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 to Harry Potter

Romilda Vane (born c. 1981-1982) was a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry who started attending the school in 1993 and was sorted into Slytherin House.

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 eccentric-looking 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.

"I'm in love with her!"

- Ron Weasley

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.

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.

Later life
Romilda possibly continued her life as a student and probably survived the Second Wizarding War.

Physical appearance
Romilda has large, dark eyes, long, curly black hair, 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 as sneaky and manipulative as any Slytherin, as was evidenced by the lengths to which she was willing to go in her obsessive, single-minded pursuit of Harry Potter, although she did apparently stop trying to win him over when he started 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 the boldest of her friends.

Magical abilities and skills

 * Potions (possibly): Romilda may have had the ability to brew Love potions, but, according to Hermione Granger, it is more likely that she got it from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.
 * Duellist: Romilda was a skilled duellist. She participated in the Hogwarts Duelling Club in 1996 and survived the Battle of Hogwarts.

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 the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Also in the film adaptation, Romilda is a sixth year instead of a fourth year.
 * In the first part film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Romilda can be briefly seen on the Hogwarts Express sitting next to Leanne, Lavender Brown, and Cormac McLaggen.
 * In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 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 Romilda's attention from the start.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Notes and references
Vane, Romilda Romilda Vane Romilda Vane Ромильда Вейн