Elfrida Clagg

Elfrida Clagg
Biographical information
Born	1612
Died	1687 (aged 74-75)
Nationality	British
Title(s)	Chieftainess
Physical information
Species	Human
Gender	Female
Hair colour	Green in youth Grey in old age
Eye colour	Green
Skin colour	White
Affiliation
Occupation	Chieftainess of the Wizards' Council
Loyalty	Wizards' Council

"Muldoon's successor, Madame Elfrida Clagg, attempted to redefine "beings" in the hope of creating closer ties with other magical creatures. 'Beings' she declared, were those who could speak the human tongue. All those who could make themselves understood to Council members were therefore invited to join the next meeting. Once again, however, there were problems."

— Newt Scamander regarding Elfrida Clagg's classification of a being

Chieftainess Elfrida Clagg (1612 - 1687) was a British witch and the Chieftainess of the Wizards' Council either in the fourteenth or seventeenth century. Either way, she was Burdock Muldoon's immediate successor of the post.

Biography

Early life

It is debated whether Clagg was born in 1612 or about one or two centuries earlier. She presumably attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in her youth, like so many other witches.

As Chieftainess of the Wizards' Council

Elfrida Clagg, as depicted in her Chocolate Frog Card

Clagg was Burdock Muldoon's successor on the post of Chief of the Wizards' Council. Madame Clagg attempted to redefine the classification of Beings and Beasts by declaring that all those magical creatures that could speak the human tongue were Beings. However, this once more caused problems with the beings meeting as the Trolls were again classified as Beings and destroyed the meeting chamber, Jarveys were in attendance and tore as many Council members' ankles as they could, and the Centaurs boycotted the meeting as the Merpeople were not invited. A large delegation of ghosts also attended, but left in disgust of what they later called "the Council's unashamed emphasis on the needs of the living as opposed to the wishes of the dead".

Also, due to the declining numbers of Golden Snidgets, Clagg made them a protected species, and outlawed both their hunting, and their use in Quidditch matches. She founded the Modesty Rabnott Snidget Reservation in Somerset, England, named in honour of Modesty Rabnott's early efforts at protecting Snidgets.

Etymology

"Elfrida" is from the Old English name Ælfþryð meaning "elf strength" from the element ælf combined with þryð "strength". Ælfþryð was a 10th-century queen of England. This name was rare after the Norman conquest, but it was revived in the 19th century.

Behind the scenes

• In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, a portrait of a witch called "Elfrida Cragg" is said to be stationed in the British Ministry of Magic Headquarters. It is possible that this individual's name is a misspelling of Elfrida Clagg.

Appearances

Elfrida Clagg immortalised on a silver Chocolate Frog Card

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game) (Appears on a Famous Wizard Card)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game) (Appears on a Famous Wizard Card)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game) (Appears on a Famous Wizard Card)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Possibly Mentioned)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game) (Exploding Snap Famous Wizards Card)
• Quidditch Through the Ages
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
• J. K. Rowling's official site
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery (Mentioned only)