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"They're everywhere – gangs trying to earn gold by rounding up Muggle-borns and blood traitors, there's a reward from the Ministry for everyone captured... Some of them are supposed to be as bad as Death Eaters."
Ronald Weasley on Snatchers[src]

Snatchers were members of an organization of bounty hunters formed by Lord Voldemort when he seized control of the Ministry of Magic in the summer of 1997. It appeared to be a relatively informal organization with the main purpose of rounding up Muggle-borns and "blood traitors" (who, at the time, simply being one made one an outlaw). However, they also responded when the Taboo curse was triggered by someone using the Dark Lord's name.

History

Two Snatchers

A pair of typical Snatchers.

When Ron Weasley temporarily abandoned the Horcrux hunt with Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, he was cornered by five Snatchers, who hoped that he was a Muggle-born they could turn into the Ministry of Magic for a reward. However, he told them that he was Stan Shunpike. While they were arguing about whether or not he was lying (Ron suggested that they were not all that intelligent, and thought that one of them even had a trace of Troll blood), Ron managed to seize his wand and escape.

Around Easter of 1998, Fenrir Greyback's group of Snatchers tracked down a group of wizards and goblins that included Dean Thomas and Griphook, whom they captured. It is likely that they were responsible for the deaths of Dean and Griphook's other travelling companions, Ted Tonks, Dirk Cresswell, and Gornuk.

Soon after, the same group discovered Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley, after Harry accidentally triggered the Taboo on Voldemort's name. Harry claimed that he was "Vernon Dudley', a Slytherin student and son of a Ministry official. Ron claimed to be Stan Shunpike again, but was not believed, and then said he was "Barny Weasley". Hermione said she was Penelope Clearwater and a half-blood. Their story may have been believed, but Hermione's picture was spotted in the Daily Prophet, which declared her to be "the Mudblood who is known to be travelling with Harry Potter".

Greyback then decided to bring the group to Malfoy Manor, where he expressed an eagerness to bite Hermione. However, all the Snatchers but Greyback were stunned by Bellatrix Lestrange after she spotted Godric Gryffindor's Sword among the items they had seized. The Snatchers and the Death Eaters were ultimately thwarted, and the group escaped along with a few prisoners.

Role

Snatcher

The Snatchers seem to have been a militia formed from wizarding mercenaries less able and competent than Voldemort's elite Death Eaters and led by 'pack leaders' such as Fenrir Greyback. They were subordinate to the Death Eaters, as demonstrated by the disdainful treatment Greyback and his gang received at Malfoy Manor. Despite outnumbering Bellatrix Lestrange four to one, they were ignominiously defeated and possibly killed. It is possible that skilled Snatchers were appointed as Death Eaters, as this seems to fit in with Lord Voldemort's claim that he "rewards his helpers". As there were a dozen Death Eaters guarding the village of Hogsmeade alone, it is likely that Lord Voldemort was recruiting more Death Eaters to fight in the Battle of Hogwarts, and those particular ones were Snatchers who managed to get on Voldemort's good side.

Scabior

Scabior and his snatchers that fall from the Hogwarts bridge

Apparel

Unlike the Death Eaters, who were a highly regimented and uniformed organisation, the Snatchers had no formal dress code, and, as such the apparel of each Snatcher was unique. As their work required them to travel the length and bredth of the country, and deal with changing weather conditions, most Snatchers chose to garb themselves in clothes such as thick jumpers, hooded sweatshirts, jackets made of leather, fur or other heavy weather-proof materials, woolen hats and boots or other hard wearing footwear, and favoured dark shades of black, brown, grey, blue, red and green. Each Snatcher wore a strip of dark red fabic tied around his or her left arm, signifying their position within the new regime. These armbands were also worn by members of the Magical Law Enforcement Patrol suggesting a possible connection between the two groups. Some Snatchers also chose to smear their eyes with some sort of black make-up. This was presumably a protective measure to minimise sun glare while pursuing their quarry, and also to appear more intimidating.

Victims

Killed

Snatched



Known Snatchers

Behind the scenes

The word Snatcher has been translated into other languages, including:

  • Polish: Szmalcownik (sing.), Szmalcownicy (pl.) Instead of creating a neologism, the translator decided to use much more appropriate word designed during World War II - "Szmalcownicy".
  • The Snatchers bear a remarkable resemblance to the Nazi Gestapo and the Schutzstaffel, who rounded up Jews and others targeted by them before and during World War II.
  • In the film adaptations of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows each Snatcher wears a strip of red fabric tied around his or her left arm. This is an obvious reference to the swastika armbands worn by members of the Nazi secret service or the red armbands worn by Communist secret police during the Russian Civil War. Furthmore, several Snatchers are seen sporting leather trench coats, which were commonly worn by members of the Nazi Gestapo.

Appearances

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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