The Rosier Family

The Rosier family is an ancient and wealthy Pure-blood wizarding family, recognised as one of the 'Sacred Twenty-Eight'. They are known for their deep-rooted connections to the Dark Arts and their allegiance to the most powerful Dark Wizards of their time. Over generations, members of the Rosier family have been prominent supporters of both Gellert Grindelwald and Lord Voldemort, solidifying their reputation as a dark and influential lineage within the wizarding world.

The Rosiers have long been considered part of the wizarding aristocracy in Britain. Their inclusion in the Pure-Blood Directory of the 1930s as one of the 'Sacred Twenty-Eight' confirms their status as a family believed to have an entirely pure magical ancestry (Pottermore). They maintained this status by intermarrying with other notable Pure-blood families, such as the Black Family, as evidenced by the Black Family Tapestry. The family's allegiance has consistently skewed towards dark and revolutionary figures. In the 1920s, Vinda Rosier was a trusted follower of Gellert Grindelwald's global wizarding revolution (Fantastic Beasts series). Decades later, another generation of the family joined Lord Voldemort. At least one Rosier was a member of Tom Riddle's original gang of followers at Hogwarts and later became a Death Eater during the First Wizarding War. The family's name is therefore synonymous with dark magic and loyalty to Pure-blood supremacist ideology.

• Rosier (First War Death Eater)
  • A contemporary of Tom Riddle at Hogwarts, this Rosier was part of the group of students who would later form the original Death Eaters. Horace Slughorn recalled teaching both him and another future Death Eater, Evan Rosier, though it is unclear if they were brothers. During the First Wizarding War, he served Lord Voldemort. His name was given up by Igor Karkaroff during his trial in the Pensieve in an attempt to bargain for freedom. However, Albus Dumbledore informed the court that Rosier had already been killed. Alastor Moody (impersonated by Barty Crouch Jr.) added that Rosier had been killed by Aurors about a year prior, stating that Rosier “preferred to fight rather than come quietly” and took a piece of Moody's nose before he was killed.
• Evan Rosier
  • Another Death Eater who was active during the First Wizarding War. He was also named by Igor Karkaroff as a fellow servant of Lord Voldemort. Alastor Moody (impersonated by Barty Crouch Jr.) confirmed that Evan Rosier had been killed by Aurors the year before Karkaroff's capture. Moody noted that Rosier was trying to escape arrest when he was killed and that Moody was the one who cornered him.
• Druella Rosier
  • A member of the family by birth, Druella married into another prominent Pure-blood line when she wed Cygnus Black. Her parentage solidified the alliance between two powerful families. Through her marriage, she became the mother of three notable daughters: Bellatrix Lestrange, Andromeda Tonks, and Narcissa Malfoy. This makes Druella the maternal grandmother of both Nymphadora Tonks and Draco Malfoy. Her existence and relation to the Black Family are known primarily from the Black Family Tree created by J.K. Rowling (J.K. Rowling's Black Family Tree).
• Vinda Rosier
  • A high-ranking and trusted follower of Gellert Grindelwald during his rise to power in the 1920s. She was an elegant, formidable witch, deeply committed to Grindelwald's cause. She was present at many of his most important gatherings and was instrumental in carrying out his plans (Fantastic Beasts series).

The name “Rosier” is French for “rose bush”. A rose can symbolise beauty and love, but its thorns represent danger, pain, and defence. This duality reflects the family's outwardly respectable, aristocratic appearance masking a dangerous affinity for the Dark Arts. Furthermore, Rosier is the name of a demon in some occult texts, often described as a fallen angel who tempts humans with beauty and eloquence, which aligns perfectly with the family's seductive but malevolent nature.

• The Rosier family's inclusion in the 'Sacred Twenty-Eight' was revealed in an essay by J.K. Rowling on the Pottermore website.
• The existence of Druella Rosier as the mother of Bellatrix, Andromeda, and Narcissa was first confirmed by the Black Family Tree that J.K. Rowling drew and released to fans.
• The family's history was significantly expanded in the Fantastic Beasts film series with the introduction of Vinda Rosier, establishing their support for major Dark Wizards predated Lord Voldemort.
• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Karkaroff only names Barty Crouch Jr. and Severus Snape. The scene where he names Rosier and others is exclusive to the book.