Lily Potter (née Evans) was a Muggle-born witch. She was the mother of Harry Potter, and was known to be quite skilled at Potions; she may also have had some skill at Charms since, according to Ollivander, her wand was "good for Charm work." During the First War, she and her husband, James Potter were members of the Order of the Phoenix, and were murdered by Lord Voldemort on October 31, 1981.
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Physical Description
Lily was considered very pretty, with almond-shaped green eyes, which her son inherited. She had dark red hair. Her appearance was simliar to Ginny Weasley's, whom her son Harry eventually married.
History
Early Life
Lily was born to the Muggle Evans family; she had an older sister named Petunia. Her parents were proud of her the day she got her letter inviting her to attend school at Hogwarts. Petunia, however, out of jealousy, considered her to be a freak. At an early age, Lily was friends with Severus Snape, who fell in love with her.
- Lily: "I’m not a freak. That’s a horrible thing to say."
- Petunia: "That’s where you’re going. A special school for freaks. You and that Snape boy…weirdos, that’s what you two are. It’s good that you’re being separated from normal people. It’s for our safety."
- Lily: "You didn’t think it was such a freak’s school when you wrote the headmaster and begged him to take you."
- — Lily and Petunia before Lily departs for her first year at Hogwarts[src]
Her wand was 10¼", of a swishy willow.
Time at Hogwarts
At the age of eleven, she attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where she was sorted into Gryffindor house. She became quite skilled at Potions and perhaps Charms, attracting the attention of Professor Slughorn who made her a member of his Slug Club. In her seventh year, she became Head Girl.
In her fifth year, Lily vocally stood up for her then-best friend, Severus Snape, when he was being bullied by James Potter, whom she appeared to consider to be an arrogant bully. She had addressed James by his surname and attempted to stop his bullying until Snape called her a "Mudblood". This subsequently led to a falling out and parting of ways between Lily and Snape. Harry would later witness this scene twice via a pensieve, as well as other scenes depicting his mother's long friendship with Snape.
Harry seeing his mother during her youth by means of a memory from Severus Snape stored in a Pensieve
- Severus Snape: "I never meant to call you Mudblood, it just-"
- Lily: "Slipped out? It’s too late. I’ve made excuses for you for years. None of my friends can understand why I even talk to you. You and your precious little Death Eater friends – you see, you don’t even deny it! You don’t even deny that’s what you’re all aiming to be! You can’t wait to join You-Know-Who, can you? I can’t pretend anymore. You’ve chosen your way, I’ve chosen mine."
- — The end of Lily’s friendship with Severus Snape[src]
Also during their fifth year, James tried to ask her out, but she refused, considering him an "arrogant toerag". James's best friend, Sirius Black, later commented that James could not resist showing off and making a fool of himself whenever she was around. She did not, however, hate James; they had just got off on the wrong foot.
Eventually in their seventh year, Lily and James began dating.
First War
Sometime between the winter of 1978 and the summer of 1979 Lily and James married. Their son, Harry, was born on July 31 in 1980. They both became Aurors after leaving school. During the First War, they defied Lord Voldemort on at least three different occasions, and were members of the Order of the Phoenix. The Potters went into hiding with their infant son and kept in touch with Sirius Black with letters. In one letter, Lily mentioned that the family had a feline companion and relayed a story about Harry flying on a toy broomstick, which was a present from Black.
When Sybill Trelawney made a prophecy concerning the downfall of the Dark Lord Voldemort, Snape overheard part of the prophecy and reported what he knew to Voldemort, who then went after the Potters. However, Snape warned Dumbledore of the Dark Lord's plans, and the headmaster then advised the family to go into hiding. They complied, putting the Fidelius Charm on their home in Godric's Hollow. However, their Secret-Keeper, Peter Pettigrew, one of James' best friends at Hogwarts, betrayed them by telling Voldemort of their whereabouts.
Lily's death at the hands of Voldemort on the night of October 31st 1981
- Lily: "Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead-"
- Lord Voldemort: "This is my last warning-"
- Lily: "Not Harry! Please…have mercy…have mercy… Not Harry! Not Harry! Please – I’ll do anything…"
- — Lily Potter right before her murder[src]
On October 31 in 1981, Voldemort entered their home. James told Lily to take Harry and leave while he held him off. However, James was killed before Lily and Harry could escape the house. Trapping mother and son in Harry's nursery, Voldemort, honoring Snape's request, offered Lily a chance to step aside. She steadfastly refused to stop shielding her son, though, and Voldemort killed her. However, because of Lily's sacrifice, Harry was marked with the protection of her love, and Voldemort's Killing Curse rebounded off of the toddler, destroying the Dark Lord's body and temporarily defeating him.
After Death
However, that would not be the last Harry would see of Lily. During his first year at Hogwarts, he stumbled upon The Mirror of Erised and saw his mother and father beside him. In his third year, whenever he encountered a Dementor he was forced to relive his parents' deaths. In his fourth year while dueling with Voldemort in the Little Hangleton Graveyard, they experienced Priori Incantatem and shades of his mother and father (as well as others Voldemort’s wand had killed) came out of Voldemort's wand to help Harry in his escape. In his Fifth year, he entered Snape's memory of being bullied by James via the use of Pensieve and saw his mother standing up for Snape. In his Seventh Year, he relived that same memory of Snape's, as well as many others containing his mother. Finally, during the final battle when Harry believed himself to be walking to his own death, he used the Resurrection Stone to bring back an image of Lily (as well as James, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin).
Personality
Lily was known for being a very kind and gifted witch. She was an excellent student, becoming Head Girl in her final year at Hogwarts, and a favourite of Professor Horace Slughorn, indicating her intelligence and talent with magic. She had a habit of seeing the best in others even when they could not see it themselves, often sticking up for those others criticized, such as Severus Snape. However, when Lily could no longer tolerate Snape's increasing involvement in the Dark Arts, she ended the friendship, sticking to her principles. She and her husband were also brave and self-sacrificing, defying Voldemort three times as members of the Order of the Phoenix and dying to protect their son.
Behind the scenes
- In the films, Geraldine Somerville plays Lily as an adult, and Susie Shinner plays her as a teenager. J.K. Rowling was asked to play Lily in the Mirror of Erised scene of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film), but she refused the part because she said that she was "not cut out to be an actress because she'd mess-up somehow."
- In the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban film, Remus Lupin mentions that Lily had been there for him at a time when no one else was. This statement may or may not be canon, as the books never imply that Lily knew Lupin well until after she started dating James.
- J.K. Rowling mentioned that there was a "Potter Curse" that stated all Potter men are attracted to red-heads. James is attracted to Lily, while Harry is attracted to Ginny.[citation needed]
Appearances
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Appears as a ghost or a spirit)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Appears in flashback(s))
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Appears in flashback(s)) (Appears as a ghost or a spirit)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Appears in flashback(s))
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Appears in flashback(s)) (Appears as a ghost or a spirit)