Walden Macnair

Walden Macnair was one of Lord Voldemort's early Death Eaters, who fought in the First Wizarding War. After Voldemort's first defeat, Macnair managed to avoid Azkaban, and worked for the Ministry of Magic as Executioner. He participated in his master's rebirth and also fought in many battles during the Second Wizarding War, such as the Battle of the Department of Mysteries and the Battle of Hogwarts, where he was thrown against the corridors wall by Rubeus Hagrid. After Voldemort's final defeat, he was presumably killed or imprisoned in Azkaban.

Second Wizarding War
During the First Wizarding War, Macnair served as one of Voldemort's followers, a Death Eater. After Voldemort's defeat, Macnair, like many Death Eaters, claimed that he had been under the Imperius Curse, and thus did not serve the Dark Lord willingly, in order to avoid going to Azkaban.

Employment by the Ministry
"Executioner, your services are no longer required."

- Albus Dumbledore dismissing Macnair.

After his defence was accepted, Macnair went to work for the Ministry of Magic as executioner for the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures, a job well suited for the violent and vicious mind of Macnair.

Macnair was present during the trial of Rubeus Hagrid's pet Hippogriff Buckbeak and was there when Buckbeak was sentenced to death. As Macnair's job in ministry was an executioner, he was assigned the job of executing Buckbeak, which he did. Though this execution was later thwarted by Hermione Granger and Harry Potter when Albus Dumbledore told them they could save two innocent lives by using a Time-Turner, which they did, resulting in freeing Buckbeak and Macnair never actually executing him. Dumbledore then dismissed Macnair as his services would no longer be required. Macnair expressed his disappointment at being denied the opportunity to execute the Hippogriff by splitting open one of Hagrid's pumpkins with his axe before his departure.

Second Wizarding War
"Thirteen years it's been, and yet, here you stand as if it were only yesterday. I confess myself... dissappointed. Not one of you tried to find me... Crabbe! Ah! Macnair! Goyle!"

- Voldemort viciously greeting his Death Eaters in Little Hangleton.

In 1994 Hogwarts held a Triwizard Tournament, a dangerous tournament with challenging tasks. Harry Potter, the boy who defeated Voldemort was a champion of this tournament. That year at Hogwarts, Voldemort had one of his followers Bartemius Crouch Jr. impose as new Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts Alastor Moody. "Alastor Moody" was successful in getting Harry Potter to be transported to the Little Hangleton Graveyard, where Wormtail would perform the rebirth of Lord Voldemort in 1995. Once reborn, Voldemort called for his Death Eaters and Macnair answered the call and arrived at Little Hangleton. Voldemort expressed his disappointment in Macnair for not staying loyal but allowed Macnair to rejoin in his ranks.

In the summer of 1995 Albus Dumbledore had set Rubeus Hagrid a mission to gather giants in preperation for the Second Wizarding War. However, Hagrids mission was interrupted by Walden Macnair and several other Death Eaters, Macnair was also on a mission to rally giants for the war, but Macnair was acting under the orders of the Dark Lord and unlike Hagrid, Macnair completed his mission successfully and managed to obtain the giants support.

The Department of Mysteries
"We'll split into pairs and search, and don't forget, be gentle with Potter until we've got the prophecy, you can kill the others if necessary..."

- Lucius Malfoy gives orders to the group of Death Eaters

After gathering the giants for Voldemort, Macnair was amongst the Death Eaters gathered to participate in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries in 1996. Macnair was paired with Avery Jr. in the battles chase and at one point Macnair grabbed hold of Harry Potter by his throat and nearly manged to snatch the prophecy from him. However, Neville Longbottom prevented him, by shoving his wand through Macnair's Death Eater masks eyehole, causing Macnair great pain and forcing him to let go of Harry and evidently miss stealing the prophecy. Afterwards and Macnair regained composure, Harry stunned him with Stupefy. After the battle of students and Death Eaters, Auror's arrived at the scene, and Lord Voldemort himself showed up in person and fought Albus Dumbledore. Voldemort disappeared when the Minister for Magic showed up, and it is presumed that a stunned Macnair was found and imprisoned in Azkaban. Though he would only spend a short time in Azkaban as he is known to be once again at large again by summer 1997.

The Battle of Hogwarts
"I know that you are preparing to fight. Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you. I have great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood. Give me Harry Potter and none shall be harmed."

- Lord Voldemort to the residents of Hogwarts shortly before he and his Death Eaters attack.

In 1998 when Harry Potter returned to Hogwarts after a long search for Horcruxes, many Death Eaters and other sorts of evil creatures would attack the castle, this was known as the Battle of Hogwarts. Hogwarts staff and students managed to put up a good defence, but Macnair accompanied by many other Death Eaters was able to get inside the school grounds and into the castle. Macnair was seen by Harry Potter roaming the corridors during the battle when Rubeus Hagrid, who presumably remembered him from the trial of Buckbeak threw him against the corridors wall, knocking him unconsious before going to fight in battle. Few moments later, Macnair's master was defeated by Harry Potter.

Post-War
After Lord Voldemort's final defeat, Macnair was presumably killed or imprisoned in Azkaban once more.

Physical Appearance
Macnair was described as having a black mustache. In 1996, during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, he attemped to strangle Harry Potter, but was stopped by Neville Longbottom, who hit Macnair into his eye; Macnair's eye became formerly red and swollen.

Personality and Traits
Macnair was described by Rubeus Hagrid as very violent and bloodthirsty. He became an executioner primarily out of his fondness for killing, an interest shared by Golgomath, the Gurg of the Giants that Macnair parleyed with on Voldemort's behalf. He expressed his disappointment at being denied the opportunity to execute Buckbeak the Hippogriff by swinging his axe into a wooden post before his departure.

Rubeus Hagrid
Walden Macnair and Rubeus Hagrid did not get along well, Hagrids first known encounter with Macnair is in 1993 at the trial of his beloved Buckbeak, which resulted in Buckbeak being sentenced to death. A sentence that was Macnair's job at the Ministry of Magic to perform. Macnair then saw Hagrid back at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry when it was the day for him to perform the task of beheading Buckbeak. Macnairs perfoming execution was stopped when Hermione Granger interfered with the use of her Time-Turner and set Buckbeak free. Despite Buckbeak living, Hagrid hated Macnair the Executioner.

In some respect, Walden Macnair was the Death Eater equivalent of the Order of the Phoenix's Rubeus Hagrid. Both Macnair and Hagrid had been trusted enough and asked by their respective leaders (Lord Voldemort and Albus Dumbledore) to go travelling in search of a large group of Giants suspected to be living in the mountains. Hagrid failed to persruade the giants by the time Macnair arrived and Macnair had won the giants promise to help them come the time of battle, this left Hagrid annoyed that he had failed his task set by Dumbledore and annoyed that his relations with the giants (his brother Grawp being a giant) meant nothing. Hagrid finally got his own back on Macnair in 1998 when Hagrid threw Macnair against a wall, knocking him unconcious.

Behind the scenes

 * Macnair was portrayed by Peter Best in the film adaptations of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, although another actor briefly portrayed him in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire .
 * In the film adaptation of Order of the Phoenix, the Battle of the Department of Mysteries is considerably different from that of the novel. Macnair is shown holding Luna Lovegood hostage at one point, which did not occur in the book.
 * According to J.K. Rowling's planning chart for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Macnair was the "friend" visiting Broderick Bode on Christmas Eve of 1995 who gave him the pot of Devil's Snare that subsequently killed him. This is not considered canon.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Notes and references
Walden Macnair Уолден Макнейр