Snatchers

Snatchers
Organisation information
Founder(s)	British Ministry of Magic (under Lord Voldemort's control)
Founded	1997
Dissolved	1998
Leader(s)	Fenrir Greyback Scabior
Known members	Unidentified Snatcher (I) Unidentified Snatcher (II) Unidentified Snatcher (III) Unidentified Snatcher (V) Female snatcher Three snatchers Foul-smelling Snatcher Male snatcher Male snatcher
Headquarters	Ministry of Magic (under Voldemort's control) Abandoned nuclear power plant Forest of Dean ruins
Intentions	To capture Undesirables
Affiliation	British Ministry of Magic (under Voldemort's control) Death Eaters Lord Voldemort
Enemies	Undesirables Muggle-borns Order of the Phoenix

"They're everywhere — gangs trying to earn gold by rounding up Muggle-borns and blood traitors, there's a reward from the Ministry for everyone captured... Some of them are supposed to be as bad as Death Eaters."

— Ronald Weasley on Snatchers

Snatchers were members of an organisation of bounty hunters formed by Lord Voldemort when he seized control of the Ministry of Magic in the summer of 1997.

It appeared to be a relatively informal organisation with the main purpose of rounding up or arresting Muggle-borns and "blood traitors" (when, at the time, simply being one made one an outlaw). However, they also responded when the Taboo was triggered by someone using the Dark Lord's name. At least some of them based themselves in a Snatcher Camp in the Forest of Dean.

History

1997

Typical Snatchers looking for easy money

The Snatchers organisation was formed by the Ministry of Magic after it was taken over by Lord Voldemort on 1 August 1997, with the purpose of rounding up Muggle-borns, blood traitors and Order of the Phoenix members, i.e. Undesirables on the run. Snatchers were active all over the country and formed Snatcher camps which served as local bases of operation.

1998

"Some of them are supposed to be as bad as Death Eaters. The lot that got me were a bit pathetic, but Bill reckons some of them are really dangerous."

— Ron Weasley regarding the dangers of Snatchers

Snatchers hunting for victims

When Ron Weasley temporarily abandoned the Horcrux hunt with Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, he was cornered by five Snatchers, who hoped that he was a Muggle-born so they could turn him in to the Ministry for a reward. However, he told them that he was Stan Shunpike. While they were arguing about whether or not he was lying (Ron suggested that they were not all that intelligent, and thought that one of them even had a trace of Troll blood), Ron managed to seize a Blackthorn wand from one of them while also retrieving his own wand before escaping.

Around Easter of 1998, Fenrir Greyback's group of Snatchers tracked down a group of wizards and goblins that included Dean Thomas and Griphook, whom they captured. It is likely that they were responsible for the deaths of Dean and Griphook's other travelling companions, Ted Tonks, Dirk Cresswell, and Gornuk.

Harry Potter being captured by a group of Snatchers

Soon after, the same group discovered Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley, after Harry accidentally triggered the Taboo on Voldemort's name. Harry claimed that he was "Vernon Dudley', a Slytherin student and son of a Ministry official. Ron claimed to be Stan Shunpike again, but was not believed, and then said he was "Barny Weasley". Hermione said she was Penelope Clearwater and a half-blood. Their story may have been believed, but Hermione's picture was spotted in the Daily Prophet, which declared her to be "the Mudblood who is known to be travelling with Harry Potter".

Greyback then decided to bring the group to Malfoy Manor, where he seemed particularly eager to bite Hermione Granger. However, all the Snatchers but Greyback were stunned by Bellatrix Lestrange after she spotted Godric Gryffindor's Sword among the items they had seized, proceeding to torture Hermione for information on how they got it, as it was supposed to be in her vault at Gringotts. The Snatchers and the Death Eaters were ultimately thwarted, and the trio escaped along with a few other prisoners.

Scabior and other Snatchers falling from the collapsing Wooden Bridge during the battle

Shortly before midnight on 1 May 1998, Scabior led the Snatchers in a charge to the Hogwarts Grounds in order to take part in the Battle of Hogwarts. They were unware of the magical protections around the school; three of their number were killed on the spot when they crossed the magical barrier. After the Death Eaters broke down the protective enchantments, the Snatchers stormed into the Wooden Bridge and started a short duel with Neville Longbottom that resulted in the collapse of the bridge and the deaths of Scabior and several of the Snatchers. The remaining Snatchers were either killed in battle, sent to Azkaban, or fled the country after the fall of the Dark Lord.

Role

Dean Thomas: "It is you! If they find out who they’ve got — ! They’re Snatchers, they’re only looking for truants to sell for gold —"

Fenrir Greyback: "Not a bad little haul for one night. A Mudblood, a runaway goblin, and three truants."

— The Snatchers operated as low-level bounty hunters

A small army of Snatchers at the Battle of Hogwarts

The Snatchers seem to have been a militia formed from wizarding mercenaries less able and competent than Lord Voldemort's elite Death Eaters and led by 'pack leaders' such as Fenrir Greyback. They were subordinate to the Death Eaters, as demonstrated by the disdainful treatment Greyback and his gang received at Malfoy Manor. Despite outnumbering Bellatrix Lestrange four to one, they were ignominiously defeated.

It is possible that skilled Snatchers were appointed as Death Eaters, as this seems to fit in with Voldemort's claim that he "rewards his helpers". As there were a dozen Death Eaters guarding the village of Hogsmeade alone, it is likely that Lord Voldemort was recruiting more Death Eaters to fight in the Battle of Hogwarts, and those particular ones were Snatchers who managed to get on Voldemort's good side. This would be an ideal way to recruit new Death Eaters, and eliminate those who were not worthy of the Dark Mark in Voldemort's eyes. Voldemort used their large numbers to his advantage when he attacked Hogwarts; utilising them to test the ancient castle's magical defences as well as overwhelming the defenders when they assaulted the castle itself.

Some of the Snatchers seemed to be well aware of their inferiority to the Death Eaters and the Ministry that they were controlling. While they turned in Muggle-borns and blood-traitors for bounty money, they believed that if they turn in Harry Potter to the Ministry instead of directly to Voldemort, the Ministry would take all the glory while leaving the platoon of Snatchers out of the transaction.

Apparel

Snatchers in normal everyday apparel

Unlike the Death Eaters, who were a highly regimented and uniformed organisation, the Snatchers had no formal dress code, and as such the apparel of each Snatcher was unique. As their work required them to travel the length and breadth of the country, and deal with changing weather conditions, most Snatchers chose to garb themselves in clothes such as thick jumpers, hooded sweatshirts, jackets made of leather, fur or other heavy weather-proof materials, woollen hats and boots or other cross-country suitable footwear, and favoured dark shades of black, brown, grey, blue, red and, green to blend in with surroundings.

Each Snatcher wore a strip of dark red fabric tied around his or her left arm, signifying their position within the new regime. These armbands were also worn by members of the Ministry Police suggesting a possible connection between the two groups. Some Snatchers also chose to smear their eyes with some sort of black make-up. This was presumably a protective measure to minimise sun glare while pursuing their quarry, and also to appear more intimidating.

Known victims

Killed

Dirk Cresswell

Ted Tonks

Gornuk

• Muggle-borns

Snatched

Dean Thomas

Griphook

Harry Potter

Hermione Granger

Ron Weasley

• Muggle-borns
• Various Witches and Wizards

Known Snatchers

• Fenrir Greyback (leader)
• Scabior
• Unidentified Snatcher (I)
• Unidentified Snatcher (II)
• Unidentified Snatcher (IV)
• Unidentified Snatcher (V)
• Unidentified female Snatcher during the Battle of Hogwarts
• Three unidentified Snatchers who disintegrated during the Battle of Hogwarts
• Foul-smelling Snatcher
• Unidentified Male Snatcher during the Battle of Hogwarts
• Unidentified male fat Snatcher at Diagon Alley

Behind the scenes

• The word Snatcher has been translated into other languages, including Polish: Szmalcownik (sing.), Szmalcownicy (pl.) Instead of creating a neologism, the translator decided to use much more appropriate word coined during World War II - "Szmalcownicy" (a Polish term for a Nazi collaborator who either blackmailed Jews gone into hiding, blackmailed Poles who hid Jews and/or betrayed either or both of them to the Nazi occupation authorities).
• In the film adaptation, instead of a just few Snatchers, there were hundreds, just as was done with the Death Eaters to the point of becoming a secondary army of foot soldiers similar to the dark creatures.
• The Snatchers bear a remarkable resemblance to the Nazi Gestapo and Schutzstaffel, which composed the Einsatzgruppen that rounded up Jews and other groups targeted by them before and during World War II.
• In the first and second film adaptations of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows each Snatcher wears a strip of red fabric tied around his or her left arm. This is an obvious reference to the swastika armbands worn by members of the Nazi secret service or the red armbands worn by Communist secret police during the Russian Civil War. Furthermore, several Snatchers are seen sporting leather trench coats, which were commonly worn by members of the Nazi Gestapo.
• In the first and second film adaptations of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, instead of Greyback being the leader, Scabior appears to be leading the party and is seen interrogating the ones they snatch.
  • In pre-production, whilst Scabior's character was initially unnamed, he was known as the Chief Snatcher.
• When Snatchers charge at Hogwarts to participate in the final battle in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, they act as a militia, supporting the regulars, in this case Death Eaters.
• In the film Scabior plays with the word Snatcher, saying Snatch 'em.
• The Snatchers are very similar to the Scourers that once terrorised the nascent wizarding community of America.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)
• Pottermore
• Harry Potter (website)
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
• Harry Potter: The Character Vault
• Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
• Harry Potter: Magic Awakened (Mentioned in History of Magic classes)