Victor Rookwood

Victor Rookwood is a powerful and ruthless Dark Wizard who serves as one of the primary antagonists in the 19th-century wizarding world. As the leader of a syndicate of dark wizards and witches known as the Ashwinders, he forms an alliance with the goblin rebel Ranrok. He is a prominent character in the video game Hogwarts Legacy and is not mentioned in the original seven Harry Potter novels. He is established as an ancestor of the Death Eater Augustus Rookwood.

Note: The entirety of Victor Rookwood's biography is derived from the video game Hogwarts Legacy and is not part of the original book canon. In the late 1800s, Victor Rookwood was a notorious Dark Wizard who led a band of poachers and thieves known as the Ashwinders. He sought to harness the power of a rare and potent form of Ancient Magic for his own gain (Hogwarts Legacy). To achieve this, he entered into an uneasy alliance with Ranrok, a goblin leader who also coveted this ancient power, believing it rightfully belonged to Goblin-kind (Hogwarts Legacy). Rookwood's operations often brought him into conflict with the Ministry of Magic, particularly the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Throughout his pursuit of power, he frequently clashed with a new fifth-year student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry who was uniquely capable of perceiving and wielding Ancient Magic. He was also a descendant of one of the “Keepers,” Charles Rookwood, but twisted his ancestor's legacy of protecting Ancient Magic into a selfish desire to control it (Hogwarts Legacy). His ambition and cruelty ultimately led to his downfall. In a final confrontation with the fifth-year student, Rookwood was defeated and killed when his own Killing Curse backfired against a burst of Ancient Magic wielded by the student (Hogwarts Legacy).

Victor Rookwood is depicted as a tall, imposing man with dark, slicked-back hair and a neatly trimmed beard. He dresses in the fine, dark attire befitting a powerful and wealthy wizard of the Victorian era, often wearing a long coat and waistcoat (Hogwarts Legacy). His personality is defined by his cunning, ambition, and utter ruthlessness. He is a charismatic but manipulative leader, capable of commanding loyalty from his followers through both fear and promises of power. Rookwood is arrogant and possesses a sense of entitlement, believing he is destined for greatness. He shows no remorse for his actions, readily using intimidation, torture, and murder to achieve his goals (Hogwarts Legacy).

• Dark Arts: Rookwood was a highly proficient practitioner of the Dark Arts. He was particularly skilled with the Unforgivable Curses, using Crucio for torture and having no hesitation in attempting to use the Killing Curse (Hogwarts Legacy).
• Duelling: He was a formidable duellist, able to hold his own against other powerful magic users, including Professor Fig and the protagonist of the game (Hogwarts Legacy).
• Leadership: As the leader of the Ashwinders, Rookwood demonstrated significant leadership and strategic abilities, commanding a large and dangerous criminal organization.

• Wand: Victor Rookwood possessed a wand, the specifics of which (wood, core, length) are unknown, but it was the tool through which he channeled his powerful dark magic (Hogwarts Legacy).

• Augustus Rookwood: Victor is an ancestor of Augustus Rookwood, a Death Eater and spy for Lord Voldemort who worked in the Department of Mysteries during the First and Second Wizarding Wars. Victor's actions establish the Rookwood family's long-standing connection to the Dark Arts.
• Ranrok: Rookwood's primary ally, though their partnership was fraught with mistrust. They shared a common goal but differed in their ultimate aims, with Rookwood desiring power for himself and Ranrok seeking it for his people. Their alliance was one of convenience and ultimately collapsed (Hogwarts Legacy).
• Theophilus Harlow: Harlow was Rookwood's loyal second-in-command within the Ashwinders criminal syndicate (Hogwarts Legacy).
• The Player Character: Rookwood viewed the protagonist of Hogwarts Legacy as a significant obstacle and rival in his quest for Ancient Magic, making them his primary enemy (Hogwarts Legacy).

• The name Victor is of Latin origin, meaning “conqueror” or “victor.” This reflects his ambitious and domineering personality and his goal of conquering the magical world's secrets.
• The surname Rookwood combines “rook,” a corvid bird often associated with dark omens and death in folklore, with “wood.” This combination evokes a sense of dark, ancient, and foreboding nature, fitting for a family with a legacy in the Dark Arts.

Victor Rookwood is a character created exclusively for the 2023 video game Hogwarts Legacy. He does not appear, nor is he ever mentioned, in the seven original Harry Potter novels by J.K. Rowling. His character serves to expand the lore of the Rookwood family, providing a historical antecedent for the actions of his descendant, Augustus Rookwood, a known Death Eater from the books. This connection establishes the family's deep-rooted history with dark magic, predating Lord Voldemort's rise to power by nearly a century.