Harry Potter Wiki
Advertisement
Harry Potter Wiki

"Not content with corrupting and polluting the minds of Wizarding children, last week Professor Burbage wrote an impassioned defence of Mudbloods in the Daily Prophet. Wizards, she says, must accept these thieves of their knowledge and magic. The dwindling of the pure-bloods is, says Professor Burbage, a most desirable circumstance... She would have us all mate with Muggles ... or, no doubt, werewolves ..."
— Lord Voldemort tormenting Charity Burbage[src]

Professor Charity Burbage (d. July 1997) was a witch and the Professor of Muggle Studies at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, after the departure of the professor who formerly held the post. She started her career at Hogwarts presumably sometime from 1993 onwards, to 1997.[2]

She believed that Muggles were not so different from wizards and witches, and used this viewpoint in her teaching. It would eventually lead to her death as Lord Voldemort murdered her personally for writing a Daily Prophet article about her views during the Second Wizarding War.[2]

Biography[]

Early life[]

Charity was born to Mr and Mrs Burbage.[4] Her parentage is unknown, but it is likely that she was pure-blood or half-blood.[3]

Burbage possibly gained her magical education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in her youth. It is likely that she achieved high O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. marks in Muggle Studies, as she secured a job teaching the subject later.[2]

Career as a professor[]

"For those of you who do not know, we are joined here tonight by Charity Burbage who, until recently, taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
— Lord Voldemort mentioning Charity Burbage's career at Hogwarts[src]

Burbage took up the post of Muggle Studies professor sometime after a male teacher left. It is unknown what academic year she started teaching at Hogwarts, but it was sometime before the 1997–1998 school year.[2]

Capture[]

Lord Voldemort: "Do you recognise our guest, Severus?"
Charity Burbage: "Severus! Help me!"
Severus Snape: "Ah, yes."
— Charity pleading for Snape to save her life at Malfoy Manor[src]
DH1 Charity Burbage and Wormtail

Charity hung up in the air guarded by Wormtail after being captured by Death Eaters

During the summer holidays of 1997, Burbage was abducted by Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. An official statement claimed that she had 'resigned', although many who knew her were suspicious about her disappearance.

During her capture she was most likely held in the basement of Malfoy Manor, guarded by Peter Pettigrew. It was Pettigrew's job to keep the prisoners quiet and contained.[2][8]

Death[]

"Avada Kedavra. Nagini, dinner."
— Lord Voldemort's nonchalant killing of Burbage[src]
Burbage at manor

Burbage during the Death Eater meeting at Malfoy Manor

She was suspended over a table at Malfoy Manor while the Death Eaters were having a meeting there. Voldemort accused her of polluting the minds of young witches and wizards with pro-muggle ideas. He vilified her Muggle-friendly beliefs, claiming that she wanted to encourage more magical people to 'mate' with Muggles.[2]

Voldemort kills Burbage

Voldemort murdering Charity

Burbage, noticing that Severus Snape was among the Death Eaters, begged him to save her. This caused amusement among some of the Death Eaters present, such as Bellatrix Lestrange. However, as he was serving as a undercover agent and could not risk blowing his cover, he could do nothing. He sat and watched with mostly concealed remorse as his supposed master cruelly taunted her and then murdered her with the killing curse, afterwards nonchalantly feeding her corpse to Nagini.[2]

Post-mortem[]

"Alecto, Amycus's sister, teaches Muggle Studies, which is compulsory for everyone. We've all got to listen to her explain how Muggles are like animals, stupid and dirty, and how they drive wizards into hiding by being vicious toward them, and how the natural order is being re-established. I got this one for asking her how much Muggle blood she and her brother have got."
Neville Longbottom on Burbage's sucessor, Alecto Carrow[src]
DH1 Charity Burbage has been killed

Charity's lifeless body

No one knew of Burbage's whereabouts after her death. Sometime before 27 July, Charity Burbage's alleged resignation from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was briefly mentioned of the front page of the Daily Prophet.[9] However, members of the Order of the Phoenix did not believe it, such as Arthur Weasley, as they were unable to locate her anywhere after the summer.[10]

Sometime after the Fall of the Ministry of Magic, an editorial was published on the Daily Prophet disregarding Burbage's previous editorial and informing the public she was reported in hiding.[11]

On 1 September 1997, under the tenure of Headmaster Severus Snape, attendance of Muggle Studies class was made mandatory by the Death Eater-controlled Ministry of Magic, under professor Alecto Carrow.[12] It is unknown whether Burbage's true fate was ever uncovered and revealed to the wizarding world after the Second Wizarding War.

The Calamity[]

During the 2010s, Charity Burbage appeared as a Foundable during the Calamity. Volunteer members of the Statute of Secrecy Task Force were able to free her, allowing Charity to return to her original time.[7]

Personality and traits[]

"Yes ... Professor Burbage taught the children of witches and wizards all about Muggles ... how they are not so different from us..."
— Voldemort condemning Burbage's pro-Muggle views[src]

Charity Burbage seemed to be a kind person who had been friends with many other professors, such as Severus Snape. She held very strong and passionate views in favour of the rights of Muggles and Muggle-borns.

She held very tolerant attitudes towards Muggles, believing them to be fully equal to Wizardkind and that the decline of pure-bloods was beneficial to wizarding society, most likely based on the belief that it would lead to greater acceptance of Muggles among wizards and the decline of pure-blood supremacy.[2]

Magical abilities and skills[]

  • Muggle Studies: Charity was knowledgeable of Muggles and their ways of living considering that she was the professor of Muggle Studies at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She incorporated her knowledge of Muggles into her teaching philosophy of promoting tolerance and understanding between Muggles and wizardkind.[2]
  • Charms: Charity could produce a non-corporeal Patronus,[6] a mark of superior magical ability given the immense difficulty of performing the highly advanced protective charm.

Relationships[]

Severus Snape[]

"Severus ... please ... please ..."
— Burbage pleading to Severus Snape to save her life[src]
Severus Snape

Severus Snape, her colleague

During her employment at Hogwarts, she apparently considered herself to be friends with Severus Snape. She begged him to save her during the Death Eater meeting at Malfoy Manor in the summer of 1997.[2] Despite his apparent murder of Albus Dumbledore (unbeknownst to most people, Dumbledore had planned his death with Snape), she viewed him as a friend.[13]

However, it is also possible that she did not actually see Snape as a friend and was simply making a last ditch attempt to save herself by appealing to the only person in the room she had some semblance of a relationship with, having both been faculty members at Hogwarts.[2]

Unfortunately he could do nothing to help her, as he needed to pretend that he was truly loyal to Voldemort, and any attempt to save Charity would have resulted in both of them being killed. Nevertheless, he seemed to feel a level of remorse for it, not looking as glad as the rest of the Death Eaters when Charity was about to be killed.[2]

Etymology[]

'Charity' is from the English word charity, ultimately derived from Late Latin caritas meaning 'generous love', from Latin carus 'dear, beloved'. Caritas was in use as a Roman Christian name. The English name Charity came into use among the Puritans after the Protestant Reformation. Charity's name is likely a reference to her caring attitude towards Muggles.

Behind the scenes[]

CharityBurbage

Actress Carolyn Pickles on the set of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 as Charity Burbage

Appearances[]

Site-logo
The Harry Potter Wiki has 21 images related to Charity Burbage.

Notes and references[]

  1. As Charity was employed at Hogwarts by 1997, she must have been of age (17) by then.
  2. 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 1 (The Dark Lord Ascending)
  3. 3.0 3.1 Voldemort made no reference to Burbage herself being a 'thief of knowledge and magic', which he would likely have done had she been a Muggle-born. However, this is not a concrete confirmation on her blood status.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Voldemort referred to her as 'Miss Charity Burbage' in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, meaning that she was born Burbage and never married.
  5. "World Exclusive Interview with J K Rowling," South West News Service, 8 July 2000 - "Hogwarts just serves Britain and Ireland."
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
  7. 7.0 7.1 Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, "Brilliant Event: Darkest of Times"
  8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 23 (Malfoy Manor)
  9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 2 (In Memoriam)
  10. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 6 (The Ghoul in Pyjamas)
  11. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game)
  12. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 12 (Magic is Might)
  13. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
  14. Deathly Hallows Movie Updates: Charity Burbage Cast, Possible Historic Home for Exterior Shots and More
Hogwarts faculty
Hogwartscrest
Founders Godric Gryffindor · Helga Hufflepuff · Rowena Ravenclaw · Salazar Slytherin
Headteachers Giffard Abbott · Walter Aragon · Phineas Nigellus Black · Elizabeth Burke · Antonia Creaseworthy · Dilys Derwent · Armando Dippet · Albus Dumbledore · Mordicus Egg · Everard · First Headmaster · Niamh Fitzgerald · Dexter Fortescue · Basil Fronsac · Brian Gagwilde · Limebert · Minerva McGonagall · Eupraxia Mole · Edessa Sakndenberg · Brutus Scrimgeour · Phyllida Spore · Severus Snape · Amrose Swott · Quentin Trimble · Dolores Umbridge · Fytherley Undercliffe · Vindictus Viridian · Vulpus · Heliotrope Wilkins · Gimlet-eyed Headmistress · Headmaster (1568) · Headteacher (1792) · Unidentified Headteachers
Deputy Heads Alecto Carrow · Amycus Carrow · Minerva McGonagall · Matilda Weasley
Heads of House Muldoon Cragg · Filius Flitwick · Godric Gryffindor · Gryffindor lady · Gryffindor man (II) · Gryffindor man (III) · Gryffindor man (IV) · Gryffindor Seeker · Helga Hufflepuff · Neville Longbottom · Minerva McGonagall · Valeria Myriadd · Uric Oapley · Podric Piles · Pink-faced Headmaster · Prendergast · Rowena Ravenclaw · Abraham Ronen · Horace Slughorn · Salazar Slytherin · Severus Snape · Pomona Sprout · Tobias Stump
Teaching staff Bartholomew · Bathsheda Babbling · San Bakar · Herbert Beery · Cuthbert Binns · Brindlemore · Charity Burbage · Herodiana Byrne · Camelia · Alecto Carrow · Amycus Carrow · Bartemius Crouch Junior (disguised as Alastor Moody) · Clodagh Dromgoole · Albus Dumbledore · Archibald Eagleton · Eleazar Fig · Firenze · Filius Flitwick · Fortinbras · Mirabel Garlick · Mirabel Garlick's predecessor · Jakub Gorski · Olivia Green · Rubeus Hagrid · Dinah Hecat · Rolanda Hooch · Bai Howin · Arsenius Jigger · Igor Karkaroff's Yule Ball partner · Silvanus Kettleburn · Chiyo Kogawa · Gilderoy Lockhart · Neville Longbottom · Remus Lupin · Elspeth MacGillony · Mazoni · Minerva McGonagall · Galatea Merrythought · Isidora Morganach · Mudiwa Onai · Prendergast · Quirinus Quirrell · Percival Rackham · Patricia Rakepick · Abraham Ronen · Charles Rookwood · Concordia Rowle · Luna Scamander · Satyavati Shah · Aesop Sharp · Arif Sikander · Aurora Sinistra · Horace Slughorn · Severus Snape · Pomona Sprout · Swoopstikes · Sybill Trelawney · Trocar · Dolores Umbridge · Septima Vector · Matilda Weasley · Matilda Weasley's predecessor · Unidentified professor · Charms professor (medieval) · Potions professor (16th century) · Holidaying professor (before 1890s) · DADA professor (1984–1985) · DADA professor (1985–1986) · DADA professor (1986–1987) · DADA professor (1987–1988) · DADA professor (1989–1990) · DADA professor (1990–1991) · Muggle Studies professor (1990s) · Music professor · DADA professor (1998–?) · Potions professor (21st century) · Charms professor (?th century)
Hogwarts house-elves Bilm · Boil-ridden house-elf · Cooky · Cosa · Deek · Dobby · Feenky · Filk · Gimkey · Gosby · Krafty · Kreacher · Nonsuch · Pitts · Retch · Ringkull · Rooky · Vekey · Wigby · Winky · Wooby · Unidentified house-elf (I) · Unidentified house-elf (II)
Support staff Phineas Nigellus Black's secretaries · Noreen Blainey · Rancorous Carpe · Argus Filch · Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank · Rubeus Hagrid · Rolanda Hooch · Hankerton Humble · Gladwin Moon · Ogg · Irma Pince · Poppy Pomfrey · Apollyon Pringle · Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus · Agnes Scribner · Wainscott · Carriage driver (1890s) · Gamekeeper (1890s) · Unidentified Healers · Librarian (?th century) · Librarian (21st century)


Muggle Studies
Muggle Studies class HM
Professors: Quirinus Quirrell · Arif Sikander · Unidentified male professor · Charity Burbage · Alecto Carrow · Concordia Rowle
Classrooms: Art Classroom · Fifth-floor classroom · Muggle Studies Classroom · Muggle Studies showroom · Music Classroom
Textbooks: Home Life and Social Habits of British Muggles
Subjects: Blender · Car (Model car) · Electricity · Hair spray · Light bulb · Radio · Roller Skates · Rotary phone · Rubber duck
Advertisement