Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ======Amycus Carrow====== =====Introduction===== Amycus Carrow was a pure-blood or half-blood [[wizard]], a [[Death Eater]], and the brother of [[Alecto Carrow]]. He was known for his thuggish demeanor and sadistic cruelty. During the height of the [[Second Wizarding War]], Amycus served as the [[Dark Arts]] professor at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]] under the regime of [[Lord Voldemort]]. His primary role in the story is to represent the brutal oppression enforced by Voldemort's followers, particularly within the walls of [[Hogwarts]], and his actions provoke [[Harry Potter]] into using an [[Unforgivable Curse]]. =====Biography===== ====Second Wizarding War==== Amycus Carrow was among the [[Death Eaters]] who infiltrated [[Hogwarts]] on the night of [[Albus Dumbledore]]'s death. He and his sister [[Alecto Carrow]] were let into the castle by [[Draco Malfoy]] via a pair of linked [[Vanishing Cabinets]]. They ascended the [[Astronomy Tower]] just after [[Severus Snape]] killed [[Dumbledore]]. In the ensuing [[Battle of the Astronomy Tower]], Amycus fought against members of [[Dumbledore's Army]] and the [[Order of the Phoenix]]. During the battle, he was struck by [[Ginny Weasley]]'s powerful [[Bat-Bogey Hex]] but managed to escape with the other [[Death Eaters]]. Following [[Lord Voldemort]]'s takeover of the [[Ministry of Magic]] in 1997, Amycus was appointed as a professor at [[Hogwarts]], which was then under the control of Headmaster [[Severus Snape]]. He taught what was formerly [[Defence Against the Dark Arts]], but the subject was renamed [[Dark Arts]]. His curriculum was a practical study in dark magic, and he and Alecto were placed in charge of all discipline. They enforced a reign of terror, punishing students by forcing them to practice the [[Cruciatus Curse]] on other students who had earned detention. The Carrows were particularly harsh towards students who defied them, such as [[Neville Longbottom]]. ====Battle of Hogwarts==== On the eve of the [[Battle of Hogwarts]], [[Lord Voldemort]] tasked the Carrows with guarding [[Ravenclaw Tower]], anticipating that [[Harry Potter]] might go there. After Alecto touched her [[Dark Mark]] upon seeing Harry, summoning Voldemort, Amycus arrived at the door of the [[Ravenclaw Common Room]]. He demanded entry from [[Minerva McGonagall]], planning to lie to Voldemort by claiming that [[Ravenclaw]] students had forced Alecto to summon him to ambush him. When McGonagall calmly refused him entry and rebuked him, Amycus spat in her face in a fit of rage. This act of profound disrespect enraged [[Harry Potter]], who had been watching from under his [[Invisibility Cloak]]. Harry revealed himself and successfully cast the [[Cruciatus Curse]] on Amycus, incapacitating him. Professor [[Minerva McGonagall]] then bound Amycus with the [[Imperius Curse]], forced him to give her his [[wand]], and tied him up securely with his stunned sister. He was left in the [[Ravenclaw Common Room]] and was presumably captured by the victorious forces and sent to [[Azkaban]] following the [[Battle of Hogwarts]]. =====Physical Appearance and Personality===== Amycus is described as a squat, lumpy man with a pasty face and a lopsided sneer. He has a distinctive, wheezing laugh. His personality is brutish, sadistic, and cowardly. He delights in the suffering of others, as shown by his enthusiastic implementation of cruel punishments at [[Hogwarts]]. He is not particularly intelligent, relying on intimidation and violence rather than cunning. His plan to blame students for his sister's summoning of [[Voldemort]] and his act of spitting at Professor [[Minerva McGonagall]] reveal his cowardice and vulgar nature. He lacks the finesse or ideological fervour of other [[Death Eaters]] like [[Bellatrix Lestrange]], serving more as a thug to enforce Voldemort's will. =====Magical Abilities and Skills===== * **[[Dark Arts]]**: Amycus was proficient enough in the [[Dark Arts]] to be appointed its professor at [[Hogwarts]]. He frequently used and taught the [[Cruciatus Curse]], one of the three [[Unforgivable Curses]]. * **Duelling**: While he participated in two major battles, his skills as a duellist appear limited against formidable opponents. He was hit by [[Ginny Weasley]]'s [[Bat-Bogey Hex]] at the [[Astronomy Tower]] and was swiftly and nonverbally incapacitated by both [[Harry Potter]] and [[Minerva McGonagall]] at [[Ravenclaw Tower]]. He was unable to defend himself against Harry's [[Cruciatus Curse]]. =====Possessions===== * **[[Wand]]**: Amycus possessed a [[wand]], the specific details of which (wood, core, length) are unknown. It was confiscated by [[Minerva McGonagall]] prior to the [[Battle of Hogwarts]]. =====Relationships===== * **[[Alecto Carrow]]**: His sister and fellow [[Death Eater]]. They were almost always seen working together, from the assault on [[Hogwarts]] to their tenure as tyrannical professors. They functioned as a brutal team. * **[[Lord Voldemort]]**: As a [[Death Eater]], Amycus was a servant of [[Lord Voldemort]]. He seemed to serve more out of a love for cruelty and power than deep loyalty, and he showed immense fear of Voldemort's wrath. * **[[Severus Snape]]**: Amycus served as a Deputy Headmaster under [[Severus Snape]] at [[Hogwarts]]. He followed Snape's orders but likely viewed him only as a superior within the [[Death Eater]] hierarchy. * **[[Minerva McGonagall]]**: His adversary at [[Hogwarts]]. He treated her with utter contempt, while she viewed him as a vulgar thug. She showed her superior magical ability by easily subduing him. * **[[Harry Potter]]**: His enemy. The confrontation between them was brief but significant, as Amycus's vile behaviour provoked Harry into using an [[Unforgivable Curse]] for the second time in his life, this time with intent and success. =====Etymology===== * **Amycus**: This name is likely a reference to a figure in Greek mythology. Amycus was the brutish and cruel king of the Bebryces who challenged all visitors to a boxing match he would always win, killing them. This mythological figure's violent and thuggish nature is a clear parallel to the character's personality. * **Carrow**: The surname may derive from "carrion," the decaying flesh of dead animals. This connects him to the themes of death, decay, and corruption associated with the [[Death Eaters]]. =====Behind the Scenes===== * In the film adaptations, Amycus Carrow is portrayed by British actor Ralph Ineson. * In //Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2//, the confrontation in [[Ravenclaw Tower]] is altered. Alecto is stunned by [[Luna Lovegood]], and Amycus is then stunned by [[Harry Potter]] from under the [[Invisibility Cloak]]. The notable scene where Amycus spits in Professor McGonagall's face is omitted from the film (film). * The films depict both Carrows being present in the [[Great Hall]] when [[Harry Potter]] confronts [[Severus Snape]], where they are both stunned by Professor McGonagall before Snape flees (film).
