Saul Croaker

**Saul Croaker**, also known as **Number Seven** of the Unspeakables, is a member of the Department of Mysteries, who serves as the Voice of the Unspeakables.

## Biography

### Family Lineage

Saul Croaker was born into the Croaker family, which, though it did not hold a seat on the Wizengamot, had been pure-blood for generations. Croaker's birth year is unknown, but Damocles Belby referred to him as a "young man" in 1971. Judging by his granddaughter's age and assuming Belby wasn't being sarcastic, this would place his birth somewhere around 1940.

### Early Life

After graduating from Hogwarts, Croaker began working at the Ministry of Magic, where he was eventually promoted to Public Relations Officer for the Department of Mysteries, or, colloquially, the Voice of the Unspeakables, sometime in the early 1970's. During his time in the Department Croaker was either made aware of, or personally involved in, Gustav Kleinwuchs and his son Martin receiving political amnesty and new identities.

Croaker at some point in his life married a woman who was a Heliopath, which made her eligible for the Magical Conscription Act. Mrs. Croaker gave birth to a daughter named Pandora Croaker, who did not inherit her mother's gift. She passed away sometime before the late 1980's.

In the early 1970s Croaker became involved with Project Romulus, a collaboration between the Department of Mysteries, Hogwarts School, and Damocles Belby, to study the young werewolf Remus Lupin, who did not suffer from a loss of empathy or extreme bloodlust despite his lycanthropy. When Sirius Black, James Potter, and Peter Pettigrew discovered Project Romulus, Croaker and Augustus Rookwood masterminded the plan to subject them to voluntary memory alterations to allow them to be involved in the project and become Animagi.

Croaker was appalled when Albus Dumbledore revealed to him Rookwood had purposefully inflicted Severus Snape with wolf-fear. After Dumbledore theorised that Rookwood wished to weaponise wolf-fear Croaker promised that he would be taken back to the Department of Mysteries, where they would prod the depths of his mind, and that if Dumbledore's accusations prove to be true, Rookwood would have all his memories of his time as an Unspeakable erased.

### First Wizarding War

Near the end of the First Wizarding War, Croaker's daughter Pandora married Xenophilius Lovegood and gave birth to a daughter named Luna Lovegood[4][4], who inherited Mrs. Croaker's Heliopathic abilities.

### Post-War

Luna was discovered to be a Heliopath at a young age, and when she was seven or eight years old Croaker sent his daughter a letter saying that, though it pained him to seperate his daughter and granddaughter, he was required by law to take Luna in to be trained by the Unspeakables. This horrified Pandora to such an extent that she used the Imago Dei spell to wipe out all knowledge of Heliopathy, saving Luna at the cost of her own life.

### Book 3 - The Death Eater Menace

When it was revealed the Department of Mysteries had access to a potion that could bypass Remembralls, Croaker assured Albus Dumbledore that Rookwood had never had access to it.

In March of 1994 Saul Croaker and his colleague Number Seventeen were directed to Hogwarts by the Cryptohedron, to send Hermione Granger back in time to June of the previous year. Unbeknownst to Croaker, a previous version of him had already sent Hermione back from a dark future, where Britain had fallen under Pureblood supremacist rule. Hermione used an enchanted table to incapacitate Croaker and Seventeen so she could send Harry Potter back in time two days to undo another dark future.

A day earlier in Harry's newly created timeline, Croaker is visited in his office by Albus Dumbledore, who implores him not to spend too long investigating the memories of Marcellus Frump's children.

The next day Croaker and Seventeen traveled to Hogwarts, still believing themselves to be going there for the first time, where they are met by Hermione and Harry, who explain to them how they prevented a werewolf apocalypse. Harry also informs them that Remus Lupin has been cured of Lycanthropy, and that he has knowledge and proof of the Department of Mysteries granting asylum to Gustav Kleinwuchs.

Croaker later attended a weekly meeting of the Oversight Committee of the Department of Mysteries, where Harry and Hermione's actions were discussed. The Committee agrees to classify all information related to Harry's usage of the Time-turner, but also to use the deal they have struck with him that allows him to commercialize the Eye-Spy to get a spy or handler into his inner circle.

During the Wizengamot's Emergency Meeting to discuss the revelations surrounding Sirius Black Croaker confirms the veracity of the Frump memories on behalf of the Unspeakables. After Peter Pettigrew and Augustus Rookwood's escape from the Ministry, in which James Potter's Animagus form was revealed, Croaker informed Fudge that James was on the Unspeakables' secret Animagus regristry. Croaker also convinced the Chief Director of the Unspeakables not to let James Potter be sent to Azkaban.

## Personality & Traits

Croaker was often noted to be evasive when asked certain question, and Albus Dumbledore once compared getting a solid answer out of him to pulling dragons' teeth.

## Behind the Scenes

TSM has not yet decided on an official casting for Saul Croaker, but is leaning towards James Mason or Charles Gray

## Canon Divergence

In Canon Saul Croaker is a background character in Canon, who is mainly known for his creation of Professor Croaker's law, which states that five hours is the longest one can travel back in time without doing serious damage to either time or themselves.

In POS Croaker's role is greatly expanded, as he is revealed to be Luna Lovegood's grandfather, and plays a large role in her expanded backstory. Ironically, POS-Croaker breaks his canon-counterpart's law by sending Hermione Granger 262 days back in time.

## References

Book 2 - HP&TSE - Ch. 70 - Investigations into Dark Matters,

Team Mysterioso reviews Luna's childhood memory.
Book 2 - HP&TSE - Ch. 69 - Petrifications, Patronuses & Picnics,

"Both my parents were from old families that were Pureblooded for generations, though neither of them was from a Noble family.".
Book 3 - HP&DEM - Ch. 119 - What's Past is Prologue (Pt 1),

Lupin and Snape's memories of the Shrieking Shack.
Book 3 - HP&DEM - Ch. 126 - Speaking of Time,

Hermione hijacks the Cryptohedron.
Book 3 - HP&DEM - Ch. 130 - Redux (Pt 4),

Croaker and Seventeen meet with Hermione for the third time.
Book 3 - HP&DEM - Ch. 120 - What's Past is Prologue (Pt 2),

Project Romulus is disbanded after Snape is inflicted with wolf-fear.
Book 3 - HP&DEM - Ch. 117 - The Month of January,

Harry and Rufus Scrimgeour meet with Dumbledore to discuss Sirius Black's trial.
Book 3 - HP&DEM - Ch. 121 - Conspiracies in Action,

The Unspeakables meet to discuss the Cryptohedron.
Book 3 - HP&DEM - Ch. 128 - Redux (Pt 2),

Saul Croaker is visited by Dumbledore.
Book 3 - HP&DEM - Ch. 131 - Moving Forward,

The Oversight Committee holds one of their weekly meetings.
Book 3 - HP&DEM - Ch. 132 - Lords of the Wizengamot,

" Saul Croaker.. ...confirmed that the Unspeakables examined the memories thoroughly and vouched for their authenticity. ".
Book 3 - HP&DEM - Ch. 135 - The Fall of the House of Potter (Pt 1),

"...a rather stern memo from Saul Croaker advising me that there is indeed a 'secret Animagus registry' and that Potter is on it.".