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Kingsley Shacklebolt deserves to be recognized

By Alex Kelly

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 11: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK TABLOID NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 48 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME. MANDATORY CREDIT PHOTO BY DAVE M. BENETT/GETTY IMAGES REQUIRED) Actor George Harris attends the world premiere of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 at Odeon Leicester Square on November 11, 2010 in London, England. (Photo by Dave M. Benett/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 11: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK TABLOID NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 48 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME. MANDATORY CREDIT PHOTO BY DAVE M. BENETT/GETTY IMAGES REQUIRED) Actor George Harris attends the world premiere of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 at Odeon Leicester Square on November 11, 2010 in London, England. (Photo by Dave M. Benett/Getty Images) /
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When it comes to characters in the Harry Potter series who deserve to be recognized and have their time, Kingsley Shacklebolt is among one of the best.

The Harry Potter series is layered with a wide variety of characters who are integral to the main story in their own unique ways. Some have more of an impact than others, but there is no other character as important to the series that we know so little about than Kingsley Shacklebolt.

Kingsley has a decorated career within the Ministry of Magic, before and after the hostile takeover carried out by Lord Voldemort. Having been stationed as the personal bodyguard for the Muggle Prime Minister, he abandoned the Ministry to fight as a leading member of the Order of the Phoenix throughout the Second Wizarding War and was present during the Battle of Hogwarts.

Once Voldemort was defeated, he was chosen and served as the Minister of Magic, where he worked with the Golden Trio to restore the Ministry and shepherded in a time of peace in the Wizarding World, banning the use of Dementors at Azkaban. He served as Minister for 21 years, the longest stretch for a Minister since Faris Spavin served from 1865 to 1903, and was succeeded by Hermione Granger, who had worked with Kingsley to abolish pro-pureblood laws. This was significant, as Kingsley himself was of pureblood descent.

Even with this illustrious career as a civil servant, we do not know even basic facts about the man, even down to what House he was in at Hogwarts. This has left fans to guess if he was a Ravenclaw for his smarts or a Hufflepuff for his loyalty and hard work. This is a failing for a character that is instrumental to the fabric of the Wizarding World.

We also have absolutely no idea if Kingsley was married or had children of his own who went on to have their own adventures at Hogwarts. The only piece of information that we do have is that his Patronus was a Lynx, a nod to what his last name is in reference to, which is the bolt that holds together a shackle to keep someone imprisoned.

Portrayed by George Harris beginning in Order of the Phoenix, Kingsley also gives us one of the best lines of the entire series:

With Kingsley having been born in the ’60s, there will not be an opportunity to flesh out his backstory in future Fantastic Beasts movies. He is underserved in the original series and looked over by most fans, even though being a key part of the Order and being one of the greatest Ministers the Wizarding World has ever seen.

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Why do you think Kingsley Shacklebolt is underrated? What background information would you like to know in the future?

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