Rabastan Lestrange

"The Dark Lord will rise again, Crouch! Throw us into Azkaban; we will wait! He will rise again and will come for us, he will reward us beyond any of his other supporters! We alone were faithful! We alone tried to find him!"

- Bellatrix Lestrange declaring the loyality of her, Rodolphus and Rabastan to the Dark Lord

Rabastan Lestrange is a Death Eater and the brother of Rodolphus Lestrange who participated in both the First and Second Wizarding Wars. The Lestranges were considered to be among Lord Voldemort's most loyal and trusted servants. It is likely that Rabastan attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and was in Slytherin House. Rabastan was imprisoned in Azkaban for The Attack on Frank and Alice Longbottom.

Life as a Death Eater and Imprisonment
Rabastan served as one of Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters during the First Wizarding War. Soon after the conflict ended in late 1981, Rabastan was put on trial with his brother Rodolphus, sister-in-law Bellatrix, and Barty Crouch Jr. for being a Death Eater and for participating in the torture of Alice and Frank Longbottom. They were all sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban.

Escape from Azkaban and Battle of the Department of Mysteries
Rabastan escaped Azkaban in 1996, along with his brother, sister-in-law and several other Death Eaters with the Dementors' defection to Voldemort. He later participated in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries and was presumably returned to Azkaban afterwards, though he was at large once again by late 1997 after another Azkaban break-out.

Presumably, Rabastan participated in other battles and was either killed or imprisoned again after Voldemort's final defeat in 1998.

Etymology

 * The name Rabastan may be a play on Rastaban, the traditional name of one of the stars of the constellation Draco. It is derived from an Arabic phrase "Raas Al-Thuaban (رأس الثعبان)" meaning "head of the serpent"; the snake is a symbol strongly connected with Lord Voldemort and Slytherin throughout the series. The star is also known as Alwaid, meaning "who is to be destroyed" in Arabic.

Behind the scenes

 * During the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, Rabastan was paired with fellow Death Eater Crabbe during the pursuit of the Dumbledore's Army members. He and Crabbe pursued Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Neville Longbottom into the Time Chamber. It is unknown whether Rabastan was the Death Eater who Harry stunned, or the one who Hermione knocked into a bell jar, causing the head to continuously age and de-age.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)

Notes and references
Rabastan Lestrange Рабастан Лестрейндж