The Heartbreaking Reason This Harry Potter Character Is Only in One Movie

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Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Image by Jefferson Chacon

With a franchise as large as the Harry Potter series, there are bound to be many background characters seen in the Wizarding World. Whether given time to shine in their own scenes like Colin Creevy (Hugh Mitchell), mentioned in passing like Charlie Weasley, or seen in the background like Susan Bones (Eleanor Columbus), the Harry Potter world is full of colorful characters adapted from the books to the films. Though they may not be Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Severus Snape (Alan Rickman), or Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane), there are minor characters that have left a lasting impression on the scene they were in. Marcus Welby is no different.

The 'Harry Potter' Actor Has an Incredible and Tragic Story

Robert Knox as Marcus Welby in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince at the Slug Club dinner.

While enjoying a night out, Robert Knox was stabbed to death, trying to protect his brother from the attacker. His death made headlines in the UK news in 2008 due to his role in the sixth Harry Potter film, raising awareness of knife crimes in the UK. As an actor in such a well-known film series, even though he played a small role, the use of the Harry Potter name allowed for more attention to the tragedy that knife crimes bring to communities all over the UK. In 2021, a documentary telling his story was released, titled (K)nox: The Rob Knox Story, to ensure his memory is never extinguished and to continue shedding light on the heartbreaking nature of knife crime. The documentary itself is a story of grief, relayed through home videos of Knox as a child and fond memories told through friends and family, including those involved with the Harry Potter franchise.

The documentary is a powerful story that starts with stories from childhood, with his family and friends reflecting on his playful spirit and his love for entertaining others. It then shifts to Knox's career as an actor, with previous castmates like Tom Felton, who plays Draco Malfoy, speaking about their time working with Knox on Harry Potter. The third part of the film moves to the tragic end of his life and the work his loved ones have done to honor not only his name but the names of those who sadly fell victim to knife crime in the UK. As the film closes, it makes sure to highlight that from Rob's death in 2008 to the release of the documentary in 2021, there have been 2,972 individuals who lost their lives to knife crime in the UK. A horrifying number, where many did not get the same treatment as Knox did due to his attachment to Harry Potter.

A custom image of Ginny and Molly Weasley with Bellatrix Lestrange in the middle, with burning trees in the background

The Slug Club dinner scene in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

(K)nox is sure to emphasize the importance the Harry Potter name has to Robert's story, especially during the portion of the doc that focuses on his time on the Harry Potter set. Tom Felton shares that he and Knox became close on the set, and notes that Knox and the other teens would "muck about," as any group of teenagers would. Felton recalls Rob as a playful and funny guy, and that when he heard the news of what happened to Robert, he was stunned "beyond belief" because nothing like that had ever happened to a friend or coworker of his before. He says it was "distressing," especially since Rob had not seemed like the kind to be getting into physical altercations with knives at play.

David Yates, director of several Harry Potter films––including The Half-Blood Prince––speaks fondly of working on the dinner scene with Knox, where he says that despite making him eat a lot of pudding, Robert was patient and "such a trouper," as he wanted to make sure the scene was perfect. And though Yates made him eat bowl after bowl of pudding, Knox's hard work paid off because it truly provided such a light and humorous moment in the film, something that added brightness to the dark themes of The Half-Blood Prince. Yates even points out that the conversation between Marcus Belby and Professor Slughorn at the Slug Club dinner is one of his favorite scenes in the film. Jim Broadbent comments on how competent Knox was as an actor, ignoring the advice Broadbent gave on pacing himself with the pudding for the sake of the comedy of the scene. Broadbent says "thankfully" he didn't listen, as the scene ended up being perfect.

The Rob Knox Foundation Keeps His Memory Alive

The documentary does not shy away from how lucky Knox was to have been attached to the Harry Potter films, otherwise, his story would only have been a short article in the paper or have become just another statistic. Due to Harry Potter's popularity, Knox's story was not limited to a local audience but reached the mainstream media. With the help of the franchise name, Robert's family was able to launch The Rob Knox Foundation to raise awareness and educate young people on the horror of street crime, especially knife crime. The foundation also helps young actors get a start in the acting world, giving them a place to polish their skills and abilities before pursuing a career in theater, film, or television. The foundation holds its own film festival every year in honor of Knox, hoping to platform smaller and new talent in the industry while raising awareness of knife crime and other street crimes. Since acting was such an important part of Robert Knox's life, and something he loved dearly, the film festival aims to help upcoming filmmakers and actors find their big break, something that Knox would no doubt be proud of today.

Robert Knox had so much to share with the world, as a talented young man and a joyful spirit. His tragic murder may have been the end of his life, but not the end of his legacy. A promising actor with a full career ahead of him, jump-started by his role in the most famous franchise at the time, Harry Potter, or even just a brave boy with an immense amount of love and protectiveness for his family, Robert Knox's name will live on through both the Potter films and the foundation. His story will not go untold, and his family's fight to put an end to knife crime will echo through all the many ways The Rob Knox Foundation has worked to educate and bring attention to the tragedies these crimes bring on.

Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince is available on Peacock in the U.S.

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