Fenrir Greyback

"Fenrir Greyback is, perhaps, the most savage werewolf alive today. He regards it as his mission in life to bite and to conta­minate as many people as possible; he wants to create enough were­wolves to overcome the wizards. Voldemort has promised him prey in return for his services. Greyback specialises in children... Bite them young, he says, and raise them away from their parents, raise them to hate normal wizards."

- Remus Lupin on Greyback.

Fenrir Greyback was a werewolf notorious for his savagery and preference for attacking children. He was a leader in his community and strived to infect as many people as possible with lycanthropy, hoping to build an army strong enough to eventually take over the wizarding community. He was the one who infected Remus Lupin with lycanthropy. During the Second Wizarding War, he and the pack of werewolves he led allied themselves with Lord Voldemort, though they were not considered Death Eaters. Greyback fought in the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, during which he expressed an eagerness to bite the children of Hogwarts and left Bill Weasley badly scarred, and later that year led a gang of Snatchers when Voldemort was in control of the Ministry of Magic. Greyback fought in the Battle of Hogwarts, where he at one point attacked Lavender Brown, but was incapacitated by a Blasting spell by Hermione and then a crystal ball to the head by Trelawney. During the second part of the battle, where both sides face-off in the Great Hall, he is defeated by Ron Weasley and Neville Longbottom. It is likely he was either killed or imprisoned in Azkaban afterwards.

Early life
At some point in his early life Fenrir was bitten by a werewolf and infected with lycanthropy. Throughout most of his life, his only goal in life was to infect as many people as possible, in order to create enough werewolves to defeat the wizarding world. Greyback would often purposefully place himself in close proximity with his victims before a full moon to ensure he would attack them after his transformation. One of Greyback's victims included Remus Lupin, whom Greyback attacked when Lupin's father offended him.

First Wizarding War
At some point either before or during the First Wizarding War, Greyback joined the service of Lord Voldemort. He did not join the Death Eaters because he believed in Voldemort's cause, but because allying himself with them would give him greater access to potential victims. Although considered to be a Death Eater, Greyback was not given the Dark Mark on his forearm. He was also not accepted as a Death Eater, as Voldemort was prejudiced against his lycanthropy.

Greyback was used as a weapon by Voldemort, who would often use the werewolf to intimidate individuals to do his bidding, threatening to send Greyback to attack their children. After Voldemort was presumed killed in 1981 after his confrontation with the Potters at Godric's Hollow, Greyback was one of the Dark Lord's numerous followers who believed him to be dead and therefore did not make any attempt to find him.

Second Wizarding War


With Voldemort's return in 1995, he began to gather his old forces to renew his war on the wizarding world. Greyback returned to Voldemort's side.

Greyback continued in his role as Voldemort's enforcer and terror weapon. When Voldemort charged Draco Malfoy with the murder of Albus Dumbledore, Malfoy invoked Greyback's name as a threat to ensure Mr. Borgin's cooperation with the scheme to transport Death Eaters inside the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry via the use of a paired set of Vanishing Cabinets. Later, April of 1997, Greyback attacked the five-year-old son of Ms. Montgomery when she refused to cooperate with the Death Eaters. The boy later died from his injuries.

Battle of the Astronomy Tower


Greyback, along with several Death Eaters, invaded Hogwarts on 30 June, 1997, cornering Albus Dumbledore atop the Astronomy Tower, much to Draco Malfoy's shock and Dumbledore's disgust. He was among those who urged Draco Malfoy to kill the Headmaster and attempted to take over the job himself, before Severus Snape stepped in. During the subsequent battle against members of the Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's Army, Greyback assaulted Bill Weasley, scarring his face. Fortunately for Bill, Greyback was not in his wolf form, and therefore he will not be a true werewolf, but only have some "wolfish" behavior. Greyback also tried to bite Harry Potter during the battle, but Harry retaliated with a Full Body-Bind Curse.

As a Snatcher
Months later, after the fall of the Ministry of Magic, Greyback became a primary leader in the Snatchers organisation, and led a group of them around the countryside scouring for fugitive Muggle-borns, blood traitors, and truants who had escaped persecution. It was Greyback's group that caught a fugitive group comprised of Dirk Cresswell, Ted Tonks, Dean Thomas, and goblins Griphook and Gornuk. Dean and Griphook were captured, while Dirk, Ted, and Gornuk were killed while resisting capture.

In the spring of 1998, Greyback and his gang captured Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley after they triggered the Taboo on Voldemort's name. After working through and nearly falling for the lies the three teens gave, Greyback and his gang brought them to Malfoy Manor, where Lucius, Narcissa and Draco Malfoy — as well as Bellatrix Lestrange — were residing. Greyback hoped to receive the two hundred thousand Galleon reward for capturing Potter (along with what he thought was the phoenix wand), and was also eager to bite Hermione.

However, Bellatrix spotted Godric Gryffindor's Sword among the captives' possessions and became frantic, as she had believed it to be in her vault in Gringotts. When the Snatchers protested her taking it, she single-handedly defeated all four of them, much to Greyback's irritation. The Snatchers and Death Eaters were ultimately thwarted with the help of Dobby, the Malfoys' old house-elf, and Harry and the other captives all escaped. Dobby was unfortunately killed in the process.

Battle of Hogwarts
"Two bodies fell from the balcony overhead. As they reached the ground a grey blur that Harry took for an animal sped four-legged across the hall to sink its teeth into one of the fallen. "NO!" shrieked Hermione, and with a deafening blast from her wand, Fenrir Greyback was thrown backward from the feebly struggling body of Lavender Brown. He hit the marble banisters and struggled to return to his feet. Then, with a bright white flash and a crack, a crystal ball fell on top of his head, and he crumpled to the ground and did not move."

- Battle of Hogwarts description.

Fenrir Greyback was present at the Battle of Hogwarts, where he was repelled by Hermione Granger while attempting to attack Lavender Brown. He hit the marble staircase banister and attempted to return to his feet, but before he could, he was struck on the head by a crystal ball from Sybill Trelawney. Later, he was "brought down" by Ron Weasley and Neville Longbottom in the Great Hall.

Post-war
It is unclear whether Greyback survived the Battle of Hogwarts. If he did, he was likely sent to Azkaban for his association with the Death Eaters and for his crimes during the Second Wizarding War, under Kingsley Shacklebolt's de-corrupted Ministry of Magic.

Physical appearance
Fenrir was a large, vicious-looking man with matted grey hair and whiskers. He had pointed teeth and long yellowish nails, adding to his bestial appearance. When he wore Death Eater robes, they were noted to look "uncomfortably tight". He did not have the Dark Mark branded onto his arm, despite his very close association with the Death Eaters.

Personality and traits
"Reckon she'll give me have a bit of the girl when she's finished with her? I'd say I'll get a bite or two, wouldn't you, ginger?"

- Greyback to Ron Weasley about Hermione Granger

Fenrir, having forsaken his humanity long ago, is driven by his animalistic hedonism. He seems to enjoy the taste of humans, even while in human form, perhaps even to the point of cannibalism. During his capture of Hermione Granger, his threats to her had both cannibalistic and sexual overtones. Greyback is also quite greedy, as he kept arguing with the Malfoy family about who would claim the bounties and glory of catching Harry Potter.

Unlike most werewolves, Greyback takes advantage of his powers and savagery when transformed, and stations himself near his targets. He enjoys attacking them and specializes in biting children, hoping to infect them and raise them to hate humanity, though sometimes killing them when going overboard. Despite his ideology of thinking werewolves deserve blood, and his attempt to recruit more werewolves for his cause, Greyback would ultimately seem to be just a primal savage who enjoys killing. Greyback's savagery is what differs him from most other werewolves: while most of them bite and infect unintentionally during only their transformed state, Greyback actually goes as far as eat and kill purposely whether in his human or werewolf form.

Being a werewolf, Greyback was not branded with the Dark Mark, despite being invited into the ranks of the Death Eaters and permitted to wear their robes. This may have been because Lord Voldemort was prejudiced against half-breeds as well as Muggles and Muggle-borns. Therefore he would not allow Greyback to become an actual Death Eater, yet he was too valuable of an accomplice not to have in his ranks.

Magical abilities and skills

 * Duelling: Greyback was skilled in Disarming and at blocking attacks. Harry Potter was unable to defeat him in 1996, and it took the combined efforts of Ron Weasley and Neville Longbottom to defeat him during the Battle of Hogwarts. Greyback also captured and killed many witches and wizards during his time as a Snatcher.
 * Nonverbal magic: Greyback was able to cast spells non-verbally.
 * Wandless magic: Greyback was able to knock down a wizard with a wave of his hand.

Etymology

 * Fenrir is one of many permutations of Fenrisulfr, the great wolf from Norse mythology. Like Fenrir, he is a savage beast concerned only with hunting and killing. Greyback is likely simply a reference to his greying hair and grey fur when in werewolf form.
 * Greyback is most likely based upon the greyback wolf.

Behind the scenes

 * Greyback was portrayed by Dave Legeno in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Only a wanted poster of Greyback in the film explains what sort of creature Greyback is, and the scene in which he mauls Bill Weasley is omitted from film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Bill tells Harry that he was attacked by Fenrir Greyback sometime before the Battle of the Seven Potters takes place.
 * In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, Scabior takes the role as leader of the Snatchers, while Greyback is seen taking orders from him.
 * In contrast to his very vicious behaviour in the books, Greyback has very little if anything to do in the films. In all three films in which he appears, he speaks twice, once in the Astromony Tower scene in Half-Blood Prince, and in Deathly Hallows Part 1 when Harry says his name is Vernon Dudley and the Snatchers don't find the name on the list.
 * In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Hermione's Stunning Spell sends Greyback off the Viaduct Courtyard to the ravine below and to his death after he was discovered mauling Lavender Brown. As this contradicts the events of the novel, it cannot be considered canon to the books (in which she does blast him away from Lavender but clearly not off a cliff, as he turns up again in the final part of the battle).
 * Dave Legeno actually had many animal hairs, such as goat hairs, glued onto him when he played Greyback.
 * He was possibly a pure-blood or half-blood, as he appeared to be prejudiced against Muggle-borns and called them "Mudbloods".
 * Greyback is likely based on French loup-garou tales coming from the 15th to 17th centuries. His language and appearance bear close connections to Jean Grenier. The latter was a young boy accused of being a werewolf.
 * In the Half-Blood Prince video game, during his attack on the Burrow, Fenrir takes Ginny hostage. When Harry arrives to save her he is seen standing over her. After the duel he is forced to retreat and sets the Burrow on fire with Bellatrix.
 * As it is unknown what happens to Fenrir after the Battle at Hogwarts there is a slight chance that he managed to escape back to his pack (although unlikely, as Ron and Neville are described as "bringing him down" shortly before the death of Voldemort, most likely either killing or Stunning him).
 * In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Greyback has long brushed hair but in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 he has dreadlocks.
 * In LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7, when Greyback attacks Lavender, he bites her leg off. Then, Hermione throws a bone to him. When Greyback catches it in the air, Hermione defeats him with a Reducto.

Translations of the name

 * Serbian Fenrir Suri (Fenrir Grey)
 * Croatin (Fenrir Greyback)
 * English (Fenrir Greyback)

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)
 * LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
 * Harry Potter LEGO Sets

Notes and references
Fenrir Greyback Fenrir Greyback Фенрир Сивый Fenrir Vaalhaar