Dilys Derwent

Dilys Derwent
Biographical information
Born	Before 1705 (most likely)
Died	1768
Nationality	British or Irish
Title(s)	Healer Professor Headmistress
Physical information
Species	Human
Gender	Female
Hair colour	Silver
Skin colour	Fair
Affiliation
Occupation	Healer Headmistress of Hogwarts
Loyalty	Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries

"Everard and Dilys were two of Hogwarts's most celebrated Heads. Their renown is such that both have portraits hanging in other important Wizarding institutions. As they are free to move between their own portraits they can tell us what may be happening elsewhere...."

— Albus Dumbledore telling Harry Potter about Derwent and Everard

Professor Dilys Derwent (d. 1768) was a witch who worked as a Healer at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries and was a celebrated Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Her portrait hung not only in the Headmaster's office along with the portraits of previous headmasters and headmistresses, but also in St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries' main admitting area. She was immortalised on a Chocolate Frog Card.

Biography

As a Healer and Headmistress

Derwent started working at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries in 1722.

Derwent left the job in 1741 and became the Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry that same year. She proved very popular among students and teachers, gaining her the status of one of the "most celebrated Heads" among Dumbledore and Everard. She died in the post in 1768.

Post-mortem

Derwent was immortalised on a Chocolate Frog Card by the 1980s.

Albus Dumbledore: "Good, I take it Dilys will have seen him arrive, then —"

Dilys Derwent: "Yes, they've taken him to St Mungo's, Dumbledore.... They carried him past under my portrait.... He looks bad...."

— Albus Dumbledore communicating with Derwent's portrait

When Arthur Weasley was attacked by Voldemort's snake Nagini in the Department of Mysteries in late 1995, Albus Dumbledore, then-Headmaster, asked Derwent to go to her portrait at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries's main admitting area in order to keep Dumbledore apprised on Mr Weasley's condition.

When Harry Potter went to the Headmaster's office, shortly after Lord Voldemort's defeat and the end of the Second Wizarding War, Dilys Derwent joined the ovation made by the previous Hogwarts Headmasters, sobbing unashamedly.

Magical abilities and skills

• Healing magic: As a professional Healer who worked at St Mungo's, Derwent would have been very accomplished and talented in the field of medical magic.

Etymology

The name "Dilys" means "genuine" in Welsh. Derwent may be from the name of an English lake in Cumbria, in the Lake District called "Derwent Water".

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (First appearance) (Appears in portrait(s))
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Appears in portrait(s))
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery (Appears in portrait(s))
• The Harry Potter Wizarding Almanac (Appears in portrait(s))