Marcus Belby was a student at Hogwarts and was a member of the Ravenclaw House. He was a year older than Harry as he joined Hogwarts a year before Harry. Marcus Belby was the son of Mr Belby and the nephew of the celebrated potioneer, Damocles Belby. However, since Marcus’s father wasn’t on speaking terms with Damocles, Marcus hardly knew his famous uncle. After meeting him on the Hogwarts Express, Marcus Belby was one of the students that Horace Slughorn invited to his Slug Club.
Early Life
Marcus Belby was born between 1978 and 1979 to the Belby family in England or Ireland. He was the nephew of Damocles Belby, who had gained much attention after the noted potioneer became famous in the late 20th century. Damocles Belby was an Order of Merlin-distinguished potioneer credited with discovering the Wolfsbane potion in the late twentieth century. The Wolfsbane potion could relieve the effects of a wizard or witch being a werewolf, a condition referred to as Lycanthropy.
Marcus Belby joined Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in September 1990, a year before the famous Harry Potter. He boarded the Hogwarts Express and reached Hogsmeade along with the other students, including the Weasley twins, George and Fred Weasley. He was a Ravenclaw student at Hogwarts.
Life At Hogwarts
Marcus Belby enjoyed his life at Hogwarts but was never mentioned in the Harry Potter books until Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. During his final year at Hogwarts, which was the 1996-1997 school year, Marcus was invited to the cabin of Horace Slughorn during lunch. This gathering was a part of the eccentric teacher Professor Slughorn’s way of meeting famous people and their kids and relatives from Hogwarts. Since Marcus’s uncle was Damocles Belby, Slughorn invited him too. Among the others invited were Harry Potter, Neville Longbottom, Blaise Zabini, Cormac McLaggen, and Ginny Weasley.
When asked about his uncle, Marcus claimed that he did not meet his uncle often as his father and his uncle had disagreements. Slughorn responded by stating that Damocles must be very busy and that he couldn’t have invented the Wolfsbane potion without considerable hard work. Slughorn ignored Marcus more after his remark about his father and uncle not being on talking terms. Slughorn skipped over Marcus when he distributed pies on a tray.
In the movie adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the role of Marcus Belby was played by British actor Robert Knox. He is seen enjoying dessert at one of the Slug Club supper parties. Professor Slughorn, played by the British heavyweight actor Jim Broadbent, is seen talking to his guests, including Harry Potter, played by Daniel Radcliffe, and Hermione Granger, played by Emma Watson. When Slughorn asks Belby about his uncle after introducing him as the nephew of Damocles, Marcus responds amidst gobbling dessert that he doesn’t see much of his uncle anymore as his dad and his uncle don’t get along that well. He also claims that his father says that the only potion worth having is a stiff one at the end of the day, which is mostly a reference to alcohol. Although a funny joke, Slughorn is not amused by his remark.
Later in the book, Professor Slughorn hosts another grand Christmas party to which Marcus is not invited as a guest. However, he was given chores, including handing over towels to people going to the loo. This is the same party where Draco Malfoy, unaccompanied by his usual cronies Crabbe and Goyle, appears uninvited. Severus Snape delivers a message from Albus Dumbledore to Harry and later leaves with Draco.
Later Life
Marcus Belby graduated from Hogwarts in 1997. It is not known if Marcus Belby came back to Hogwarts during the Battle of Hogwarts to fight for his school. Although some of the alumni did show up, including Bill, Charlie, and their estranged brother Percy Weasley, there is no way of knowing if several other alumni like Marcus Belby showed up.
The Murder of Robert Knox
The English actor Robert Knox who played Marcus Belby in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, died at the age of 18 while defending his younger brother Jamie outside a bar in Sidcup, Southeast London. He appeared as Marcus Belby posthumously in the sixth movie of the Harry Potter movie series.
Robert Knox was born to Sally Knox and Colin Knox and had been acting since the age of 11. He went to the Beths Grammar School in Bexley and appeared in small TV roles. His first movie appearance was in King Arthur (2004). He then appeared in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and was expected to appear in the movie adaptations of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
On 24 May 2008, Rob Knox intervened during an altercation outside the Metro Bar, where the assailant Karl Norman Bishop threatened to attack Robert Knox’s brother Jamie. Robert Knox was eventually stabbed to death after a fight broke out. His death gained widespread media attention, and Karl Bishop was arrested, charged with the murder, and eventually sentenced to at least 20 years in prison. The Rob Knox Film Festival was introduced in his honour and the Rob Knox Foundation was also set up to help young artists.
FAQs
What did Marcus Belby do in Harry Potter?
Marcus Belby was a seventh-year student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry when he was first introduced in the Harry Potter series. He was invited by Professor Horace Slughorn to be a part of his Slug Club because of Marcus’s uncle Damocles Belby who was a famous potioneer and the inventor of the Wolfsbane potion. Marcus was eventually ignored by Slughorn after he realized that Marcus’s father and his uncle Damocles were not on good terms.
Who is Marcus Belby’s uncle?
Marcus Belby’s uncle was the famous potioneer Damocles Belby. He was credited with the invention of the Wolfsbane potion, which could significantly reduce the effects of Lycanthropy. Although it couldn’t cure this illness, taking the Wolfsbane potion around the time of a person’s transformation into a werewolf could reduce the effects of the illness.
What house is Marcus Belby in?
Marcus Belby was in the Ravenclaw House. He was sorted into the Ravenclaw House when he joined Hogwarts in September 1990. Other popular Harry Potter characters who were in Ravenclaw include Luna Lovegood, Cho Chang, and Padma Patil. The Charms professor at Hogwarts, Professor Filius Flitwick was the head of Ravenclaw House.
