- "Take out the Seeker."
- — Brutus Scrimgeour's first rule for Beaters, The Beaters' Bible[src]
Brutus Scrimgeour[2] was a wizard and prolific Quidditch fan. He served as headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry at some point[3][4] and also wrote the book The Beaters' Bible.[5]
Biography
Life and career
During his life, Scrimgeour taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,[2] and was eventually appointed headmaster.[3][4]
Scrimgeour was a fan of Quidditch and may have been a Beater at some point.[5] He wrote a guide for Beaters, The Beaters' Bible, and gave a positive review of the book Quidditch Through the Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp, saying that it was "the definitive work on the origins and history of Quidditch" and that he "highly recommended" it.[5]
Legacy
Scrimgeour died sometime in or before the year 1994.[1] Multiple portraits of him were thereafter hung within Hogwarts Castle.
One portrait, hung in the Trophy Room, hid a secret passage to the fourth floor.[6] During the 1994-1995 school year, the password to open this passage was initially "Beati pacifici,"[6] meaning "blessed are the peacemakers" in Latin.[7] This was changed to "Iunctis viribus" ("by united efforts" in Latin)[8] later in the same school year.[6]
Another portrait of Scrimgeour was hung in the Headmaster's office.[4]
Etymology
Brutus's portrait.
The name "Brutus" is a Roman cognomen meaning "heavy" in Latin. Famous bearers include Lucius Junius Brutus, the traditional founder of the Roman Republic, and Marcus Junius Brutus, the statesman who conspired to assassinate Julius Caesar.
Behind the scenes
- Scrimgeour may have been related to Rufus Scrimgeour, a Minister for Magic killed by Death Eaters.
- Scrimgeour's portrait was painted by artist Steve Mitchell.[9] Mitchell created several portraits for the Harry Potter films.[10]
- On "The Quest of Sir Cadogan" feature on Disc 2 of the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban DVD, Scrimgeour's portrait appears to be inverted horizontally.
- The phrase beati pacifici, Latin for "blessed are the peacemakers", is a portion of Matthew 5:9. The full verse reads beati pacifici quoniam filii Dei vocabuntur ("Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God").
Appearances
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film) (Appears in portrait(s))
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game) (Appears in portrait(s))
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game) (Appears in portrait(s)) (Unnamed)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game) (Appears in portrait(s))
- Quidditch Through the Ages (First mentioned)
- The Making of Harry Potter (Appears in portrait(s))
- Harry Potter for Kinect (Appears in portrait(s))
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 J. K. Rowling stated at the Edinburgh Book Festival on 15 August 2004 (source) that all portraits at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry are of deceased individuals. Thus, Scrimgeour must have died sometime in or before 1994, given his portrait's appearance in "The Quest of Sir Cadogan" feature on Disc 2 of the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban DVD.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 "The Quest of Sir Cadogan" feature on Disc 2 of the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban DVD (see this image).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Harry Potter for Kinect
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 The Making of Harry Potter (see this image)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Quidditch Through the Ages
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game) - GBA version
- ↑ "Beati pacifici" on Latin-Dictionary.org
- ↑ "Iunctis viribus" on Latin-Dictionary.org
- ↑ Portrait page on Steve Mitchell's official site
- ↑ Portrait portfolio on Steve Mitchell's official site
