Richard Jackdaw

Richard Jackdaw
Biographical information
Died	1790s Jackdaw's Tomb, Highlands, Scotland, Great Britain
Nationality	British or Irish
Physical information
Species	Human (formerly) Ghost
Gender	Male
Eye colour	Brown
Skin colour	Light
Relationship information
Romances	Apollonia Black (unrequited) Anne Thisbe
Magical characteristics
Wand	Unknown length, apple, fairy wing (stolen)
Affiliation
Occupation	Assistant at Ollivanders in Hogsmeade (formerly) Member of the Headless Hunt
Loyalty	Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Headless Hunt

Richard Jackdaw was a wizard who was decapitated seeking adventure. He returned as a ghost and was invited to join the Headless Hunt.

Biography

Hogwarts years

Richard Jackdaw started at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry at some point in the 18th century and was Sorted into an unknown house.

During his schooling, he was known as a heartbreaker; he attempted to woo Apollonia Black, who seemed to want nothing to do with him. At some point, he picked up some yellowed old pages of a map that Peeves had left behind after a particularly aggressive riot through the library. Apollonia thought the pages were worthless, but Richard thought the map might lead to something she would be interested in. At the same time, Richard also wooed another girl, Anne Thisbe, by promising her adventure following the map, but only after she solved a series of puzzles.

At some point, he served as an assistant at Ollivanders in Hogsmeade, and there stole the prized heirloom wand that belonged to the Ollivander family. He fled his job afterwards. After discovering that the wand was only special for sentimental reasons, he had every intention of returning it, but died before he got the chance. He also stole and sold the Black family ring at some point.

While seeking adventure in very dangerous places, circumstances led to Richard Jackdaw being decapitated in a cave near Upper Hogsfield. He did not see what killed him; the last thing he remembered before dying was feeling a slight breeze and then he felt "light headed".

Post-mortem

Jackdaw's skeleton

After death, he returned as a ghost, but without any knowledge of the cause of his death. Without Richard's body or any evidence, along with a (possibly jealous) vindictive and fraudulent testimony from Apollonia Black (whose family was well connected at the Ministry), combined with the fact that she was Muggle-born, Anne was ultimately convicted of his murder and sentenced to life in Azkaban.

Some time after becoming a ghost, Richard was invited to join the Headless Hunt with other ghosts who died by decapitation.

Richard Jackdaw possibly attended Nearly Headless Nick's five-hundredth Deathday Party on Hallowe'en in 1992. He may have also participated in the Battle of Hogwarts on 2 May 1998 with other members of the Headless Hunt.

Personality and traits

Richard was headstrong, daring, ambitious, and unafraid of breaking the law, as evidenced by his seizure of the Ollivander family's heirloom wand, as well as his love triangle with Apollonia Black and Anne Thisbe. His determination to seek adventure eventually resulted in his own demise.

Behind the scenes

• Richard Jackdaw is voiced by Joseph Burdge in Hogwarts Legacy.
• Depending on what house the player chooses, their introduction to Richard Jackdaw in the quest, Richard Jackdaw's Ghost to find missing pages is different.
  • Hufflepuff (Prisoner of Love): The portrait of Eldritch Diggory sends the player to retired Auror, Helen Thistlewood, who oversaw the case of Richard Jackdaw's murder. Realising the pages were related to Richard's disappearance, they speak to Anne Thisbe in Azkaban. The player figures out a clue which leads them to a vault where Jackdaw's ghost appears. He agrees to show the player where the pages are.
    • In this quest Richard mentions that he had been traveling the world since his death and returned just recently on a whim, totally unaware that Anne had been sent to Azkaban. When the player reveals Anne's fate, Richard then seeks to talk to Thistlewood to see how he can help.
  • Gryffindor (The Hunt for the Missing Pages): Nearly Headless Nick offers to help the student if they do him a favour. He sends them to get rotten beef in the Hogwarts kitchens which they take to meet the Headless Hunt. They will let the player speak to Richard if they find his head being used in their game. Upon their success, Richard agrees to help the player find the pages.
  • Slytherin (Scrope's Last Hope): Scrope contacts the player to help with the missing pages. He heard his former mistress, Apollonia Black talk about the pages. They are sent to her grotto to find a family ring where the player encounters Richard's ghost. He tells the player how he tried to steal a map for her, but when she didn't care about it, he decided to find out where it led anyway. Jackdaw invites them to the edge of the Forbidden Forest to visit the cave he died in, where the pages should still be.
  • Ravenclaw (Ollivander's Heirloom): Gerbold Ollivander asks the player to help find a wand he suspects Richard of stealing. They investigate the Owlery where they solve a puzzle Richard left involving jackdaw statues. After solving the puzzle, a whirlwind manifested around them and transported them to the top of the Owlery where Richard is waiting, who says he will take the player to the cave he died in to find the pages.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Possible appearance)
• Hogwarts Legacy (First appearance) (Appears as a ghost or a spirit)
• The Art and Making of Hogwarts Legacy (Mentioned only)