Caractacus Borgin

Caractacus Borgin was a wizard and the co-owner of Borgin and Burkes, an antique shop located in Knockturn Alley that specialized in objects related to the Dark Arts. Unscrupulous and driven by profit, Borgin catered to a clientele of Dark Wizards and witches, including the Malfoy and Black families. He played a significant, albeit coerced, role in the Second Wizarding War by assisting Draco Malfoy with the repair of a Vanishing Cabinet, which allowed Death Eaters to infiltrate Hogwarts Castle in 1997.

In the years after his graduation from Hogwarts, a young Tom Marvolo Riddle took a position as an assistant at Borgin and Burkes. Mr. Borgin was impressed by the young man's charm and talent, noting that he was a “born salesman.” Riddle used his employment to make contact with wealthy witches and wizards, persuading them to sell him their priceless magical artifacts. It was through his work for Borgin that he located two of his future Horcruxes: Hufflepuff's Cup and Slytherin's Locket, which he acquired after murdering their owner, Hepzibah Smith. By the 1990s, Borgin was the sole proprietor seen in the shop. In 1992, Harry Potter accidentally travelled to Borgin and Burkes via the Floo Network and hid inside the Vanishing Cabinet to avoid being seen by Draco and Lucius Malfoy. Harry witnessed Lucius selling several dark poisons and other restricted items to Borgin to avoid trouble during Ministry of Magic raids. Borgin also attempted to purchase other items from Lucius, displaying his keen interest in any and all Dark Arts artifacts. In the summer of 1996, a more desperate and determined Draco Malfoy visited Borgin and Burkes to demand help with a secret mission given to him by Lord Voldemort. Draco intimidated Borgin, showing him the Dark Mark on his arm and threatening to unleash the werewolf Fenrir Greyback upon him. Terrified, Borgin was coerced into helping Draco repair the Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts. Borgin was tasked with instructing Draco on the necessary repairing spells and ensuring the paired cabinet in his shop remained safe. This plan culminated in the successful infiltration of Hogwarts by a group of Death Eaters, leading directly to the Battle of the Astronomy Tower and the death of Albus Dumbledore.

Caractacus Borgin is described as having a stooping posture and oily hair that he kept plastered down over his scalp. He spoke in a fawning, oily voice, especially when dealing with valued customers like Lucius Malfoy. Borgin's personality was obsequious and greedy. He was sycophantic towards powerful or wealthy Dark Wizards, but suspicious and dismissive of those he did not know, such as Harry Potter. While he was a willing purveyor of dangerous and forbidden magical items, he was also a coward. He was easily intimidated by Draco Malfoy and the threat of Lord Voldemort's displeasure, showing that his allegiance was primarily to his own safety and profit rather than to the Death Eater cause itself.

While Borgin is never shown performing magic, his profession required a deep and expert knowledge of a vast range of Dark Arts artifacts.

• Appraisal of Dark Objects: He was a highly skilled appraiser, able to identify the properties, curses, and values of dangerous magical items, as shown in his dealings with both Lucius Malfoy and Draco Malfoy.
• Knowledge of Magical Item Repair: He understood the complex magic required to repair the Vanishing Cabinet, a sophisticated piece of Transfiguration, and was able to provide instructions to Draco on how to do so.

• Borgin and Burkes: Borgin was the co-owner and operator of this infamous Knockturn Alley shop.
• Shop Stock: His inventory included a vast collection of sinister and cursed items, such as:
  • A Hand of Glory
  • A cursed Opal Necklace that would later nearly kill Katie Bell
  • Glass eyes
  • Human bones and skulls
  • A pack of blood-stained playing cards
  • A hangman's rope
  • Various masks and spiked instruments
  • Two Vanishing Cabinets, one of which was sold to Hogwarts

• Mr. Burke: Borgin's business partner and co-founder of the shop. By the time of the series, Mr. Burke is never seen, and it is presumed he is either retired or deceased.
• Tom Marvolo Riddle: Borgin was the former employer of the young Tom Riddle. He was taken in by Riddle's charm and ambition, unwittingly giving him the opportunity to seek out artifacts for his Horcruxes.
• Lucius Malfoy: Lucius was a regular and important customer. Borgin treated him with fawning respect, both out of deference to his wealth and his dangerous reputation.
• Draco Malfoy: In 1996, their relationship became one of fear and coercion. Draco, acting on Voldemort's orders, forced Borgin into servitude through threats, making him a reluctant accomplice in the plan to attack Hogwarts.

• Caractacus: The name of a 1st-century British chieftain who fought against the Roman conquest. The name evokes a sense of antiquity and perhaps a stubborn, unyielding nature, though in Borgin's case, he yielded quite easily to threats.
• Borgin: The surname is likely a play on “bargain,” referencing his profession as a shopkeeper. It may also be an allusion to the Borgias, a notoriously corrupt and treacherous Italian noble family from the Renaissance, which would be fitting for a dealer in dark and dangerous artifacts.

• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Caractacus Borgin was portrayed by actor Edward Tudor-Pole. His appearance in the film, with wild hair and goggles, differs significantly from the book's description of a man with oily, plastered-down hair.
• Borgin does not appear in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince; his role in assisting Draco Malfoy is implied but not shown.