy would not give himself up. When the battle recommences, Professor Flitwick finally defeats him.
He is portrayed by Arben Bajraktaraj in the film adaptations of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1.
Fenrir Greyback is a werewolf who is involved with the Death Eaters, allowed to use their robes but not ranking highly enough to carry the Dark Mark.[11] He is known as the most savage werewolf ever to live and is greatly feared throughout the wizarding world. He positions himself close to his victims when the moon is almost full. To fulfil his agenda of creating as many werewolves as possible, Greyback has infected scores of people including the young Remus Lupin, when Lupin's father had angered Greyback. Greyback is known for targeting young children. Unlike most werewolves, Greyback thirsts for blood even in his human form. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Greyback first appears on the night of Dumbledore's death, when he attacks Harry and badly scars Bill Weasley. Although Greyback does not transmit his lycanthropy because he was in human form at the time, Bill is subsequently shown to display a preference for very rare meat.
In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Greyback leads a Snatcher gang – Dark wizards looking for Muggle-borns and "Undesirables" in exchange for gold. When Harry accidentally uses Voldemort's name after it has been made taboo, Greyback is alerted and his gang attacks their camp. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are kidnapped by the Snatchers and are taken to Malfoy Manor. Bellatrix Lestrange promises Hermione to Greyback in return for his services, but the prisoners fight their way out and escape, Greyback being hit by a triple Stunning Spell. Greyback is the main werewolf within the pack that agrees to aid Voldemort in the Battle of Hogwarts. During the battle, Hermione, using a blasting curse, prevents Greyback from attacking injured Lavender Brown, and a crystal ball thrown by Professor Trelawney stuns him. He rejoins the battle in time for the Death Eaters' last stand, when Ron Weasley and Neville Longbottom combine forces to take him down by magic.
Dave Legeno portrayed Greyback in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. He reprised the role in both parts of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Fenrir is the name of a powerful wolf in Norse mythology.
Igor Karkaroff (Cyrillic: Игорь Каркаров) is the Headmaster at Durmstrang Institute, one of the three schools (together with Hogwarts and Beauxbatons Academy) that enter the Triwizard Tournament. As Headmaster, Karkaroff is also one of the judges. He is described as a neat, fussy-looking man with an oily voice and manner who sports a small grey goatee. While unctuously pleasant most of the time, he is capable of violent rage. He is also described as a man with yellowish teeth whose smile does not reach his cold stare. Karkaroff is angered and threatens to withdraw from the tournament when Harry is selected as a fourth champion and second representative for Hogwarts.[12] Although he is talked down and agrees to stay, he nevertheless shows evident favouritism towards the Durmstrang champion, Bulgarian Quidditch player Viktor Krum.
Sirius Black later identifies Karkaroff as a former Death Eater.[13] Karkaroff was captured by Auror Alastor Moody and imprisoned in Azkaban. Karkaroff later told the Ministry of Magic that he had seen the error of his ways, and "named names", putting many people in Azkaban in exchange for his freedom.[14] Karkaroff is thus also hated by the Death Eaters. Karkaroff's history gives him a connection with Snape, also a former Death Eater. Karkaroff interrupts a Potions lesson demanding to talk to Snape, and shows him his Dark Mark reappearing.[15] At the end of the novel, following Voldemort's return, Karkaroff goes into hiding, leaving behind his student charges at Durmstrang. In the sixth novel, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Remus Lupin states that Karkaroff was found dead in a shack with the Dark Mark hovering over it, an indication that he was killed by other Death Eaters.[16]
Predrag Bjelac appeared as Karkaroff in the film adaptation of Goblet of Fire.
Bellatrix Lestrange is the first female Death Eater introduced in the books, and one of the most faithful members of Voldemort's inner circle.[17] She is described as being highly attractive yet emaciated due to her time in Azkaban and described as having long, curly black hair and dark heavily lidded eyes. Bellatrix is portrayed as paranoid, mentally unstable and fanatically devoted to Voldemort. She takes an obvious pleasure in acts of torture and cruelty. Despite her apparent mental instability, she is a witch of prodigious ability, as demonstrated by all her victories in duels against other characters, and as noted by Harry in the final book.[18]
Bellatrix was born Bellatrix Black to Cygnus Black and Druella Rosier in the year 1951 and has two sisters, Andromeda and Narcissa. She is also a first cousin to Sirius and Regulus Black, and an aunt to Draco Malfoy and Nymphadora Tonks. Bellatrix married Rodolphus Lestrange after leaving Hogwarts because it was "expected of her to marry a pure-blood". However, Rowling stated in an interview that Bellatrix's true love was Voldemort, and she had a non-sexual relationship with him.[4] In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Rowling uses Dumbledore's Pensieve as a plot device to reveal that Bellatrix, rather than deserting Voldemort after his downfall like many other Death Eaters, is part of the group of dark wizards – along with Barty Crouch Jr, Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange – that tortured well-known Aurors Frank and Alice Longbottom in an attempt to gain information about Voldemort's location.[14] For using the Unforgivable Cruciatus Curse to torture the Longbottoms to insanity, Bellatrix and her three associates were sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban. During the trial, she said Voldemort would rise again and reward them. When Voldemort is raised, he says the Lestranges will be deeply rewarded when Azkaban is broken open.
Fourteen years after Voldemort's fall, Bellatrix is one of the many Death Eaters who escapes Azkaban and rejoins him. She is present at the battle of the Department of Mysteries in the climax of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, in which a group of Death Eaters attempts to steal Sybill Trelawney's prophecy pertaining to Voldemort's downfall. Rowling let Bellatrix prove her magical powers during the mission when she overpowers her niece Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt in one-on-one duels, kills her cousin Sirius by blasting him through the veil in the Death Chamber, and deflects one of Dumbledore's spells as she makes her escape. Harry attempts to use the Cruciatus Curse on her in revenge for killing Sirius, but the curse is ineffective due to the lack of real cruelty behind it. Before she can do any more, Bellatrix is subdued by Dumbledore in the Ministry of Magic's Atrium so he can duel Voldemort. Voldemort however rescues Bellatrix and takes her with him as he disapparates.
At the beginning of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Bellatrix attempts to keep Narcissa from confiding Draco's secret mission to Snape at Spinner's End. Rowling used the conversation between Snape and Bellatrix to imply that Voldemort is still furious at Bellatrix's failure in the previous book.[19] That conversation also suggests that Bellatrix mistrusts Snape not only because of his low birth, but also for many valid questions about his loyalty to the Dark Lord. Snape surprises Bellatrix by replying to each of her arguments and by agreeing to create an Unbreakable Vow with Narcissa to assist Draco in his mission to kill Dumbledore. Later in the book, it is mentioned by Snape that Bellatrix had been teaching Occlumency to Draco, in an effort to aid him with his mission. In the film, she and Fenrir Greyback arrive at the Burrow (the Weasley house) and burn it down. Harry and Ginny chase after them, with Bellatrix taunting "I killed Sirius Black!". Her wand is walnut, 12 3/4 inches, dragon heartstring & unyielding & according to Ollivander should be treated carefully.
The first chapter of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows implies that Voldemort is still angry with Bellatrix, as evidenced when he makes fun of the fact that her niece Tonks married werewolf Remus Lupin.[20] However, Voldemort gives Bellatrix a chance to "prune" her family tree during the Death Eaters' attempt to capture Harry as the boy departs from the Dursleys' home, during which Bellatrix unsuccessfully tries to kill Tonks.[21] In this book, Rowling reveals that Bellatrix is the guardian of Helga Hufflepuff's cup (though she is unaware of its true nature), which Voldemort has entrusted the Lestranges to keep in their Gringotts vault. Bellatrix and the Malfoys detain Harry, Ron, and Hermione at Malfoy Manor, and Hermione is tortured by Bellatrix when she suspects the trio has broken into her vault, but Dobby appears and saves the prisoners, though not before being hit by a knife thrown by Bellatrix as they disapparate to safety. Later in the book, Harry, Ron, and Hermione use a stray hair of Bellatrix's to disguise Hermione as Bellatrix using Polyjuice Potion, in order to gain access to the Lestrange's Gringotts vault. Though Voldemort apparently punishes Bellatrix and the Malfoys severely for interrupting his Elder Wand side quest only to have Potter escape and steal the cup, she nevertheless fights for her master in the Battle of Hogwarts towards the end of the novel. Rowling stated in an interview that, during the battle, it was Bellatrix who killed Tonks.[4] When the battle resumes inside the Great Hall after Harry's supposed death, Bellatrix simultaneously duels with Hermione, Ginny, and Luna, none of whom is a match for Bellatrix, who nearly hits Ginny with a Killing Curse. An enraged Molly Weasley engages Bellatrix in a duel and fires a curse that hits Bellatrix right over the heart, killing her.[22] Rowling revealed that, though there was speculation that Neville would kill Bellatrix, she had always intended Molly to do so because the author wanted to match Bellatrix's obsessive love with Molly's maternal love.[23]
In the film series, Bellatrix is played by Helena Bonham Carter.
IGN listed Bellatrix Lestrange as their tenth top Harry Potter character, and IGN's Joe Utichi listed Bellatrix as his fourth favourite Harry Potter character, calling her the "most pitiable" of Voldemort's servants.[24][25] In NextMovie.com's Harry Potter Mega Poll, Bellatrix was voted as the No. 1 villain in the series.[26]
Lucius Malfoy is a Death Eater and head of a pure-blood Wizarding family; he lives with his wife Narcissa Malfoy (née Black) and their son Draco at the Malfoy Manor in Wiltshire. Lucius is a school governor of Hogwarts before he is sacked and has very close connections at the Ministry of Magic. To maintain his reputation and influence, he makes donations to the Ministry, to charity, and to St Mungo's Hospital. He was educated at Hogwarts, where he was a prefect in Slytherin House.
Just before Draco and Harry's second year at Hogwarts, Lucius plants Tom Riddle's diary in Ginny Weasley's potions cauldron while she is shopping for school supplies at Flourish & Blotts, in a plot to use her to reopen the Chamber of Secrets, which would lead to attacks on Muggle-born students. Lucius knows the diary is cleverly enchanted, but is not aware that it contained a part of Voldemort's soul. Lucius intends to use the opening of the Chamber of Secrets by Ginny to discredit her father, Arthur Weasley, and Dumbledore. Lucius' plans are ultimately thwarted with the help of the Malfoys' house-elf Dobby, and Harry, but not before the Chamber is opened and Lucius uses the ensuing terror (and threats to attack their families) to influence the school's Board of Governors to discredit and dismiss Dumbledore as Headmaster. Subsequently, Harry tricks Lucius into setting Dobby free. Upon this, Lucius attempts to attack Harry with his wand but Dobby disarms him before he can do any harm. Lucius is ultimately stripped of his title as a Hogwarts school governor. Despite his sacking, he still maintains strong ties with the Ministry of Magic.
Lucius next appears in the beginning of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire during the Quidditch World Cup, sharing prime seats in the Top Box with Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge. Later in that book, when Voldemort rises again and summons his Death Eaters, Malfoy rejoins him, claiming that he had done everything he could all along to find Voldemort and help him rise again (though Voldemort knows he is lying). Harry, who witnesses Malfoy's declaration of loyalty to Voldemort, tells Minister Fudge, who refuses to believe him, and the wealthy Malfoy continues to maintain strong ties with the Ministry.[27] During the climax of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Malfoy is the leader of the Death Eaters who are to retrieve the prophecy from Harry in the Hall of Prophecy. Lucius tries several ways to get the prophecy from Harry without breaking it, but the boy and his friends manage to escape from the Hall. Malfoy finally meets him in the Death Chamber, where Harry is about to give it to Malfoy when the Order of the Phoenix breaks into the Ministry and begins to duel with the Death Eaters. Dumbledore himself arrives at the end of the battle and Malfoy is captured and sent to Azkaban.
By the final book, Voldemort has given Malfoy his freedom, though he looks significantly the worse for wear. Voldemort treats him with great contempt, has hijacked his house for Headquarters, and is forcing his son to do dark deeds against his nature, sparking sympathy for the notorious family for the first time in the series. Voldemort also borrows Lucius's wand which is accidentally destroyed by Harry Potter. Later in the book, Lucius, along with his wife and sister-in-law, accidentally allow Harry and his friends to escape from Malfoy Manor. Voldemort punishes them severely, eventually putting them under house arrest. Despite his long-standing position as a Death Eater and Voldemort's advocate of pure-blood supremacy, Lucius has decided his love for his family is more important than his involvement in the war. During the Battle of Hogwarts, he pleads with Voldemort to let him onto the battlefield to locate his son. He and the rest of his family are reunited at the end of the book. Following Voldemort's death, Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco all manage to "weasel their way out" of being sent to Azkaban due to Narcissa's aiding Harry in the Forbidden Forest.[4]
According to Forbes magazine, in 2006, Lucius Malfoy was number 12 on their Forbes Fictional 15 list.[28]
In the film series, Lucius is portrayed by Jason Isaacs as an adult. Scenes with Tony Coburn as a teenage Lucius were cut from the final movie.[29]
IGN listed Lucius as their fifteenth top Harry Potter character, praising Jason Isaac's portrayal of him.[24]
Peter Pettigrew, nicknamed Wormtail, is the only Death Eater known to have been in a House other than Slytherin (Gryffindor) while at Hogwarts. There, he was a close friend of Sirius Black, James Potter and Remus Lupin, although he was the least intelligent and least talented of the gang. With Sirius and James' help, Pettigrew becomes an Animagus, with the ability to transform at will into a rat. After leaving Hogwarts, Pettigrew joins forces with Voldemort, and in exchange for his own life becomes Voldemort's spy within the Order of the Phoenix, of which Pettigrew is a member. When the Potters know that their son Harry is Voldemort's target, Sirius suggests to them to use Pettigrew as Secret-Keeper because he does not believe Voldemort would ever suspect a “weak, talentless thing” like Pettigrew. Pettigrew betrays the secret to Voldemort, an act that leads to James and Lily's death (and ironically, Voldemort's near-destruction). Sirius seeks revenge on Pettigrew, but during the confrontation, Pettigrew publicly accuses Sirius of the Potters' deaths, murders twelve Muggles, and cuts off his own index finger before transforming into a rat, thereby framing Sirius for the betrayal of the Potters, as well as of his own murder and that of the bystanders. Pettigrew is "posthumously" awarded the Order of Merlin, and hides during the next twelve years. Wanting to keep an eye on the wizarding world, he masquerades as a rat, first as Percy Weasley's pet, and then as Ron Weasley's. They name him "Scabbers".
Although Pettigrew appears in the first two books in the form of Scabbers, his identity is not revealed until Prisoner of Azkaban where he serves as the antagonist of the novel. When a photograph of the Weasley family appears in the Daily Prophet newspaper, Sirius recognises him, prompting Black's escape from Azkaban. The two confront each other in the Shrieking Shack, where Lupin and Black force "Scabbers" to resume his human form. Pettigrew confesses his treachery, claiming to have committed it only to save his own life. With Sirius and Lupin about to take their revenge, Harry begs Sirius to turn Pettigrew over to the Ministry of Magic instead, in order to prove Sirius' innocence. Pettigrew escapes while being led out of the Shack when Lupin transforms into a werewolf. Harry's actions result in Pettigrew owing him a life debt.
Pettigrew returns to the service of Voldemort, seeking him out in the forests of Albania and helping him to return to a feeble baby's body. He abducts a Ministry of Magic employee named Bertha Jorkins, who is able to provide Voldemort with valuable information. Pettigrew (almost always referred to as "Wormtail" hereafter) assists Barty Crouch Jr in overpowering Mad-Eye Moody, setting up the events in the fourth book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. In the climactic confrontation in that book, Wormtail murders Cedric Diggory on Voldemort's orders, and performs the complex potion to regenerate Voldemort, severing his hand as a sacrifice. Upon his return to corporeal form, Voldemort replaces Wormtail's severed hand with a silver hand that possesses five intact fingers and great strength. Despite his actions, Wormtail's fortunes remain low; in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Snape treats him as a servant, and in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows he is tasked with keeping watch over prisoners in the cellar of Malfoy Manor. While Harry and Ron are being kept there, Wormtail checks on the prisoners and is attacked. Wormtail begins strangling Harry with the silver hand, but when reminded by Harry that he once saved his life, Wormtail hesitates for a moment. The silver hand turns against him and strangles him in retribution for his pity.
Pettigrew is portrayed by Timothy Spall as an adult, and by Charles Hughes as a teenager in the films. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, Pettigrew is not strangled to death in Malfoy Manor as in the book; he is instead struck by Dobby and collapses. He only appears in a flashback in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.
Rowling has said in an interview that his friends let him be his friend in a "slightly patronising way that he turned out to be a much better wizard and much better at hiding secrets than they ever thought he would be." IGN's Joe Utichi also listed him as his 10th top Harry Potter character.[25]
Yaxley (first name unknown) is the brutal-faced Death Eater who is present in the battle in which Snape killed Dumbledore. He is one of the more prominent Death Eaters, and one of Voldemort's spies in the Ministry of Magic. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Yaxley is invited to Malfoy Manor to witness the murder of Charity Burbage, and argues with Snape about the correct date of Harry's departure from the Dursley’s, but John Dawlish, an Auror who is tricked by an Order member, gives him incorrect information. Yaxley announces to an impressed assemblage of Death Eaters that he has placed the Imperius Curse upon Pius Thicknesse, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. He uses Thicknesse to Imperius the other major department heads and they allow Voldemort to murder Rufus Scrimgeour; thus Thicknesse becomes Minister for Magic.
When Harry, Ron, and Hermione, disguised as ministry officials, enter the Ministry to find Slytherin's locket, it is revealed that Yaxley has become Head of Magical Law Enforcement. He also assists Dolores Umbridge in leading the Muggle-Born Registration Commission, and the two seem to have a good relationship, together humiliating the Muggle-borns. Both are immobilised by Harry, but Yaxley recovers and grabs Hermione while she is Apparating her friends to safety. Yaxley arrives with them at Grimmauld Place, allowing him to reveal their headquarters to the Death Eaters, but not to the location that the trio subsequently Apparate to.
He participates in the Battle of Hogwarts, where he duels with Professor Flitwick and is later seen among those who wait with Voldemort for Harry Potter to come to him, mistakenly believing that Harry would not come within the allotted time. When the battle resumes, he is defeated by George Weasley and Lee Jordan.
Peter Mullan plays Yaxley in the film adaptation of Deathly Hallows.