Eloise Midgen

Eloise Midgen
Biographical information
Born	c. Pre 1985 Great Britain or Ireland
Physical information
Species	Human
Gender	Female
Skin colour	Light (bad case of acne)
Family information
Family members	Mr. Midgen (father)
Affiliation
House	Gryffindor
Loyalty	Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Gryffindor Midgen family

Ron Weasley: "I'd rather go alone than with — with Eloise Midgen, say."

Hermione Granger: "Her acne's loads better lately — and she's really nice!"

Ron Weasley: "Her nose is off-centre."

— Ron and Hermione discussing the Yule Ball

Eloise Midgen (also spelled "Midgeon") was a Gryffindor student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry during the 1990s.

Biography

Hogwarts years

In 1994, because she had bad acne, Eloise tried using a curse to get rid of her pimples, but ended up needing to have her nose reattached by Madam Poppy Pomfrey. The incident left her nose permanently off-centre, but her acne did start to clear, at least for a while. Hermione Granger assured Ron Weasley that Eloise was a very nice person when he balked at the idea of taking her to the Yule Ball. Ron only wanted a good-looking girl, and refused to consider going with her.

The following year, Hermione warned that anyone who snitched after signing up for Dumbledore's Army would be struck with a jinx that would make Eloise's acne seem like "a couple of cute freckles".

Eloise was withdrawn from Hogwarts by her father, in early September, 1996, as the public's fear about the threat posed by Lord Voldemort's return mounted.

Behind the scenes

• Eloise Midgen appeared briefly in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. In the scene, Professor McGonagall teaches the Gryffindors to dance for the Yule Ball. She tells them, "Inside every girl, a secret swan slumbers, longing to burst forth and take flight." At this, Ron Weasley looks across the room, sees Eloise shifting about uncomfortably, and quips to Seamus Finnigan, "Something's about to burst out of Eloise Midgen, but I don't think it's a swan."
• She is played by Samantha Clinch in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film).
• Eloise's House is never revealed in the books. Although presented as a Gryffindor in the Goblet of Fire film, she is widely believed by fans to have been in Hufflepuff, due to the familiarity with which Hannah Abbott referred to her in the Goblet of Fire novel. Pomona Sprout, the Head of Hufflepuff, called Eloise a "silly girl" for trying to curse away her acne, recalling a comment made by Sprout about the inability of one confirmed Hufflepuff, Nymphadora Tonks, to behave herself.
• Eloise is often used as a humour point for acne, which is the only notable thing about her.

Etymology

The name "Eloise" comes from the Old French name Héloïse, which is probably from the Germanic name Helewidis, composed of the elements heil "hale, healthy" and wid "wide". It is sometimes associated with the Greek word ‘ηλιος (helios) "sun" or the name Louise, though there is not likely an etymological connection. This name was borne in the 12th century by Saint Eloise, the wife of the French theologian Peter Abelard. She became a nun after her husband was castrated by her uncle.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film) (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Mentioned only)