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"Your Dementor has just destroyed the last remaining member of a pure-blood family as old as any — and see what that man chose to make of his own life!"
Albus Dumbledore regarding the last Crouch[src]

Crouch was the surname of a pure-blood[1] wizarding family, and one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. They were related to the Black, Yaxley, Longbottom, Weasley, and other known pure-blood families.[6] According to statements by Albus Dumbledore, the Crouch family was one of the oldest pure-blood families in Great Britain.

The Crouch family seemed to have a penchant for the Dark Arts, as Bartemius Crouch Junior joined the Death Eaters and his father Bartemius Crouch Senior was quite proficient in using the Imperius Curse against the former. In addition, the Crouch family was a "respectable" pure-blood family, as Charis Black married into this family while Barty Crouch Snr opposed Lord Voldemort.

Family history[]

"So old Crouch lost it all, just when he thought he had it made. One moment, a hero, poised to become the Minister for Magic... next, his son dead, his wife dead, the family name dishonoured, and... a big drop in popularity."
Sirius Black on what he heard about the Crouch's misfortune[src]
B4C30M1 Wizengamot trial Pensieve memory

Three members of the Lestrange family and Barty Crouch Junior on trial in front of the Council of Magical Law

The Crouches were a family of high status within the wizarding community. Bartemius Crouch Snr was a high-ranking and influential officer in the Ministry of Magic, and it was widely believed that he would have become Minister for Magic.[7] The family's fortunes, however, took a turn for the worst when it was discovered that Barty Junior was a Death Eater.[7][5] As Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Crouch gave his son a life sentence in Azkaban but fulfilled his dying wife's last wish which was to switch her with her imprisoned son with the assistance of Polyjuice Potion.[3] Due to such bad publicity, the Crouch family's status plummeted and Crouch Snr was demoted and shunned aside.[7]

The last two members of the clan were served by a house-elf named Winky until she was dismissed when her guardianship of Crouch Junior was deemed unreliable.[8] Bartemius Junior killed his father in 1995[3] and received the Dementor's Kiss as a result.[1] After his death, sometime in 1996, the Crouch family became extinct.[1][4]

Family members[]

Wizard(s) Notes
Bartemius Crouch Snr A high-ranking Ministry of Magic official.[2]
Mrs Crouch wife of Barty Crouch Snr and mother of Barty Crouch Junior.[5][3]
Bartemius Crouch Junior Son of Barty Crouch Snr; known Death Eater.[5][3]
Caspar Crouch Husband of Charis Black.
Charis Crouch née Black Wife of Caspar Crouch, sister of Callidora Longbottom née Black and Cedrella Weasley née Black.
Two unidentified daughters Daughters of Caspar Crouch
Unidentified son Son of Caspar Crouch
Unidentified grandfather Grandfather of Bartemius Crouch Snr.

Family tree[]

 
 
Bartemius Senior's
grandfather
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1 generation
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Bartemius Crouch
Senior

(d. 1995)
 
Mrs Crouch
(d. 1981)
 
Caspar Crouch
 
Charis Crouch
(née Black)
(19191973)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Bartemius Crouch
Junior

(c. 1962–c. 1996)
 
 
 
1 son
 
2 daughters

Etymology[]

Crouch is an English surname as well as a verb, meaning "to bend down; to stoop low" or "to be servilely...to fawn; to cringe",[9] possibly referring to Barty Crouch Junior's role as a servant of Lord Voldemort. Furthermore, the River Crouch is a river that flows through the English county of Essex into the North Sea, the location of Azkaban, and Crouch End is an area of London known for having been the home of many writers in the fantasy genre.

Appearances[]

Notes and references[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 36 (The Parting of the Ways)
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 7 (Bagman and Crouch)
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 35 (Veritaserum)
  4. 4.0 4.1 J.K. Rowling's website: The Crouch family became extinct along with the Black family.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 30 (The Pensieve)
  6. Black family tree
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 27 (Padfoot Returns)
  8. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 9 (The Dark Mark)
  9. Wiktionary Definition: Crouch
Department of Magical Law Enforcement employees
Department of Magical Law Enforcement logo
Heads of Department
Justus Pilliwickle · Torquil Travers · Bartemius Crouch Senior · Amelia Bones · Pius Thicknesse · Corban Yaxley · Arthur Weasley · Harry Potter
Auror Office
Heads: Theseus Scamander · Rufus Scrimgeour · Gawain Robards · Harry Potter
Mordecai Berrycloth · John Dawlish · Penelope Fawley · Dorian Fungbury · Timothy Hale · Alice Longbottom · Frank Longbottom · Neville Longbottom · Patricia McManners · Alastor Moody · Alastor Moody's father · Riya Patel · Proudfoot · Savage · Kingsley Shacklebolt · Nymphadora Tonks · Ronald Weasley · Williamson · Unidentified Aurors · Helen Thistlewood · Solomon Sallow · Aesop Sharp · Aesop Sharp's partner · Unidentified male Auror at Hogwarts · Director of the Investigation Department No. 61042
Improper Use of Magic Office
Heads: Travers · Dolores Umbridge
Mafalda Hopkirk · Honoria's fiancé · Mafalda Hopkirk's Ministerial Superior · Rufus Fudge · Orabella Nuttley · Chester Davies · Linderina Crane
Other personnel
Council of Magical Law guards · Leta Lestrange · Minerva McGonagall · Elphinstone Urquart · Elton Elderberry · Alastor Gumboil · Arnold Peasegood · Arthur Weasley · Perkins · Bilius Finbok · Cerberus Langarm · Hermione Granger · Bob Ogden · Constance Pickering · Ruth Singer · Tulip Karasu's mother · Tulip Karasu's father · Dempster Wiggleswade · Amelia Bones's assistant · Arthur Weasley's ten subordinates · Unidentified Hit Wizard · Unidentified Wizengamot clerk · Director of the Investigation Department and Ministry Police
Death Eaters
Dark Mark Pottermore
Leader: Lord Voldemort
Death Eaters

Avery II · Alecto Carrow · Amycus Carrow · Crabbe · Bartemius Crouch Junior † · Antonin Dolohov · Gibbon † · Goyle · Gareth Greengrass's brother · Jugson · Barnaby Lee's father · Barnaby Lee's mother · Bellatrix Lestrange † · Rabastan Lestrange · Rodolphus Lestrange · Walden Macnair · Mulciber I · Mulciber II · Nott · Pyrites (possibly) · Augustus Rookwood · Rosier · Evan Rosier † · Thorfinn Rowle · Selwyn · Merula Snyde's father · Merula Snyde's mother · Travers · Wilkes † · Corban Yaxley · Unidentified Death Eaters

Death Eater defectors

Regulus Black † · Igor Karkaroff † · Draco Malfoy · Lucius Malfoy · Peter Pettigrew † · Severus Snape

Death Eater allies

Borgin · Vincent Crabbe · John Dawlish · Delphini · Golgomath · Gregory Goyle · Fenrir Greyback · Mafalda Hopkirk · Narcissa Malfoy (defected) · Ismelda Murk (unofficially, supposedly) · Nagini · Mr Padgett · Mrs Padgett · Pansy Parkinson · Quirinus Quirrell · Albert Runcorn · Stanley Shunpike (Imperiused) · Scabior · Serpent of Slytherin · Pius Thicknesse (Imperiused) · Dolores Umbridge

Other affiliations

British Ministry of Magic (under Voldemort's control) · Daily Prophet (under Voldemort's control) · Dementors · Draco Malfoy's gang · Kreacher (formerly) · Tom Riddle's gang · Gang of Slytherins · Giants (Golgomath's control) · Inferi · Charmed skeletons · Muggle-Born Registration Commission · Theodore Nott (possibly) · Snatchers · Werewolf army · The Unforgivable

Death Eater establishments

Abandoned nuclear power plant · Borgin and Burkes · British Ministry of Magic Headquarters (under Voldemort's control) · The Cave · Chamber of Secrets · Forbidden Forest · Gaunt Shack · Lee family house · Lestrange Vault · Little Hangleton graveyard · Malfoy Manor · Misty Dell · Riddle House · Snatcher Camp · Spinner's End (Severus Snape's house) · The Abandoned Substation · The Ruins · The Quarry

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