Mulciber (Marauder-era)

"Mulciber and Avery's idea of humour is just evil. Evil, Sev. I don't understand how you can be friends with them."

- Lily Evans to Severus Snape

Mulciber was a wizard, possibly son of Mulciber, and a Slytherin student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. After graduating from Hogwarts, he became a Death Eater. He fought in several battles during the First Wizarding War. Mulciber was imprisoned in Azkaban after Lord Voldemort's first downfall, but escaped after Voldemort's return in 1995. During the Second Wizarding War, Mulciber fought at the Battle of the Department of Mysteries with a group of Death Eaters, attempting to take a prophecy from Harry Potter. After the battle, he was imprisoned in Azkaban, but escaped in 1997. It is possible that he fought at the Battle of Hogwarts, too. After Voldemort's defeat in 1998, he was presumably killed or imprisoned again in Azkaban.

Early life
Mulciber attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the 1970s. He and his friend Avery enjoyed playing cruel pranks on their fellow students, including Mary Macdonald, on whom Mulciber attempted to use Dark Magic during the 1975-1976 school year. Mulciber was also a friend of Severus Snape, which upset Lily Evans, who was Snape's best friend at the time. She found Mulciber's sense of humour to be very sadistic and did not understand how Severus could associate with someone like him.

First Wizarding War
Mulciber eventually joined the Death Eaters. Igor Karkaroff tried to turn Mulciber in to the Ministry of Magic in an attempt to gain release from Azkaban Prison, telling that he specialised at the Imperius Curse, only to be informed, to his dismay, that Mulciber had already been caught. It is possible that, if Mulciber had managed to defect, he would not have searched for Voldemort.

Second Wizarding War
In 1996 with the revolt of the Dementors, Mulciber escaped Azkaban along with nine other Death Eater prisoners.

Battle of the Department of Mysteries
"We'll split into pairs and search, and don't forget, be gentle with Potter until we've got the prophecy, you can kill the others if necessary..."

- Lucius Malfoy gives orders to the group of Death Eaters

Later that year, he participated in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, and was paired with Lucius Malfoy. After the battle, he was captured once more.

It is possible that he escaped along with other Death Eaters in 1997, and that he fought at the Battle of Hogwarts.

Post-war
After the Battle of Hogwarts, it is likely that he was either killed or imprisoned again in Azkaban.

Personality and traits
Even his years at Hogwarts, Mulciber was described by Lily Evans as having an "evil" sense of humour, even more than Avery. Lily also called Mulciber and Avery "Death Eaters", before they became two of them, meaning that they had a passion with Dark Arts and blood-purity. Mulciber didn't manage to avoid Azkaban, but it is presumed that, if he did so, he wouldn't search for Lord Voldemort.

Magical abilities and skills

 * Imperius Curse: According to Igor Karkaroff, Mulciber specialised in the Imperius Curse, forcing people to do many frightening things. It is possible that he attemped to use the Imperius Curse on Mary MacDonald, during his time at Hogwarts.

Etymology
May refer to Mulciber (Hephaestus), meaning "smelter", is an alternate name for the gentle son of Zeus and Hera who had a club foot and was a craftsman and balcksmith in Greek mythology. In Roman mythology he is the god of fire and metallurgy, Vulcan. More likely Rowling n refers to Mulciber, a character in John Milton's Paradise Lost, a story based on mankind falling into sin and the struggle of heaven and hell. Mulciber was a fallen angel who is the architect of Pandemonium, the capital of Hell and home to the demons' council.

Behind the scenes

 * One of the earliest Death Eaters to have joined Lord Voldemort was also named Mulciber. The relationship of the two is unclear, but, given the timeline, it is most likely that they were father and son. However, the references to both Mulcibers are hard to separate, and thus it is possible that Karkaroff accused the older Mulciber rather than the younger.
 * During the Battle of the Department of Mysteries in the movie, a Death Eater was defeated by Mad-Eye with a scream ; it is possibly Avery or Mulciber, but it's not confirmed.
 * Mulciber may have been the one to be hit by Ginny with Reducto in the film adaptation of Order of the Phoenix; given the pairings when they split up, it was either him, Avery, Macnair, or Lucius who had Pluto blown up in his face by Luna with Reducto in the book (though whoever it was likely survived, but this could be mirrored in the movie as said Death Eater was grabbing Ginny's foot in the book).

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Notes and references
Mulciber Jr.