Alecto Carrow (Harry Potter) (2023)

"Alecto, Amycus's sister, teaches Muggle Studies, which is compulsory for everyone. We've all got to listen to her explain how Muggles are like animals, stupid and dirty, and how they drive wizards into hiding by being vicious toward them, and how the natural order is being re-established."

—Alecto's prejudiced and hateful teachings^[src]

Professor Alecto Carrowwas aDark witch,Death Eaterand the sister ofAmycus Carrow. Alecto fought in theFirst Wizarding Waralong with her brother. They did not search forLord Voldemortafter his first downfall, but were forgiven after Voldemort'sreturnin1995,and joined theDeath Eaterranks once more in theSecond Wizarding War.

After thefall of the Ministry of Magicin1997, Alecto was made Professor ofMuggle Studies; she taught the thinking thatMugglesare lesser thanWizardkind, and likely taught thepureblood-philosophy as well. WhenSeverus SnapebecameHeadmasterof Hogwarts, she was appointed asDeputy Headmistress, alongside her brother (who was appointed asDeputy Headmaster). She loved to punish and torture the students who opposed them.

On the eve of1 May,1998, shortly before theBattle of Hogwarts, she wasstunnedbyLuna Lovegoodwhen she summonedLord Voldemort'sDeath Eaters. She was then magically tied up inRavenclaw TowerbyProfessor McGonagall. After the battle, she was likely sent toAzkabanalong with her brother for their crimes.

Biography

Early life

Alecto Carrow was born sometime before1981^[1]into thepure-bloodCarrow familysomewhere in theBritish Isles. She likely acquired herwandat eitherOllivander's Wand ShopinDiagon AlleyorWands by Gregorovitchat theCarkitt Market.^[6]

It is highly likely that she attendedHogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardryin her youth.^[4]

First Wizarding War

Alecto and her brother,Amycus, supportedLord Voldemortand becameDeath Eatersduring theFirst Wizarding War. AfterVoldemort's downfallin1981, they did not search for their master, believing that Voldemort was gone forever, and thus avoided imprisonment inAzkaban.^[9],^[10]

Despite this, Alecto and Amycus were among those who, afterVoldemort'sreturn, resumed theirDeath Eateractivities^[9]. The two siblings were fairly active during theSecond Wizarding War{^[4],^[6]}.

Second Wizarding War

Rebirth of the Dark Lord

Alecto and her brother were, most likely, among theDeath Eatersthat were summoned byLord Voldemortto thechurchyardatLittle Hangletonon24 June,1995, as their absence wasn't noted by Voldemort himself.^[11]

Battle of the Astronomy Tower

Albus Dumbledore: "Good evening, Amycus. And you've brought Alecto too... charming..."

Alecto Carrow: "Think your little jokes'll help you on your death bed, then?"

Albus Dumbledore: "Jokes? No, no, these are manners."

—Dumbledoreon the astronomy tower moments before his death^[src]

On the evening of30 June,1997, Alecto and her brother participated in theassaultonHogwarts Castle, orchestrated byDraco Malfoy, that resulted in the death ofAlbus Dumbledore. When theDeath Eatersarrived at the top of theAstronomy Tower, where Dumbledore was trapped, Alecto gave "wheezing giggles", as her brother made fun of theHeadmaster. WhenSeverus Snapearrived on the scene, he castthe cursethat ended theHeadmaster's life.^[4]

On Snape's orders, she and her brother swiftly left the Tower, panting excitedly. In the corridors below, Alecto andAmycusretreated after Snape with their arms over their heads, under attack from blasts byMinerva McGonagall. As the brother and sister descended theMarble Staircase,Harrytook a shortcut and arrived on the grounds before them.^[12]As the twoDeath Eatersclosed in after him, one of them cast a spell that sent Harry to the ground. Harry hit one of them, who stumbled and fell, tripping up the other, with anotherImpediment Jinx. The two siblings then ran to the gates, andDisapparatedbeyond the school boundaries.^[12]

That summer the Carrows attended a Death Eatermeeting at Malfoy Manor. This meeting concernedplans to capture or kill Harry Potterand take over theMinistry of Magic.^[13]During this meeting it was revealed that the Death Eaters had successfully infiltrated the Ministry and that they were aware of the date in which Harry would be removed from Privet Drive. This meeting took place during the height of the Second Wizarding War.

Appointment at Hogwarts

"The other teachers are all supposed to refer us to the Carrows if we do anything wrong. They don't, though, if they can avoid it. You can tell they all hate them as much as we do... I got this one for asking[Alecto]how much Muggle blood she and her brother have got."

—Neville Longbottomregarding his recently acquired scars^[src]

On1 August,1997, theDeath Eatersmanaged to stage acoupwithin theMinistry of Magic, thus gaining influence over all ofwizarding Britain. One month later, as of1 September, Alecto was appointed asMuggle Studiesteacher as well asDeputy Headmistressunder the newHeadmasterSeverus Snape.^[3][8][14]

Muggle Studieswas made a compulsory core class. The curriculum was changed to include theMinistry of Magic's anti-Mugglepropaganda exclusively (instead of teaching aspects ofMuggleculture and science).^[15]

As one of theDeputy Heads, Alecto was in charge of all disciplinary action (along with her brother). All Hogwarts staff were obliged to report any rule-breaking student to her or her brother (although the staff did not turn students in if they could avoid it). Alecto's disciplinary measures included torture by way of theCruciatus Curse, as well as binding students with chains, and corporal punishment in the form of beatings.^[16]

Dumbledore's Army, led byNeville Longbottom, spearheaded the resistance against the Carrows. Alecto made a slash on his face after he asked her how muchMuggleblood she and her brother had. The group, which was banned after the reenactment ofEducational Decree Number Twenty-Four, would sneak into the corridors at night and write on the walls with messages like "Dumbledore's Army, Still Recruiting".Michael Cornerwas caught releasing afirst yearthat Alecto and/or Amycus had chained up, and he was thus brutally tortured.^[16]

When Alecto and Amycus understood they had no hold over Neville, they planned to kill him or send him toAzkaban. As they chased him, Neville vanished into theRoom of Requirement, and the rest ofDumbledore's Armysoon followed in his footsteps, moving into the room as both Alecto and Amycus tried to hunt them all down.^[16]

Overthrow

Harry Potter: "Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure."

Alecto Carrow: "Which makes you pretty skint, witless."

— Alecto catchesHarry Potterin Ravenclaw Tower^[src]

By the evening of1 May,1998, news of Harry Potter,Ronald WeasleyandHermione Granger'sbreak-inofGringotts Wizarding Bankreached the student body;Terry Bootwas beaten up by Alecto and Amycus for yelling about it in theGreat Hallover dinner.^[16]

That same day, asLord Voldemortbecame aware that Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger werehunting down and destroyinghisHorcruxes, he told Alecto and Amycus that Harry might try to get intoRavenclaw Tower. At her urgent requestProfessor Flitwick,Head of Ravenclaw House, let Alecto into the common room, where she stood guard until Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood came.^[6]

Alecto was keeping watch when Harry arrived withLuna Lovegood. She immediately touched herDark Mark, lettingVoldemortand all theDeath Eatersknow that they had got him. Alecto was immediatelystunnedby Luna, and Amycus demanded that Minerva McGonagall let him into the Tower. Once inside, he saw his unconscious sister but no sign of Harry, as both Harry and Luna were hidden beneath Harry'sInvisibility Cloak. Aware that they were going to feel Voldemort's wrath if they did not hand him Harry, Amycus planned to pass it off on the students, and when Professor McGonagall objected calling Amycus and Alecto cowards in the process, he spat in her face. This caused Harry to use theCruciatus Curseon him, which knocked him out.Minerva McGonagallused a spell to conjure a net, and the two siblings were tied up and hoisted into the air, where they were left dangling beneath the ceiling.^[6]

Post-war

Neither Alecto nor her brother fought in theBattle of Hogwartsas both of them were kept tied-up atRavenclaw Tower. It is likely that after the battle and the end of theSecond Wizarding Warthey both were imprisoned inAzkabanfor their crimes underKingsley Shacklebolt's de-corruptedMinistry of Magic.

Physical appearance

Alecto Carrow was a stocky little woman like theWeasley twins, with a wheezy giggle, much like her brother^[4]. Sloping-shouldered, she had stubby fingers and, as aDeath Eater, she was branded with theDark Markon her forearm^[6].

Personality and traits

Alecto was an extreme sadist who enjoyed torturing students or just people in general. Indeed,Nevilleeven claimed that Alecto "madeUmbridgelook tame"^[16]. Alecto had strongpure-blood supremacistbeliefs (specifically the belief inblood purity), as she taught thatblood traitors,mudbloods, andMuggleswere lesser thanwizardkind. She was not highly intelligent, however, as she neededFilius Flitwickto let her intoRavenclaw Tower. However, she was seemingly slightly brighter than her brother Amycus^[6].Like Bellatrix Lestrange, she admired Voldemort and detested "blood traitors",Muggle-bornsandMugglesalike; though unlike Bellatrix, Alecto was not loyal to Voldemort enough to seek him out after his first downfall, nor brave Azkaban in his name.

Magical abilities and skills

"They're in charge of all discipline. They like punishment, the Carrows."

—Neville Longbottom, on the Carrows' love for punishing students^[src]

Alecto Carrow was aDeath Eater, which meant she was adept in the Dark Arts. She along with her brother Amycus, gained a nasty reputation within the wizarding world, particularly during their stint as jointDeputy Headsat Hogwarts, as they severely punished students for any rule-breaking within the school.

• Dark Arts: Being a Death Eater, Alecto was a natural when it came to the dark arts. She showed particular skill in utilising theCruciatus Curse, as she used it as a common form of punishment during her time as a teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It can be assumed that Alecto was efficient in using the otherUnforgivable Cursesas well, although this is not certain as she is not shown to use either theImperius Curseor theKilling Curseduring any of the battles she participated in. It can also be assumed that Alecto was able to summon theDark Mark, having it branded on her forearm like most Death Eaters. She used this same mark to summon Lord Voldemort when she found Harry Potter in theRavenclaw Common Room.
• Duelling: Alecto must have been a somewhat skilled duellist as she was an active participant in both the first and second wizarding wars and survived them both. She participated in theBattle of the Astronomy Tower; however, she was no match for the extremely powerful Minerva McGonagall, as she was forced to retreat with her arms over her head as McGonagall sent spells and insults after her in equal measure. She also wasn't quick enough to block Luna Lovegood'sStunning Spellupon discovering her and Harry Potter in the Ravenclaw Common Room (although it should be noted she was attempting to summon Voldemort at the time and her focus seemed to be solely on Harry Potter)
• Apparition:Alecto disapparated away from beyond Hogwarts grounds following theBattle of the Astronomy Tower. She also presumably was one of the Death Eaters who apparated toLittle Hangleton GraveyardfollowingVoldemort'sresurrection.
• Teaching Skills: Alecto was a Professor at Hogwarts, where she taughtMuggle Studies. Her teachings conformed to the Ministry propaganda that Muggles are filthy, stupid and like animals that have violently forced wizards and witches into hiding and that the natural order of things was being restored with wizards having supreme dominance over all muggles. Most of the students likely ignored her anti-Muggle teachings and some such as Neville Longbottom verbally opposed them; however, these students would find themselves being severely punished if they did.

Etymology

Alecto

• The name "Alecto" is Greek, and means "unceasing in anger". "Alecto" is known to have been derived from the earlier male name; "Alektos".
• In Greek mythology,Alectowas one of theErinyes, also known as the Furies; they are the Greek personifications of vengeance and pangs of conscience, and are known for being cruel and bloodthirsty towards wrongdoers.

Carrow

• In English, the word, "Carrow," can refer to two places. "Carrow" in Norfolk, or "Carraw" in Northumberland. The first is assumed to have its name derived from the Old English word "carr", meaning "rock", and a word of Celtic origin; "hoh", meaning "spur of a hill". While the second appears to have been named either after the plural of the Old English word "carr", or after a mixture of a form of "carr", and another Old English word; "raw", meaning "row".
• The surname may also have derived from the Welsh surnameCaeriw(meaning "dweller at the foot of a hill).

Behind the scenes

• Alecto is portrayed bySuzie Toasein thefilm adaptationofHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Princeand thefirstandsecondpart of the film adaptations ofHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.^[17]
• ActressVanessa Stevensondoubled for Suzanne Toase in thefilm adaptationsofHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
• The surname "Carrow" could be derived from the Welsh surnameCaeriw, meaning "dweller at the foot of a hill".
• In the films Alecto is diminished to a background character with no speaking lines. In thefilm adaptationofHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Princeshe takes no active part in theBattle of the Astronomy Tower, witnessing Dumbledore's death without a word and then fleeing with her fellowDeath Eaters. InHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, she only appears during theMeeting at Malfoy Manor. InHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Alecto and Amycus are stunned by HeadmasterSeverus Snape's deflects of two ofMinerva McGonagall's curses directed at himself, which knock them unconscious. It is highly likely that Snape intended for this to happen whilst making it look like an accident.
• InHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game), she appears as one of the foes thatHarry Pottermust fight.Suzie Toasealso did the voice of the character for this game.
• David Yatesmistakenly called Alecto and Amycus "the Carrow twins" even though they were not twins.^[18]