- "The Dark Lord will rise again, Crouch! Throw us into Azkaban; we will wait! He will rise again and will come for us, he will reward us beyond any of his other supporters! We alone were faithful! We alone tried to find him!"
- — Bellatrix Lestrange declaring the loyality of her, Rodolphus and Rabastan to the Dark Lord[src]
Rabastan Lestrange was a pure-blood wizard, brother of Rodolphus, possibly son of Lestrange and likely a Slytherin student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was a Death Eater who fought in the First Wizarding War. The Lestranges were considered to be among Lord Voldemort's most loyal and trusted servants, and the only ones who searched for him after his first downfall. After Voldemort's first downfall, Rabastan, Rodolphus, his wife Bellatrix and Barty Crouch Jr. participated in the torture and permanent incapacitation of Alice and Frank Longbottom and was sentenced to life imprisoned in Azkaban. About fourteen years later, Rabastan escaped with a group of other Death Eaters and fought in several battles of the Second Wizarding War, including the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. It is possible that he fought at the Battle of Hogwarts, too. After Lord Voldemort's final defeat, Rabastan was presumably killed or imprisoned in Azkaban once more.
Biography
Early life
Rabastan possibly attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and was sorted into Slytherin house, like his brother, Rodolphus. It is possible that he didn't attend Hogwarts at the same time as Rodolphus, as he was not mentioned among a small group of Slytherins and future Death Eaters, as Rodolphus and Bellatrix were.
First Wizarding War
Rabastan served as one of Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters during the First Wizarding War. He, along with his brother Rodolphus and his sister-in-law Bellatrix, Rodolphus's wife, were among Voldemort's most loyal servants. Soon after the conflict ended in late 1981, Rabastan was put on trial with his brother Rodolphus, sister-in-law Bellatrix, and Barty Crouch Jr. for being a Death Eater and for participating in the torture of Alice and Frank Longbottom. They were all sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban.[1]
Second Wizarding War
Rabastan escaped Azkaban in 1996, along with his brother, sister-in-law and several other Death Eaters with the Dementors' defection to Voldemort.
Battle of the Department of Mysteries
- "We'll split into pairs and search, and don't forget, be gentle with Potter until we've got the prophecy, you can kill the others if necessary..."
- — Lucius Malfoy gives orders to the group of Death Eaters[src]
He later participated in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries and was presumably returned to Azkaban afterwards[2], though he was at large once again by late 1997 after another Azkaban break-out.
Presumably, Rabastan participated in other battles in the Second Wizarding War, including the Battle of Hogwarts.
Post-War
After Voldemort's final defeat in 1998, Rabastan was presumably killed or imprisoned in Azkaban again.
Etymology
- The name Rabastan may be a play on Rastaban, the traditional name of one of the stars of the constellation Draco. It is derived from an Arabic phrase "Rās al-Thu`bān (رأس الثعبان)" meaning "head of the serpent"; the snake is a symbol strongly connected with Lord Voldemort and Slytherin. The star is also known as Alwaid, meaning "who is to be destroyed" in Arabic.
Behind the scenes
- During the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, Rabastan was paired with fellow Death Eater Crabbe during the pursuit of the Dumbledore's Army members. He and Crabbe pursued Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Neville Longbottom into the Time Chamber. It is unknown whether Rabastan was the Death Eater who Harry stunned, or the one who Hermione knocked into a bell jar, causing the head to continuously age and de-age.[3]
Appearances
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (First appearance) (Appears in flashback(s))
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (First identified as Rabastan Lestrange)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film) [4]
Notes and references
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- ↑ See Forum:Baby-Death Eater.
- ↑ Although Rabastan Lestrange was not identified in the film, there were more than ten Death Eaters at the Ministry of Magic in the film, and he was identified in the book as being one of the Death Eaters present during that battle
