Eugene Leach

**Eugene** **Leach**, also known as **Nobby Leach**, was the first Muggle-born Minister for Magic.

## Biography

### Early Life

Nobby started attending Hogwarts in 1940, and was sorted into Hufflepuff. He quickly discovered that even in Hufflepuff there was a great amount of disdain towards Muggle-borns. During either his First or his Second Year he befriended Ravenclaw Myrtle Warren, and in their Second Year they befriended the Gryffindor Rubeus Hagrid, whose nature made him despised by even the Headmaster, Armando Dippet. The three also befriended a student two years ahead of them, Tom Marvolo Riddle. As Tom had grown up in an orphanage and Riddle was not a Wizarding name he was presumed Muggle-born, which he had learned to take in stride. Tom formed study groups for Muggle-born and Muggle-raised students, making sure they stuck together against Pure-blood bigotry.

In late 1942 Nobby and Tom began plotting ways to improve their standing as Muggle-born students. Nobby suggested staging attacks on Muggle-born students which they would frame on Pure-blood students. Tom took control of the Great Basilisk through his descent from Salazar Slytherin, but only revealed to Nobby and Myrtle Warren that he had a way of petrifying students. Nobby's petrification in early 1943 was succesful, but when Tom tried to petrifry Myrtle he accidentally killed her. Overcome with grief, Tom used his occlumency to destroy his emotions, thereby beginning his transformation into Voldemort.

Hagrid was blamed for the petrifications and expelled soon after. It is unknown if Nobby ever connected Tom to the death of Myrtle, or how he felt about Hagrid's expulsion.

### Muggleborn Rights Movement

In the 1950's Nobby was able to continue the ambitions he held at Hogwarts with the aid of Alexander McAvity, who founded a movement to fight for the rights of Muggle-borns, squibs and Muggles. He was joined in this movement by his fellow petrification victims, as well as Tom Riddle, who was disguised as the Irish Muggle-born Rian O'Grady. Nobby was eventually elected as the first (and, as of the 1990's, last) Muggle-born Minister for Magic with the aid of McAvity's movement. At some point after his election Nobby died in office, around the same time as the deaths or disappearances of the other petrification victims and several of his political supporters.

It is unclear when exactly Nobby passed away, as Book 2 states he died in the 50's, Book 3 states he was elected in 1962 and died in 1968, and Book 4 places his death sometime before the birth of Barty Crouch Junior, who was born in 1963 at the latest.

### Legacy

Nobby was most likely replaced by a Pro-Pure-blood Acting Minister, which led Alexander McAvity to flee to Australia when the Ministry tried to have him sent to Azkaban.

McAvity's movement turned violent in his abscence as it fell under the leadership of his three lieutenants. Martha Bracewell died in an attack on the Marriage Contract Registry Office in 1957, which also killed Elaine Crouch, Barty Crouch Senior's wife. Timothy Spraggins committed suicide when he was caught and cornered while trying to sabotage the Hogwarts Express. Ryan O'Grady, the last of the three, publicly assassinated Cantankerous Nott Junior in 1970, and disappeared soon afterwards.

Some British Wizards blame Nobby and McAvity, and especially the violence that followed them, for the rise of Voldemort and his Pure-blood ideology.

## Personality & Traits

Nobby was described as boisterous in his school days, hiding his sadness at his treatment behind a smile. He was charismatic enough to gain the support of several members of the Wizengamot and a large number of British wizards, getting himself elected as Minister for Magic.

## Canon Divergence

In Canon, Nobby Leach is only mentioned on a list of Ministers for Magic on Pottermore, where he is said to have resigned in 1968 after contracting a mysterious illness that may have been connected to Abraxas Malfoy.

## References

Book 2 - HP&TSE - Ch. 41 - Countdown to a Birthday,

"Another was Eugene "Nobby" Leach,".
Book 2 - HP&TSE - Ch. 41 - Countdown to a Birthday,

Harry tells Hermione and Neville about his time as a student.
Book 2 - HP&TSE - Ch. 76 - Revelations in a Disused Lavatory,

Myrtle reveals Tom and Nobby's plot.
Book 2 - HP&TSE - Ch. 77 - The Chamber of Secrets,

Harry and Jim confront the Diary Horcrux in the Chamber of Secrets.
Book 2 - HP&TSE - Ch. 57 - The Boggart (Pt 2),

Lockhart gives a lecture on McAvity.
Book 3 - HP&DEM - Ch. 116 - Families at Christmas,

James gives Harry a file with all publicly available information about the death of Nobby Leach.
Book 3 - HP&DEM - Ch. 137 - The Future All Around Us, Waiting to Be Born (Pt 1),

Harry reveals his findings about Rian O'Grady in the Prince's Lair..
Book 3 - HP&DEM - Ch. 99 - Feasts, Electives & Student Organizations (Conclusion),

The CPS holds their first meeting.
Book 2 - HP&TSE - Ch. 42 - The Birthday Party (Pt 1),

"I know Nobby Leach died back in the 50's.".
Book 4 - HP&TRG - Ch. 149 - The Quidditch World Cup (Pt 4),

Barty Crouch Senior reveals that his first wife died at the hands of Martha Bracewell.
Book 2 - HP&TSE - Ch. 57 - The Boggart (Pt 2),

Lockhart gives a lecture on Dark Lords.
Book 3 - HP&DEM - Ch. 118 - Secrets Revealed,

Daphne Greengrass gives a speech on the more violent aspects of McAvity's movement.