| Donovar Oswaldo Archimedes Hannibal Crane-LeClair | |
|---|---|
| Biographical information | |
| Born |
21 April, 1933 Blackmoor, England, Great Britain |
| Blood status |
Pure-blood |
| Alias |
|
| Title(s) |
|
| Physical description | |
| Species |
Human |
| Gender |
Male |
| Height |
1.88 meters |
| Hair colour |
|
| Eye colour |
Light blue |
| Skin colour |
Fair |
| Family information | |
| Family members |
|
| Magical characteristics | |
| Animagus |
Northern raven (registered) |
| Boggart |
Werewolf |
| Wand |
14", Hawthorn, Dragon heartstring |
| Patronus |
Northern raven |
| Affiliation | |
| Occupation |
|
| House |
Ravenclaw |
| Loyalty |
|
| . | |
- "I am likely the greatest wizard in the art of illusion you will ever meet. Who else do you think can change reality itself before a person's very own eyes?"
- ―Donovar Crane
Professor Donovar Oswaldo Archimedes Hannibal Crane-LeClair O.M. (Second Class) (b. 21 April, 1933) was a pure-blood wizard and a registered Animagus who attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and was sorted into Ravenclaw house. After his education, he worked for five years at the Ministry of Magic as an Auror and later returned to Hogwarts, where he became the Illusion professor. Aside from teaching Illusion, Crane was also a substitute teacher for History of Magic, Ancient Studies, and Study of Ancient Runes.
A master of illusion and alteration, Crane was a prestigious and prominent member of the pure-blood House of Crane. During his time as an Auror, Crane proved vital in capturing at least twelve known Death Eaters, chief among them was his own younger brother, Jonathan. Afterwards, Donovar was honoured in the Order of Merlin, Second Class.
Biography[]
Early life and schooling (1933 - 1950)[]
Donovar Crane was born in 1933 in the House of Black and White in England and had two younger brothers, Augustus Leviathan Crane and Jonathan Amadeus Arthur Hades Crane. At a young age, Crane was already exceptional in that he developed an affinity in the school of Illusion; he would often play illusory tricks on the muggle villagers of Blackmoor for sweets and his family often attended the towns Light Festival.
Born during the Great Depression, the House of Crane - Donovar's clan - suffered greatly under the ongoing economic depression, despite them having been recognized as one of the wealthiest and most influential families of wizarding Great Britain and having been highly supportive of Muggle Protection and Muggle-born rights. Donovar's father, Hannibal - surprisingly, a noted pure-blood supremacist - was forced to sell several of the family's heirlooms and gold in order to pay off the family's increasing debts. Years prior, Hannibal spent three months in Azkaban for attacking a muggle-born over an argument concerning missing money at a pub, while reputedly spouting discriminatory remarks. Hannibal was to serve 10 years in Azkaban, but managed to get his sentence shortened after becoming acquainted with Grindelwald sympathisers, who called in favours to get Hannibal prematurely released. However, after release, Hannibal was forced to financially support Grindelwald's army as a way to pay off his debts. When Grindelwald was defeated, Hannibal claimed that he acted under the influence of the Imperius Curse, which according to Ministry law was enough to get him pardoned and not having him returning to Azkaban to finish his sentence, since the new implemented policies mandated that those who became a victim to two of the three Unforgivable Curses would receive special attention and any required care, barring them from possibly serving a prison sentence or anything of the sort. After this, Donovar's parents abandoned their pure-blood beliefs and returned to the House of Crane's original beliefs, teaching their children not to make the same mistake, lessons of which Donovar to seriously. Even before this, the The Most Noble and Greatest House of Crane-LeClair of Blackmoor was one of the pure-blooded families that never held any hated of muggles and taught their children that a person of muggle lineage can be just a great wizard or witch as those of wizard ancestry and those who clung to the "old ways" could never be pure of heart,no matter who pure of blood they were. The Family was also friends with the Abbot, Brown, Crouch, Potter, Weasley, Kama, Longbottom, MacDougal, Macmillan, Moody, Ollivander, Peverall, Sayre, Shacklebolt, Urquart, Dumbledore, Higgs, Perks, Corvinus, Webb, Wilkin, Weaver, Urquart, Dearborn, McKinnon, Bone, Pendragon and Moon families and were viewed by pure-blood supremacist families to be one of the"cowardly families who were not answering the cries of vengeance from the spirits of their family that had been accused of wizards and witches during the Salem Witch Trials in the 17th century".
At some point in his youth, Crane was attacked by a werewolf, and as a result developed a strong fear for the creatures.
Beginning in 1944, he attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and was sorted into Ravenclaw. During his time, Crane enjoyed taking classes on the School of Illusion and eventually received three Outstandings on his O.W.L. on Illusion, Transfiguration, Herbology, Potions, Charms and Defence Against the Dark Arts, and one on his N.E.W.T., earning him the position of Auror. On his W.O.M.B.A.T., however, he received an Exceeds Expectations. Crane was also a prominent player in Ravenclaw's Quidditch team, being a Chaser and even becoming the team's captain at one point.
During his time in Hogwarts, Crane met Gryffindor student Jane Westerling. They began a romantic relationship after they were invited into the Slug Club in their sixth year. After a long infatuation, the pair married a day after Jane's 21st birthday.
Ministry of Magic career (1951 - 1981)[]
In 1951, the year after his graduation from Hogwarts, Crane joined the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and initially joined the Improper Use of Magic Office for four years, until he resigned and joined the Auror Office in 1955 as a member of the Investigation Department. He worked at the Auror Office for a respectable fifteen years and in that time, he proved vital in the hunting and prosecution of several Dark wizards and witches, twelve of which were known Death Eaters.
During this time, Donovar managed to reclaim much of House Crane's lost wealth, returning the family to its former glory.
First Wizarding War (1970 - 1981)[]
During the rise of Lord Voldemort, Crane continued work for the Ministry of Magic and simultaneously joined the Order of the Phoenix. Being the head of the House of Crane, Donovar allowed his family residence and birthplace, the House of Black and White, to be used as a secondary headquarters for the Order, which he joined.
In the years of the First Wizarding War, Crane grew increasingly suspicious towards Peter Pettigrew, and at one time he tried convincing the fellow members of the Order to throw him out, but his warnings were to no avail. He tried using legilimency on Pettigrew to see if his warnings were justified, but despite his best efforts he found nothing.
In 1981, at the height of the First Wizarding War, Jane, Crane's wife, was kidnapped by a group of Death Eaters presumably in an attempt to force Donovar to cease his efforts in capturing and exposing them. In retaliation, Donovar and his group of Aurors initiated "Operation Archangel", despite it not having been officially approved by the Ministry. The operation was a massive success, and Donovar was not only able to capture multiple core members of Voldemort's Death Eaters, but also uncovered critical information on Voldemort's inner circle and most trusted followers. However, one of the Death Eaters who were involved in Jane's kidnapping was Donovar's own younger brother, Jonathan. Before he could reach her in time, Jane was killed by Jonathan shortly before his subsequent capture.
The Minister for Magic at that time was planning on firing Donovar for his defiance to the Ministry. However, when the Daily Prophet began covering the story, giving the Ministry and the Auror Office massive publicity, the Minister instead announced that he would anoint Donovar as the Head of the Auror Office. Donovar, however, displeased with the Minister's corruption and stricken with grief after seeing his own brother being sentenced to Azkaban for murdering his wife, resigned and later applied for a job as a Professor at Hogwarts. Despite this, he still held influence in the Ministry and helped capture various Dark Lord followers as as Order member for the rest of the war and became legendary among the Aurors for his efforts, which Alastor Moody praising how he had been able to put aside his grief to do what was must be done".
Following Sybill Trelawney's prophecy regarding the defeat of Lord Voldemort, Crane was one of the members who suggested hiding James and Lily Potter from Voldemort's Death Eaters in order to safeguard their infant son, Harry. Regardless, Voldemort found the defiant couple at Godric's Hollow and murdered both of them thanks to Pettigrew's betrayal as their Secret Keeper.
After Voldemort was defeated and the First Wizarding War came to an end, Crane felt that he was responsible for James and Lily's death, since he was the one that suggested that they should hide in Godric's Hollow. As a result, though he remained in the Order for a few more months to aid in capturing the hundreds of free Death Eaters, as well as overseeing various Death Eater trials. The trial that had the most impact on Donovar was Igor Karkaroff's second hearing, where he named various other Death Eaters, including Jonathan, to Donovar's grief, as it confirmed his brother's loyalty to the Dark Lord. Donovar was also present during Jonathan's own trial, where he was described as having the look of one who had the weight of the world on his shoulders as he stared at his chained brother. However, Donovar's hope that his brother would deny his connection to Voldemort was crushed, instead, Jonathan proudly stated his devotion to He Who Must Not Be Named and his certainty that he and his fellow Azkaban inmates would be rewarded for their loyalty when their master returned. After the Wizarding world settled into a more-or-less peaceful state, Crane left the Order and refused to indulge himself in any dealings with Dark Wizards ever again. Afterwards, Crane was honoured into the Order of Merlin, Second Class, for his bravery.
Teaching career at Hogwarts (1981 - present)[]
After his appliance as a teacher at Hogwarts was accepted, Donovar was given the position of Illusions Master, which Crane wholeheartedly accepted.
In his time as Illusions Master, Crane developed a reputation for his eccentric, but exceptional ways of teaching. Crane wholly believed in a practical approach, meaning he would resort less on theory and more on actual practice with wands. Crane would also use many optical illusions and unexpected twists in his class in an effort to train his students to recognize illusions and misinformation more effectively.
Despite his unorthodox ways of teaching, Crane's lessons proved surprisingly successful, and his contract at Hogwarts was prolonged for an extra twenty years.
During one of his lessons, an experiment went horribly wrong and Crane contracted Flux Blight, a magical disease that occurs after one has been exposed to Illusion spells for too long. Crane was dismissed from teaching for almost three months in order to recover. Afterwards, when Crane returned to Hogwarts, Madam Pomfrey forbade Crane to use any demonstration spells on himself in order to avoid any more damages to his mind. Crane however, stubbornly ignored her warnings and continued using his traditional methods of teaching, occasionally drinking a potion known as "Mens Defectii" to help him suppress many of the disease's symptoms, although a rumour going around Hogwarts stated that Crane had become addicted to the potion.
Silent period (1981 - 1996)[]
Following the defeat of Lord Voldemort, Crane returned to his former station as the Illusions Master. In 1991, Crane met Harry Potter, the son of James and Lily Potter, his late friends. Crane behaved nothing more than a teacher to the young Harry, and chose not to reveal too much about the young wizard's past.
Crane was one of the teachers who opposed Harry joining the Triwizard Tournament, but against his wishes Harry competed in the competition nonetheless. Donovar attended the Yule Ball with his old friend, Charity Burbage, although he looked very stern. After Cedric Diggory's death, Crane made sure that his body would be returned to his family and to his father.
During the second rise of Voldemort, Crane decided to stay clear from interfering with the coming war, and instead focused on getting his own personal research done.
Second Wizarding War (1996 - 1998)[]
During the Second Wizarding War, Crane, initially, did not interfere in the early battle stages of the war. Despite this, Donovar still immediately joined the newly-reformed Order of the Phoenix in order to make sure others did not suffer the grief he himself suffered, aiding in guarding the Prophecy concerning Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort and keeping tabs on free Death Eaters, as well as using his influence and wealth to aid and fund the Order's hidden movement. Donovar was particularly influential in the Ministry both due to his status as an ex-Auror and due to Donovar and his family having made many genorous donations to many causes over the years, making them as well-connected in the Ministry as Lucius Malfoy, his hundreds of generous donations getting Donovar in with the right people and allowing him to pull favours, delay laws and allow the Order inside the ministry. However, when news of a mass Azkaban breakout reached Hogwarts, Crane took it upon himself to track and hopefully recapture his brother, Jonathan.
Battle of the Department of Mysteries[]
- "Then, high above them, two more doors burst open and six more people sprinted into the room: Sirius, Lupin, Moody, Donovar, Tonks, and Kingsley."
- — The Order arrives in the Death Chamber
Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, and Ginny Weasley all went to the Ministry of Magic in 1996 in an attempt to rescue Sirius Black, who they believed was being tortured by Lord Voldemort. This was actually a lure to get Harry Potter into the Department of Mysteries to retrieve a prophecy, and after discovering this, the members of Dumbledore's Army fought back against the Death Eaters and attempted to escape.
After his friends were injured, Harry Potter was about to surrender the prophecy to Lucius Malfoy, who had been leading the group of Death Eaters, but then Sirius Black, Nymphadora Tonks, Remus Lupin, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Alastor Moody and Donovar Crane himself, all members of the Order of the Phoenix, arrived and the battle resumed. During the battle Donovar duelled with a masked Wulfric Mulciber among the rocks around the Veil. As the masked Azkaban escapee prepared to cast a spell, Donovar thudded his staff against the ground, sending the Knockback Jinx through the ground, magically knocking him out before running to join Nymphadora in a duel with Bellatrix and Rodolphus. However, Bellatrix soon proved to strong for her niece and sent her flying back, which Donovar, who was still locked in battle with Rodolphus, could only watch, before being joined in his duel with the Death Eater couple by Sirius. Donovar finally defeated not only Rodolphus, but also Augustus Rookwood, the later whom he hit with a freezing spell. However, despite his extraordinary skill, Donovar could only watch in horror as Sirius, hit by a spell from his insane cousin, fell through the Veil, never to return to earth in a solid for again. Despite this, Donovar was unable to do anything, as he was suddenly engaged in combat with Francis Crabbe and Tav Travers, who, using the last his already fading strength, he both quickly defeated, sinking, panting, to his knees. Following this battle, Albus Dumbledore arrived and duelled Voldemort himself. Cornelius Fudge witnessed Voldemort fleeing the scene and was forced to finally admit the Dark Lord had returned.
Funeral of Albus Dumbledore[]
In June 1997 Hogwarts was invaded by Death Eaters in an attempt to assassinate Albus Dumbledore, although they were once again opposed by several members of Dumbledore's Army and the Order of the Phoenix. Severus Snape was believed to be a traitor after killing Dumbledore (although it had actually been on Dumbledore's own orders) and both Donovar and Moody personally put extra protections on 12 Grimmauld Place to prevent Snape and the other Death Eaters from entering. Donovar also attended Dumbledore's funeral along with several other members of the Order of the Phoenix, various Hogwarts Students, and other employees of the Ministry and School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as well.
1997–1998 school year[]
On 1 August, 1997 the Ministry of Magic was taken over by Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters. By the next school year, Severus Snape was made Headmaster of Hogwarts while his fellow Death Eaters, Alecto Carrow and Amycus Carrow became the Muggle Studies and Defence Against the Dark Arts teachers respectively. Despite the school now in the grasp of Lord Voldemort, or perhaps because of it, Donovar Crane returned to the castle to teach and protect the students.
The Carrows were put in charge of all discipline and punishments, though Donovar and the staff never sent students to them if they could avoid it. He also, with the other teachers and staff, tried to protect the pupils from Alecto and Amycus.
Battle of Hogwarts[]
Donovar was awakened by the sound of clashing and run to corridor where Severus Snape had just been outstead from Hogwarts, pulling on a trench coat as he ran and asking Professor McGonnagal what was going on. After being informed that Severus Snape had taken a "unexpected break" and aware that Lord Voldemort would soon attack the castle, Donovar and the other professors set to defend the school and the students. As the battle commenced, Donovar used his magic to save and defend students, creating illusions to deceived the Death Eaters and their allies into trying to escape the illusions Donovar created. Professor Donovar was seen fighting Thorfinn Rowle close to the front doors in the Feasting Hall, just before Voldemort ordered everyone to cease duelling and offered peace in return for Harry Potter. However, battle soon resumed after Harry was thought to be murdered by Voldemort.
When the Battle of Hogwarts re-commenced, several stray battle began between the inhabitants of Hogwarts and the dark wizard invaders commenced within the Transfiguration Courtyard. During these random battles, the Donovar confronted his younger death eater brother, Jonathan Crane, the man who had abducted and murdered his wife, in the Dark Tower battlements. Despite his crimes, Donovar still loved his brother, pleading with him to abandoned the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters and come back home with him. However, Jonathan reveals to his brother that during his last few days of freedom before Azkaban he was attacked by a were-vampire, and, without treatment, caused Jonathan to transform into a vampire during his incarceration within Azkaban, and, as a result, believed he can no longer stay among the living unless the Dark Lord won, due to the Wizarding World looking at him in disgust which prompted him into attacking his brother. The two Cranes duelled for a moment, during which Jonathan boasted that his brother had no chance of defeating him and revealed to Donovar that the dark lord "trusted" him and had even put him in command of his tribe of vampires for the battle, until Donovar managed to disarms his brother, in the hopes of trying to lead Jonathan away from the influence of Voldemort and the Dark Arts. Jonathan, however, tried to attack him bare-handed but loses his footing and to his brother's horror fell back, flailing his hands over the edge of the battlements and grabbing hold of one of the gargoyles pillars. Donovar run to the edge and reached down, begging his brother to take his hand. Jonathan however recoiled from this brother's pleading hand, snarling that did Donovar "expect him to willingly surrender and allow him to cart him of to Azkaban" or more likely kill him in retribution for his wife's murder. Donovar denied this, but asked him why he killed Jane when their family never truly hated muggles and taught their children that a person of muggle lineage can be just a great wizard or witch as those of wizard ancestry and those who clung to the"old ways "could never be pure of heart, no matter who pure of blood they were". Jonathan however growled that there family were one of the "cowardly families who were not answering the cries of vengeance from the spirits of their family that had been accused of wizards and witches during the Salem Witch Trials in the 17th century". It was then that Donovar noticed that Jonathan's hand was slowly, slowly, ever so slowly slipping from the column and begged his brother to take his hand or his life would bee lost but was only replied with a cruel, cold smile and Jonathan's reply that it was better to suffer a quick death than the fate that awaited his brother and his order "buddies" at his master's hands before slipping from the pedestal and down, down, down the battlements into the courtyard to his death, to Donovar's grief. Donovar remained on the battlements, tears streaming down his face and mixing with the drizzle of rain that had started. However, Donovar's grief was cut short by a explosion in the West Tower courtyard, causing him to remember that battle was still continuing, prompting him to return to battle and see to it that the Dark Lord was defeat and the many innocent children entrusted under his care were safe, stopping only to stare down at his brother's sprawled body one last time and mutter "fly straight and find your rest" whispering his hopes that his brother would find piece in the next life, before heading back to combat.
Donovar reached the hall just in time to witnessed the slaying of Bellatrix Lestrange at the hands of Molly, along with Harry Potter's final defeat of Lord Voldemort bringing about the end of the Second Wizarding War.
Later life (post 1998)[]
His bravery in the Battle of Hogwarts was well publicized and Crane was even offered to be placed in the First Class of the Order of Merlin, a position which he refused. After Minerva McGonagall was named Headmistress in 1998, Crane subsequently became the Deputy Headmaster in the same year. In 2004, Crane had the honour of having a portrait of himself placed in the Ravenclaw common room. Though he never got over Jonathan's death, Donovar later accepted that the Wizarding World could sleep safer now the monster that had consumed and murdered the brother he once loved was gone for good.
As of 2020, Crane still teached Illusion at Hogwarts, but he once stated that he would consider retirement at around 2050.
Physical appearance[]
Crane had been slight and short for his age as a boy. Nearing his thirties he has grown in length, but was still slender of build. Crane had sharp features, a small pointed beard on his chin, and dark hair with threads of grey running through it. He had laughing white eyes; however, Hermione Granger noted that when Crane laughed, his eyes did not. His breath was always fresh, smelling like mint, which he enjoyed chewing as a boy. As a result of his illness, Crane was required to drink a potion called Mens Defectii. One of the potion's side effects was that of accelerated pigment ageing. Because of this, Donovar's hair had prematurely greyed almost entirely by 1986, making him look older than he actually was.
As a boy, Crane was attacked by a werewolf, giving him large scars on his right arm. He was tall and sinewy, and had a surly disposition. He usually wore clean formal clothing and walked with a cane, due to his muscles not working correctly due to suffering the aforementioned illness during one of his lessons.
Crane's voice was spider-soft; he spoke softly and rarely raised his voice, forcing those who listened to do so intently. When he spoke silence often descended.
Personality and traits[]
Donovar Crane was an eccentric, self-absorbed, tyrannical taskmaster who held great regard for the safety of his students, co-workers and for muggles and wizards alike. He cared little for sentimentality or manners, not because he deliberately set out to be more like an old grumpy uncle, but rather because he saw little value in it. A fact that made many of his co-workers disgruntled.
He viewed gratitude as a tool for the weak and foolish but was not above rewarding those who performed their duties admirably. In fact the only thing that seemed to garner his attention was when efforts made were not wasted, believing that if a person failed, was because they simply did not try hard enough.
He almost never accepted responsibility for his own flaws and did not accept the limits of others. He would often blame them for anything that went wrong, yet was a profound genius at Transfiguration and many other magical fields, but he had a special skill with Illusion in general, being a spellcrafter himself. He was also a collector of magical artefacts.
Crane was unusually cold and distant to those he viewed as "simple acquaintances". He was naturally distrustful, and gaining his respect was challenging at best. Although it was said that Crane couldn't feel emotions, this was obviously not true. The truth being that he simply didn't publicly express his emotions, and Minerva McGonagall once noted that no one has ever successfully managed to get him emotional, angry, frustrated, or even happy. However, after Harry Potter asked Crane about his late wife, Jane, Donovar very nearly moved to tears, revealing that "the one fire that kept [his] old self alive" died with her, making him seemingly emotionless to the public. It is believed that the reason why Crane became so arrogant and self-absorbed was to make it easier for him to cope with the loss of his wife.
Though some viewed him with disdain, none could deny his mastery over the arcane was a trait that he had earned, entitling him to his arrogance.
Crane had a pet raven called Corvus, which he kept since he was a young boy. His favourite type of tea was Peachtree Fizzing.
Magical abilities and skills[]
- "That is where your part ends and mine begins; the work of the mind, sadly undervalued in Great Britain..."
- ―Donovar to Harry Potter[src]
Donovar was an accomplished and skillful wizard, with extensive knowledge of the mind and its inner workings, as well as the ability to properly impart practical and theoretical skills of defensive magic to others. He was also capable of transforming himself into a black raven, being an Animagus, although his most notable ability was that of the School of Illusion. He proved to be an excellent duellist, having become a Duelling Champion during his time at Hogwarts.
- Transfiguration: Donovar was exceptionally proficient in the art of Transfiguration, able to easily turn an entity into something else. Donovar himself was a registered Animagus who preferred to take on the form of a black raven. Donovar's skill at Transfiguration made him able to transform into an animal that could actually fly, a trait not easily learned by common Animagi. This also made him somewhat capable of Unsupported flight, albeit only in his Animagus form.
- Illusion: Donovar's most notable ability was that of the art of Illusion. He was considered to be a "Master of the Mind", able to successfully twist and bend the mind of anyone at will. This also made him a fairly unpredictable figure, since he would often rely on this ability to force his enemies to voluntarily turn themselves in, rather than resorting on violence to defeat them.
- Duelling: Donovar was an excellent duellist, and during his tenure at Hogwarts he was even granted the title of Duelling Champion. Being a former Auror, Donovar was not only a powerful duellist, but also an experienced one. Rufus Scrimgeour noted that Donovar was not so easily defeated in battle, and that the only one who could ever rival him in a duel would be Dumbledore himself.
- Defence Against the Dark Arts: Graduated at the top of his class during his O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. exams, Donovar was an accomplished and learned individual in the field of Defence Against the Dark Arts. His knowledge of the Dark Arts also aided him in the capture of many Dark wizards and witches during his time as Auror.
- Wandless magic: Although not a master, Crane was exceedingly proficient in wandless magic, although he admitted that it required him great strength to execute a more powerful spell. Despite this, Crane was able to cast elemental spells without the use of a wand.
- Non-verbal magic: Although his level of proficiency is unknown, Donovar was able to use Non-verbal magic.
- Charms: Donovar was powerful in his charms, able to rebuild an entire building using only minimal strength. He was also noted to be able to "open any door and free any mind", suggesting his proficiency in the Unlocking Charm.
- History of Magic: Crane had an extensive knowledge of magical history and lore, especially in the study of Runes and ancient magic. As a result, Crane was also a substitute teacher for other subjects at Hogwarts such as History of Magic, Study of Ancient Runes, and Ancient Studies.
- Dark Arts knowledge: Thanks to his Auror past, Donovar had an extensive knowledge in the Dark Arts, although he had refrained from ever practising it.
- Multilingualism: As an Auror Investigator, he occasionally travelled to many distinct locations, learning the local languages and developing a mastery for a multitude of them. He was fluent in English, French, German, Russian, Latin, Italian, and conversational in Mandarin, Spanish, and Dutch.
- Love: Though not as demonstrably learned in this branch of magic as his peer and colleague, Albus Dumbledore, Crane was still extremely knowledgeable and powerful in the nature of love. He was very close to his brother, Jonathan, and he noted that he developed a strong bond with his mother. His love for his brother was so strong, that after learning of his affiliation with the Death Eaters which forced him to send him to Azkaban, he quit the Auror Office altogether, and swore never to indulge himself in anything related to the Dark Arts ever again.
- Elemental magic mastery: Donovar was immensely accomplished in the manipulation of the elements, especially fire. He had mastered the fire elelment and could use and control Firestorm an advanced Fire element spell.
- Leadership skills: Donovar was an exceptionally effective leader, being able to take charge in any situation within minutes. In the upstart of the Battle of Hogwarts, Donovar took charge on west side of the school and secure it against Voldemort and his Death Eaters.
- Indomitable willpower: Donovar, had an extremely strong willpower and moral compass. When being personally inspected by the high-ranking Ministry of Magic official Dolores Umbridge during the latter's reign as High Inquisitor, Donovar refused to be intimidated and went so far as to stand up to the latter and mock her in defiance.
- Teaching skills: Being the Professor of Illusions at Hogwarts, Donovar was an extremely skilled and efficient teacher during his time in this position.
Possessions[]
- Wand: Crane purchased his wand from Ollivanders at the age of eleven before starting his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, like many other wizards in wizarding Great Britain. It is 14" long and comprised of Hawthorn wood with a core of dragon heartstring. The handle had a large bulge in the center, with five smaller bulges at each opposite sides. Crane likely carved the words "BARBA TENUS SAPIENTES" into the hilt of the wand, the motto of the House of Crane.
- Cane: After falling ill due to a faulty experiment during one his classes, Donovar contracted Flux Blight, an illness that affected his muscles, and subsequently gave him epileptic seizures. As a result, Crane was forced to use a cane to walk around, to prevent him from falling or slipping. His cane was created using mahogany wood, and had a holder depicting a raven, Crane's Animagus form. The cane was famously dubbed "the Crane Cane". Donovar's walking stick had magical capabilities and if he was ever deprived of his wand he would use his staff instead.
- Basilisk-skin Briefcase: During his time as an Auror, Crane had an encounter with a Basilisk. In the event, he killed the giant serpent and used his skin to create a rather expensive briefcase which he used to hold his personal things, mainly documents related to the subject he teached at school.
- Silver Dagger: Because of his rational fear of Werewolves, Crane carried with him his prized silver dagger which has been in his possession ever since he was young. Crane admitted that he never had to use it, but despite that he has always kept the weapon for safety measures.
- Bottle of Mens Defectii: Crane was known to occasionally drink Mens Defectii, a potion known to treat Flux Blight, a magical disease that affected Crane on a regular basis. The potion suppressed many of the disease's major symptoms, making it easier for Crane to cope with the ailment. It was rumoured, but not confirmed, that Crane had gained an addiction to the potion.
- Privite Journal: Donovar possesses a brown magical journal that he purchased in Diagon Alley before his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The journal was enchanted so that it would never run out of pages to write in. He used this journal during his years at Hogwarts and wrote down multiple notes, and spells that he would learn. He also wrote down the spells that he created within the journal. He would continue to use this book even during his tenure as an Auror and teacher.
- Locket: Donovar possesses an expensive locket made from Goblin-wrought silver that was presented to him by his father as a gift for his fifteenth birthday. It was a eagle to represent their house of Ravenclaw. This locket is highly sentimental to Donovar and he never goes anywhere without it. As it is made with Goblin-wrought silver it is nigh-indestructible and repels dirt and grime so that it never needs cleaning.
- Crane Family Ring: Donovar possesses a ring that was given to him as a baby. The ring was passed down to members of the Crane family for generations, starting with Claude's great great grandfather Olympio Crane. Eventually the ring would be given to Donovar's father, Hannibal, who after years of wearing it decided to put it in his will to give to Donovar when he died. The ring was carved with a eagle, the crest animal of the Crane family.
- Dress Robes: Donovar Crane owns a set of midnight-blue-and-green Dress Robes emblazoned with a pair of eagles and framed in silver, which he wears during special occasions, such as the Yule Ball.
- Sliver Arrow Broomstick: Donovar Crane owns a Silver Arrow Broomstick, which he used during his time as a member and later captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch Team. Donovar later used the broomstick in his carer of Auror, and, though he refused to use it after his wife's death, he kept it in reminiscence of his Auror days. He later used it as the Battle for Hogwarts commenced, flying across the battle to duel enemies in flight.
- House of Black and White: Donovar Crane is now the legitimate owner of the House of Black and White, the Crane Family manor, and all of its properties, including, but not limited to:
- Magical artifacts: Donovar became Keeper of Crane family's collection of magical artefacts, some of which are hundreds of years old. He is currently studying them and wrote some books about the different magical arts.
- Crane library: Donovar inherited his family's library, which consisted of around 50.000 books, some of which very rare if not nearly unique.
- Crane Manor pipe organ: This pipe organ was built by an Elf luthier for Olympio Charon Crane (fl. XVIII century) and was installed in the Crane Manor's North wing. It is unknown if Donovar learned to play it.
- The Collection of the Cranes: Over the centuries, the Crane family become enthusiastic collectors of rare and valuable objects, a trait that they inherited from their infamous pirate ancestors along with the sea raiders plundered wealth. The collection eventually expanded due to the Cranes marriages expanding the collection from the married families wealth to take up a entire tower of the House of Black and White, turning it into a museum of antiques, which included golden statues, gem-studded swords, weird glass shapes, antique clocks, stuffed birds and animals, magnificent silver, fabulous jewelry, music boxes, intricate clockwork toys, bejeweled goblets, silver armor, the skins of strange creatures, some with long spines, others with drooping wings, potions in jeweled flasks, skulls still wearing crowns, ropes of pearls, bulky silver armbands, sapphire-laden tiaras, exquisite furniture, shelves of ancient scrolls and books, embroidered rugs and tapestries, tiger's-eye bracelets, oddly shaped shells, the skulls of strange beasts, brass gongs, painted fans and masks, unique oil paintings, diamond-tipped spears, wooden statues of fairies and nymphs, antique medieval weapons, gorgeous silver cups with seahorses galloping delicately around them and many other of the curios from across the world.
- Crane poisons: Donovar inherited his father's collection of rare and dangerous poisons. Using his Potions skills, he studied the collection and invented antidotes to some of them, refining some of the already existing ones.
- Old Man Willow: This giant and ancient tree has been bewitched by members of the Crane family, giving the tree legs to walk, and a voice to speak.
- Crane Vault: Being the oldest of the Crane family, Donovar inherited a good number of the family fortune, including the key to the Crane Family's Gringott Vault (which he shares with his brother Augustus and sister Lucretia). Despite not being included in the Sacred Twenty-Eight, the Crane Vault was among the most well-defended vaults in the wizarding bank, employing the same defenses as the Blacks' and Lestranges' Vaults. The vault contains a vast piles of coins, as well as piles of emeralds and rubies and part of the Crane collection that include objects already existing in the collection.
- Crane Manor: Along with the Crane's main mansion: the House of Black and White, Donovar also inherited the Crane's sprawling sunlit summer manor that overlooked the moors and lakes near Godric's Hollow.
- Sneakoscope: Similar to Alastor Moody's Sneakoscope, Donovar Crane's Sneakoscope was large and, when questioned about it, Donovar said that he disabled it because it was constantly spinning and whistling due to the large number of students who were practising untrustworthy behaviour in the vicinity.
- Invisibility cloaks: Donovar possessed an invisibility cloak, which he enchanted to deflect spells and disguise as a common travelling cloak. Donovar used these cloaks in his carer of Auror, and, though he refused to use it after his wife's death, he kept it in reminiscence of his Auror days and lent it to Order members during the Second Wizarding War.
- Magical trunk: Donovar possessed a magical trunk, with seven compartments, along with the keys for each compartment. Each compartment held a different contents that would reveal themselves only when the trunk was unlocked by their respect compartment's key. One compartment contained a mass of spell books and other manuals. Another contained an assortment of broken Sneakscopes, some parchment and quills and a silvery Invisibility Cloak, while a third acts as a clothes cupboard, filled with a mix of wizard robes and muggle clothes, trenchcoats and hats, as well as a mixture of disguises and disguised Auror equipment and a fourth was filled with hundreds of vials and potion flasks, filled with different potions and surrounding a cauldron sitting upon a magical fireplace. The fifth compartment holds a variety of delicate looking silver instruments that whirred and emitted small puffs of smoke and the third holds a collection of Crane family relics, including the Staff of Morgan le Fay (a member of the Crane Family) and the Sword of Lord Ivornamin Crane. The seventh and final compartment is ever changing, as, while it normally shifts into the form of a cozy study, filled with a number of number of spindly tables upon which sat flasks and glass pipes that Donovar used to perform his magical experiments, as well as an incredible collection of books, which made up Donovar's private library, his Pensieve, three comfortable armchairs surrounding a warm fireplace above which sits a picture of Donovar and Crane, an enormous world globe showing various magical locations and a cupboard containing various foods and drinks. However, when Donovar wills it, the office will shift into a ten feet deep cell to imprison an enemy.
- Foe-Glass: Donovar's Foe-Glass showed the images of foes when they approached him.
- Secrecy Sensor: Donovar's Secrecy sensor would detect secrets and lies.
- Chocolate Frog Cards: Donovar was an avid collector and had a full collection of Chocolate Frog Cards framed in small, metal frames.
- Photo album: This leather-bound album contained pictures of Donovar's parents, siblings, friends, and himself.
- Enchanted knife: This magical knife, with the power to open most mechanical locks and magical seals, very similar to the Enchanted knife owned by Harry. Donovar received this dagger on his 11th Christmas from his father.
- Luxury eagle-feather quill: Though Donovar usually used a common quill, when signing exams, he instead uses a quill made from the feather of an eagle.
- Schoolbag: A schoolbag was used by Donovar Crane to carry around textbooks, quills, and other items throughout his six years attending Hogwarts. He would later convert it into bag that he would use to carry equipment.
- Silver Watch: As was the custom of the Wizarding World, when Donovar turned seventeen, his mother presented him with a watch that, instead of arms, possessed stars.
- Practical Defensive Magic and Its Use Against the Dark Arts: Donovar possessed a full series of the book, gifted to him by one of his old friends, Professor Penrose, as a birthday gift. The novels were well illustrated, possessing moving colour pictures of all the counter-jinxes and hexes it described.
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Donovar owned a copy of this book, as was mandatory for any student of Hogwarts studying Care of Magical Creatures.
- Danish Ragnarök Dragon Model: Donovar owns a living model of a Danish Ragnarök, which acts both as a pet and help in his classes. He kept twp miniature dragon habitats, one in his quarters, one in his classroom.
- Shadow: Donovar owns a black-and-white Border Shepard dog named Shadow. Shadow was born to Amethyst, a dog belonging to Trobar, an old friend of Donovar's, who offered Donovar a pick of Amethyst's clutch of puppies. Shadow became a welcome part of Donovar's day-to-day life, acting as a pet of Donovar and Jane before Jane's death and Donovar's constant companion. She is a common sight in Donovar's class and is trained in stealth, tracking and sight language commands, as well as being specially trained to fetch any object Donovar shows her a picture of.
Relationships[]
- "I suppose... Her name was Jane. Muggle-born. Not the kind of girl my father would expect I'd bring home with me. "Cranes don't act like fools, we must uphold our legacy", all that nonsense. Sometimes, she would read me her favourite poetry. Invictus, by Henley -- The Charge of the Light Brigade, by Tennyson. They were muggles, too. She had such a beautiful voice. But then, then... he took her from me. My own flesh and blood. My brother... and I had to watch, as they took him away too, to Azkaban. This, mister Potter, is why I prefer not to speak about these... sensitive... matters. It does not do well to dwell on past ghosts. It corrupts the mind, as I have learned the hard way."
- ―Crane on his wife, Jane Westerling to Harry Potter.[src]
Family[]
Crane family[]
Despite a tumultuous relationship with his parents, Donovar cared deeply for all of his family members, even those not descended from House Crane's main line. Although Crane would often act cold or sarcastic when around members of his family, deep down he loved them very much, as he once stated that his apparent coldness was because of his goal to keep his family safe at all costs, and therefore he had no desire for pleasantries.
Hannibal Crane[]
Donovar's relationship with his father was initially very strained. Hannibal was a noted pure-blood supremacist, an ideology Donovar did not share with him. Despite their beliefs being vastly different, Donovar loved his father very much and although Hannibal had difficulty accepting Donovar's marriage with Jane Westerling, a muggle-born witch, he never stopped loving and caring about his son, and actually showed sympathy when Jane was murdered, possibly showing that Hannibal discarded his supremacist beliefs because of his son and his daughter-in-law.