Poppy Pomfrey

From Harry Potter Wiki

Poppy Pomfrey

Biographical information
Blood status	Probably pure-blood or Half-blood
Title(s)	Madam
Physical description
Species	Human
Gender	Female
Height	Unknown
Hair colour	Brown with specks of grey
Eye colour	Brown
Skin colour	White
Wand	Black coloured , seen only in movies
Affiliation
Occupation	Nurse and Matron at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
House	Unknown
Loyalty	Hogwarts School Hospital Wing
.

Poppy Pomfrey is the Matron and nurse in charge of the Hospital wing at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and is depicted as a stern and professional woman who takes her chosen path quite seriously. She is apparently on cordial terms with Professor Minerva McGonagall, who calls her by her first name. She was already the school nurse when Harry's parents were students, as she is mentioned as escorting Remus Lupin out to the Whomping Willow, the entrance to the Shrieking Shack, in order for him to transform. Severus Snape sees the two of them walking out on the school grounds, and decides to follow them, causing Sirius Black to play a near-fatal prank on Snape.

Due to their knack at getting involved in things over their heads, Harry Potter and his friends ended up in Pomfrey's care relatively often while they were students.

[edit] Biography

[edit] 1991-1992

In 1991, Ron went to Madam Pomfrey after being bitten by the dragon Norbert. Ron told her that he had been bitten by a dog, but Madam Pomfrey still had doubts it was a dog that bit Ron due to the unusual color of purple, green, and black, but in the end she dropped the subject and continued to aid him.

After Harry fought Professor Quirrell in the Hogwarts dungeons, he spent three days unconscious in the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey was reluctant for Harry to have visitors (particularly Ron and Hermione).

[edit] 1992-1993

Madam Pomfrey with the petrified Hermione

In 1992, Madam Pomfrey used Skele-Gro to regrow the bones in Harry's arm after Gilderoy Lockhart's attempt to fix a broken bone failed disastrously. In the same year, Hermione ended up in the hospital wing for a month after an accident in unauthorised high-level potion-making (Polyjuice Potion) left her half-feline; apparently the group felt comfortable letting her treat Hermione as she was known for not asking many questions about such incidents.

[edit] 1993-1994

In 1994 Harry, Ron, and Hermione woke up there after Ron broke his leg, and Harry and Hermione passed out from the Dementor attack along with Sirius Black.

Madam Pomfrey raises her wand, following Albus Dumbledore's death in 1997

[edit] 1994-1995

When several students, including Fred and George Weasley, S. Fawcett and Summers "decided to age themselves up a little" in order to be eligible to enter the 1994 Triwizard Tournament, Madam Pomfrey had to remove the beards which they had grown in attempting to cross Dumbledore's Age Line.

"Last year dementors, this year dragons, what are they going to bring into this school next?"

—Madam Pomfrey complains about the Triwizard Tournament^[src]

During the same school year, Madam Pomfrey tended to the injuries that the four Triwizard Champions received during the course of the tournament.

[edit] 1995-1996

In 1996, Minerva McGonagall was hit by four stunning spells to the chest by Aurors working for Dolores Umbridge when she was Headmistress and High Inquisitor. Madam Pomfrey said she would resign in protest, if she weren't afraid of what would become of the students without her. She subsequently helped treat the group to recover from the assorted injuries they'd sustained during the battle in the Department of Mysteries.

[edit] Magical abilities and healing skills

Madam Pomfrey

Madam Pomfrey is very likely to have undergone Healer training as she had a very high level of understanding in Medical Charms, and could mend broken bones in a few hours and relatively moderate injuries in an instant. Remus Lupin, who is rather powerful himself, had once stated that he could never heal bones like Madam Pomfrey, although that may be due him having far less training in healing spells.

However, she seems to have her limits, as she was unable to heal a heavily stunned Professor McGonagall, a cursed Katie Bell, and a lycanthropy infected Bill Weasley (although werewolf infections are usually not curable). The first two patients were transferred to St. Mungo's instead. It is possible that Healer training, like Medical studies, has different levels of specialization and that Madam Pomfrey is the equivalent of a GP while Healers at St. Mungo's are more specialised.

[edit] Etymology

Poppy juice was used as a pain reliever in Medieval times; opium is also made poppy sap.

Pomfrey sounds like comfrey, a plant in the borage family which can be made into a soothing salve.

[edit] Behind the scenes

Madam Pomfrey appeared in the film adaptations of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, where she is played by Gemma Jones.

[edit] Appearances