======Flavius Belby======
=====Introduction=====
Flavius Belby was a [[wizard]] and a former student of Professor [[Horace Slughorn]] at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]]. He is famous throughout the [[Wizarding World]] for being the sole recorded survivor of an attack by a [[Lethifold]], an achievement he managed by successfully casting the [[Patronus Charm]].
=====Biography=====
Flavius Belby was born in 1715 and lived until 1791 (Pottermore). He attended [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]], where he was taught [[Potions]] by Professor [[Horace Slughorn]]. Slughorn considered him a promising student and recalled telling him that he would "go a long way."
Belby's most significant recorded life event occurred during his adulthood when he was attacked by a [[Lethifold]] in Papua New Guinea (Pottermore). The [[Lethifold]], a highly dangerous magical beast that resembles a gliding black cloak and suffocates its victims in their sleep, attacked him. Belby was able to save himself by remembering to cast the [[Patronus Charm]], which is the only known defence against this particular dark creature. This act made him famous, as he is the only [[wizard]] known to have survived such an encounter. He later documented this harrowing experience in a book (Pottermore).
=====Physical Appearance and Personality=====
There is no description of Flavius Belby's physical appearance or personality in the original novels. His survival of a [[Lethifold]] attack suggests he was courageous and quick-thinking under extreme pressure.
=====Magical Abilities and Skills=====
  * **[[Defensive Magic]]**: Belby was an exceptionally skilled [[wizard]], evidenced by his ability to cast a corporeal [[Patronus Charm]] powerful enough to repel a [[Lethifold]]. The [[Patronus Charm]] is an advanced and difficult piece of magic, and its successful use against such a deadly creature demonstrates considerable magical power and mental fortitude.
=====Possessions=====
  * **Book:** According to a Famous Wizard Card, Belby authored a book about his experience titled //Fanged Fiends of the Far East// (Pottermore).
=====Relationships=====
  * **[[Horace Slughorn]]**: Belby was one of Slughorn's esteemed former students. Decades after Belby had left [[Hogwarts]], Slughorn still proudly recounted his story to new students, such as [[Harry Potter]], as an example of a talented pupil he had taught who went on to achieve great things.
  * **Belby Family**: Flavius shares a surname with [[Marcus Belby]], a [[Ravenclaw]] student during [[Harry Potter]]'s time at [[Hogwarts]], and Marcus's uncle, [[Damocles Belby]], the celebrated inventor of the [[Wolfsbane Potion]]. While a direct familial link is not specified in the books, it is highly likely they belong to the same [[wizarding family]].
=====Etymology=====
  * **Flavius:** A Roman family name derived from the Latin word //flavus//, meaning "golden" or "yellow-haired." It was the name of a dynasty of Roman Emperors, including Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian.
  * **Belby:** The origin of this surname is uncertain. It may be a variant of an English toponymic surname, possibly derived from a place named Beby or Beeby.
=====Behind the Scenes=====
Much of the specific information known about Flavius Belby, beyond [[Horace Slughorn]]'s anecdote in //Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince//, comes from a Famous Wizard Card, which was later published on Pottermore (now WizardingWorld.com). This supplementary material established his lifespan (1715-1791), the location of the [[Lethifold]] attack (Papua New Guinea), and the title of the book he supposedly wrote about the experience.