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:
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).
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 disasterously. 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.
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. They also woke up in the Hospital Wing after the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, but had the additional company of Luna, Ginny, and Neville.
After Minerva McGonagall was hit by four stunning spells to the chest by Aurors working for Dolores Umbridge when she was Headmistress and High Inquisitor in 1996, Madam Pomfrey said she would resign in protest, if she weren't afraid of what would become of the students without her. Ron also imitated clopping sounds causing Dolores Umbridge in the bed in front of them to jump, due to her run-in with the Centaurs.
Madam Pomfrey is seen in the Battle of Hogwarts helping Firenze the centaur and other wounded comrades. Madam Pomfrey survived the battle and returned to being the Hogwarts nurse.
Madam Pomfrey apparently had a very high level of understanding in Medical Charms, as she could mend broken bones 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.
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.
Behind the scenes
- Madam Pomfrey did not appear in the film adaption of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, but does appear in the film adaption of the Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, where she is played by Gemma Jones.