Charlatan

"However,a cunning charlatan with no magical power saw a chance of enriching himself..."

- The Charlatan's description

The Charlatan was the male protagonist in the Beedle the Bard story Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump. He fooled the King into thinking that he was a wizard, while he is just a meer muggle who knows no magic at all. The King appointed him as Grand Sorcerer in Cheif, the King's Private Magic Master, so he taught him his "magic". The King was fooled untill, Babbitty made he him confess that he was a fraud. He was then ordered to the dungeons.

Instructor of Magic
"Wanted by King, an instructor of magic"

- The King's Proclamations

The King wanted to learn how to use magic, so he caused proclamations to be read in every village and town across the land that are for someone with magical ability to teach him. No real witches or wizards responded, but the cunning charlatan pretends to be a wizard with enormous skill. He took the post of the King's teacher for purely self-beneficial reasons, such as money, rubbies, a silver chalice and fame.

One day, while the King and the charlatan were practicing waving their twigs and chanting meaningless rhymes, 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 attempted to back out by saying he had to go out of town, and can't help him, but the King threatened to send the brigade after him, and should anyone laugh at him, the charlatan's head will be cut off.

Help from Babbitty
"If you fail to help me, I shall denouce you as a witch, and it will be you who is torn apart by the King's hounds"

- The Charlatan to Babbitty

The charlatan heads to Babbitty's house, where they spy on her, and find out that she is a real witch. He asks her to help him, or he said he would turn her in to the Brigade of Witch-Hunters. Babbitty agrees to help out the charlatan. He tells Babbitty that she will hide in the bush tomorrow, and make it seem as if the King himself can do magic. The next day, with help of Babbitty, the King and the charlatan performed "their magic". They astonished the crowd by making a hat disappear, levitating a horse, but when one of the brigade asked if the King can make his dead hound return to life, the King attempted in vain. 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 wasn'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 "disappeared", leaving the dogs barking at a tree...

Fraud
"...as he raised the axe the charlatan fell to his knees, screaming for mercy and confessing all his wickedness"

- The Charlatan's confession

The charlatan tells the crowd that Babbitty turned into an apple, and that the tree must be cut down, because she is an "evil" witch. The tree was thancut down. As the crowd starts to leave, they hear a cackling coming from the stump. Babbitty tells the crowd that real witches and wizards can't be cut in half, and that they should cut the Muggle in half to prove it. The charlatan confesses he is a fraud and was sent to the dungeons. .

The King
"The charlatan gave one of the twigs to the King and assured him that it was a wand with tremendous power"

- The Charlatan

When the King called in any wizards or witches to teach him magic, a charlatan came to the palace claiming to be a wizard with enormous skill. The charlantan performed a few simple tricks, which conviced the King of his magical powers and he taught him, despite not knowing any magic himself. He accepted the post of the King's magic instructor purely to benefit his wealth and social standing.

When ordered by the King to perform magic in front of the people, the Charlatan went to Babbitty, knowing that she was a witch. He presuaded her to conceal herself inside a bush while the King gave his magical display, and to perform the spells for him, without his knowledge. Babbitty agreed. The next day, the charlatan and the King, with help from Babbitty, performed magic. The King does not succeed in bringing a dead dog back to life however, and the charlatan accused Babbitty of blocking his spells, so Babbitty fled. When Babbitty turned into her animagus and hid under a tree, it got chopped in half. But when she told the king that no witch or wizard could be chopped in half, and they should prove this by chopping the charlatan in half, the charlatan confessed that he was a fraud and was sent to the dungeon by orders of the King.

Babbitty
"Cut her down, Your Majesty, that is the way to treat evil witches"

- The Charlatan

Babbitty was the king's washer woman. She thought that the charlatan and King's "lessons" were ridilous and laughed at the King, causing the charlatan to become in danger. When the Charlatan came to see her, he blackmailed Babbitty to perform the King's spells for him without his knowledge, or else he denouce her as a witch to the Brigade of Witch Hunters. Babbitty agreed. The next day, with help of Babbitty, the King and charlatan performed "their magic". But when one of the brigade asked if the King can make his dead hound return to life, the King tries in vain. Babbitty does nothing, because she knew that no magic could raise the dead. The charlatan told the King and the crowd that Babbitty had turned into an apple, and that the tree must be cut down, because she is an "evil" witch. After they cut the tree down, they heard the sound of loud cackling coming from the stump.Babbitty tells the crowd that real witches and wizards can't be cut in half, and that they should cut the Muggle in half to prove it. The Muggle confessed he is a fraud.

Personality and traits
"The charlatan bade the King give him a large sack of gold, so that he might purchase wands and other magical necessities"

- The cunning Charlatan

The charlatan was a very cunning man who was both selfish and greedy. Therefore he tricked the King in giving him money, rubbies, a silver chalice in exchange for his "lessons". He also was quite cruel as he broke Babbitty promise and turned her in for purely self-beneficial reasons.

Behind the Scenes

 * In 1998, Ron Weasley mentioned being told the story of Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump by his mother when he was a child.

Appearances

 * The Tales of Beedle the Bard (real)