Kingsley Shacklebolt

"I'm not getting rid of Kingsley Shacklebolt, if that's what you're suggesting! He's highly efficient, gets through twice the work of the rest of them —"

- The Prime Minister regarding Kingsley's work ethic

Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt was a pure-blood wizard in the employment of the Ministry of Magic. He worked for the Ministry as an Auror, but joined the reconstituted Order of the Phoenix in 1995 after being convinced of the return of Lord Voldemort. Working undercover within the Ministry, he fed the Order with information, and misdirected the Ministry's efforts to locate Sirius Black. In 1996, he fought in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, and was later assigned to guard the Muggle Prime Minister, posing as his secretary. Forced into hiding following the fall of the Ministry to Lord Voldemort in 1997, Kingsley continued to oppose the new regime. In 1998, he fought in the Battle of Hogwarts, and was named Acting Minister for Magic in the aftermath.

When he was eventually officially confirmed in the position of Minister for Magic, he along with Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger worked hard to change the Ministry. They eventually succeeded in greatly reducing the corruption and pure-blood bias within the organisation. By 2019 Kingsley was succeeded as Minister for Magic by Hermione.

Early life
Little has been revealed about Kingsley's life before becoming an Auror. All that is known is that he was born into a pure-blood wizarding family at a point in 1973 or earlier. attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in his youth, although it is unknown into which House he was sorted. . He also apparently met with James Potter, as he saw the physical similarities between him and his son Harry.

Work as an Auror
"We've managed to convince a couple of people, though. Tonks here, for one — she's too young to have been in the Order of the Phoenix last time, and having Aurors on our side is a huge advantage — Kingsley Shacklebolt's been a real asset, too; he's in charge of the hunt for Sirius, so he's been feeding the Ministry information that Sirius is in Tibet."

- Discussion of the oncoming second war



Kingsley worked as a high-ranking Auror in the Ministry of Magic, and was assigned to lead the task force for the recapture of the Azkaban-escapee Sirius Black. When rumour of Lord Voldemort's return was denied by the Ministry, Kingsley was convinced of his return, and subsequently joined the Order of the Phoenix. Along with Nymphadora Tonks, he worked as a covert operative, keeping the Order supplied with information. In addition, since joining the reactivated Order, Kingsley was informed of Black's innocence as a fellow member of the Order, and so he sidetracked the investigation by feeding the Ministry disinformation that indicated Black was hiding in Tibet. In the Summer of 1995, after Harry Potter was attacked by two dementors Kingsley volunteered to be a member of the Advance Guard, to escort Harry to the Order's Headquarters at 12 Grimmauld Place in London.



Kingsley was also present at many dinners that took place at Grimmauld place. He was also at the Ministry on the day of Harry's hearing to answer the charge of using a Patronus Charm in front of his Muggle cousin, and staged an argument with fellow Order member Arthur Weasley to protect their covers as Rufus Scrimgeour was asking questions. During the argument, he slipped Arthur a copy of The Quibbler containing an article that he thought Sirius would find amusing — an article that claimed Sirius was actually Stubby Boardman. He later attended the party at Grimmauld Place to celebrate Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger's appointment as Prefects.



In 1996, Kingsley accompanied Cornelius Fudge, John Dawlish, and Fudge's assistant Percy Weasley to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to confront Albus Dumbledore over Dolores Umbridge's discovery of Dumbledore's Army. Despite his loyalty to the Order, Kingsley was forced to play along with the Minister, although he was able to place a Memory Charm on Marietta Edgecombe to stop her divulging any more secrets regarding Dumbledore's Army, and to agree with Dumbledore's version of events; upon Umbridge attacking Marietta for her sudden change in testimony, Kingsley stood forward to warn Umbridge. During Dumbledore's escape, Kingsley was incapacitated along with the Minister, Dawlish, and Umbridge to maintain his cover, an action that Dumbledore regretted but deemed necessary.

Battle of the Department of Mysteries
"Then, high above them, two more doors burst open and five more people sprinted into the room: Sirius, Lupin, Moody, Tonks, and Kingsley."

- The Order arrives in the Death Chamber



Towards the middle of 1996, Harry was duped into going to the Department of Mysteries on the pretence that Sirius Black was being held captive. Kingsley, along with Nymphadora Tonks, Alastor Moody, Remus Lupin, and Sirius Black, travelled to the Ministry to rescue Harry and several of his friends. In the ensuing battle, Kingsley began duelling two Death Eaters at once, then faced Augustus Rookwood. Late in the battle, Kingsley duelled with Bellatrix Lestrange just after she had sent Sirius through the Veil. Kingsley was injured in the duel, falling to the ground with a scream, but recovered from his injuries.

Guarding the Prime Minister
"An extraordinary assortment of people had already settled into half of the chairs: shabby and smart, old and young. Most Harry did not recognise, but there were a few that he did, including members of the Order of the Phoenix: Kingsley Shacklebolt, Mad-Eye Moody, Tonks...."

- Kingsley and others attend Dumbledore's funeral

With the return of Lord Voldemort now publicly acknowledged, Rufus Scrimgeour replaced Cornelius Fudge as Minister for Magic. Following the unsuccessful attempt to place the Imperius Curse on Muggle Junior Minister Herbert Chorley, it was decided that the Muggle Prime Minister needed protection.



In 1996 Kingsley was assigned to the Prime Minister as a bodyguard, posing as his new secretary. Kingsley's portrayal of a Muggle convinced the Prime Minister, who was shocked to learn the truth from Scrimgeour several days later. The Prime Minister considered him an excellent secretary, capable of doing twice the work of his predecessor. Despite his assignment to the Muggle Prime Minister, Kingsley did attend the funeral of Albus Dumbledore.

Battle of the Seven Potters
With Dumbledore's death, and the Second Wizarding War in full swing, the Order's attention turned to protecting Harry Potter. With the protection he had at the 4 Privet Drive due to expire on his seventeenth birthday, a plan was formed to break the protection early and escort him to safety at the Burrow. Although still assigned to protect the Muggle Prime Minister, Kingsley was chosen to speak with the Dursleys, as his ability to act and dress like a Muggle would offend them less, and he informed them that they too would have to go into hiding for their protection.



Several days before Harry's birthday, Kingsley was part of the Order task force sent to escort Harry to safety. Acting as a protector, he rode a Thestral with Hermione Granger disguised as Harry by way of the Polyjuice Potion. During the subsequent battle, Kingsley and Hermione were chased by five Death Eaters, injuring two and possibly killing one. They were also briefly chased by Lord Voldemort himself after he murdered Alastor Moody, but he broke off the pursuit once the real Harry was located. His house was one of a dozen safe houses used to confuse the Death Eaters, so that they would be less likely to figure out the real destination that Harry was being spirited away to.



Kingsley and Hermione finally made it back to the Burrow, and Kingsley believed that their plan had been betrayed, challenging Remus Lupin with a personal question to ensure his identity. Satisfied, he relayed his news — including the fact that Lord Voldemort could fly unaided — to the rest of the Order that had returned, and waited anxiously for the others. Eventually, though, Kingsley was forced to leave the Burrow and return to his duty guarding the Prime Minister. He was unable to help Remus and Bill search for Mad-Eye's body, as he needed to report back to the Ministry straight away.

The Fall of the Ministry
"The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming."

- Kingsley's Patronus warning

On 1 August, 1997, the Ministry of Magic fell to Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Where Kingsley was on that day, either at the Ministry or still guarding the Prime Minister, is unknown. However, he was aware of the events, and sent his lynx Patronus to the Burrow to warn the guests at Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour's wedding of what had occurred. His warning allowed Harry, Hermione, and Ron Weasley to escape the reception without notice.



Kingsley appeared to continue to work for the Ministry of Magic following the death of Rufus Scrimgeour, much like other members of the Order such as Arthur Weasley. However, he was forced on the run after he broke the Taboo about saying Lord Voldemort's name, and had to fight off several Death Eaters. He went into hiding, but remained active in the resistance effort, contributing to the Potterwatch radio broadcast under the alias of Royal, urging Wizards to help protect Muggle neighbours and to keep faith during dark times.

Battle of Hogwarts


In May of 1998, Kingsley was alerted to the coming battle at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Apparated to the Hog's Head, and travelled to the school through the secret tunnel joining it to the Room of Requirement. Arriving in the Great Hall, he consulted with Minerva McGonagall and took charge of the situation, dividing the available fighters into groups and assigning them to defend certain areas of the school.

He, along with Arthur Weasley and Remus Lupin, led groups of fighters into the school grounds to intercept the enemy. Shortly before the Acromantula entered Hogwarts, Kingsley duelled a masked Death Eater while Flitwick duelled Yaxley beside him. Remus was last seen battling Dolohov. Kingsley also fended off dementors after they entered the battle having allied with Lord Voldemort and his army.



Towards the end of the battle, after Lord Voldemort displayed an apparently dead Harry to the defenders of the castle and Neville Longbottom had slayed Nagini, Kingsley, along with Minerva McGonagall and Horace Slughorn, duelled Voldemort in the Great Hall. After Molly Weasley killed Bellatrix Lestrange, Voldemort screamed in rage and blasted all three of them backwards. When Voldemort attempted to kill Molly, Harry cast a Shield Charm then revealed himself, took up the battle, and killed Voldemort for good. In the aftermath of the battle, Kingsley was named as Acting Minister for Magic.

Later life
Kingsley was eventually made permanent Minister for Magic, and set about ridding the Ministry of corruption and discrimination. He banned the use of Dementors to guard Azkaban, and made sure they would not be used to torment the opponents of the Ministry. He appointed Harry Potter as the head of the Auror Department, and made Percy Weasley a high-ranking official, reshuffling the Ministry thoroughly and becoming instrumental in the repairs of the wizarding world following Voldemort's reign of terror. He managed to revolutionise the way that the ministry worked, and with the assistance of Hermione Granger, eradicated the pro-pureblood laws. By 2019 Kingsley was succeeded as Minister for Magic by Hermione.

Physical appearance


Kingsley was a tall black wizard and is described as broad shouldered. He was bald, and wore a single gold hoop earring. He had a slow, deep voice that was said to be reassuring. In contrast with many other wizards, he was capable of dressing properly as a Muggle, to the point that the Muggle Prime Minister could not tell the difference.

Personality and traits
Kingsley was calm and controlled, with a deep reassuring voice and commanding stature. Unlike many wizards, Kingsley mastered the knack of dressing and acting like a Muggle, leading to his assignment to guard the Muggle Prime Minister during the Second Wizarding War. Kinglsey was known to be level-headed, though his calm demeanour belied his incredible power and quiet fury, as seen after the Battle of the Seven Potters, he displayed his rarely witnessed temper when interrogating Remus Lupin in order to make sure it was him. This impressive example of his control over his very justifiable suspicions and anger were likely exacerbated by Mad Eye Moody's death at Voldemort's hands. This also showed Kingsley's respect of the legendary Auror.

Kingsley was also a good judge of character, and trusted individuals regardless of age, on the basis of his knowledge of their character and abilities. He trusted Fred and George Weasley with the defence of the secret passages during the Battle of Hogwarts, and allowed Harry Potter into the Auror Department at the age of seventeen. When the corrupt Ministry was deeming Harry and Dumbledore as crackpots for claiming Voldemort's return, Kingsley instead sided with the Order of the Phoenix as he could see the sincerity in Harry's and Dumbledore's statements, and even believed that Sirius was innocent, to the point of misleading the hunting squad to a faraway location.

The opposite of the pure-blood advocates, Kingsley believed in equality and fairness for all wizards and Muggles. He was also brave enough to call Voldemort by his name, though this resulted in him getting discovered by a group of Death Eaters.

Magical abilities and skills
Kingsley Shacklebolt was an accomplished and formidable wizard, being enough of a skilful duellist to survive numerous encounters with dangerous Dark wizards.


 * Duelling: Kingsley was a highly skilled duellist and was able to defeat two Death Eaters at once; he was also able to duel Augustus Rookwood, who was highly skilled at Dark Magic. However, he was unable to defeat Bellatrix Lestrange during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. During the Battle of the Seven Potters, he was chased by five Death Eaters, and even though he was on a Thestral and had to protect Hermione Granger at the same time, he defeated three of them, one of them being Travers, and later he was even able to hold off Lord Voldemort in the same battle, surviving with no serious injuries (however, it should be noted that Voldemort quickly lost interest in him when the real Harry was found). Kingsley later fought off several Death Eaters single-handedly when they cornered him after he used Voldemort's name. During the Battle of Hogwarts, he duelled Lord Voldemort a second time alongside two other masterful duellists: Minerva McGonagall and Horace Slughorn. Although, the first duel was short and inconclusive due to Voldemort being notified of the real Harry's whereabouts, this does mean that Kingsley was the only wizard other than Harry Potter himself, to have duelled the Dark Lord twice and survived.
 * Auror skills: Nymphadora Tonks had stated that Kingsley was a high-ranking Auror, and her claim was fully backed up by his natural cunning, amazing duelling ability, and expert talent in defensive magic.
 * Charms: During the Battle of Hogwarts, Kingsley cast an unknown spell on a Death Eater, causing him to fly backwards out of a window that had just been broken but resealed itself.
 * Defence Against the Dark Arts: As a member of the Order of the Phoenix, he was able to conjure a talking Patronus - a method of communication invented by Albus Dumbledore. It took the form of a lynx.
 * Flying: Kingsley used a broom to help escort Harry Potter to 12 Grimmauld Place and survived the Battle of the Seven Potters unscathed, evading many Death Eaters and saving Hermione in the process.
 * Memory modification: Kingsley was able to modify Marietta Edgecombe's memory to prevent her from telling Cornelius Fudge, John Dawlish and Dolores Umbridge that Dumbledore's Army had been meeting in secret for several months.
 * Leadership skills: Kingsley took charge of the Order of the Phoenix after Mad-Eye's death. He was later named permanent Minister for Magic, highlighting his abilities as an effective leader.

Possessions

 * Wand: Kingsley's is of unknown length, wood, and core. It can be assumed that the wand was manufactured by Garrick Ollivander.
 * House: Kingsley's house was located somewhere in England and was the his residence during the Second Wizarding War.

Order of the Phoenix


Kingsley had a good relationship with all the members of the Order of the Phoenix and their allies, including Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, the Weasley family, Alastor Moody, Nymphadora Tonks, and Albus Dumbledore. Because of his beliefs, Kingsley was highly regarded by most members.

He also seemed to be a friend of Remus Lupin and Sirius Black. After Sirius was killed by Bellatrix Lestrange, Kingsley fought against Bellatrix, although he was defeated. He also appeared to be on good terms with Elphias Doge, Dedalus Diggle, Emmeline Vance, and Sturgis Podmore, as they were all members of the Advance Guard in 1995. He also supposedly knew James Potter personally, as he mentioned that his son (Harry) looked like James.

Several members of the Order were killed during battles. It is unknown how Kingsley reacted when he learned about their deaths. After the Second Wizarding War, Kingsley and the remaining members of the Order likely remained in contact.

As with the other members of the Order, he originally trusted Severus Snape, who was a Death Eater turned to a double-agent on the Order's behalf. When Snape killed Dumbledore, under Dumbledore's secret request to die peacefully and not let Draco Malfoy damage his soul by being the murder, Kingsley lost his respect and trust in Snape. After Snape's true allegiance was revealed, this was most likely restored.

Etymology
Both "shackle" and "bolt" refer to means of imprisonment. Specifically, a shacklebolt is the threaded pin of a shackle allowing the linking of multiple chains and metal cables. This also hints at the reason his patronus is a lynx (links).

His first name, "Kingsley" suggests royalty, note the "King" in it. This may be the reason that in Potterwatch he was known as "Royal".

Behind the scenes

 * Kingsley was portrayed by George Harris in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and the film adaptations of .
 * It is never mentioned if Kingsley was a member of the first Order of the Phoenix or not, as he is not in the original Order photograph. However, in, he calls James Potter by his first name and compares Harry to him, indicating he knew him personally. This may indicate he was a member of the first Order, but this has never been officially stated. Since his age has not been declared officially, another possibility is that he may have also attended Hogwarts at the same time as James and his friends.
 * Kingsley also shows a good sense of humour in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. He is given Phineas Nigellus Black's line concerning Dumbledore and how he has got style shortly after the Headmaster's escape from the Minister for Magic and several Aurors.
 * It is unknown which House Kingsley was Sorted into during his time at Hogwarts, even to ministry records.
 * While not explicitly mentioned, it's possible that after Dolores Umbridge was imprisoned in Azkaban, Kingsley repealed her anti-werewolf legislation, given his friendship with the late Remus Lupin.
 * Kingsley is the inspiration for the New York-based Wizard Rock band, Kingsley and the Shacklebolts.
 * Kingsley's role of becoming the next Minister for Magic is omitted from, but it can be assumed that he did become the next Minister for Magic.
 * From all the members of the Order of the Phoenix who aided Dumbledore's Army in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, Kingsley is the only one to survive the Second Wizarding War.

Notes and references
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