Alexander Max

**Professor Alexander Solomon Max** is a wizard studying Dementors on Azkaban Island as of 1993.

## Description

### Biography

#### Past

A self-described "true enthusiast" of Ghoul Studies, Alexander Solomon Max was born at some point in the 18th and 19th century and studied at Hogwarts. Max became quite proficient and magic. At some point, the Headmaster Walter Aragon invited Max to become the Professor for the newly-created Ghoul Studies class. This was what Max had always waited for, and, desperate to keep the position forever, Max got Aragon to let him sign a Binding Magical Contract stipulating that he would officially stay the Ghoul Studies professor forever unless he relinquished the position himself. As a result, Max stayed at Hogwarts even when the Ministry of Magic dissolved the Ghoul Studies class. Max lived a solitary life, keeping to himself and only coming out at night; he was more of a local legend than a known figure for most of the student body.

#### 1992-1993

After Gilderoy Lockhart deserted his duties as Defence Professor following Spider Day, Professor Dumbledore talked Max into filling the position for the rest of the year, in exchange of trying to bring Ghoul Studies back as an elective. Max was strange and foreboding for most of the students, especially the First-Years, because of his appearance, demeanor and  interest in the Dark Arts. In particular, Professor Max soon became Neville Longbottom's worst fear, replacing Professor Snape. Hermione Granger, meanwhile, labelled him an Ilpoat but certainly found him much better than her previous Defence teachers, Professor Quirrell and Professor Lockhart. Once one managed to get him to talk about *defending* from the Dark Arts rather than talking *about* the Dark Arts, Max turned out to be a very competent spellcasting teacher.

For Halloween, Max brought a "special treat" for his students — a Boggart — with the intention of teaching his First-Years the Riddikkulus Curse. However, Neville Longbottom was exposed to the Boggart, and because his worst fear was Max, the Boggart turned into a copy of him. In an effort to perfect its disguise, the Boggart, having realized the "original" was standing in front of him, decided to mimick not only the outer appearance, but Max's entire constitution. This led to the Boggart developping a human intelligence, becoming a sapient individual who'd go on to be known as Maximilian Candy.

In Spring, because of the Dementors dispatched on the Hogwarts grounds by the Ministry of Magic, Hermione Granger asked Max to teach his students how to cast the Patronus Charm. In an unorthodox but highly efficient turn, Max cast Cheering Charms over all his students to get them into the proper spirit for the Charm.

On the very last day of class, after Sirius Black's staged suicide had been carried out by Maximilian Candy, the Dementors were called back to Azkaban since their purpose in Hogwarts was now moot. Max had taken advantage of their presence to begin writing a monograph on Dementors, and, after he failed to convince Albus Dumbledore to let them stay so he could study them some more, Max decided to give up on the Defence Professorship to follow the Dementors to Azkaban and continue his studies (making him the first wizard since Ekrizdis to *willingly* live on Azkaban Island.

## Behind the scenes

* Professor Max is not a canon *Harry Potter* character, although "Max" is canonically the name of a pureblood British family.