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| roberts_family [2025/08/12 13:42] – created xiaoer | roberts_family [2025/08/13 10:53] (current) – xiaoer |
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| ======The Roberts Family====== | ======The Roberts Family====== |
| =====Introduction===== | =====Introduction===== |
| The Roberts family were the [[Muggle]] managers of the campsite that hosted the 1994 [[Quidditch World Cup]]. Consisting of Mr. and Mrs. Roberts and their two children, the family was unwittingly thrust into the [[Wizarding world]] and later became the prominent victims of a horrific attack by [[Death Eaters]] following the final match between [[Ireland]] and [[Bulgaria]]. Their ordeal highlighted the cruelty of the [[Death Eaters]] and the immense effort required by the [[Ministry of Magic]] to maintain the [[International Statute of Secrecy]]. | The Roberts family were a [[Muggle]] family, consisting of Mr. Roberts, his wife, and their two young children. Mr. Roberts was the manager of the [[campsite]] used by the wizarding community for the 1994 [[Quidditch World Cup]]. The family's significance in the series stems from their unfortunate interactions with the wizarding world; first through repeated [[Memory Charm]]s performed by [[Arthur Weasley]], and later as victims of sadistic torture by a group of [[Death Eater]]s following the [[World Cup]] final. Their ordeal was one of the first major signs of [[Lord Voldemort]]'s followers regrouping before his return to power. |
| =====Biography===== | =====Biography===== |
| In the summer of 1994, Mr. Roberts managed the campsite where wizards and witches from around the world gathered for the [[Quidditch World Cup]]. He was deeply perplexed and irritated by the strange behaviour of his guests, complaining to [[Arthur Weasley]] about their odd clothing (such as [[Archie]]'s insistence on wearing a woman's nightdress), their magical contraptions, and their inability to use proper [[Muggle money]]. Mr. Roberts was particularly frustrated by a wizard who attempted to pay with a large gold [[Galleon]]. Throughout the day, [[Ministry of Magic]] officials were forced to repeatedly modify his memory to prevent him from becoming too suspicious of the magical activity. | The Roberts family's only known appearance occurs in the summer of 1994 when they managed the [[campsite]] on [[Dartmoor]] that the [[Ministry of Magic]] had designated for attendees of the [[Quidditch World Cup]]. Mr. Roberts, the manager, was perpetually harassed and bewildered by the eccentric wizards who were unable to dress or act like proper [[Muggle]]s. To protect the [[International Statute of Secrecy]], [[Arthur Weasley]] had to perform [[Memory Charm]]s on Mr. Roberts multiple times after wizards revealed their true nature. |
| Following the [[Quidditch World Cup]] final, a group of masked [[Death Eaters]] attacked the campsite, specifically targeting the [[Muggle]] family. The Roberts family was magically levitated high into the air and tormented in a horrifying display. Mr. Roberts was turned upside down, his nightshirt falling to reveal his pajamas, while Mrs. Roberts was suspended by her ankles. Their two children were described as "wheeling through the air," being tossed between the [[Death Eaters]] as if they were balls. | Following the conclusion of the [[Ireland]] vs. [[Bulgaria]] match, a riot was started by a group of masked [[Death Eater]]s. They targeted the Roberts family specifically, levitating all four members high into the air. The [[Death Eater]]s tormented the family by spinning them around and flipping them upside down, exposing their nightclothes to the jeering crowd below. This act of public cruelty was a clear display of the [[Death Eater]]s' hatred for [[Muggle]]s. The family was presumably rescued and had their memories modified once more by [[Ministry of Magic]] officials who arrived to quell the riot. [[Amos Diggory]] later confronted [[Arthur Weasley]], initially suspecting him of being involved due to his previous charms on Mr. Roberts. |
| The attack was eventually broken up by [[Ministry of Magic]] wizards. To erase the trauma and preserve secrecy, Mr. Roberts's memory was modified "very, very powerfully." A Ministry official noted that it was the tenth time that day his memory had been altered, a testament to the sheer scale of magical exposure he had endured. | =====Physical Appearance and Personality===== |
| =====Family Members===== | Mr. Roberts is described as a man with a "very harassed-looking face." He is portrayed as a quintessential [[Muggle]], easily annoyed and confused by the strange behaviour of his wizarding guests but primarily concerned with the proper management of his [[campsite]]. He expresses his frustration about wizards who try to pay with "great gold coins" and who wear unconventional clothing like nightgowns in public. |
| * **Mr. Roberts:** The campsite manager. He is depicted as a harassed but dutiful [[Muggle]], completely bewildered by the wizards' eccentricities. He has a "ticklish-looking" mustache and is the primary point of contact for the [[Weasley family]] at the campsite. His mounting frustration is a key element in the lead-up to the [[Quidditch World Cup]] match. | No physical descriptions are given for Mrs. Roberts or her two small children. During the [[Death Eater]] attack, the entire family is seen wearing their nightclothes. Their personalities are not explored, as they are only shown as terrified victims of the attack. |
| * **Mrs. Roberts:** Mr. Roberts's wife. She is seen being tortured alongside her husband and children but has no dialogue. | =====Magical Abilities and Skills===== |
| * **Two Children:** The Robertses' two children, whose names are not given. They were also victims of the [[Death Eater]] attack, treated as playthings by the marching [[Dark Wizard]]s. | As [[Muggle]]s, the Roberts family possessed no magical abilities. Their complete helplessness during the [[Death Eater]] attack underscores the profound power imbalance between the magical and non-magical communities. |
| | =====Possessions===== |
| | * **Campsite:** The Roberts family owned and managed the [[Muggle]] [[campsite]] near [[Ottery St Catchpole]] that was temporarily used by thousands of witches and wizards for the [[Quidditch World Cup]]. |
| | =====Relationships===== |
| | * **[[Arthur Weasley]]:** Mr. Weasley's interactions with Mr. Roberts were well-intentioned but professionally invasive. He repeatedly erased Mr. Roberts's memory to maintain secrecy, an act that highlights the complicated ethics of wizard-Muggle relations, even when handled by a known [[Muggle]] sympathizer. |
| | * **[[Death Eater]]s:** The family were targets of the [[Death Eater]]s' prejudice and cruelty. Their public torture was a sport for the dark wizards and served as a terrifying announcement of their return to activity. |
| | * **[[Ministry of Magic]]:** The Ministry's failure to adequately protect the Roberts family or to properly manage the event's security demonstrates the organization's incompetence in the lead-up to the [[Second Wizarding War]]. |
| =====Etymology===== | =====Etymology===== |
| The surname "Roberts" is a common patronymic surname of Welsh and English origin, meaning "son of Robert." Its commonality likely serves to present the family as ordinary [[Muggle]]s, making the magical violence inflicted upon them all the more shocking and transgressive. | "Roberts" is a common English and Welsh surname of patronymic origin, meaning "son of Robert." The name Robert itself is Germanic and means "bright fame." J.K. Rowling's choice of such a common, ordinary [[Muggle]] surname effectively highlights the family's status as normal, everyday people. This makes the intrusion of magical chaos and violence into their lives all the more jarring and horrific, emphasizing the profound cruelty of the [[Death Eater]]s. |
| =====Behind the Scenes===== | =====Behind the Scenes===== |
| In the film adaptation of //[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]//, the attack on the Roberts family (renamed as the Muggle groundskeeper and his family) is visually depicted during the [[Death Eater]] riot at the campsite. However, the film omits the prior scenes showing Mr. Roberts's conversations with [[Arthur Weasley]] about the strange behaviour of the wizarding campers (film). | * In the film adaptation of *//Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire//*, the entire subplot involving the Roberts family is omitted. The post-match riot is depicted as a more generalized, chaotic attack on the [[campsite]] by [[Death Eater]]s, rather than the specific, targeted torment of a single [[Muggle]] family. (film) |
