Cyrus Lestrange

### Died

27 December, 1979 (aged 53)Hackney, London Borough of Hackney, London, Middlesex, England

### Title(s)

* Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Lestrange (1960-1979)

## Relationship information

### Family members

* Faustus Lestrange II (father) †
* Araminta Lestrange (née Gamp) (mother) †
* Faustus Lestrange I (paternal grandfather) †
* Melesina Lestrange (née Rosier) (paternal grandmother) †
* Romilius Lestrange (paternal uncle) †
* Esia Lestrange (née Carrow) (aunt by marriage) †
	+ Rodolphus Lestrange (first cousin)
	+ Rabastan Lestrange (first cousin)
* Cassius Lestrange (paternal uncle) †
* Ulyssa Lestrange (née Burke) (aunt by marriage) †
	+ Adolph Lestrange (first cousin)
	+ Philomena Whitlock (née Lestrange) (first cousin)
* Hector Gamp III (maternal grandfather) †
* Eglantine Gamp (née Rosier) (maternal grandmother) †
	+ Ermintruda Gamp (maternal aunt) †
	+ Floretta Gamp (maternal aunt) †
* Octavius Rosier (maternal and paternal great-grandfather) †
* Alvina Rosier (née Volant) (maternal and paternal great-granmother) †
* Hector Gamp II (maternal great-grandfather) †
* Miriam Gamp (née Selwyn) (maternal great-grandmother) †
* Hesper Black (née Gamp) (great aunt) †
* Sirius Black II (great uncle by marriage) †
* Millicent Tremblay (née Gamp) (great aunt) †
* Rufus Tremblay (great uncle by marriage) †
* Several more great aunts and uncles

## Affiliation

### Loyalty

* House of Lestrange
* Lord Voldemort
	+ Tom Riddle's gang (1940-1943)
	+ Knights of Walpurgis (1943-1970)
	+ Death Eaters (1970-1979)

"*Lestrange, I want that essay on my desk by tomorrow or it's detention. Same goes for you, Avery.*"
—Lestrange slacking in his studies
**Cyrus Lestrange** (20 December, 1926 - 27 December, 1979) was a pure-blood English wizard who attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from 1 September, 1938 to June 1945. He was born in Skipsea, East Yorkshire and was the only child of Faustus Lestrange II and Araminta Lestrange (née Gamp).

Lestrange was a member of Tom Riddle's gang when they both attended Hogwarts together, and a member of the Slug Club. Lestrange the continued to serve Tom Riddle, also known as Lord Voldemort, until his own death at the age of 53 at the hands of Ministry Aurors in London.

Until his grandfather's death in 1958, Cyrus was Heir Apparent to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Lestrange. For two years he was Heir to the House, until his father's death in 1960, at which point he became Head. He was the nephew of Romilius and Esia Lestrange and the first cousin of brothers Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange. He took a fostering role in the upbringing of his young cousin Rodolphus, who became his heir in 1972 as a reward for spreading Voldemort's influence.

Cyrus, tasked with recruitment for Voldemort's cause and being among the "old crowd," utilised his cousins Rodolphus and Rabastan to spread the good word. He was capable of inspiring many. Though he was one of many Death Eaters to be killed during the three years' long height of the war, Cyrus Lestrange was an instrumental and invaluable asset to Lord Voldemort, and his loss, most likely, frustrated Voldemort to no end.

## Biography

### Early life (1926-1950)

Cyrus Lestrange was born on 20 December, 1926, the son of Faustus Lestrange II and Araminta Lestrange (née Gamp). His parents had been first cousins and Cyrus was their only child. Named in part for Araminta's uncle by marriage, his godparents were Regulus Black III and Boudica Tremblay. From birth, he was Heir Apparent to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Lestrange, widely considered to be among the oldest wizarding families in Britain.

Lestrange's father was Heir to the family, being the eldest son of Faustus Lestrange I, the head at the time of Cyrus's birth. Cyrus was probably closest to his uncle Romilius, as his uncle remained unmarried until 1949. Furthermore, his uncle Cassius and aunt Ulyssa were travelling with Grindelwald's Acolytes and most likely were unable to contact most of the family while they were away, Cyrus would have interracted with his parents, grandparents, or uncle Romilius the most as a child.

In addition to his aunt and uncle's service to Grindelwald, and because Cyrus had grown up during the Global Wizarding War, he was probably expected to look down on any wizard except other "respectable" pure-bloods. This suggests that he already believed in pure-blood supremacy from a young age before arriving at Hogwarts.

#### Hogwarts years (1938-1945)

"*They were a motley collection; a mixture of the weak seeking protection, the ambitious seeking some shared glory, and the thuggish gravitating toward a leader who could show them more refined forms of cruelty.*"
—Albus Dumbledore on the the principal attributes of the gang, many of whom would later go on and become Death Eaters.
Lestrange attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and was sorted into Slytherin house, eventually becoming a member of Professor Horace Slughorn's Slug Club. He was also a member of Tom Riddle's gang when they were classmates. During his time at school, Lestrange forgot to turn in a Potions essay for Professor Slughorn and was nearly put in detention.

Cyrus was apart of Tom Riddle's assembled gang at Hogwarts. Riddle claimed they were his friends, and made it appear so in public. In truth, however, Riddle probably had no emotional attachment to them, as he never once desired a friend, and he only manipulated them to do his deeds, which led to nasty incidents over the years, among them being them assisting Riddle to open the Chamber of Secrets. Lestrange may have assisted him in these deeds, but through Riddle's intelligent and discreet methods, the gang was never connected to these incidents.

Cyrus's aunt and uncle, Ulyssa and Cassius Lestrange, lost their lives during the Global Wizarding War in March of 1943. Because this would have been his fifth year at Hogwarts at the time, it is likely that this affected Cyrus's decisions about going abroad or about joining Grindelwald's organisation, though he was at the height of his power. This was also the same year that the Chamber of Secrets was opened for the first time in hundreds of years.

#### After Hogwarts (1945-1950)

Lestrange presumably left Hogwarts after completing his seventh year in June of 1945, but he would have kept in correspondence with Tom Riddle during this time, along with Avery, Nott, and Mulciber. Riddle went on to travel abroad, looking for more followers.

Cyrus Lestrange returned to Skipsea in the East Riding of Yorkshire upon leaving school, remaining in England. Unlike his father or uncle, he did not marry after leaving school. He may have expressed his disinterest in marrying or was never pushed into a situation such as that in the first place.

In 1947, Cyrus's grandfather discovered that Cyrus's late uncle, Cassius Lestrange, had left behind a pair of orphaned children, who had been travelling with Grindelwald's Acolytes along with his wife, Ulyssa. After Grindelwald's defeat at the hand of Albus Dumbledore in 1945, the children had been placed into a German muggle orphanage. Adolph and Philomena Lestrange were located and returned to Britain to live in Skipsea Castle with Cyrus, his parents, Faustus and Araminta, as well as Romilius, Faustus I, and Melesina Lestrange.

Though much of the duties involving the repatriation of the children of his uncle Cassius fell to Cyrus's paternal grandparents, Faustus and Melesina Lestrange, Cyrus most likely welcomed the children or kept out of their way as memories from Philomena (as she could later attest) were limited.

Lestrange attended the wedding of his uncle, Romilius Lestrange, to Esia Carrow in 1949.

### Later life (1950-1979)

Cyrus's cousin, Rodolphus Lestrange, fourth in line for the Headship of House Lestrange, was born in late 1950. Being the son of Cyrus's uncle, Romilius Lestrange, the infant was not expected to become head of the house, but this would become more and more likely as the years wore on.

A second child, Rabastan, was born in 1952, which further ursurped the position of the only son of Cyrus's late uncle Cassius, Adolph Lestrange, who had been repatriated to Britain following the end of the Global Wizarding War. Though his cousin Adolph had initially been fourth in line, he ended up sixth behind his cousins Rodolphus and Rabastan due to the House of Lestrange's primogeniture rule.

#### House Lestrange (1958-1970)

Cyrus Lestrange's paternal grandfather, Faustus Lestrange I, passed away in June of 1958. On this same day, Cyrus had been away in Wiltshire attending the wedding of Orion and Walburga Black. After his grandfather's passing, Cyrus's father, Faustus Lestrange II, succeeded his grandfather as Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Lestrange. Cyrus himself was elevated to Heir to the House.

In December 1960, Cyrus's father, Faustus Lestrange II, died unexpectedly, and Cyrus himself became Head of House Lestrange. Being unmarried and without an heir to speak of, his father's brother, Romilius, was declared Heir to the House, and his ten-year-old cousin, Rodolphus, was made Heir Apparent. In the case that Cyrus would marry and produce a male heir, Romilius and Rodolphus would forfeit their positions.

However, Cyrus didn't marry. He remained Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Lestrange throughout the 1960s without so much of an interest in a witch or the idea of children. He continued to perform his duties admirably and as his father had wished.

#### Knights of Walpurgis (1965-1970)

In 1965, Cyrus Lestrange kept his promise to an old school friend of his, Tom Riddle, who was now using the name Lord Voldemort, and joined Riddle's organisation, the Knights of Walpurgis. This organisation predominately included people that Voldemort knew from his time at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Nearly all of those recruited were from Slytherin House. However there may have been recruits from Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and even from foreign schools within the ranks as well. He would later rename the group "the Death Eaters". Members of the organisation Voldemort deemed to be valuable and faithful would be branded with the Dark Mark. Lestrange was one such members to be granted this privilege.

Cyrus Lestrange kept in close contact with his cousin, Rodolphus Lestrange, and in the eyes of some school friends of his, strung him along with promises of a larger cut of the family fortune if the younger Lestrange would spread around Voldemort's ideas and promote them among friendly company. This appeared to work exceptionally well, as support for Voldemort was gathered easily among the frustrated and disenfranchised youth.

Junior members of Slytherin House in the 1960s and 70s were viewed as ensuring the future of Voldemort's new world order, which had yet to be built. Many young half-bloods as well as pure-bloods were hosted at balls held by the Houses of Lestrange, Avery, and Nott, where they were indoctrinated in Voldemort's ideology, including pure-blood supremacy. Cyrus, tasked with recruitment for Voldemort's cause and being among the "old crowd," utilised his cousins Rodolphus and Rabastan to spread the good word.

#### First Wizarding War (1970-1979)

It is no secret that members of Tom Riddle's earliest group shares many of the same surnames with those who were part of the gang of Slytherins that attended Hogwarts in the 1970s. This is likely not coincidental as those in the latter group may be the children of those in the former, and in Cyrus's case, closely related, and Cyrus Lestrange was instrumental in inspiring many of these youths into joining Voldemort's cause.

Cyrus kept his promise to Rodolphus, and in 1972, when his uncle Romilius died, Cyrus updated his will and followed his father's wishes to submit his young cousin Rodolphus as Heir to the House of Lestrange at Gringotts. Around this same time, Rodolphus and his brother, along with Rodolphus's fiancée, Bellatrix Black, joined Voldemort's orgaisation, which was now being called the Death Eaters.

"*Imagine that Voldemort's powerful now. You don't know who his supporters are, you don't know who's working for him and who isn't; you know he can control people so that they do terrible things without being able to stop themselves.*"
—Voldemort's undetermined Death Eaters at the height of the war
Death Eater activity during the First Wizarding War consisted of stealth attacks, espionage, torture and mass killings of wizards, witches, and large numbers of Muggles. These were initiated by the Death Eaters, often, but not always, on the orders of Voldemort. Part of the Death Eaters *modus operandi* was to cast the Dark Mark over every house where they committed murder. This inspired much terror in the wizarding community.

However, the Death Eaters remained opposed by the Order of the Phoenix, founded by Albus Dumbledore and the Ministry, in retaliation for these heinous crimes and spearheaded by the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement Barty Crouch Snr, legalised the usage of the Unforgivable Curses against suspects who would often be killed rather than captured and would imprison suspected supporters of Voldemort without trial on various occasions.

Comprised mainly of youth and the easily swayed older Pure-bloods, the Death Eaters fought Voldemort's war for him. Cyrus Lestrange remained a faithful friend to Lord Voldemort, though Voldemort probably never saw him this way, even when they were at school together. He still remained one of the most trusted servants in his Inner Circle of Death Eaters, of which only the most privileged few received the Dark Mark.

#### Death (1979)

Cyrus Lestrange died in battle on 27 December, 1979, believed to be fighting against Aurors in Hackney, Inner London, at the time. Though he was one of many Death Eaters to be killed during the three years' long height of the war, Cyrus Lestrange was an instrumental and invaluable asset to Lord Voldemort, and his loss, expectedly, frustrated Voldemort to no end.

## Magical Abilities and Skills

* **Charisma:** Even at a young age, Lestrange displayed remarkable talent for the manipulation of others. He could be comparable to Tom Riddle's level of deception, in the sense that, through a mixture of Riddle's gang's intelligent and discreet methods, the gang was never connected to the "strange" and "disturbing" incidents that appeared to manifest so regularly in their youth. As an adult, Lestrange's skills in manipulation grew even further. To many young witches and wizards, Lestrange appeared as their ally, a man that they could trust: in the eyes of many who met him.

## Etymology

The name 'Cyrus' is from *Κυρος (Kyros)*, the Greek form of the Persian name *Kūrush*, which may mean "far sighted" or "young". The name is sometimes associated with Greek *κυριος (kyrios)* meaning "lord". It was borne by several kings of Persia, including Cyrus the Great, who conquered Babylon. His mother, Araminta Lestrange (née Gamp), may have also chosen the name for its similar sound to 'Sirius', in partial name of Sirius Black II, her uncle by marriage, to whom she was close.

*Lestrange* is likely a play on *l'étrange*, which is French meaning "the strange one". In Old French, *estrange* means "foreigner". The surname may allude to English journalist Roger L'Estrange, who was known for opposing religious toleration and for being involved in plots against the government of William and Mary, similar to the Lestranges' intolerance about blood purity and involvement in the Death Eaters organisation. In addition, 'le Strange' was an old Norman family name which arrived in England with the Norman invasion of 1066.