Zacharias Smith

Zacharias Smith was a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry who was sorted into Hufflepuff House. He was a Chaser on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team and a member of Dumbledore's Army, though he abandoned the D.A. instead of fighting with them during the Battle of Hogwarts.

1995-1996
"All Dumbledore told us last year was that Cedric Diggory got killed by You-Know-Who and that you brought Diggory’s body back to Hogwarts. He didn’t give us details, he didn’t tell us exactly how Diggory got murdered. I think we’d all like to know…"

- Zacharias to Harry Potter in 1995

In 1995, Smith became Captain of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, on which he was already a Chaser. He also joined Dumbledore's Army after hearing his housemates Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott discussing it; part of his motivation seems to have been curiosity as to how Cedric Diggory was murdered at the end of the previous school year. Hermione Granger eventually regretted inviting him, as he was annoyingly and constantly skeptical. He did not stop his continuous criticism at the Hog's Head meeting until Fred and George Weasley threatened him with a "long and lethal-looking metal instrument".

Smith was also openly critical of Harry Potter's leadership abilities, such as when he scoffed at Harry's decision to teach them Expelliarmus, which prompted Harry to point out that it had saved him when he dueled with Lord Voldemort. However, after the Daily Prophet announced that ten Death Eaters had escaped from Azkaban, Smith worked much harder, along with the other D.A. members.

1996-1997
"He saw me hex Zacharias Smith, you remember that idiot from Hufflepuff who was in the DA? He kept on and on asking about what happened at the Ministry and in the end he annoyed me so much I hexed him..."

- Ginny Weasley on the Hogwarts Express in 1996

The following school year, Smith pestered Ginny Weasley for details about what had happened during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, irritating her to the point of using a Bat-Bogey Hex against him. New Potions professor Horace Slughorn witnessed this, but instead of giving Ginny detention, he invited her to the Slug Club.

Smith earned more ire from Gryffindors when he took over Lee Jordan's former position as Quidditch commentator along with Luna Lovegood. Among his offending statements was a claim that Ron Weasley's friendship with Harry Potter, the team captain, helped get him onto the Gryffindor team. Smith was again on the bad end of Ginny's temper; after the match, she dive-bombed the podium where Smith was calling the match and slammed into him. When Luna Lovegood commentated on Quidditch that same year, she speculated that Smith was suffering from "Loser's Lurgy".

In December, Hermione considered asking Smith to Horace Slughorn's Christmas party instead of Cormac McLaggen, as she knew that Ron loathed both boys and wanted to get revenge for his relationship with Lavender Brown. Once in Slughorn's office, she told Harry and Luna that she wished she had chosen Smith; McLaggen talked about nothing but himself and was not at all a gentleman. Harry was revolted at the idea.

When the school year ended in tragedy, Smith was not among the students who attended the funeral of Albus Dumbledore, instead leaving the day before with his haughty-looking father.

1997-1998
"...there was much pushing and shouting; Harry saw Zacharias Smith bowling over first years to get to the front of the queue, here and there younger students were in tears, while older ones called desperately for friends or siblings."

- Description of the evacuation before the Battle of Hogwarts

Even though he was a member of Dumbledore's Army, Smith did not help in the defence of Hogwarts when it was attacked by Lord Voldemort's army in May of 1998; this may indicate that he did not join the revived D.A. that faced considerably more danger in opposing the Carrow professors that year. Smith was last seen fleeing Hogwarts, rather than participating in the Battle of Hogwarts. He even pushed first-year students out of his way in his rush to leave.

Personality and Traits
"That Zacharias bloke's a wart."

- Ron Weasley on Zacharias Smith

Smith is described as "a tall, skinny blond boy with an upturned nose". He seems to generally be a rather unpleasant person — he was seen as overly critical of Harry Potter in the D.A., pushy and insensitive in questioning Ginny Weasley, and rude and biased in his Quidditch commentary. Smith also displayed cowardice and a lack of the loyalty characteristic of Hufflepuff house in fleeing, instead of fighting for, his school and fellow students in their time of greatest need.

Etymology

 * The name Zacharias is a variant of Zechariah, a Hebrew name meaning "God has remembered". This was the name of the father of John the Baptist. He and his wife were very old when they had John, and Zechariah was initially disbelieving when an angel informed them they would have a son; as punishment for his doubt, he was struck mute. This may allude to Zacharias Smith's skepticism.

Behind the scenes

 * In the closing credits of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film), Nick Shrim is identified as "Somewhat Doubtful Boy", rather than by name.
 * Zacharias Smith is possibly related to Hepzibah Smith, and thus is possibly a descendant of Helga Hufflepuff, founder of his house at Hogwarts.

Notes and references
Zacharias Smith