Patricia Rakepick

Professor Patricia Rakepick was a British witch and a world-famous Head of the curse-breaking operations of Gringotts Wizarding Bank in London. Educated at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry during her formative years, she was remembered by her former teacher Albus Dumbledore as an exceptional student who, according to Rubeus Hagrid, always was in trouble but always on top of her class. After Patricia left school, her curse-breaking adventures abroad eventually gathered ever more publicity, to the point where several newspaper articles were written about her exploits. By 1985, a book about her had been published.

Said to have had first-hand experience with the Cursed Vaults during her student years, she was invited back to the school by Professor Dumbledore, now an esteemed Headmaster of the school, to help put an end to the threat posed by the Cursed Vaults during the 1987–1988 school year. At the end of the year, she accepted his offer to assume the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor, in which capacity she could offer, among other things, more freedom and protection to Jacob's sibling during their search for the remaining vaults.

Early life
Patricia Rakepick was born somewhere in the British Isles in late 1955 to 1956, into a wizarding family of unknown pedigree. She obtained a wand around the age of eleven shortly before she was to start attending school, which she most likely, purchased from Ollivander's Wand Shop like most other magical children.

Hogwarts years
Patricia Rakepick attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from 1967 to 1974,  where she was sorted into Gryffindor. A gifted student, she quickly proved to be the most outstanding student of her year and always was at the top of all of her classes. While Professor Albus Dumbledore found her to be an exceptional pupil, she was nevertheless greatly disliked by most of her professors for her rebellious streak, a sentiment that did not improve when she, rather than being a good role model to her younger peers as she grew older, began mentoring them in the art of trouble-making. According to Rubeus Hagrid, rumours during her student years had it that she once had dealings with a group that had a map over Hogwarts. Although he dismissed it as mere talk, presumably on account that the school was unplottable, this group were very real and went by the name of the Marauders, consisting of four members whom Patricia to some extent mentored in and encouraged to mischief-making that would one day join him in opposing the Dark Forces as members of the Order of the Phoenix. Some of her teachers include Filius Flitwick and Rolanda Hooch, the former of whom were determined to keep an open mind about Rakepick, whereas the other had a very low opinion on her.

In her third year, she chose at least two elective subjects; Care of Magical Creatures and Arithmancy. Either the same semester or during one of her remaining four years of schooling, she inquired the Care of Magical Creatures Professor, Silvanus Kettleburn, how to enter the Forbidden Forest without being seen. When he asked the reason as to why she wanted to do that, Rakepick told him she meant to explore the forest and study the creatures that dwelled within it, expressing a desire to become a Magizoologist upon leaving school. Accepting this explanation, the professor explained that the easiest way for students to enter the forest undetected was by broom, revealing secrets about the forest he had learned from numerous years spent exploring it himself. Afterwards, she reportedly spent quite as much time in the forest as she did in the castle. According to Rubeus Hagrid, the school's Keeper of Keys and Grounds during her student years, she more than once disappeared from the castle for days at the time. Patricia was a firm believer during her time at school that the Cursed Vaults existed, but the faculty did not heed her warning.

Given that she always was on top of her class, it is reasonable to assume that she achieved good results in her O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s examinations, being more than qualified for her future career.

Working for Gringotts
After leaving Hogwarts, Patricia Rakepick went on to work for Gringotts Wizarding Bank as a Curse-Breaker, having apparently been taken in by the allure of a "challenging career involving travel, adventure, and substantial, danger-related treasure bonuses". In the years that followed, she embarked on a number of daring expeditions to sites of historical sorcery from where significant treasure might be obtained and revelled in the fresh challenges and exotic change scenery that her line of work had to offer. She also had a Niffler called Sickleworth assigned to her, which occasionally would help her burrow for treasure at cursed sites.

Evidently a very efficient and gifted employee, her many curse-breaking adventures eventually won her both recognition and publicity when details of how she so expertly dealt with a wide variety of enchanted objects, magical creatures and, having made a career out of eliminating her competition, rivals alike, eventually reached the scope of a media hungry for thrilling tales to share with their readers. Over the years, a number of articles was published in the Daily Prophet; among them was one that claimed that she at one point killed a Sphinx with her bare hands, and another one stated that she once allegedly ripped the tail off a Manticore, both of which would would ultimately leave many who knew her by reputation only with the impression that she were not someone to be crossed.

Eventually, after serving as a Curse-Breaker for some time and having broken the protective charms and curses on old forgotten Wizarding treasure troves for most of her working life, Rakepick rose to become the top Curse-Breaker at Gringotts, eventually even being promoted to the post of Head Curse-Breaker, which she occupied at least in the mid-to-late-1980s. By then, she had come to enjoy a rather illustrious reputation as one of the foremost experts in curse-breaking that her field had to offer. In the 1986–1987 school year, Dumbledore spent time searching for her. He found her working at the Brazilian wizarding school, Castelobruxo, where she was exploring newly discovered ruins underneath the school. He invited her to join him at Hogwarts the next school year and look into the Cursed Vault problem which kept occurring at the school, which she accepted.

Arrival at the Great Hall
Having arrived at the Hogwarts shortly after the student body began pouring into the Great Hall for the Start-of-Term Feast, she made her to the staff table, being either oblivious or indifferent to the reaction her presence got from Gryffindor student Ben Copper on account of her reputation, who began to pace nervously and mutter to himself before sitting down at his house table and stare fearfully in her direction. Having more pressing matters to attend to, however, than to worry about how individual students felt about her being there, she was greeted by Professor Dumbledore, with whom she presumably exchanged pleasantries before becoming engaged in deep conversation. When it was time for the Headmaster's welcoming speech, however, she fell silent and watched as the Headmaster walked over to the gilded Owl Lecturn, and silence fell over the room. Welcoming the students back for another year of magical education, Dumbledore immediately addressed the Erumpent in the room by informing his pupils that an important part of the learning process was learning to identify and overcome dangers, both seen and unseen. Subtly commending some of the older students for their bravery in the face of adversity as they first had to deal with Cursed ice having spread throughout the school and injured them or their peers, and then when Boggarts had been unleashed and terrorized the students a year after, which had been caused by someone that had been tampering with two of the Cursed Vaults that were hidden throughout the school. As Dumbledore explained to his charges that while the staff would do their utmost to keep them safe, the faculty did not have all the answers about the matter in question, Rakepick moved a little closer, standing right next to the Headmaster as he introduced her. Stepping aside so that Madam Rakepick could take his place behind the podium, she turned gracefully to face the students with a rather smug look, presumably happy with Dumbledore's high praise of calling her "an expert". Addressing the students, she courteously thanked the Headmaster for such a warm welcome, commenting on her own age-old disregard for the school rules being a part of her surprise at his invitation. Upon giving a short introduction of her own, mentioning, if briefly, both her work at Gringotts and her suspicious about the Cursed Vaults going back all the way to her own education at Hogwarts, even if her professors had not shared them at the time. Having perhaps a bit much unnecessary emphasised what she felt to have been a blunder on their part, she announced her intention of using her skills to locate the Cursed Vaults and unveil the secrets within them. Whilst she informed the students that she might ask them questions or even solicit the assistance from individual students for the investigations she would be carrying out while tracking down their locations, she also strongly advised them against trying to get involved without her prior permission.

Later that evening, Madam Rakepick, whom Professor Dumbledore had tasked with being in charge of everything having to do with the Cursed Vaults, was notified that two of the students that the school matron had in her care had been placed in harm's way by wandering mindlessly into the Forbidden Forest, apparently while under the influence of somnambulism of some sort. Recognising this as clear symptoms of having been under the influence of the same Sleepwalking curse that had been unleashed on the school years ago, she made her way up to the Hospital tower to look into the matter. Once there, she found Madam Pomfrey tending to one of the victims; a young boy from the Gryffindor House whose injuries were so severe that he was in no condition to provide her with any useful information. By the next bed, however, where the second victim - a Ravenclaw student by the name of Tulip Karasu - were resting, she found the ringleader of a small gang of students that she knew to have been greatly involved in breaking the curses placed on the last two vaults that had been meddled with. Upon hearing how the two were discussing the potential connection between one of the Cursed Vaults and the sleepwalking students, Madam Rakepick stayed back for a bit, listening. First when the question was raised, however, as to the reason why the curse would make students walk into the Dark Forest of all places, a question with potentially dangerous implications, did she finally decide to make her presence known to them. Inviting herself into the conversation, Madam Rakepick informed them that she had been wondering the same thing ever since the last time the sleepwalking curse had been sending several students to their deaths at the teeth and claws of various dangerous beasts that resided within the forest. Upon being confronted with having eavesdropping on them, she merely smiled and explained, in no uncertain terms, that the Cursed Vaults were no longer their concern. During the course of this conversation, however, Madam Rakepick was made aware of the reason behind the youngster's desire to find the vaults: Love was what drove their continued involvement, a desperate desire to find and rescue their long lost brother Jacob. Deciding that it would be ridiculous not to take advantage of such pertinacious motivations, the curse-breaker immediately performed an abrupt volte-face: To that end, Madam Rakepick insisted, helping her would be in their own best interest, before she turned her attention back onto the second victim and instructed the visitor to leave in order for her to discuss the circumstances of Miss Tulip Karasu's sleep-walking incident with her in private. After learning everything she could, Madam Rakepick proceeded to send an owl to find the recently departed "curse-breaking hero" of Hogwarts to meet with her at the Training Grounds, telling them that if they were to help her in searching for this next vault, they should be aware of the dangers involved, and, she explained, learn a new spell that would be of help to enhance their ability to defend themselves properly against any unfriendly spellwork that they might encounter.

The Curse-Breaker's apprentice
Already in place when Jacob's sibling arrived at the scheduled time and place for their close-to-curfew lesson, Madam Rakepick, who by then had learned from other residents at the castle that the pupil before her were a particularly gifted student, resolved to try and solidify their potential alliance by trying to appeal to their shared experience of having embarked on more than one curse-breaking adventure in their lives and the understanding of the dangers involved. Going as far as to proclaim them a curse-breaker on equal footing with herself, the adventurous banker went on to emphasis the importance of an effective self-defence. The spell she wanted to teach him, she went on to explain, was the Shield Charm, justifying educating them in its use prematurely by arguing that "curse-breakers like themselves" might very well not be alive to learn it another time: Having successfully persuaded the youngling to let her tutor them, she moved towards the Mechanical Death Eaters placed[ [Training Grounds|there]], which would serve as a visual aid for learning the spell.

Throughout the tutorial, Madam Rakepick stood watch over Jacob's sibling as they practiced casting the Shield Charm, successfully producing some pale imitations of the true thing. Occasionally, she would give them the odd piece of advice, such as citing the correct incantation and instructed them to try and use visualisation as a tool, imagining in their mind that they were warding off a foe's spellwork as they tried to cast it. Once confident that Jacob's sibling had mastered it well enough, however, Madam Rakepick wasted little time announcing that it was about that the student reaped the fruits of their efforts: After waving away their concerns that the Blasting Curse she meant to use against them were potentially deadly, cockily stressing the point that she, as a witch who lived for the thrill, was of the opinion that that which is not deadly was, to her, incredibly dull. Unsheathing her wand, she raised it and uttered the incantation "Confringo!": A burst of fiery orange exploded from the tip of her wand, only to dissipate as the blast collided with her new protegee's now a fully-fledged Shield Charm, warding off the impact. Congratulating them on their success, Madam Rakepick noted that their professors was right to commend their talents, and ended the lecture by cryptically saying that they would be likely to meet again before long, and left to resume her own investigation, expecting the student to head for their dormitory.

Searching for the vaults
Shortly thereafter, Madam Rakepick was making her way through the school when, unbeknownst to her, she got a little tag-along tracing her tracks through the castle. Apparently unaware of the impression she had left Tulip Karasu with by her questions about not only the sleepwalking incident, but also her knowledge about the vaults, Madam Rakepick was did not recognise that the rebellious and clever Ravenclaw Fourth Year were tailing her throughout Hogwarts Castle, eventually heading for the Dungeons: Priding herself in knowing everything that is worth knowing about the ongoing at Hogwarts, Madam Rakepick pursued a clue dating back to the time of Jacob's expulsion, shortly before which he was known to have been talking with one of the house-elves working at the school. Having entered the Hogwarts kitchens looking for more concrete information on the matter, her interrogation of the cooking workforce came to an abrupt and premature end when an old schoolmate of hers by the name of Severus Snape, now the Potions Master at Hogwarts, burst into the room: Presumably heedful of Dumbledore's orders regarding the part their esteemed guest were to play in resolving the matter, he informed her he had found another sleepwalking student, prompting Madam Rakepick to immediately venture with him to look into the situation. Upon learning that he had discovered the blond-haired Gryffindor boy before them heading in the direction of the Forbidden Forest, thus confirming her suspicions that he too had fallen afoul of the Sleepwalking curse. After a short-lived spat rooted in lingering grudges from their respective school careers, Madam Rakepick finally agreed that she and Professor Snape took the lad to the Hospital Wing together.

Throughout most of the 1987–1988 school year went on, the faculty continued to watch the perimeter of the Forbidden Forest and make every effort to protect the students. Every so often, members of the staff such as Filius Flitwick and Rubeus Hagrid would find pupils wandering off to what would have been their own death at the teeth and claws of the dangerous magical creatures lurking within the dark forest, had it not been for their timely intervention. Charged with attending to all matters relating to the Cursed Vaults, Madam Rakepick was kept well informed of these incidents and began to visit the Hospital Wing on a regular basis to see if there was anything more to be learned from those of the victims that woke up afterwards. By this time, Madam Rakepick had already been busy setting up her own little network of informants, which included enlisting students such as Merula Snyde, to keep her au courant about almost everything that went on within the walls of Hogwarts. Around this time, she also launched an investigation into the possibility of a Cursed Vault in the village of Hogsmeade, and among the locations she routinely visited to look for information, besides the Hospital Wing and the Great Hall, were the Three Broomsticks Inn. At some point, her sources alerted her to the fact that not only were that young apprentice of hers and a group of friends been researching what kinds of creatures existed in the Forbidden Forest at the Hogwarts library, this individual had also been asking the teachers about her. Intrigued by this apparently sudden interest in her, the Curse-Breaker turned the tables on them and began to make inquiries regarding the student in question as well, questioning among other people one of their classmates, Penny Haywood.

Finally, however, Madam Rakepick simply composed a letter and delivered it at their common room, where she instructed them to meet with her in the Artefact Room in order for the two of them to talk things out in private. Rather impressed that the recipient did not turn down her request, but actually met up at her behest despite not fully trusting her, Madam Rakepick commended their courage, before she quickly moved the conversation over to the crux of their little get-together. While not angry with them for asking about her, she rather pointedly invited them to ask her in person if they had any questions about her, as he did not believe anyone in the castle actually knew her as well as they thought they did. Thereafter, she admitted that she considered them to stand apart from any other student at Hogwarts, both by virtue of their considerable talents and their reasons for wanting to be a part of the whole affair. While mindful that Professor Dumbledore had forbidden the students from getting involved, Madam Rakepick nevertheless encouraged their continued pursuit for the Cursed Vaults, even if it meant to defy the Headmaster. She also offered a helping hand in regard to their imminent venture into the Dark Forest, advising them to speak with Professor Silvanus Kettleburn, the old Care of Magical Creatures teachers, about the best way to enter the forest undetected by any of the other professors. He, she explained, had spent much of his career exploring the Dark Forest and was privy to many of its secrets, suggesting that since he once shared those with her as a student, he might be persuaded to do the same for them.

Training Junior Curse-Breakers
Whilst their considerable talents were indeed very impressive, and, when combined with their heart-felt desire to find their brother safe and sound meant that Jacob's sibling had all the makings of a companion of implacable resolve, Madam Rakepick knew better than to settle for the first and best candidate she could find where the future assistant in her own search was concerned: Owing most of her success and renown throughout her career at Gringotts Wizarding Bank to natural ability, ambition and ruthless efficiency, Madam Rakepick decided that would put all the students whom she believed to be suitable candidates to serve as her assistant through a competition of wits and skills, so that if the aforementioned pupil wanted them to work together, they had to earn that right. That way, in the unlikely event that it would turn out that they were not up to the challenge of doing whatever it took to succeed, she would still have about a handful of nominees to fall back on who to some extent had had first-hand experience with the Cursed Vaults and, though their areas of expertise varied, proven themselves to be of above average in intelligence and ability. And so, she sent six messages, addressed to Jacob's sibling, William Weasley, Rowan Khanna, Ben Copper, Merula Snyde, Ismelda Murk and Penny Haywood respectively. More of a potion-maker than a curse-breaker, however, the latter turned down her invitation, preferring instead to work on a brew to prevent sleepwalking. Once the rest of her chosen ones had been gathered at the Training Grounds, she made her way down from the castle to test their worth. Once there, she explained the reason behind why she had summoned all of them, appearing relatively unconcerned about the fact that her little recruitment drive was in complete defiance of Professor Dumbledore's wished on the matter. When questioned by Miss Murk why any of them would even want to be her assistant, Madam Rakepick slyly hinted that if any of them succeeded in satisfying her requirements for becoming her assistant, she would be teaching them powerful magic the likes of which they could not learn from any of their professors. To illustrate her point, she turned their attention to the Mechanical Death Eater dummies and taught them all how to properly execute the Blasting Curse, a spell of potentially lethal power that had served her rather well against various magical beasts, artefacts and rivals in the past.

Assuring each of the six contenders that they all would get an opportunity to prove themselves, Madam Rakepick told them to that they should all expect further invitations in the near future, and be ready to have their abilities tested and dangled the prospect of becoming a legend by conquering the Cursed Vaults over their heads as the potential prize should they succeed. Bidding them all goodnight, she left them to attend to other duties relating to her work. True to her word, however, it did not take long before the chosen six that had answered her first call received a second one, and all six of them met up at the Training Grounds like they had the last time. Rather than teaching them another curse, however, Madam Rakepick explained that they were all going to compete with each other in a test of strength by duelling, and encouraged them all to refrain from the usual restrictions by using Curses, Charms, Transfiguration, Potions and even punch each other if that was what they had to do in order to win, explaining that she expected them to use the evening to learn from one another. Ultimately, however, the privilege of becoming her assistant would go to the last one standing. Turning her attention to Jacob's sibling, letting them pick their opponent first. Congratulating Jacob's sibling over their triumph over their chosen adversary, Madam Rakepick ended their session, yet asked the victor to stay behind on order to ask if they would be interested in a private lesson so that she could teach them a spell she believed to "align with [your] specific interest", and expressed her appreciation for their determination and thirst for knowledge and wished them luck on their impending search of the Forbidden Forest and left in order to attend to matters elsewhere.

Further investigations
At some point after the first secret meeting with the now competing candidates for the assistant job, presumably around the same time that Penny Haywood learned about it herself and began questioning people about it, Madam Rakepick became aware that an unidentified and quite possibly Dark Wizard had attacked and threatened Jacob's sibling one night in the Clocktower Courtyard, and quickly launched her own investigation into the identity of the culprit. At a later date, she struck up a conversation with one of the most promising of the six candidates, a Sixth Year Gryffindor Prefect by the name of Bill Weasley, and learned of his desire to become a Curse-Breaker just like she was. To this, she told him that becoming Head Boy would be of great help in reaching that goal. Shortly thereafter, having resumed her duties of searching for the Cursed Vaults on her own, Madam Rakepick stood in the middle of the hall, just in front of the staff table, watching the students. Upon spotting Jacob's sibling, she briefly questioned them about what they could tell her about Mr. Bilton Bilmes, the proprietor of Zonko's Joke Shop, whom she had encountered during one of her trips to Hogsmeade and came to believe that there was something "peculiar" about. Busy following a lead when she received a message from Jacob's sibling some time later where they asked to speak with her to solicit her views on something, she informed them that she would get back to them. Once finished, she told them to meet with her at the Training Grounds.

Once her young co-conspirator arrived, Madam Rakepick guessed, quite correctly, that it they wanted to discuss whatever findings they had after their misadventure in the Forbidden Forest, and was happy to help. Mindful of the incident where they were attacked by the faceless, hooded wizard, Madam Rakepick initially offered to teach them some more offensive spells, only to discover the student before her needed help of a very different nature: When they asked if she knew anything about a jewel encrusted arrowhead that used to belong to one of the Centaurs residing in the Forbidden Forest, Madam Rakepick told them, quite insistently, that once she was done helping them brush up on their martial magic, she would be glad to be of assistance. When confronted with her unofficial protégé's curiosity about why she could not simply assist them right away, the curse-breaker informed them that she was helping actually indeed helping them more than they knew, subtly referring to her search after the wizard that attacked them. After she had overseen Jacob's sibling while they practiced both their offensive and defensive spellwork until such time that she judged the results to be satisfactory, Madam Rakepick complimented them on their steadily improving skills. On the subject of the arrowhead, however, she theorised that it might be buried somewhere inside the castle, reminding them that with magic, one could easily bury something without dirt or shovel. "Precious things", she told them, "are often buried under other items, or other secrets. Sometimes under feelings and riddles...". Following this, Madam Rakepick said that if they could prove that were capable of looking after a Niffler, she would borrow them hers to help them look for the arrowhead.

Physical appearance
Patricia Rakepick was a haughty-looking witch with long, red hair and blue eyes. Dressed for practicality yet with an obvious wizarding flair, she often wore a long-sleeved brown shirt and matching trousers, and a blood red waistcoat that was a shorter at the back than on the front. She had black robes and boots, and wore white gloves, as well as two light brown belts across her waist, onto which it was attached a sheath-like holster to hold her wand.

Personality and traits
A self-declared daredevil with little regard for rules or restrictions and a strong sense of entitlement, Patricia Rakepick was a highly intelligent and magically talented individual, as evidenced by both her top performance at Hogwarts as well as her later achievements in life. Very secure in her own judgement and immensely confident in her own abilities, she would often eye those with whom she conversed with a look of gleeful smugness, yet could demonstrate a sudden temper or disdain towards those of whom she did not think very highly, such as Ben Copper, whom she cruelly singled out during her evaluation of a group of students from which she wanted to pick an assistant for her sanctioned search for the Cursed Vaults. While she was sorted into Gryffindor upon arriving at Hogwarts, Severus Snape noted her to be unusually cunning for a member of that house.

According to Silvanus Kettleburn, she was a strict disciplinarian who did not suffer foolishness from anyone, be it from the Curse-Breakers working under her or domesticated magical creatures in her care. Her stringency in this regard was assumed to be the reason why Sickleworth was, according to Professor Kettleburn, the most well-behaved Niffler he had ever seen.

Known to take immense pride in her status as a world-renowned Curse-Breaker, she was not a particularly modest person, as seen by her shameless flaunting of her position of trust and prestige, even to her peers, in order to attempt to place herself above them. Not all talk and no bite, however, she was happy to be in the thick of the action, she is not someone to shy away from a dangerous situation, with even Rubeus Hagrid believing her to be completely fearless. Patricia also had a devious streak, actively encouraging students to be ruthless in the manner they dealt their rivals by telling them to ignore the restrictions that their professors otherwise would have put on duels, and recruiting students to participate in searching for the Cursed Vaults in spite of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore expressively forbidding them in doing so.

Magical abilities and skills
An accomplished witch, Madam Patricia Rakepick was extremely talented, highly intelligent and rather powerful. Indeed, many held her abilities in such a high regard they even deemed her to be the best Curse-Breaker in the world.
 * Magical Mastery: Undeniably of above average in intelligence and ability, even Albus Dumbledore, arguably the greatest wizard of all time, openly respected her abilities. An exceptional pupil, she were as one of the cleverest Hogwarts students of her time. In adulthood, she became a Curse-Breaker for Gringotts Wizarding Bank and rose to become, not only in charge of such operations, but also widely believed to have been the greatest Curse-Breaker alive. Rubeus Hagrid, the Keeper of Keys and Grounds during her formative years and a member of the Order of the Phoenix, considered her as a dangerous witch whom one would rather have on with you than against you, a claim fully backed up by Severus Snape, who attended Hogwarts around the same time and usually thought very little of members of Gryffindor House yet acknowledged that she had built her career by "removing the competition" and made for a dangerous and formidable adversary indeed.
 * Defence Against the Dark Arts: An academically gifted student who was always on the top of her class, Patricia Rakepick excelled in the subject and received top marks on her schoolwork: A remarkable feat, considering what would be likely to have been varying competence of the ever-shifting teachers in the subject who taught her. She was said to have spent as much time in the Forbidden Forest during her time as a pupil once she knew how to enter undetected, her skill in the subject undoubtedly was of great help in keeping the dangerous creatures that dwelled therein at bay. In adulthood, she was in seen by many as perhaps the finest Curse Breaker in the world, which served as a further testament to her ability of fending off Dark Magic, particularly in regard to breaking through curses. She also would have been highly proficient with counter-curses as to be able to halt or contain any curse that might have been unleashed upon her or her colleagues in the course of their duties to prevent such curses from killing them or make permanent damage. She also is accomplished at defensive spells, teaching Jacob's sibling to use the Shield Charm to great effect. Rakepick's abilities in defending from the Dark Arts was great enough that Dumbledore eventually made her the Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor of Hogwarts.
 * Martial magic: Patricia Rakepick was known to be a dangerous witch, and not without good reason; An advocate for violence and unafraid of using it herself, Rakepick was a self-professed no hold barred fighter who did not believe in putting restrictions on duelling, using curses, charms, transfiguration, potions, and even resorting to Muggle duelling if that was what it took to overcome an adversary. According to Severus Snape, she had built her career on 'eliminating the competition', suggesting she had dueled and killed more than a few competitors, or at the very least injured them to the point of permanent incapacitation. She even went as far as to admit that the Blasting Curse, a spell she herself described as being "quite dangerous, and oftentimes deadly," had served her well against rivals in the past. After admitting to having had an argument with Minerva McGonagall that lead the then Transfiguration teacher to leave in anger, she made a comment to Jacob's sibling about it had been "a wise decision on her part", suggesting Rakepick thought herself capable of defeating McGonagall if things had "gotten out of hand". Rakepick later easily subdued Ben Copper just as he was about to kill Jacob's Sibling with a single powerful Blasting Curse that knocked him all the way to another yard and left him unconscious.
 * Dark Arts: As a Curse-Breaker, Rakepick had a high level of knowledge on Dark Magic and how to break its hold on places that might house gold and riches that Gringotts Wizarding Bank might want in their vaults, and while not famed for practising it herself, her understanding of this branch of magic's potency was such that, while testing a group of students to determine which of them would become her assistant in her search for the cursed vaults, professed that the Blasting Curse, a spell of potentially lethal effect if used against another living being, had served her well in dealing with enchanted objects, creatures and rivals and later encouraged them to follow her example by including curses in their repertoire for combative magic. She was also sure of her ability to dispatch of the six students she had called upon to test while looking for an assistant for her search for the Cursed Vaults, if she had so desired. By her own admission, she had never believed in putting restrictions on duelling, encouraging the aforementioned group of students to be vicious in combat and openly disapproved of Jacob's sibling's lack of brutality in their spell-casting while duelling, despite emerging victorious. She also taught spells she herself claimed to be potentially deadly to the students at the school to use in duels, indicating she had the skills, knowledge, willingness and malicious intent required to successfully cast spells of an even darker variety. She at one point even threatened to murder Madam Rosmerta, the landlady of the Three Broomsticks Inn in the village of Hogsmeade when she stood in her way during Rakepick's search for information about the Cursed Vaults, only backing away because Rosmerta informed her two of the customers present that day also happened to be Aurors. If nothing else, it showcase's Rakepick's certainty in her ability to cast the Killing Curse.
 * Physical combat skills: Madam Rakepick was known to encourage the infusion of physical combat into one's duelling style, stating she has never believed in putting restrictions on duelling, which implies that she either had done so in the past or at the very least was willing to if she deemed it necessary to overcome an adversary. She also once allegedly killed a Manticore with her bare hands and supposedly ripped the tail off a Chimaera, both of which would, if true, be truly remarkable feats of physical prowess indeed.
 * Charms: Stated to have been a highly gifted student and always on the top of her class, Rakepick had great talent for charmswork. She even encouraged students at Hogwarts to use charms in duels, suggesting she is capable of effectively doing so herself.
 * Transfiguration: Albus Dumbledore, the school's Headmaster and former Head of the Transfiguration department, remembers her as having been an exceptional student back when he was still teaching. She also encouraged students at Hogwarts to use transfiguration in duels, suggesting she had the ability to effectively incorporate transfiguration spells in her martial magic.
 * Non-verbal magic: When she taught one of the students how to repel spiders, she quickly and wordlessly conjured a spider for the student to practice on.
 * Potions: As a pupil, Patricia excelled in potion-making, being top of her class in the subject. Considering her position as the greatest Curse Breaker, it is safe to assume that she particularly specialised in brewing potions that can help victims of curses, which she would likely prepare to anticipate the possibility of she or one of her colleagues falling afoul of a curse in the course of their duties, as well as potions that are useful in duelling, such as medical concotions like the Wiggenweld Potion, which she would likely constantly do to have at the ready potions that allows her to resist the effects of unfriendly spells in the case of a combat situation, as shown when she encouraged students to have potions useful in duelling such as medical concoctions like the Wiggenweld Potion at hand during duelling.
 * Herbology: An academically gifted student who was always on the top of her class, Patricia Rakepick excelled in the subject and received top marks on her schoolwork: She was able to identify gillyweed with a mere glance.
 * Care of Magical Creatures: If her affectionate fondness for Sickleworth, the Niffler assigned to her by Gringotts Wizarding Bank to help her to burrow underground for treasures on cursed sites, is any indication, Madam Rakepick was very knowledgeable on the topic and had a gift for looking after, interacting with, and gaining the trust of a wide variety of magical creatures. This was fully backed up by her teacher in the subject, Silvanus Kettleburn, who remembered her as his most gifted student during her time at Hogwarts. She also appeared to have had a good relationship with said professor, whom she once asked for help to enter the Forbidden Forest so that she could explore it and study the creatures therein in order to become a Magizoologist following her graduation, to which he agreed. Her knowledge and ability in handling dangerous creatures likely contributed in her ability to survive in there for as long as she did.
 * Arithmancy: Since becoming a Curse Breaker required at least an O.W.L. in Arithmancy, it is reasonable and logical to deduce that Rakepick was skilled in this subject.
 * Flying: Madam Rakepick must have been a very proficient flier, as she often sneaked into the Forbidden Forest during her formative years as a student at Hogwarts, which she accomplished by broom. Notoriously massive and treacherous, it required a high level of control to not only be able to fly into/through it, but also to land safely. When Jacob's sibling learned how Madam Rakepick had managed to enter the forest, the individual in question resolved to do the same, but had to improve their abilities as a flier to do so safely despite being among the most talented fliers in their year, which highlighted Madam Rakepick's skill on a broom.
 * Asset Acquisition: Patricia Rakepick had an undeniable talent at attaining informational assets, displaying an uncanny ability of being aware of everything that went on at Hogwarts, to the point where Severus Snape voiced his belief that she had had Jacob's sibling watched even prior to even arriving at the school herself. He even suspected her of using one of his own students to spy at him, despite his favouritism of the students in his house almost by default assured that Slytherins favoured him above any other person in the castle.

Possessions

 * Wand: Rakepick owned a wand of unknown materials.
 * Holster: She owned a holster to hold her wand when not in use.
 * Eye of Horus pin: Madam Rakepick owned a pin depicting the Eye of Horus, presumably a protective amulet used in curse-breaking.
 * Sickleworth: A Niffler assigned to her by Gringotts Wizarding Bank to burrow underground for treasure in cursed areas. She was very fond and affectionate towards him, calling him "sweet".

Albus Dumbledore
Albus Dumbledore was, at the time of Patricia's arrival at Hogwarts, the school's Head of Transfiguration under then Headmaster Armando Dippet, until he eventually succeeded the latter in said post at some point during her magical education. While it is unknown how he felt about her rebellious streak, a trait for which, seen as it went beyond mere mischief-making, many of his colleagues came to distrust and dislike her for, she was nevertheless a talented student. Impressed with her prodigious gifts, even Professor Dumbledore regarded her an exceptional pupil, speaking highly of her abilities even after her graduation. He welcomed her warmly back to Hogwarts upon inviting her back to the castle to help the staff in their efforts to put a stop to the threat posed to the security of the school and those who dwelled therein by the fabled Cursed Vaults, though it is unknown if he shared Severus Snape's suspicions about her ulterior motives, the latter of whom believed, quite correctly, that Dumbledore trusted her.

Severus Snape
Five years his senior at Hogwarts, Severus Snape met Patricia Rakepick for the first time while they were both still students, and took an immediate dislike to her: Bold as brass and with little regards for school rules, and a member of Gryffindor House to boot, Patricia Rakepick was someone whom Severus would one day compare to his arch-rival during his schooldays, James Potter, another trouble-making Gryffindor. Whilst it is uncertain what he thought of Rakepick's initial claims about the existence of the fabled Cursed Vaults as a student, he did acknowledge that she was remarkably ambitious for a Gryffindor, and by no means stupid. By the time he had replaced Horace Slughorn as the school's Potions Master, Rakepick was already a notable curse-breaker and building her career on eliminating her competition. Wary of her true intentions, when Albus Dumbledore invited her back to help break the curses plaging the school and its denizens, their old rivalry immediately reignited, and Snape immediately went about trying to uncover whatever ulterior motives she might have, suspecting that she wanted to use the vaults to take control of Hogwarts.

From that moment on, it is known that Snape and Rakepick were engaging in a subtle battle of wits, and even used students to spy on one another. Recognising that Rakepick regarded one of the pupils as a potential rival in her quest to find the vaults, and aware how Rakepick dealt with rivals, Snape cleverly had said student serving as his spy to shift her attention over on him to protect the student as a supposed mastermind of the youngster's actions, while also using the ploy as a tool to try and learn what Rakepick was up to and expose her to Dumbledore, the one person whom they knew for a certainty would be able to put a stop to her plot, whatever it might be.

Hogwarts staff
Patricia Rakepick had mixed relationships with the faculty at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. While academically gifted, most of the professors, including both those who taught her in the past and old schoolmates who had joined the staff since she graduated, disliked and distrusted her ever since her formative years as a student for her rebellious nature and frequent rule-breaking.

While there were some exceptions, such as Albus Dumbledore, who was her Transfiguration teacher prior to his appointment as Headmaster of Hogwarts sometime before her fifth year, who never said an ill word about her and merely stated his belief that she was an excellent student, and Silvanus Kettleburn, who remembered her as his best student and even confided in her secrets about the Forbidden Forest and the best way in which to enter in undiscovered, (though he came to suspect she had ulterior motives eventually), most teachers did not think very highly of her. Among these teachers were Rolanda Hooch, whose contempt of Rakepick was such that she outright refused to voice her honest opinion on her in front of her pupils, and Pomona Sprout warned one of her students that Rakepick might be more even dangerous than she appeared at first glance. Filius Flitwick, the Charms Master, preferred for people to make up their own minds about Rakepick, rather than base their own opinion upon his own, and did not comment on it to students. The Keeper of Keys and Grounds at the time, Rubeus Hagrid, also distrusted her, warning Jacob's sibling about the fact that she could be dangerous if crossed. At some point during the 1987-1988 school year, Minerva McGonagall had a very heated argument with Rakepick about "something important", suggesting that the Transfiguration teacher, who presumably began to teach her when Dumbledore rose to the post of Headmaster, also did not think very highly of the younger witch or her methods.

Jacob's sibling
Presumably well aware of the events that lead to the expulsion of former Hogwarts student Jacob long before she ever met his younger sibling, given her own interest in the vaults, Rakepick took interest in the latter individual for their first-hand experience with the Cursed Vaults, and is known to have kept an eye on them, possibly even before she was invited back to Hogwarts by the Headmaster of the day, Albus Dumbledore, to help put the threat of the Cursed Vaults to rest. Though she did not waste any time soliciting the help of said student and their group of friends to make her own, sanctioned search for the vaults easier, and even assured Jacob's sibling she meant them no harm and even were investigating the identity of the mysterious wizard that had attacked them in the Clock Tower Courtyard after curfew by forging a letter with the handwriting of Silvanus Kettleburn. Severus Snape, however, the Potions Master and former schoolmate of Rakepick's, did not trust her at all, going so far as to saying she had ulterior motives for being at Hogwarts and that she was after the Cursed Vaults for her own gain, and quite possibly meant to kill both them and anyone else who stood in her way. Rakepick continued, however, to request the assistance of Jacob's sibling, teaching them the Shield Charm to test their abilities and, getting impressive results, continued to offer guidance, such as lending them her own Niffler to help in the search for clues and eventually teaching them the Spider repelling spell in order to prepare them for a potential fight with Acromantulas.

In the end, however, Snape's suspicions were proven partially correct when she fooled Jacob's sibling into breaking into the office of Argus Filch for a wild goose chase, only to swoop in and retrieve something she herself had been looking for. This eventually left Jacob's sibling uncertain if Rakepick can be trusted or if they are playing right into the hand of their potential enemy. Rakepick did redeem herself for her indiscretions, however, when she saved the life of Jacob's sibling by coming to their rescue just as their attacker was about to deliver the coup de grace, casting a Blasting Curse so powerful that the attacker was blasted backwards, across almost the whole length of the Clocktower Courtyard and into a wall, knocking them out cold. Upon undoing the Disillusionment Charm the attacker was under, they discovered that the person in question was Ben Copper, whom Rakepick transported back into the castle to prevent him from hurting himself or others while Jacob's sibling went after the Forest Vault.

Etymology
The name "Patricia" is a common female given name of Latin origin, and is derived from the Latin word "patrician", meaning "noble", and is the feminine form of the masculine given name Patrick.

The name "Rakepick" is apparently derived from to a type of lock-pick, maybe to highlight her being someone who goes to one place to obtain gold to bring back to her employers.

Behind the scenes

 * Since she wore the Eye of Horus, she might at some point in her career have worked in Egypt.
 * Depending on their months of birth, Patricia and Narcissa Black may have been in the same year.
 * Rakepick was apparently made an unofficial member of the non-teaching staff at the school by the Dumbledore, seen as how she had the authority to award house points even prior to becoming a teacher.

Notes and references
Patricia Rakepick Патриция Рейкпик