Romilda Vane

"You'd think people had better things to gossip about. Three Dementor attacks in a week, and all Romilda Vane does is ask me if it's true you've got a hippogriff tattooed across your chest."

- Ginny Weasley talking about Romilda

Romilda Vane (born c.1981 – 1982) was a Gryffindor student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry who started her education in 1993. In 1996 she developed an obsessive crush on her fellow Gryffindor Harry Potter, "The Boy Who Lived" and "Chosen One". In 1997 she became a signed member of Dumbledore's Army and fought in the Battle of Hogwarts in 1998.

It is unknown if she survived the final battle of the Second Wizarding War, but it can be assumed she did as she was not mentioned amongst the casualties.

Early life
Romilda was born in Great Britain or Ireland in 1981 - 1982 into the Vane family.

Hogwarts years
Romilda Vane attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 1993 and was sorted into Gryffindor house.

Fourth year


Romilda started her fourth year at Hogwarts in 1996. She was among the majority of the wizarding population who believed Harry Potter to be the "Chosen One" destined to destroy Lord Voldemort, and became attracted to him.

Romilda was part of a group of giggling fourth-year girls who went to Harry's compartment on the Hogwarts Express. They stood outside for a while, arguing about who should go in and invite Harry to sit with them. Romilda was the only one brave enough, remarking he didn't have to sit with the unpopular Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom. Harry, having fought alongside the pair during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries and considering Neville and Luna his friends, coldly denied her request, leaving Romilda very surprised when she departed with her friends. This made Luna and Neville think that they were uncool and maybe unworthy of sitting with the famous Harry Potter.

She also tried out for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. When she and her group of friends were asked to fly once around the pitch, they simply fell over one another and giggled. Harry quickly asked them to leave; they left the pitch, but remained in the stadium to heckle the other applicants.

During Christmas of that year, when Harry was invited to Professor Slughorn's lavish Christmas party, Romilda plotted with her friends in the girls' bathroom to somehow give Harry a love potion from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, which would make him ask one of them to be his guest to the party. Hermione Granger overheard this, and warned Harry. When he returned to the common room, Romilda initially tried to give Harry gillywater, but he refused. Instead, she forced a package of Chocolate Cauldrons, both of which were spiked with love potion, into his hands. She also made hints about wanting to go to the party with him, which Harry ignored.

Harry proceeded to stow the love potion-spiked Chocolate Cauldrons away in his trunk until March, when, while he was looking for the Marauder's Map, he tossed them on the floor. Ron Weasley, believing they were one of his birthday presents that had fallen off his bed, picked them up and ate them. Ron suddenly became obsessively infatuated with Romilda, to the point that he declared his love for her in front of Harry, then punched him when the former asked if it was a joke, and attempted to wrestle his way into Slughorn's office, believing she was in there. This led to Horace Slughorn giving Ron an antidote. Believing it was a "tonic for the nerves," Ron drank it and the potion's effects ceased. Soon afterward, he was poisoned by a bottle of oak matured mead that was meant for Albus Dumbledore.

When Harry publicly kissed Ginny Weasley after a Quidditch victory, Romilda looked as if she wanted to throw something. However, when the two subsequently began dating, Romilda gave up her efforts to win Harry's heart. She was nonetheless incessantly curious about their relationship and bombarded Ginny with questions, such as if Harry had a tattoo of a hippogriff on his chest.

Fifth year
In her fifth year Romilda was present on the Hogwarts Express on the 1 September, 1997 when Death Eaters stormed the train in search of Harry Potter. When Death Eaters gained control of Hogwarts she became a member of Dumbledore's Army, an organisation founded by the trio that fought tyranny within the school. They were a hardcore group of students dedicated to making things as difficult as possible for Death Eater professors Alecto and Amycus Carrow, as well as Headmaster Severus Snape.

In 1998, when Harry Potter returned to the school, the Battle of Hogwarts broke out, which Romilda fought in along side her fellow D.A. members.

Physical appearance
Romilda has large, dark eyes, long, curly black hair, dark skin, and a prominent chin. She is described as having an air of extreme boldness about her and often spoke in a loud, dramatic voice.

Personality and traits
"Why don't you join us in our compartment? You don't have to sit with them."

- Romilda invites Harry Potter to ditch Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood

Like Cormac McLaggen, Romilda seems to be representative of the stereotypical aspects of Gryffindor house, as she was pushy, conceited, and overly self-confident. She could also be sneaky and manipulative, as was evidenced by the lengths to which she was willing to go in her obsessive, single-minded pursuit of Harry Potter. However, she did apparently stop trying to win him over when he began dating Ginny Weasley. Her character was also marked by a tendency toward gossip and cliquish snobbery. She seemed to be the leader of her clique and was possibly the boldest among her friends, being the only one to attempt use a Love Potion on a boy.

Harry Potter once pointed out the similarities between himself and Lord Voldemort. Incidentally, the Love Potion that Romilda attempted to use on him was likely the same method that Voldemort's mother used to trick his father into marrying her. In addition, Romilda's obsession with Harry was vaguely similar to the obsessive love that one of Voldemort's Death Eaters (Bellatrix Lestrange) had for him. Romilda differed from Bellatrix in that she easily gave up her pursuit of Harry after he became involved with Ginny. Bellatrix was determined to do anything that might impress Voldemort, even kill her niece.

Etymology
Romilda is derived from the Germanic hrom, "fame" and hild, "battle." This may allude to Romilda's aggressive personality. The surname Vane is likely a play on the adjective vain, meaning "excessively proud of or concerned about one's own appearance, qualities, achievements," given Romilda's character traits.

Behind the scenes

 * Romilda Vane was played by actress Anna Shaffer in and the film adaptation of . Also in the film adaptations, Romilda is a sixth year instead of a fourth year.


 * In the first part film adaptation of, Romilda can be briefly seen on the Hogwarts Express sitting next to Leanne, Lavender Brown, and Cormac McLaggen.
 * In Romilda participates in the Battle of Hogwarts. However, in the novel's canon, she would have only been a fifth year at the time (though in movie canon she would have been a seventh year), and if she had been at Hogwarts she would have been sent away before the battle with the other underage students, although she could have come back like Colin Creevey.
 * In the Half-Blood Prince film, it appears that Harry is flattered by Romilda's interest in him, until Hermione reminds him that Romilda is only interested in him because she, like most of the wizarding world, believes him to be the "Chosen One", to which he replies "but I am the Chosen One." Then Hermione swats him with a copy of the Daily Prophet. This contrasts the book, in which Harry dislikes, and is disconcerted by, Romilda's attention from the start.
 * In the film adaptation of Deathly Hallows she survived the battle. After the camera is on Dean, Seamus and Aberforth, on the right one can see Katie, Leanne and Romilda talking.
 * Nothing is known about her personality in the films because she has no lines in any films she appears in. She appears to be much less obnoxious than in the book.
 * In, Romilda is omitted from the console versions of the game. Due to this, Ron, after consuming the Love Potion, is made to fall in love not with her, but anyone or anything he first sees.

Notes and references
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