Lily J. Potter

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.

Physical Description
Lily Evans was, according to Harry Potter, "very pretty". She was tall with dark red hair and had almond-shaped green eyes.

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.

Her wand was 10¼" willow, swishy and excellent for charms work.

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.



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. 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.



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, Harry entered Snape's memory of being bullied by James via the use of Pensieve and saw his mother standing up for Snape. In 1998, 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. Lily's only grandaughter was named after her.

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. She was a favourite of Professor Horace Slughorn, who noted that she was witty and charming. 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.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Lily Evans