Igor Karkaroff

Igor Karkaroff

Alias: None.

Age: Unknown.

House: Unknown. He may not have attended Hogwarts.

Special Abilities: A former Death Eater, assumedly skilled in the Dark Arts.

Distinguishing Characteristics: Karkaroff is tall and thin like Albus Dumbledore, but without Dumbledore's good nature. He has short, sleek white hair and a white goatee that curls at the end, failing to hide his rather weak chin. Karkaroff speaks in an insincere, unctuous tone and smiles frequently, but his smile never seems to reach his blue eyes, which are cold and shrewd. Karkaroff has yellow teeth and on his left forearm, he bears the Dark Mark, a remnant of his days as a Death Eater.

Heritage: Although it is never mentioned in the books, his Death Eater past makes it likely that Karkaroff is a pureblood.

Family: Unknown.

First Mention: Karkaroff is first mentioned in Goblet of Fire, chapter eleven, but not by name. He is referred to simply as the headmaster of Durmstrang by Draco Malfoy. Karkaroff is first mentioned by name and makes his first appearance in Goblet of Fire, chapter fifteen.

General: Igor Karkaroff came to Hogwarts during the 1994-1995 school year for the Triwizard Tournament. The headmaster of Durmstrang Institute, Karkaroff escorted a dozen of his students, including Bulgarian Quidditch star Viktor Krum. Not only was Karkaroff at Hogwarts to supervise his students and prepare Durmstrang's champion for the Triwizard Tournament, he also served as one of the Tournament's five judges. While he presented himself as a charming and self-possessed wizard, Karkaroff was fake and insincere. His smile never reached his eyes and his intentions were not of an amiable nature. From the moment of his arrival at Hogwarts, it was obvious that Karkaroff was biased towards his own students, particularly Krum.

During Karkaroff's first evening at Hogwarts, he encountered former Auror Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody. It was apparent Karkaroff and Moody not only knew each other, but had an unpleasant history. Karkaroff unsuccessfully tried to avoid Moody after that first evening.

Like Madam Maxime, the headmistress of Beauxbatons, Karkaroff was outraged when Harry Potter's name was chosen from the Goblet of Fire, giving Hogwarts two champions instead of one. While he had to accept Harry's presence in the competition, he consistently gave Harry lower scores on the tasks and blatantly favored Krum over the other champions. He also snuck around to gather information on the tasks in hopes of giving Krum an advantage.

About halfway through the school year, Karkaroff's actions became increasingly suspicious. At the Yule Ball, and again after a Potions lesson, he confronted Professor Snape about a secret matter. His agitated and increasingly apprehensive state aroused the suspicions of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Sirius told Harry to be wary of Karkaroff because he was a former Death Eater.

Karkaroff had spent a period of time in Azkaban after the first fall of Voldemort, but he was released when he made a deal with the Ministry of Magic to give the names of other Death Eaters in exchange for his own freedom. This angered Moody, because Moody was the Auror who had caught Karkaroff in the first place. It also angered the Death Eaters who had been caught because of the information Karkaroff gave to the Ministry. As such, Karkaroff was not a particularly popular person, neither with the Aurors nor with the Death Eaters.

Karkaroff fled for his life on June 24, 1995, the night of the third Triwizard Task, and the night of Voldemort's restoration to his body and power. Snape admitted that Karkaroff came to him, concerned about the Dark Mark on his left forearm, a mark Snape also bears as he too was a former Death Eater. The Mark had been growing darker throughout the school year, signaling Voldemort's growing strength. Karkaroff feared Voldemort's return because he had betrayed the Dark Lord and knew he would be punished for his disobedience.

Where Karkaroff fled is unknown, but he was eventually found "in a shack up north" (HBP, page 106). Unfortunately for Karkaroff, he was found by the Death Eaters, perhaps some of the same Death Eaters he helped to place in Azkaban years earlier. During Harry's sixteenth birthday party, Remus Lupin told the assembled guests that Karkaroff's dead body had been found in a shack, the Dark Mark cast in the sky above. It is obvious Karkaroff paid for his disobedience to the Dark Lord with his life. According to Lupin, it was surprising "he stayed alive for even a year after deserting the Death Eaters" (HBP, p 106).