}}{{Quote|I'm not getting rid of Kingsley Shacklebolt, if that's what you're suggesting! He's highly efficient, gets through twice the work of the rest of them —|[[British Prime Minister in 1996]]|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince}}
}}{{Quote|I'm not getting rid of Kingsley Shacklebolt, if that's what you're suggesting! He's highly efficient, gets through twice the work of the rest of them —|[[British Prime Minister in 1996]]|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince}}
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'''Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt''' was a [[Great Britain|British]] [[pure-blood]] [[Wizardkind|wizard]]<ref name="HPLE" /> in the employment of the [[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic]]. He worked for the Ministry as an [[Auror]], but joined the reconstituted [[Order of the Phoenix]] in [[1995]] after being convinced of the return of [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]]. Working undercover within the Ministry, he fed the Order with information, and misdirected the Ministry's efforts to locate [[Sirius Black]] by saying he was spotted in Tibet.
'''Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt''' was a [[Great Britain|British]] [[pure-blood]] [[Wizardkind|wizard]]<ref name="HPLE" /> in the employment of the [[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic]]. He worked for the Ministry as an [[Auror]], but joined the reconstituted [[Order of the Phoenix]] in [[1995]] after being convinced of the return of [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]]. Working undercover within the Ministry, he fed the Order with information, and misdirected the Ministry's efforts to locate [[Sirius Black]] by saying he was spotted in Tibet.
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Revision as of 14:40, 10 December 2019
Warning!
At least some content in this article is derived from information featured in Harry Potter: Wizards Unite. As such, spoilers will be present within the article.
"I'm not getting rid of Kingsley Shacklebolt, if that's what you're suggesting! He's highly efficient, gets through twice the work of the rest of them —"
Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt was a Britishpure-bloodwizard[3] in the employment of the Ministry of Magic. He worked for the Ministry as an Auror, but joined the reconstituted Order of the Phoenix in 1995 after being convinced of the return of Lord Voldemort. Working undercover within the Ministry, he fed the Order with information, and misdirected the Ministry's efforts to locate Sirius Black by saying he was spotted in Tibet.
When he was eventually officially confirmed in the position of Minister for Magic, he, along with Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, worked hard to change the Ministry. They eventually succeeded in greatly reducing the corruption and pure-blood bias within the organisation. By 2019, Kingsley was succeeded as Minister for Magic by Hermione.
Not much has been revealed about Kingsley's life before becoming an Auror. All that is known is that he was born into a pure-blood wizarding family at a point in 1973 or earlier[1] and that he attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in his youth, although it is unknown into which House he was sorted.[3] He also apparently met with James Potter, as he saw the physical similarities between him and his son Harry.
Second Wizarding War (1995-1998)
Work as an Auror
"We've managed to convince a couple of people, though. Tonks here, for one — she's too young to have been in the Order of the Phoenix last time, and having Aurors on our side is a huge advantage — Kingsley Shacklebolt's been a real asset, too; he's in charge of the hunt for Sirius, so he's been feeding the Ministry information that Sirius is in Tibet."
Kingsley worked as a high-ranking Auror in the Ministry of Magic, and was assigned to lead the task force for the recapture of the Azkaban-escapee Sirius Black. When rumour of Lord Voldemort's return was denied by the Ministry, Kingsley was convinced of his return, and subsequently joined the Order of the Phoenix. Along with Nymphadora Tonks, he worked as a covert operative, keeping the Order supplied with information. In addition, since joining the reactivated Order, Kingsley was informed of Black's innocence as a fellow member of the Order, and so he sidetracked the investigation by feeding the Ministry disinformation that indicated Black was hiding in Tibet.[5] In the August of 1995, after Harry Potter was attacked by two dementors Kingsley volunteered to be a member of the Advance Guard. The Advance Guard were to escort Harry to the Order's Headquarters at 12 Grimmauld Place in London.
Kingsley at headquarters with other Order members
Kingsley was also present at many dinners that took place at Grimmauld place. He was also at the Ministry on the day of Harry's hearing to answer the charge of using a Patronus Charm in front of his Muggle cousin, on 12 August, and staged an argument with fellow Order member Arthur Weasley to protect their covers as Rufus Scrimgeour was asking questions. During the argument, he slipped Arthur a copy of The Quibbler containing an article that he thought Sirius would find amusing — an article that claimed Sirius was actually Stubby Boardman. He later attended the party at Grimmauld Place to celebrate Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger's appointment as Prefects.[5]
Kingsley in Albus Dumbledore's office with John Dawlish, Dolores Umbridge, and Cornelius Fudge
In April of 1996, Kingsley accompanied Cornelius Fudge, Auror John Dawlish, and Fudge's assistant Percy Weasley to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to confront Albus Dumbledore over Dolores Umbridge's discovery of Dumbledore's Army. Despite his loyalty to the Order, Kingsley was forced to play along with the Minister, although he was able to place a Memory Charm on Marietta Edgecombe to stop her divulging any more secrets regarding Dumbledore's Army, and to agree with Dumbledore's version of events; upon Umbridge attacking Marietta for her sudden change in testimony, Kingsley stood forward to warn Dolores. During Dumbledore's escape, Kingsley was incapacitated along with the Minister, Dawlish and Umbridge to maintain his cover, an action that Albus regretted but deemed necessary.[5]
Kingsley and "Mad-Eye" Moody apparate into the Department of Mysteries
On 18 June 1996, Harry was duped into going to the Department of Mysteries on the pretence that Sirius Black was being held captive. Kingsley, along with Nymphadora Tonks, Alastor Moody, Remus Lupin, and Sirius Black, travelled to the Ministry to rescue Harry and several of his friends after being informed about this by Severus Snape. In the ensuing battle in the Death Chamber, Kingsley began duelling two Death Eaters at once, then faced Augustus Rookwood. Late in the battle, Kingsley duelled with Bellatrix Lestrange just after she had sent Sirius through the Veil. Kingsley was injured in the duel, falling to the ground with a scream, but recovered from his injuries.[5]
Guarding the Prime Minister
"An extraordinary assortment of people had already settled into half of the chairs: shabby and smart, old and young. Most Harry did not recognise, but there were a few that he did, including members of the Order of the Phoenix: Kingsley Shacklebolt, Mad-Eye Moody, Tonks...."
— Kingsley and others attend Dumbledore's funeral[src]
With the return of Lord Voldemort now publicly acknowledged, Rufus Scrimgeour replaced Cornelius Fudge as Minister for Magic. Fudge was overthrown by the outraged wizarding public after they learned the truth. Following the unsuccessful attempt to place the Imperius Curse on Muggle Junior Minister Herbert Chorley, it was decided that the Muggle Prime Minister needed protection.
Funeral of Albus Dumbledore
In 1996 Kingsley was assigned to the Prime Minister as a bodyguard, posing as his new secretary. Kingsley's portrayal of a Muggle convinced the Prime Minister, who was shocked to learn the truth from Scrimgeour several days later. The Prime Minister considered him an excellent secretary, capable of doing twice the work of his predecessor.[6] Despite his assignment to the Muggle Prime Minister, Kingsley did attend the funeral of Albus Dumbledore in July 1997.[6]
Kingsley and other Order members preparing for transporting Harry to safety
With Dumbledore's death, and the Second Wizarding War in full swing, the Order's attention turned to protecting Harry Potter. With the protection he had at the 4 Privet Drive due to expire on his seventeenth birthday, a plan was formed to break the protection early and escort him to safety at the Burrow. Although still assigned to protect the Muggle Prime Minister, Kingsley was chosen to speak with the Dursleys, as his ability to act and dress like a Muggle would offend them less, and he informed them that they too would have to go into hiding for their protection.[4]
On 27 July, Kingsley was part of the Order task force sent to escort Harry to safety. Acting as a protector, he rode a Thestral with Hermione Granger disguised as Harry by way of the Polyjuice Potion. During the subsequent battle, Kingsley and Hermione were chased by five Death Eaters, injuring two and possibly killing one. They were also briefly chased by Lord Voldemort himself after he murdered Alastor Moody, but he broke off the pursuit once the real Harry was located. His house was one of a dozen safe houses used to confuse the Death Eaters, so that they would be less likely to figure out the real destination to which Harry was being spirited away.[4]
Kingsley safely at The Burrow after participating in the sky battle earlier that night
Kingsley and Hermione finally made it back to the Burrow, and Kingsley believed that their plan had been betrayed, challenging Remus Lupin with a personal question to ensure his identity. Satisfied, he relayed his news — including the fact that Lord Voldemort could fly unaided — to the rest of the Order that had returned, and waited anxiously for the others. Eventually, though, Kingsley was forced to leave the Burrow and return to his duty guarding the Prime Minister.[4] He was unable to help Remus and Bill search for Mad-Eye's body, as he needed to report back to the Ministry straight away.
The Fall of the Ministry of Magic
"The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming."
On 1 August, 1997, the Ministry of Magic fell to Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Where Kingsley was on that day, either at the Ministry or still guarding the Prime Minister, is unknown. However, he was aware of the events, and sent his lynxPatronus to the Burrow to warn the guests at Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour's wedding of what had occurred. His warning allowed Harry, Hermione, and Ron Weasley to escape the reception without notice.[4]
Kingsley appeared to continue to work for the Ministry of Magic following the death of Rufus Scrimgeour, much like other members of the Order such as Arthur Weasley. However, he was forced on the run after he broke the Taboo about saying Lord Voldemort's name, and had to fight off several Death Eaters. He went into hiding, but remained active in the resistance effort, contributing to the Potterwatch radio broadcast under the alias of Royal, urging Wizards to help protect Muggle neighbours and to keep faith during dark times.[4]
Kingsley blasting off a Death Eater during the Battle of Hogwarts
He, along with Arthur Weasley and Remus Lupin, led groups of fighters into the school grounds to intercept the enemy.[4] Shortly before the Acromantula entered Hogwarts, Kingsley duelled a masked Death Eater while Flitwick duelled Yaxley beside him. Remus was last seen battling Dolohov. Kingsley also fended off Dementors after they entered the battle having allied with Lord Voldemort and his army.
Kingsley's Shield Charm against Voldemort
Towards the end of the battle, after Lord Voldemort displayed an apparently dead Harry to the defenders of the castle and Neville Longbottom had slayed Nagini, Kingsley, along with Minerva McGonagall and Horace Slughorn, duelled Voldemort in the Great Hall. After Molly Weasley killed Bellatrix Lestrange, Voldemort screamed in rage and blasted all three of them backwards. When Voldemort attempted to kill Molly, Harry cast a Shield Charm then revealed himself, took up the battle, and killed Voldemort for good. In the aftermath of the battle, Kingsley was named as acting Minister for Magic.[4]
Later life (post 1998)
Kingsley was eventually made permanent Minister for Magic, and set about ridding the Ministry of corruption and discrimination. He banned the use of Dementors to guard Azkaban, and made sure they would not be used to torment the opponents of the Ministry. He appointed Harry Potter as the head of the Auror Department, and made Percy Weasley a high-ranking official,[7] reshuffling the Ministry thoroughly and becoming instrumental in the repairs of the wizarding world following Voldemort's reign of terror. He managed to revolutionise the way that the ministry worked, and with the assistance of Hermione Granger, eradicated the pro-pureblood laws.
He also helped instruct members of the Statute of Secrecy Task Force who pursued an Auror career on focusing their mind, to help improve their skills in addressing the events of the Calamity.[8]
Kingsley was still Minister in 2018, as Mathilda Grimblehawk wrote a letter to him[9] and was then succeeded as Minister for Magic by Hermione Granger in 2019.
Physical appearance
A middle-aged Kingsley
Kingsley was a tall black wizard and was described as broad shouldered. He was bald, and wore a single gold hoop earring. He had a slow, deep voice that was said to be reassuring.[5] In contrast with many other wizards, he was capable of dressing properly as a Muggle, to the point that the Muggle Prime Minister could not tell the difference.
Personality and traits
Kingsley was calm and controlled, with a deep reassuring voice and commanding stature. Unlike many wizards, Kingsley mastered the knack of dressing and acting like a Muggle, leading to his assignment to guard the Muggle Prime Minister during the Second Wizarding War.[4][6] Kinglsey was known to be level-headed, though his calm demeanour belied his incredible power and quiet fury, as seen after the Battle of the Seven Potters, he displayed his rarely witnessed temper when interrogating Remus Lupin in order to make sure it was him. This impressive example of his control over his very justifiable suspicions and anger were likely exacerbated by Mad Eye Moody's death at Voldemort's hands. This also showed Kingsley's respect of the legendary Auror.
Kingsley was also a good judge of character, and trusted individuals regardless of age, on the basis of his knowledge of their character and abilities. He trusted Fred and George Weasley with the defence of the secret passages during the Battle of Hogwarts,[4] and allowed Harry Potter into the Auror Department at the age of seventeen.[10] When the corrupt Ministry was deeming Harry and Dumbledore as crackpots for claiming Voldemort's return, Kingsley instead sided with the Order of the Phoenix as he could see the sincerity in Harry's and Dumbledore's statements, and even believed that Sirius was innocent, to the point of misleading the hunting squad to a faraway location.[5]
The opposite of the pure-blood advocates, Kingsley believed in equality and fairness for all wizards and Muggles. He was also brave enough to call Voldemort by his name, though this resulted in him getting discovered by a group of Death Eaters.[4]
Although a faithful and devoted individual, Kingsley was not a blindly loyal man, as he acted on his own judgement instead of waiting for orders (contrary to his colleague John Dawlish), and was not afraid to speak his mind. He joined the Order of the Phoenix despite the Ministry's oppression, swiftly acting to modify Marietta Edgecombe's memories in secret simply by looking at the situation at hand, and stood forward to warn Dolores Umbridge not to manhandle students. At the same time, he was skilled in maintaining a facade to the corrupt Ministry to hide his own agenda from them, such as giving the appearance of devoting himself to hunt down Sirius, or speaking rather condescendingly with Arthur Weasley to appear they have no dubious allegations, an act that Arthur returned (though the two would quietly exchange friendly comments in between).[5]
Magical abilities and skills
As a high ranking auror and eventual leader of the Order of the Phoenix, Kingsley was a very powerful wizard with a well balanced set of abilities. His exceptional skills were looked highly upon by his fellow Order members, including fellow auror Nymphadora Tonks. Even Lord Voldemort himself seemed to regard Kingsley as a powerful wizard.
Magical Mastery: Kingsley Shacklebolt was an exceptionally powerful and formidable wizard, and, as a Hogwarts student, he excelled in his studies enough to meet the qualifications for Auror training at the British Ministry of Magic, becoming an illustrious Auror, trusted with some of the most important missions. Kingsley was skilled enough to temporarily engage Bellatrix Lestrange and survive, despite being defeated, and later even showed himself to be powerful enough to aid Minerva McGonagall and Horace Slughorn in duelling against Lord Voldemort himself, surviving the duel. It must be noted, however, that Kingsley and his two allies were swiftly defeated when Voldemort's rage had amplified the Dark Lord's magic.
Duelling: Kingsley was an outstandingly skilled duellist, being able to defeat two Death Eaters at once, and to duel against the highly skilled Augustus Rookwood. During the Battle of the Seven Potters, Kingsley was chased by five Death Eaters, and even though he was on a Thestral and had to protect Hermione Granger at the same time, he stunned two of them (one of them being Travers), and possibly killed another. He was also able to hold off Lord Voldemort himself during the same battle, though Voldemort quickly lost interest in Kingsley and Hermione when the real Harry was found. Later, when cornered by several Death Eaters after triggering the Taboo, Kingsley single-handedly fought them off. While Kingsley was unable to defeat Bellatrix Lestrange during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, he did hold his ground for a time and survived, albeit injured. During the Battle of Hogwarts, he was seen engaging a masked Death Eater in a fierce duel in which he most likely won due to his unscathed appearance later. During the second part of the same battle Kingsley engaged Lord Voldemort a second time in a prolonged duel, alongside two other masterful duellists: Minerva McGonagall and Horace Slughorn, and survived. Indeed, Kingsley and his two allies were only defeated when Voldemort's magic was briefly amplified by the rage he felt over Belatrix's death.[4]
Defence Against the Dark Arts: As an Auror, Kingsley received at least an Exceeds Expectations in his O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. for this subject,[11] making him highly accomplished in defending against the Dark Arts. He demonstrated his exceptional defensive abilities as both an Auror and a member of the Order of the Phoenix, with him being very accomplished in fighting the Dark Arts and Dark Wizards.
Kinglsey was highly capable in charms, since as an Auror, he received at least an Exceeds Expectations in his O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. for this subject,[11] given that he cast a powerful spell on a Death Eater, causing the latter fly backwards out of a window that had just been broken, but resealed itself. Kingsley was also very proficient with the Memory Charm, shown when he altered Marietta Edgecombe's memory to prevent her from telling Cornelius Fudge, John Dawlish and Dolores Umbridge that Dumbledore's Army had been meeting in secret for several months. Moreover, Kingsley was able to conjure the extremely complex talking corporeal Patronus Charm - a method of communication invented by Albus Dumbledore. This Patronus took the impressive form of a lynx.[4]
Transfiguration: As an Auror, Kingsley was skilled in Transfiguration, as he had to have received at least an Exceeds Expectations in his O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. for this subject.[11]
Potions: As an Auror, Kingsley was skilled in Potions, as he had to have received at least an Exceeds Expectations in his O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. for this subject.[11]
Herbology: As an Auror, Kingsley was skilled in Herbology, as he had to have received at least an Exceeds Expectations in his O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. for this subject.[11]
Muggle Studies: Kingsley was extremely skilled in this subject, evident from his expertise in flawlessly blending in with Muggles, to the point that the Dursley family treated Kingsley better than most wizards, and with even the Muggle Prime Minister being unaware of Kingsley being a wizard until Cornelius Fudge revealed it.
Apparition: Kingsley, like most accomplished adult wizards, was capable of apparating at will.[12]
Nonverbal magic: Kingsley was highly proficient in nonverbal spells, since in the battles of the Department of Mysteries and Hogwarts, Kingsley duelled many opponents, including Bellatrix Lestrange and Lord Voldemort himself, without saying a word. Given the high level of difficulty required in the casting of spells non-verbally, this is further testament to his formidable magical skills as a wizard.
Leadership skills: Kingsley was a highly effective leader, evident from his status as a very prominent Auror in the British Ministry of Magic, leading the Ministry wizard hunt for Sirius Black astray (convincingly claiming that Sirius was hiding in Tibet), being the one to lead the Order of the Phoenix following the deaths of Albus Dumbledore and Alastor Moody, and being an effective Minister for Magic following the Second Wizarding War, helping purge the Ministry of corruption, thereby making the British wizarding community a better, more tolerant and happier place for all wizards and witches.
Possessions
Kingsley's wand
Wand: Kingsley's is of unknown length, wood, and core. It can be assumed that the wand was manufactured by Garrick Ollivander.
Several members of the Order were killed during battles. It is unknown how Kingsley reacted when he learned about their deaths. After the Second Wizarding War, Kingsley and the remaining members of the Order likely remained in contact.
As with the other members of the Order, he originally trusted Severus Snape, who was a Death Eater turned to a double-agent on the Order's behalf. When Snape killed Dumbledore, under Dumbledore's secret request to die peacefully and not let Draco Malfoy damage his soul by being the murderer, Kingsley lost his respect and trust in Snape. After Snape's true allegiance was revealed, this was most likely restored.
Media
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Albus Dumbledore's big escape (HD)
Dumbledore Escapes
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2 - Kingsley and Remus preparing for battle (HD)
Preparing for Battle
Etymology
Both "shackle" and "bolt" refer to means of imprisonment. Specifically, a shacklebolt is the threaded pin of a shackle allowing the linking of multiple chains and metal cables. This also hints at the reason his patronus is a lynx (links).
His first name, "Kingsley" suggests royalty, note the "King" in it. This may be the reason that in Potterwatch he was known as "Royal".
It is never mentioned if Kingsley was a member of the first Order of the Phoenix or not, as he is not in the original Order photograph. However, in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, he calls James Potter by his first name and compares Harry to him, indicating he knew him personally. This may indicate he was a member of the first Order, but this has never been officially stated. Since his age has not been declared officially, another possibility is that he may have also attended Hogwarts at the same time as James and his friends.
Kingsley is the inspiration for the New York-based Wizard Rock band, Kingsley and the Shacklebolts.
Kingsley's role of becoming the next Minister for Magic is omitted from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, but it can be assumed that he did become the next Minister for Magic.
↑ 1.01.1Kingsley was said to be a more high-ranking Auror than Nymphadora Tonks, who was born around 1973 and graduated from Auror training in 1994. However, he also saw similarities between Harry and James, meaning he must have met James sometime between James's birth in 1960 and his death in 1981, implying he was around the same age as James.
