Midas Gullveig

Midas Gullveig
Biographical information
Born	Before 31 August 1979 Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England, Great Britain
Blood status	Pure-blood
Nationality	English
Physical information
Species	Human
Gender	Male
Hair colour	Grey with black streaks
Skin colour	Pale
Magical characteristics
Wand	13¼", maple, phoenix feather
Affiliation
Occupation	Entrepreneur Loan shark
House	Slytherin
Loyalty	Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Slytherin

Midas: "Where are my manners? Midas Gullveig, entrepreneur, man of the people."

Wénshī: "Ha! You're no man of the people...you'd rather put us out on the street than miss one of your precious payments!"

— Midas Gullveig's introduction

Midas Gullveig was a wizard who lived in the late 20th century and the early 21st century. After graduating from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he started his career as an entrepreneur and an illegal loan shark.

Biography

Hogwarts years

Midas was born to a pure-blood family. At the age of eleven, he began his education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he was Sorted into Slytherin. During his school years, he was relentlessly bullied by other students, an experience he later reflected on in adulthood, stating, "The strong crush the weak, and the weak cower in fear." At some point, he encountered a Dementor in the Forbidden Forest, and they formed an unlikely connection. He later remarked that the encounter made him dare "to dream of a future filled with wealth, power, recognition... everything he's ever wanted".

Hogsmeade downfall

During the 2011–2012 school year, Midas Gullveig began roaming around Hogsmeade, making false offers to buy shops for unknown reasons. He brought his Dementor friend with him, causing calamitous attacks in the village. Midas struck a deal with Wénshī Scrivenshaft, the son of the owners of Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop (which had been struggling due to the decline in Hogsmeade following the Dementor attacks). According to the deal, Midas would take over the shop if Wénshī couldn’t repay him by the end of the month.

Twice, Midas ordered the Dementor to target Wénshī, first in the Forbidden Forest and then in Honeydukes. Midas also came into possession of Wénshī's father's wand, as witnessed by a younger student. This led Wénshī to suspect that Midas may have been involved in his father's disappearance or worse, potentially kidnapping him.

Wénshī became obsessed with uncovering his father's fate and urged his friends to inform Harry Potter, the Head Auror. Harry dismissed their claims due to a lack of evidence. Determined to help his father, Wénshī invited Midas for a drink at the Hog's Head Inn. While Wénshī distracted Midas, his friends searched his briefcase and found a key. Using the Avenseguim spell, one of Wénshī's friends Ivy Warrington located a chest in the Forbidden Forest, revealing Wénshī's father held captive. Midas appeared, controlling Wénshī with the Imperius Curse. As they fought, Wénshī managed to break free from Midas's control, turning the tide of the confrontation. Midas instructed Dementors to attack Wénshī and his friend. He was so sure of victory and so overcome with happiness. Because of that, he himself received the Dementor's Kiss.

Physical description

Midas had a long, slender face with pale skin and slightly uneven lips, showcasing a pronounced jawline. He had a long nose and narrow eyes with dark, shadowy bags underneath. His hair was a mix of grey and black, and he often wore luxurious, stylish clothing. He had a tattoo of a Dementor on his neck and hands, along with magical symbols on his fingers.

Personality and traits

Midas Gullveig was a petty person who enjoyed seeing others seek his approval. He relished the power that comes from his wealth and status, often fantasising that all fortune was destined for him. He had a particular fondness for money, expensive clothing and making low-priced purchases, but he harboured a strong dislike for privileged individuals and bullies. He also did not take kindly to apologies. Midas expected submission from high-ranking ministers.

His long-term plans often involved illegal activities, hinting at a turning point in his life when he stole a Chocolate Frog from Hogsmeade. He would also be eager to accept the invitation to Hog's Head Inn for a drink.

Magical abilities and skills

• Dark Arts: Midas was able to control a Dementor, a powerful dark creature, at a young age. He was also able to control an individual under the Imperius Curse, one of the three Unforgivable Curses.
• Business skills: An entrepreneur and a loan shark, Midas was known to be skillful in business, making deals that pressured others while yielding him benefits.

Possessions

• Wand: Midas owned a wand which was thirteen and a quarter inches long, made of maple with a phoenix feather core.
• Briefcase: In late 2011, he owned a briefcase that contained a large amount of scratched papers and a wand that had belonged to Wénshī's father, likely stolen.
• Trunk: Midas had a trunk he kept in his hideout in the Forbidden Forest. In there, he held Wénshī Scrivenshaft's father captive.
• Other items: He also owns a number of other miscellaneous items. One of them was a phoenix feather quill.

Etymology

Midas, an ancient king of Phrygia, is a name of Phrygian origin first recorded in English in the 1560s. He is most famously known from the myth in which the gods granted him the power to turn everything he touched into gold, a gift he later begged to reverse when even his food turned to gold.

The etymology of Gullveig derives from Old Norse. The first element, Gull-, means "gold", but the second, -veig, is uncertain, with possible meanings “alcoholic drink", "power", or "gold". This ambiguity also appears in names like Rannveig and Thórveig.

Behind the scenes

• Midas is the second person in the entire franchise confirmed to have a tattoo, the first being Delphini.

Appearances

• Harry Potter: Magic Awakened (First appearance)