Frank Bryce

Harry Potter character
Eric Sykes as Frank Bryce in Harry Potter Books
FrankBryce
Gender	Male
Hair Colour	Grey
Eye Colour	Unknown
School	Unknown
Parentage	Muggle
Loyalty	The Riddle family
Film Portrayer	Eric Sykes
First Appearance	Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Frank Bryce (1917-1994) is a fictional character in the Harry
Potter universe.

Bryce was a reclusive caretaker of the Riddle family mansion in
Little Hangleton. He oversaw the day to day
activities involved in maintaining the grounds, especially the
lawn. In 1944
he was arrested and charged with murdering the Riddle Family.

The character is portrayed by Eric Sykes
in the 2005 film version.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or
ending details follow.

In reality, the Riddles, and their son Tom, were murdered by Tom
Marvolo Riddle, later to become Lord Voldemort. The muggle community
could not make sense of the Riddle family's deaths, as their bodies
were unmarked. Since Bryce was close at hand at the time of the
killings, he was the easiest suspect.

Charges against Bryce were eventually dropped because of a lack
of evidence. The nature of the killing curse, Avada Kedavra, which it is presumed Tom
Marvolo Riddle used to kill his grandparents and father, made it so
that no sign of damage existed on the victims. Since the
prosecution couldn't prove the Riddles had been murdered, Bryce was
allowed to go free.

The community of Little Hangleton still believed Bryce to be
guilty. As a result, he lived out the rest of his life as a pariah,
isolated and living on the grounds of the Riddle's estate.

In 1994
Voldemort secretly returned to the Riddle home. Bryce discovered
Voldemort and overheard his plan to kill Harry Potter, but was discovered by
the snake Nagini and revealed to Lord Voldemort, who killed him
almost immediately. He would appear once more in the same book
(Harry Potter and the Goblet
of Fire), during Harry and Voldemort's graveyard duel.
"Priori Incantatem," also
known as the reverse spell effect, brought back an image of Bryce
from the tip of Voldemort's wand. Upon appearing, Bryce's spirit
encouraged Harry to keep fighting.

Dumbledore states his belief in Harry Potter and the
Half-Blood Prince that the murder of Frank Bryce was used
to create Voldemort's final (sixth) horcrux.

It is also stated that Frank Bryce fought in World War II.