Description
The Knights of Walpurgis were the precursor organization to the Death Eaters, formed by Tom Riddle in 1939 during his time as a student at Hogwarts. The group consisted of fellow Slytherin students drawn primarily from wealthy pure-blood families. Albus Dumbledore later described the Knights as “a mixture of the weak seeking protection, the ambitious seeking glory, and the thuggish seeking a leader who could show them more refined cruelty.”
History
Tom Riddle gathered his inner circle while still at Hogwarts, cultivating loyalty among students who shared his contempt for Muggle-borns or who were drawn to his charisma and power. Members of the Knights were involved in various unpleasant incidents during their school years, though Riddle was careful to ensure he was never directly associated with any wrongdoing.
After leaving Hogwarts, Riddle disappeared from public life for a decade between 1961 and 1971. When he returned as Lord Voldemort, he merged the remaining Knights of Walpurgis with newfound allies recruited during his years abroad and rebranded the organization as the Death Eaters. This expanded group became the instrument of terror that would drive the First Wizarding War and plunge magical Britain into darkness.
Notable Members
- Tom Riddle (founder)
- Various pure-blood Slytherin students of the late 1930s and 1940s, many of whom later became the first Death Eaters
Current Status
The Knights of Walpurgis ceased to exist as a distinct organization when they were absorbed into the Death Eaters. The name survives only in historical records and the memories of those old enough to remember Voldemort’s earliest followers.