Bartemius “Barty” Crouch Senior was a high-ranking and immensely influential Ministry of Magic official, serving as the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement during the First Wizarding War. Known for his rigid adherence to the law and his ruthless methods in combating the Dark Arts, he was once a leading candidate for Minister for Magic. His career, reputation, and life ultimately unravelled due to a dark family secret involving his son, Bartemius Crouch Junior. Crouch Snr's actions, both past and present, are a central catalyst for the return of Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
During the First Wizarding War, Crouch was the celebrated Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. He gained a reputation for being as ruthless as the Death Eaters he fought, authorizing Aurors to use the Unforgivable Curses against suspects to “fight fire with fire.” He was responsible for sending many of Voldemort's followers to Azkaban, sometimes without a trial, a policy supported by many in the wizarding community at the time. His promising career came to an abrupt end when his own son, Bartemius Crouch Junior, was captured alongside the Lestranges (Bellatrix Lestrange, Rodolphus Lestrange, and Rabastan Lestrange) for the torture of Aurors Frank Longbottom and Alice Longbottom. In a display of his unbending principles, Crouch Snr presided over his son's trial and sentenced him to a life term in Azkaban, publicly disowning him. This act, meant to demonstrate his impartiality, destroyed his popularity and he was shunted into the less prestigious role of Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation.
Unbeknownst to the wizarding world, Crouch's dying wife persuaded him to arrange their son's escape from Azkaban. The two visited the prison, where Mrs. Crouch used Polyjuice Potion to take her son's place; she subsequently died and was buried under his name. Back at his home, Crouch Snr kept his son a secret, controlling him with the Imperius Curse and confining him under an Invisibility Cloak, with their house-elf Winky acting as his carer and jailer. Years later, a Ministry of Magic employee, Bertha Jorkins, discovered the secret by accident. To protect his reputation, Crouch placed a powerful Memory Charm on her, which permanently damaged her mind.
Crouch's secret was ultimately exposed when Lord Voldemort and Wormtail captured Bertha Jorkins in Albania. Voldemort broke Crouch's powerful Memory Charm, learning that Crouch Jnr was alive and that the Triwizard Tournament was to be held at Hogwarts. Voldemort formulated a plan, freed Crouch Jnr from his father's control, and placed Crouch Snr under the Imperius Curse. For months, Crouch Snr was kept prisoner in his own home, forced to write letters to his assistant, Percy Weasley, feigning illness. He was used to maintain a facade of normalcy while his son, disguised as Alastor Moody, infiltrated Hogwarts. As the months wore on, Crouch Snr began to resist the Imperius Curse. He eventually escaped and made his way to Hogwarts, hoping to warn Albus Dumbledore. He was discovered in a delirious state in the Forbidden Forest by Harry Potter and Viktor Krum. However, before Dumbledore could be fetched, Crouch Jnr arrived, murdered his father, Transfigured the body into a single bone, and buried it on the Hogwarts grounds.
Barty Crouch Snr was described as a stiff, upright man who always looked impeccably neat, typically wearing a pristine suit and tie. He had a toothbrush-like mustache and a severe parting in his short grey hair. By the time of the Quidditch World Cup, he appeared older and more careworn than he did in memories of his son's trial. His personality was defined by a mixture of extreme ambition, pride, and an unforgiving, rule-obsessed nature.