King (Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump)

"... there lived a foolish king who decided that he alone shoul hav the power of magic."

- The king's description

The King was the male protagonist in the Beedle the Bard story ''Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump'. The Muggle king in the story wanted to keep all the magic in the world for himself. In order to do so, he thought he would need to gather all the witches and wizards in the world, so he formed the Brigade of Witch Hunters and gave them packs of wild dogs.

Soon after he created the bridage, he wanted to learn how to use magic, so he called for someone with magical ability to teach him. No real witches or wizards respond, but a charlatan pretends to be a wizard, and teaches him, despite not knowing any magic himself.

While the king and the charlatan were practicing "magic" with their twigs, they heard Babbitty laughing hysterically from her cottage. This enraged the King, who demanded that the charlatan perform in front of his subjects to show off his new abilities. The charlatan tries to back out by saying he has to go out of town, and can't help him, but the King threatens to send the brigade after him and should anyone laugh at him, the charlatan's head will be cut off.

The next day, with help of Babbity, the king and charlatan perform "their magic". They astonish the crowd by making a hat disappear, levitating a horse, but when one of the brigade asks if the King can make his dead dog return to life, the King tries. Babbitty does nothing, because she knows no magic can raise the dead. The crowd laughed at the King, and the King wanted to know why the spell isn't working. The charlatan pointed to the bush, and said that a wicked witch was blocking them. Babbitty ran from the bush, and when the hounds chased after her she "disappears", leaving the dogs barking at a tree.

The charlatan told the king and the crowd that Babbity had turned into an apple, and that the tree must be cut down, because she is an "evil" witch. The king was wild, and the tree was cut down. As the crowd and the king started to leave, they heard a cackling coming from the stump. Babbitty told the king that real witches and wizards can't be cut in half, and that they should cut the charlatan in half to prove it. The charlatan confessed he is a fraud, and the witch told them that the King is cursed, and he'll wish for death everytime a witch or wizard was harmed. Babbitty demanded a statue be built of herself, to remind them of what they've done. The King promised. Soon after, an old rabbit appears out of a hole in the stump, with a wand in it's mouth, revealing that she's an animagus, and leaves the kingdom. Forever after, the statue of Babbitty remained on top of the stump.

Appearances

 * The Tales of Beedle the Bard