Dirk Gibbon

**Dirk Gibbon** (2 October, 1958 - 30 June, 1997) was a dark half-blood wizard who attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from 1 September, 1970 to June of 1977. After graduation he became one of Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters. He fought in the Second Wizarding War, including the Battle of the Astronomy Tower in 1997. During the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, Gibbon set the Dark Mark above the Astronomy Tower. He was accidentally killed by fellow Death Eater Thorfinn Rowle, when he was hit by a stray Killing Curse.

## Biography

### Early life

Dirk Gibbon was born on 2 October, 1958, in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales. He was the son of a muggle, Mr. Gibbon, and Elowen Bole, a half-blooded dark witch. A few months after his birth, Mr. Gibbon died in a mysterious accident. Dirk Gibbon was henceforth raised to loathe his father and his own family name.

#### Hogwarts years

Dirk Gibbon received his Hogwarts letter in the summer of 1970. Before attending, he purchased a wand made of blackthorn and dragon heartstring from Diagon Alley in London. He boarded the Hogwarts Express on 1 September, 1970, and was sorted into Slytherin House later that night. He shared a dormitory with a boy called Alban Seward.

Gibbon was an average student at best. He passed many of his exams despite this. He scored low on his O.W.L.s and did secure passing N.E.W.T.s in Charms, Herbology, Potions, and Divination.

### First Wizarding War

Gibbon joined the ranks of Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters sometime after graduation. He was used mainly for his brute force strength, and his spell-casting was, although unimpressive, powerful. He received the Dark Mark between 1977 and 1979, and was ranked higher than most, although he was never admitted entrance into the Inner Circle.

#### Battle at McKinnon House (1981)

On 18 July, 1981, Gibbon, along with many more-senior Death Eaters, was sent to the McKinnon estate in Windsor, Berkshire, England, with the intention of wiping out the entire family- who were wealthy, and had ties to the Order of the Phoenix, their main opposition. The McKinnons and the Boneses were out on the garden at the time of the attack, celebrating Marlene Bones's (née McKinnon) son, Leopold's, first birthday.

The attackers that managed to break through the house's wards were Gibbon himself, Tav Travers, Cuthbert Selwyn, Thorfinn Rowle, Piers Jugson, Corban Yaxley, and Wulfric Mulciber. Within minutes of each other, the Death Eaters took down Francis McKinnon, aged 23, and Edgar Bones, aged 21, in the battle's first few moments. They additionally were able to murder Marlene Bones (née McKinnon), aged 21, before the arrival of Lord Voldemort at 10:13 A.M.. Voldemort murdered Cadmus Bones, aged 20, upon the point of his arrival.

Ivor McKinnon, a well-known Auror, and his brother, Reuben McKinnon, an Unspeakable for the Department of Mysteries, took on the remaining Death Eaters by themselves while Lord Voldemort entered the house. Voldemort then proceeded to murder Edwin Bones, a child, personally, and he additionally caused an explosion which killed Laurel McKinnon and her nephew, Leopold Bones (son of Edgar and Marlene). Aurors arrived by this point- including Otto Cattermole, Frank Longbottom, and Alastor Moody.

By 10:24 A.M., both Ivor and Reuben McKinnon, ages 54 and 51 respectively, were dead. The remaining Death Eaters that were uninjured, including Gibbon, Travers, Selwyn, became faced with Order members: including Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, Dedalus Diggle, Elphias Doge, and Emmeline Vance, who arrived after dispelling the Death Eaters in Diagon Alley. However, they were too late to save the family.

Mulciber, Rowle, Selwyn, and Yaxley quickly fled the scene. Jugson and Travers had been unmasked and identified, but they, too, managed to escape.

#### Azkaban

Gibbon was the only Death Eater apprehended as he attempted to apparate away. He was never put on trial for the crimes committed by him and his fellow Death Eaters, but he was sentenced to life in Azkaban by Bartemius Crouch, Senior, in August 1981. There had been no doubt about the atrocities committed and so Gibbon was put away for life.

#### Escape

In 1996 with the revolt of the Dementors, Gibbon escaped Azkaban along with nine other Death Eater prisoners. On 30 June 1997, Gibbon fought in the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, along with fellow Death Eaters Alecto and Amycus Carrow, Corban Yaxley, Thorfinn Rowle, Draco Malfoy, Severus Snape, and Fenrir Greyback. Gibbon was the Death Eater who set the Dark Mark above the Astronomy Tower. It is supposed that he did not like the idea of staying at the tower and waiting for Albus Dumbledore alone, so he ran downstairs. He died shortly afterwards, when a stray Killing Curse cast by Thorfinn Rowle that missed Remus Lupin struck Gibbon instead. It is unknown what happened to his body after the battle.

## Etymology

The name Dirk means "stabbing weapon, dagger, poinard". A "gibbon" is a type of primate. Gibbon is also a 15th century diminuative form of Gilbert.