Charity Burbage

Charity Burbage
Biographical information
Born	Before 1976
Died	July, 1997 Malfoy Manor
Marital status	Single
Title(s)	Professor
Physical information
Species	Human
Gender	Female
Hair colour	Blonde
Skin colour	White
Affiliation
Occupation	Professor of Muggle Studies at Hogwarts (after 1993 - 1997)
Loyalty	Hogwarts School

"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 [...] "

— Lord Voldemort ridiculing Charity Burbage

Professor Charity Burbage (d. July, 1997) was the Professor of Muggle Studies at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, after the departure of the wizard who formerly held the post. Her career lasted from 1993 to 1997.

She believed that Muggles were not so different from wizards and witches, and used this viewpoint in her teaching. It would eventually be her demise. Lord Voldemort murdered her for writing a Daily Prophet article about her views during the Second Wizarding War.

Biography

Early life

Charity was born to Mr and Mrs Burbage somewhere in Great Britain. Her parentage is unknown, but it is possible that she was half-blood or pure-blood.

Burbage probably studied magic at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 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. She may have also studied Muggle Art and Muggle Music.

Career as a professor

1993–1994 school year

"It'll be fascinating to learn about Muggles from a wizard's point of view."

— Hermione Granger awaiting Professor Burbage's class

Hogwarts school where Burbage taught Muggle Studies

Burbage took up the post of Muggle Studies professor after a male teacher left. Her office was located on the first floor (indicated as where Hermione took her Muggle Studies exam). It was full of Muggle toys and instruments, suggesting that it was possibly used for Muggle Music classes as well. She also kept a Lumos Duo spellbook there.

Her class was described as a "soft" option, as opposed to Minerva McGonagall's Transfiguration classes. However, Percy Weasley proposed that her classes were very useful for students who were planning careers in Muggle relations. She apparently gave quite a bit of homework, such as essays on why Muggles need electricity.

Third-years Hermione Granger and Ernie Macmillan both took her class and found her teaching fascinating. However, Hermione dropped the class at the end of the year, feeling a need to have an easier schedule.

Death

" Avada Kedavra". Nagini, dinner."

— Lord Voldemort casting the curse that killed Burbage

Burbage during the Death Eater meeting at Malfoy Manor

During the summer holidays, 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. 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. He mocked her Muggle-friendly beliefs, claiming that she wanted to encourage more magical people to "mate" with Muggles.

Burbage, noticing that Professor Snape was among the Death Eaters, begged him to save her. However, he was serving a double-agent role and needed to give the impression of being loyal to Voldemort. He could do nothing but sit and watch as his supposed master killed her and fed her to Nagini.

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

Charity Burbage hung up in the air guarded by Wormtail during the Death Eater's meeting

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. However, members of the Order of the Phoenix did not believe it, as they were unable to locate her anywhere after the summer.

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.

Charity's lifeless body

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. It is unknown whether Burbage's true fate was ever uncovered and revealed to the wizarding world after the Second Wizarding War.

Magical abilities and skills

• Muggle Studies: Charity had knowledge of muggles and muggle devices considering that she was the professor of Muggle Studies at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry.

Relationships

Severus Snape

"Severus, please. We're friends."

— Burbage pleads Severus Snape to save her, moments before her murder

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. Despite his apparent murder of Albus Dumbledore (unbeknownst to most people, Dumbledore had planned his death with Snape), she called him a friend. She may have suspected that the circumstances surrounding Dumbledore's "murder" were not what they appeared to be.

Unfortunately he could do nothing to help her, as he needed to pretend that he was truly loyal to Voldemort. Any attempt to save Charity would have resulted in both of them being killed.

Behind the scenes

• Burbage is portrayed by British actress Carolyn Pickles in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.
• Charity says the same last words that Albus Dumbledore did, except she adds another 'please'.
• Charity Burbage was preceded and succeeded by professors who served Lord Voldemort, though Professor Quirrell only fell to Voldemort during his year off after leaving the job; she herself was murdered by Lord Voldemort.
• Carolyn Pickles shares the same birthdate as Roger Lloyd-Pack, who portrays Bartemius Crouch Sr, and John Williams, the composer of the first three films.
• In LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7, she has grey hair and she appears to be older.

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.

Appearances

Charity Burbage in LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7

• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game)
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7