Giffard Abbott

"Pass, friend to Hufflepuff!"

- Giffard Abbot

Giffard Abbot was a wizard. There are portraits of him hanging in Hogwarts Castle. He had a pet dog. He seemed to have access to a source of food, because Damara Dodderidge frequently asked him if he had any to give her.

Early life
Giffard may have attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and was probably Sorted into Hufflepuff.

1992-1993 school year
In early 1993, Giffard had a portrait at the Grand Staircase, hung immediately below the first-floor landing. As it was placed in an inaccessible place, it is unlikely he guarded any shortcut to another part of the school.

1995-1996 school year
One of his portraits was hanging at the Grand Staircase, guarding the shortcut to the Transfiguration Courtyard, under the password "Dragon's Egg". There was another set of portraits of him, hiding another hidden passageway between the Clock Tower and the corridor outside the Library; the password needed to gain acess to this shortcut was "Tempus neminem manet".

1996-1997 school year
Giffard's portrait was moved to another landing of the Grand Staircase, during the next school year. However, he still guarded a secret passage to the same place in the Transfiguration Courtyard. Its password became "Light Against Darkness". He had a penchant for sighing wistfully, "Oh, to be young again!", when approached.

Behind the scenes

 * Giffard may have died sometime prior to early 1993, as many portraits hung at Hogwarts depict deceased individuals. His clothes indicate that he most likely lived during the Middle Ages.
 * It is possible that Abbot's portrait is a reference to a portrait of Emperor Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire by Titian.

Etymology

 * "Giffard" is from an English surname, which was derived from the Germanic given name "Gebhard".
 * "Abbott" is a Middle English surname.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)

Notes and references
Giffard Abbott