Adolph Lestrange

**Adolph Lestrange** (27 January, 1939 - 14 February, 1981) was a pure-blood wizard who attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from 1 September, 1950 to June of 1957. He was the son of Cassius Lestrange and Ulyssa Lestrange (née Burke), and he was the older brother of Philomena. He was the maternal grandson of Herbert Burke and Belvina Burke (née Black), and a great-grandson of Phineas Nigellus Black I.

He and his sister were orphaned at the age of four and three, and lived at a muggle orphanage in Berlin, Germany, for a period of four years before being sent to England to live with their paternal grandparents.

Adolph arrived in the United Kingdom at the age of eight speaking almost no English. However, he quickly learned the language under harsh conditions of stress brought upon him by his paternal grandfather, Faustus Lestrange I.

He became a Death Eater during the First Wizarding War and was killed in a Valentine's Day skirmish at Hogsmeade Village in Midlothian, Scotland fighting members of the Order of the Phoenix.

## Biography

### Early life

Adolph was born on 27 January, 1939, in Paris, Paris, Île-de-France, France. His father was Cassius Lestrange, a high-ranking member of Grindelwald's Alliance, and a treasured Acolyte. His mother was Ulyssa Lestrange (née Burke), of equal rank, but she stepped aside when her son was born. They travelled with Grindelwald's party throughout Europe wreaking havoc on muggles and had achieved this through his father's second cousin, Vinda Rosier, Grindelwald's personal liaison.

He was born just before the Global Wizarding War broke into open warfare, in September, 1939. His father fought in daily battles as the Alliance moved throughout Europe.

On 5 February, 1940, while the family was stationed in Vienna, Wien, Austria, Adolph gained a younger sister, who his parents named Philomena Vinda, in honour of his father's trusted cousin and confidante, Vinda Rosier.

Adolph grew up mostly speaking French or German. Both of his parents used very little English because they worked in such close contact with Grindelwald's Acolytes.

When Adolph was three, the family became stationed in Berlin. On 19 March, 1943, when Adolph was four, both of his parents were killed in a skirmish between Aurors and Acolytes. After that, he and his sister, Philomena, were sent to a muggle orphanage, where they stayed until mid-1947.

#### England

After the war was over, they were sent to live with their father Cassius's parents, Faustus I and Melesina, in Skipsea, East Yorkshire, England. Adolph was eight, and Philomena six, when they were sent to live with their grandparents. During their four years at the orphanage, they barely spoke any English, and arrived in England in 1947 only speaking German. However, they quickly learned the language under harsh conditions of stress brought upon them by their paternal grandfather, Faustus Lestrange I.

#### Hogwarts years

Adolph Lestrange received his Hogwarts letter in the summer of 1950. He bought a wand made of hawthorne and dragon heartstring at Ollivander's Wand Shop in Diagon Alley, some time before starting his first year at school. He boarded the Hogwarts Express on 1 September, 1950. That night, he was sorted into Slytherin.

He left the school in 1957.

### First Wizarding War

When the First Wizarding War broke out in 1970, Adolph became a Death Eater. 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.

He was killed in a Valentine's Day skirmish at Hogsmeade Village in Midlothian, Scotland, fighting members of the Order of the Phoenix on 14 February, 1981.

## Etymology

Adolph stems from the Old High German *Athalwolf, meaning* "noble wolf," from athal "noble".