Flavius Belby

"Pointing the wand away from myself into the deadly folds of the creature, summoning the memory of the day I had been voted President of the local Gobstones Club, I performed the Patronus Charm... I looked up to see that deathly shadow being thrown into the air upon the horns of my Patronus."

- Flavius Belby's account of his Patronus Charm

Flavius Belby (1715 - 1791) was a wizard who survived a Lethifold attack in Papua New Guinea in 1782. He was featured on a Chocolate Frog Card for his discovery of the most simple way of driving off a Lethifold.

Early life
Flavius was born in 1715. At some point in his life he was elected the President of his local Gobstones Club, a moment that he would always remember to be one of the happiest of his life.

Lethifold attack
Some time during 1782 Belby was holidaying in Papua New Guinea. One night, when he was lying awake on his bed, a Lethifold entered his bedroom, sliding through the little space underneath the door. Being awake, Belby had time to defend himself; as the creature attempted to smother him, he grabbed his wand and tried some spells against the beast, but neither the Stunning Spell nor the Impediment Jinx had any effects on it. Belby struggled but the creature continued strangling him. Incapable of breathing, Belby was next to unconsciousness when, using his last ounce of strength, he recalled the memory of the day that he was elected president of his local Gobstones Club, and produced a Patronus that drove the creature off.

Belby would later write about this near-death experience:

"To my horror, the shadow began to creep up the bed, and I felt its slight weight upon me. It resembled nothing so much as a rippling black cape, the edges fluttering slightly as it slithered up the bed towards me. Paralysed with fear, I felt its clammy touch upon my chin...Desperately I mustered up my last reserve of energy. Pointing the wand away from myself into the deadly folds of the creature, summoning the memory of the day I had been voted President of the local Gobstones Club, I performed the Patronus Charm. Almost at once I felt fresh air upon my face. I looked up to see that deathly shadow being thrown into the air upon the horns of my Patronus. It flew across the room and slithered swiftly out of sight."

- Belby's account of the Lethifold Attack

Legacy
Belby's account of the attack was recorded in the book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them under the entry "Dealing with the Lethifold".

For his discovery that a Patronus can drive off Lethifolds he appeared on a Chocolate Frog Card.

Behind the scenes

 * He may be some relation to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry student Marcus Belby of Ravenclaw house.

Etymology
"Flavius" is a Roman family name which meant "golden" or "yellow-haired" from Latin flavus "yellow, golden". Flavius was the family name of the 1st-century Roman emperors Vespasian, Titus and Domitian.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
 * Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them