- "You can have your little girl, Lovegood, if you get up those stairs and bring me down Harry Potter. But if this is a plot, if it's a trick, if you've got an accomplice waiting up there to ambush us, we'll see if we can spare a bit of your daughter for you to bury."
- — Selwyn threatening Xenophilius Lovegood[src]
Selwyn was a British pure-blood[1] Dark Wizard and a Death Eater of Lord Voldemort who fought in the Second Wizarding War. Selwyn fought in several battles, including the Battle of the Seven Potters. He also fought at the Ambush at the Lovegood House, along with Travers. It is possible that he also fought at the Battle of Hogwarts. After Voldemort's final defeat, Selwyn was presumably killed or imprisoned in Azkaban.
Biography
Second Wizarding War
Selwyn was one of the many Death Eaters who fought in the Second Wizarding War upon pledging his loyalty to Tom Riddle. It is unknown if he had also fought in the First War, and if he was imprisoned, or if he managed to avoid being imprisoned in Azkaban. It is most likely that he was among the Death Eaters who didn't search for Voldemort after his downfall.
Battle of the Seven Potters
- "Your wand, Selwyn! Give me your wand!"
- — Lord Voldemort to Selwyn, during the Battle of the Seven Potters[src]
Selwyn participated in the Battle of the Seven Potters, and chased Rubeus Hagrid and the real Harry Potter. Towards the end of the chase, he was ordered by Lord Voldemort to surrender his wand when Lucius Malfoy's was destroyed by Harry's wand. Harry and Hagrid however were able to escape, likely sparing Selwyn's wand from being destroyed.[3]
Ambush at the Lovegood House
In early 1998, Selwyn travelled with Travers to Xenophilius Lovegood's house. Lovegood had been printing articles in The Quibbler urging the public to support Harry Potter, and his daughter Luna was taken to control his behaviour. Lovegood alerted the Death Eaters when Harry, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger came to his home, hoping that they would return his daughter, if he handed over Harry. However, as Selwyn and Travers arrived, the Erumpent horn in the residence blew up, giving Harry, Hermione, and Ron a chance to hide. Selwyn beat up and tortured Lovegood, suspicious that the wizard had been lying, but Hermione then engineered the trio's escape so that the Death Eaters saw Harry before they disapparated. Afterwards, Selwyn and Travers arrested Lovegood.[4]
It is possible that Selwyn fought in several other battles, such as the Battle of Hogwarts. After Lord Voldemort's final defeat, Selwyn was presumably killed or imprisoned in Azkaban.
Physical appearance
Little is known about Selwyn's appearance; it is, however, known that he had a rough voice. As a Death Eater, he bore the Dark Mark on his left inner forearm, which had faded to a mere scar upon Voldemort's death.
Personality and traits
Selwyn was a cruel character; he assaulted Xenophilius Lovegood when he called him and Travers, thinking that he wanted to entrap them. He also threatened Xenophilius that he would kill or mutilate his daughter, Luna, if he did not obey their commands. He was also quite suspicious, as he believed that Xenophilius wanted to entrap and kill him and Travers.[4] Being a Death Eater, Selwyn would have been a very malevolent and sinister individual indeed, likely being a radical pure-blood supremacist, and having no qualms regarding using the Dark Arts, torture, or murder.
Magical abilities and skills
- Dark Arts: As a loyal Death Eater and servant of the Dark Lord Voldemort, Selwyn would have been highly proficient in dark magic and an accomplished Dark Wizard. He would have been very talented in the casting of various dark charms, most likely including the Unforgivable Curses. He likely used dark magic on Xenophilius Lovegood when he thought the man had tried to lure himself and Travers into a trap.
- Duelling: Being a Death Eater, Selwyn would have been accomplished in martial magic and combat. He would have likely fought in the First Wizarding War and Second Wizarding War in many battles with the Death Eaters. He fought in the Battle of the Seven Potters, for which he chased down Rubeus Hagrid and Harry Potter on a broomstick,[3] meaning he would have been a fairly competent duellist. It's also likely that he took part in the Battle of Hogwarts.
- Flying: Selwyn was an accomplished broomstick flyer, as he participated in the Battle of the Seven Potters in 1997, where he was able to successfully keep up with Sirius Black's flying motorbike and dodge everything Rubeus Hagrid and Harry Potter sent at him.[3]
Possessions
- Wand: Selwyn owned a wand, which was of an unknown length, wand wood and wand core. He used his wand whilst fighting during the Battle of the Seven Potters, during which Lord Voldemort demanded he take his wand to curse Harry Potter, before he escaped.[3] However, as Harry escaped, this would have saved his wand from imminent destruction. He possibly purchased it from Ollivanders in Diagon Alley, London, along with most wizards in Great Britain.
Behind the scenes
- When Harry, Ron, and Hermione infiltrated the Ministry of Magic in 1997, Dolores Umbridge mentioned that the Selwyns were an old pure-blood family, and claimed to be related to them. However, she may have just been trying to bolster her own pure-blood credentials.
- Selwyn may have been Hedwig's killer, as he was one of the Death Eaters pursuing Harry and Hagrid at the time.[1]
- Dolores Umbridge claimed that the 'S' on Slytherin's Locket stood for Selwyn in hopes to enhance her pure-blood credentials.
Appearances
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (First appearance)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (Possible appearance)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (Nintendo DS)
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 13 (The Muggle-Born Registration Commission)
- ↑ J.K. Rowling and the Live Chat, Bloomsbury.com, July 30, 2007
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 4 (The Seven Potters)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 21 (The Tale of the Three Brothers)