Armand Malfoy

Armand Malfoy was a Wizard who is considered the first of the Malfoy family to settle in Britain. Arriving with William the Conqueror's invading army, he established the family's long-standing tradition of influence, wealth, and Pure-blood supremacy. His acquisition of land in Wiltshire laid the foundation for the family's estate, Malfoy Manor, and their subsequent prosperity for centuries (Pottermore).

Armand Malfoy originated in France and came to Britain in 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest (Pottermore). He provided what are described as “murky” (and presumably magical) services to the Muggle king, William I (Pottermore). As a reward for these services, the king granted Armand a prime piece of land in Wiltshire (Pottermore). This estate became the ancestral home of the Malfoy family, where Malfoy Manor would later stand (Pottermore). By ingratiating himself with the ruling Muggle monarch, Armand established a pattern that his descendants would follow for generations: publicly associating with the powerful and wealthy non-magical elite for personal gain, while privately maintaining a staunch belief in wizarding superiority and the importance of Pure-blood lineage (Pottermore).

There is no known description of Armand Malfoy's physical appearance (Pottermore). Based on his actions, Armand can be inferred to have been shrewd, ambitious, and opportunistic. His willingness to use his Magic to assist a Muggle king in exchange for land and influence demonstrates a pragmatic and calculating nature (Pottermore). He was a key architect of the family's dual-faced philosophy of associating with Muggles for profit while despising them in principle (Pottermore).

While it is known that Armand was a practicing Wizard, the specific nature of his magical abilities and skills is not documented (Pottermore). The “murky services” he rendered to King William I suggest a proficiency in Magic that was useful for strategic or possibly covert purposes (Pottermore).

• Land in Wiltshire: Armand's most significant possession was the large and valuable tract of land in Wiltshire gifted to him by William the Conqueror. This land has remained in the Malfoy family for nearly a millennium and is the site of Malfoy Manor (Pottermore).

• William the Conqueror: Armand had a beneficial, if transactional, relationship with the Muggle king. He used his Magic to aid the monarch and was handsomely rewarded for his service (Pottermore).
• The Malfoy Family: As the founder of the British branch of the Malfoy family, he is the direct ancestor of all subsequent Malfoys, including notable figures such as Lucius Malfoy and Draco Malfoy (Pottermore). He established the family's core tenets of wealth acquisition and Pure-blood ideology (Pottermore).

• Armand: The name is the French form of the Germanic name Herman, meaning “army man” or “soldier.” This is fitting for an individual who arrived in Britain as part of an invading army (Pottermore).
• Malfoy: Derived from Old French, mal foi translates to “bad faith” or “unfaithful.” This name aptly reflects the family's historical duplicity, treachery, and untrustworthy nature (Pottermore).

Armand Malfoy is not mentioned in any of the seven original Harry Potter novels. His existence and story were first revealed by J.K. Rowling in an essay titled “The Malfoy Family,” published on the Pottermore website (now part of Wizarding World). This background information provides historical context for the Malfoy family's wealth, their long-held anti-Muggle views, and their influential status within the wizarding world.